Description
Very cool & very rare player's grade 1961 Fender Jazz Bass recently acquired from the second owner. The bass was modified in the late 70's by the original owner who stripped the finish & changed some parts on it, namely the tuners, nut & bridge. A more period-correct looking bridge is currently on the bass, but there are some filled holes in the body where the previous bridge had been.
Cosmetic Condition: Super cool vintage vibe from a great playing & sounding bass! The original finish has been stripped off the body, but not the neck. The body was left natural & has the typical wear from a well-played instrument - various nicks, chips, dents & dings; surface scratches & areas of wear. The original 4-ply tortoise guitar is in great shape with no cracks or breaks! The finish on the neck is original & has aged into a mellow caramel color with some very nice variegation. Overall the bass has a great look to it with a gorgeous patina.
Neck: Super slender profile maple neck with beautiful dark Brazilian rosewood fingerboard & clay dot inlays. Original frets show some wear, but have plenty of life in them. The original headstock decal looks wonderful with that naturally aged orange hue. The tuners are later-period Fenders from about the 1970's. They are in perfect working condition. Unoriginal brass nut with a 1 1/2" width. Amazingly the neck is straight & truss rod works. The date on the end of the neck is 9-61.
Body: Contoured, solid alder body with the original finish stripped off. Unfortunately we're not sure what the original finish may have been. Luckily there are no routes in the body. At one time the bass had a different bridge on it as evidenced by the filled holes surrounding the existing bridge. Original bridge cover is included. Original 4-ply tortoise pickguard with finger rest. Unoriginal strap buttons. Bass weighs 8.25lbs.
Pickups: The pickups appear to be original, however the wiring to the pots is plastic & not cloth. This may have been done in the 70's when the other alterations were made. We can only read one pot code - for the neck pickup - which dates to 1960. The other codes are obscured by their solder points, but all the pots appear to be period-correct. Good, strong output from both pickups. Bridge - 7.33K ohms; Neck - 7.07K ohms. All electronics are in perfect working condition.
Playability / Sound: Nice, low action - smooth, comfortable neck. Superb, vintage bass tone - exactly what you'd hope for in a bass of this age & quality. Warm, rich tone, with nice dynamics & response. Lots of fun to play & hard to put down!
Case: Later-period 70's Fender hardshell case included.
