Fender Precision PB57-95, JV-series, 1982 £1500

[Oler]

I'm selling my 1982 PB57-95 Fender Precision. This is a very early JV-serial out of the FugiGen factory in Japan. Serial# is JV05681. Produced 22nd of June 1982 (hand written with pencil on neck heel). This is the hi-end model intended for the domestic japanese market back in the days - it has nitrocellulose lacquered body and neck, "grey bobbins" pickup and is lightweight (3,8 kg or 8.37 lbs). Mods: Thumb rest, bridge cover and pickup cover added later on. Pots and capasitor replaced with hi-quality components (CTC and Sprague Orange Drop). The knobs are probably replaced. All else in original condition. Amazing condition considering this one is over 40 years old. Rare as hens teeth. Sounds big and mighty. Read more about this piece of Fender history at https://www.21frets.com/ 

Nut width on these were a tad narrower than its american counterparts - it's a comfy 42,6 mm. No hard case on this, sorry. I can ship this from Norway to the EU or UK for approx. £40, depending on your location. This is also for sale locally. Feel free to ask any question you might have. Paypal preferred. £1500 or highest bidder.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Ole

Edited Sunday at 18:15 by Oler

[Beedster]

Just now, Oler said:

Produced June 22. 1982

 

My 18th birthday

 

What a stunning bass 👍

[Paddy777]

4 months older than me this bass - I’ve always fancied a birth year bass 🤔 

[potato bass]

Any one who knows the quality of these compared with the JV-Squier's ?

[Kev]

Lovely bass.

 

So was this a precursor to the Squier series?  I know the earliest JV Squiers in '82 were branded Fender but had "Squier Series" at the end of the headstock, so did this come before those?

[LukeFRC]

3 hours ago, Kev said:

Lovely bass.

 

So was this a precursor to the Squier series?  I know the earliest JV Squiers in '82 were branded Fender but had "Squier Series" at the end of the headstock, so did this come before those?

Production for domestic Japanese consumption. The export models were the JV Squier Series. 

The domestic ones would have several price points corresponding with quality, 95 in the model name would have been the highest (probably 95,000 Yen) - how quality compares between Export Squiers and domestic I don't know. The Squier Series JV are quite valuable but the value would possibly be on rarity making it collectable - whereas the higher end domestic stuff like this  would guess would be higher price point when built. 

[Oler]

 

Here's an article debating the different JV models, including the early domestic Fender line. Guitar-oriented, but still useful.

https://www.21frets.com/squier_jv/jv_quick_guide.htm

 

This thread may also shed some light. Exact same bass as mine:

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/316292-fender-jv-precision-bass/#comment-3420668

[KevL]

Hi @Kev

 

Edit: Luke and Oler have replied whilst I was typing, so apologies for any seeming repetition.

 

This particular bass is a model - high in the range - produced for the Japanese domestic market, as stated by @Oler.

 

Fender Japan was set up by Fender USA in March 1982 to produce these Fender-branded vintage models for the Japanese market, the first instruments appearing in May. There was soon demand from overseas for these very high-quality guitars so an export line, branded 'Squier'*, was produced with an approximate spec of the -65 range of the domestic Fenders (there were various quality levels in the domestic range, the highest being -115 on a Jazz Bass). These first Squiers were made in Apr 82 and appeared in UK shops in around June. 

 

*Most probably know that the Squier name was taken from VC Squier, a string-making company that Fender bought (in the 60s, I think). When the very first Squiers hit the market, CBS (Fender's owners) were not happy with the standard 'Fender' spaghetti-logo and small 'Squier Series' on the headstock of a non-USA instrument and it was very quickly changed to the large 'Squier' logo.

 

Fender Japan continued making these domestic-market Fender JV instruments alongside the now-famous JV Squiers but, just to confuse matters, started to produce a domestic-model Squier (also with a JV prefix) in late 82 but these were not as close to the vintage spec as the export JV Squiers.

 

Loads of info on the 21frets site linked and there is a Squier Electrics book with good history.

 

Kevin.

 

Edited 14 hours ago by KevL