LeftyBassist.com

Hi
I need help with this left hand jass bass with serial S831078
Can you tell me if the parts look original and from which age the bass is? I wonder as there is no pickup chrome cover and no dots in the fretboard

Looks like a non-Fender parts bass. 70s decal with ‘78 serial but no block inlays. Also I don’t see holes where a bridge cover would’ve been. Looks too shiny & new for it to perhaps be a 70s Jazz with a replaced fingerboard. Got more pix?

Fender serial Homepage says it is from 78 or 79.
Owner says it is all original nothing modified and very less played.
Is it possible that the bass is original from this age with dots on fretboard and no chrome covers on that age version ? See more pics

Hm, doesn’t seem all original. It should have block inlays. At the very least the fingerboard has been replaced. And the lack of holes for a bridge cover is odd too. I guess a possible scenario is that the board was replaced at some point and the bass had a refinish (with the holes near the bridge being filled). That would explain how shiny it appears.
I also wonder if there was some weird transition period to the early 80s that would explain the dot inlays? I believe some late 70s serial number necks made it into the early 80s.
Try to decipher the pot codes as well to see when they are dated.

I could be wrong but I've seen the R on the pots on a number of Reissue models and assumed it was a designation for them. If it's a Reissue that would account for most if not all of the points in question. If that's not the case, the pots are not original to a 1978 as the headstock serial number indicates the neck is.They are definitely much newer. Looking at the neck heel, neck pocket and the pickup backs for dating should reveal a good bit more info.

A reissue wouldn’t have the dots though

The earlier Mexican JB bodies where also made in black and had those strat knobs, but the bodies where made with very lightweight alder if I recall.
But they where not made with maple fretboards.

Looks like Matt could be right it might be a parts bass. A look at the neck heal and pocket might helping identifying the parts. The neck could be a refurbished 78 neck with a new board. It would explain the nice new looking finish. It has bidding and it's hard to tell for sue , but it's looks like you can see a seam where the board and the neck meet just above the nut. Hard to see for sure. The body is a 3 bolt so it wouldn't be MIM. The pots, wiring pick ups could be replaced. Could be a 78 that's had a lot of work done. It all looks pretty fresh. If I had to guess I would say it a refurbished 78 with a replaced board new electronics, and maybe some hardware and body and neck refinished at some point. Needs to be taken apart, then maybe there will be answers.

Not fully versed on them, but could this possibly be a tuxedo jazz bass?
They did have black dots and not inlays on maple.
MIM bodies do have an open route from control plate to pickups, and I believe
late seventies and early eighties MIA bodies still retained their original ‘under the wood’ routing.

There was an era of this bass called the "tuxedo" bass. It had white pickups covers and same knobs. This could be "if original" 1982/1983. Pots date 82 so might be legit.
The maple neck, white binding and black dots are correct for that year. Fender used recycled decals back then and stuck them on later lefty basses.
My buddy had a 83' (righty) that looked identical with white pup covers, that's how I know this.

the cap I beg to believe not original and the non-shrink wrapping I don't believe is original. these were good basses tho and still 70's spacing. check the bottom of the pickups and see if there are dates and grey bottoms.

Is that Frank? Yes, I'm almost certain it's Frank!



pete

Got some more pics from the neck, does this help to identify if parts are all original?

I forgot about those tuxedo basses. That’s super cool!

Cool! The neck date matches the pots The marking are what you would expect to see. It's in excellent shape for it's age. Looks like a great find! Do you own it or are you considering buying? Keep us posted.

Hi please see some more pics of the Pickups.

I got the info, from the owner, that it was bought 25years ago in a store, where it was an old stock instrument left aside in the store, it's all original , never dissoldered. So it has only one owner.
It is in that awesome shape, as it was not player very often. Look like excellent condition for an 40 year old bass

so do you all think it looks original from 1982 neck and pickups but with a serial from 1978/1979?

What would you think about a fair price to buy it?

If I take a look at some similar on google like:
http://www.rosewoodandrare.com/fender-jazz-bass-1978/
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/1983-f ... h.1318039/

It might be that this bass is really between two episodes of the late 70s and new 80s jazz basses?

Any more Feedbacks on my questions please that would help me

Looks to be original. It's common to see 78 serial number necks on newer lefty Fender basses. This one is unique so hard to price it. Because of the excellent condition maybe in the same range as an original 78. Just a guess.

I’m not convinced. Basses of this era that I have seen sport a high mass bridge and don’t have a 3-bolt neck and bullet truss rod. Never seen a lefty version though.

Thanks a lot for your replies.
When Looking at my last post above, there are basses from this Transition ara which are mixed, like 3 Bold/4 Bold neck... White Pick Up Cover...
I also found a lot of info on the Internet, that Fender used 70 produced necks on 80 basses