Fender Jazz

[Major-Minor]

Finally got round to taking some pics of my lovely '62 Fender Jazz
[attachment=53617:IMG_0746.JPG]
[attachment=53618:IMG_0748.JPG]
[attachment=53619:IMG_0749.JPG]
[attachment=53620:IMG_0753.jpg]


The Major

Edited July 6, 2010 by Major-Minor

[stevie]

Lovely! And it's nice to know that it's also being played, rather than stuck in a cupboard.

[slobluesine]

but who stripped the Sunburst off

[Major-Minor]

[quote name='slobluesine' post='886491' date='Jul 5 2010, 05:23 PM']but who stripped the Sunburst off [/quote]
When I bought it in 1972, it was a horrible grey colour. I followed the fashion of the time and stripped all the paint off. In doing so i discovered that it had been other colours before the grey - red and white if I remember correctly.
Of course back then we didn't realise that these instruments would become vintage and valuable in time.
But its the sound that matters - and its sounds great !

The Major

[BassBod]

Very nice. Tell us the whole story...and who would paint a J bass grey.......

[Heathy]

If this bass could only talk!

No prizes for guessing where you rest your thumb.

Nice stair carpet too.

Thanks for sharing.

[slobluesine]

[quote name='BassBod' post='886582' date='Jul 5 2010, 07:01 PM']Very nice. Tell us the whole story...and who would paint a J bass grey....... [/quote]

yep, Grey isn't a Fender custom colour? common to find Sunburst under custom colours tho, they often just sprayed colours over already sprayed Sunburst bodies.

often mistaken for refins

[Major-Minor]

This is me "posing" with the bass when it was still grey in 1972:
[attachment=53674:Fender_J...k_1972_2.jpg]
At this point it still had the metal cover over the neck pickup.

God, I was skinny then ! No longer !

The Major

[BassBod]

So it may have been a "faded" blue?? I know you can't judge colours from computer screens, but that has some blueness to it...or was that just the music?

[Major-Minor]

This one shows the colour slightly better. It's a sort of bluey grey.
[attachment=53684:Poser.jpg]

[Major-Minor]

[quote name='BassBod' post='886582' date='Jul 5 2010, 07:01 PM']Very nice. Tell us the whole story...and who would paint a J bass grey....... [/quote]
I bought this bass in Leeds in 1972 (Shearers ? in the Merrion Centre). I was playing 5 nights a week at the Leeds Locarno (Mecca dance Hall). I seem to remember I paid £150 for it which seemed a fortune then - my weekly wage was £30.

A few weeks later I got my double bass job with the BBC Northern Orchestra (now the BBC Phil) and the Fender was used very little for a couple of years. Then I started doing gigs here there and everywhere (cabaret clubs / dance halls / functions / sessions / theatre etc) and I reckon the bass has done 2000 gigs and sessions over the years.

I used to rest my thumb on the edge of the bridge pickup hence the worn spot that you can see. But these days I've adopted the floating thumb technique.

Sadly. I rarely play this bass anymore. I now have a Yamaha 5 string which i tend to use most. To be honest, i was getting a little nervous taking a valuable vintage instrument into dodgy pub gigs !

But I have no intention of selling - it's too much part of my career - I'm sentimentally attached to it (what a saddo !).

The Major

[Rayman]

Now [i]THAT[/i] sir, is a proper bass guitar. Beautiful. If only it could speak, I bet it could tell some stories.

[lozbass]

Lovely working bass and a great story (two old Simms Watts cabs in the photos too? - great to see a proper '70s bass stack!)

[geoffbassist]

Pete, you have a fantastic bass collection!

With your uprights, that is one AMAZING set of instruments!
We need to have a bass guitar jam soon :-)

thanks for the pics!
Cheers Geoff

[Major-Minor]

[quote name='lozbass' post='892044' date='Jul 11 2010, 04:18 PM']Lovely working bass and a great story (two old Simms Watts cabs in the photos too? - great to see a proper '70s bass stack!)[/quote]
The stack is a Park. A UK company I believe. Don't know much about them I'm afraid. But I loved the sound which is why i bought it.

The Major

[Major-Minor]

[quote name='geoffbassist' post='892143' date='Jul 11 2010, 06:37 PM']Pete, you have a fantastic bass collection!

With your uprights, that is one AMAZING set of instruments!
We need to have a bass guitar jam soon :-)

thanks for the pics!
Cheers Geoff[/quote]
Yeah let's get together sometime soon. Maybe one lunchtime at the Beeb ?

The Major

[Mr Fudge]

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='887359' date='Jul 6 2010, 02:53 PM']This one shows the colour slightly better. It's a sort of bluey grey.
[attachment=53684:Poser.jpg][/quote]


Wow ... You got C&A to make you a bespoke jacket to match.

+1 on the bass still being gigged, great stuff.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='892303' date='Jul 11 2010, 09:38 PM']The stack is a Park. A UK company I believe.[/quote]
I think Park were actually rebranded Marshalls, although I can't recall why that would have happened.

Very nice Jazz bass.

[Major-Minor]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='892446' date='Jul 12 2010, 12:59 AM']I think Park were actually rebranded Marshalls, although I can't recall why that would have happened.[/quote]
I think you may be right here. It was probably a cheaper version of a Marshall. I later had an amp that was called a Top 100, again looking like a Marshall head, and I believe that was a cheap version of a Carlsboro.

[Major-Minor]

Here's pics of the stack:
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/style_images/basschat/folder_attach_images/attach_add.png"]http://basschat.co.uk/style_images/basscha.../attach_add.png[/url]
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/style_images/basschat/folder_attach_images/attach_add.png"]http://basschat.co.uk/style_images/basscha.../attach_add.png[/url]

[Sibob]

You can tell that the grey/blue/red/white weren't any of the original colours because, assuming it's original, the pickguard is tortoiseshell. All custom colours had mint green (off white to my eyes) pickguards. So at some point it was sunburst.

A beauty though, I'd love a 60's Jazz, won't be happening just yet though I'm afraid

Si

[lozbass]

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='892488' date='Jul 12 2010, 08:18 AM']Here's pics of the stack:[/quote]

Fantastic - thanks! I remember Park well - I too seem to remember that they were some form of Marshall re-brand (I'm sure that somebody on here will know). I remember the Top and Carlsboro connection too - fairly brightly coloured control knobs if memory serves!

[Kiwi]

The original colour wouldn't happen to be Inca Silver, would it?

[Major-Minor]

[quote name='lozbass' post='892579' date='Jul 12 2010, 10:15 AM']Fantastic - thanks! I remember Park well - I too seem to remember that they were some form of Marshall re-brand (I'm sure that somebody on here will know). I remember the Top and Carlsboro connection too - fairly brightly coloured control knobs if memory serves![/quote]
I seem to remember the branding for the "Top" range was bright yellow. It looked cheap to be honest - but did the job OK.

[Toddy]

That Sir,, Is a Beautifull Bass.......