The Holy Grail of Bass Guitars!

This incredibly early and very rare bass guitar weighs in at just 9.70 lbs. Contoured alder body, maple neck, slab rosewood fretboard with 20 frets and inlaid clay dot position markers. Two dual pickups. Two concentric ("stacked") volume/tone controls. Small piece chipped on pickguard and some belt buckle wear on back, light checking and minimal wear to back of neck. A wonderful example of the earliest Jazz Bass in totally original condition. Housed in its original Fender light brown Tolex hardshell case with brown leather ends and orange plush lining (8.75).

Fault: pickguard piece chipped away at top of the pickguard treble horn the point is broken off of the treble horn (screw is there) about 1/2-inch piece
some belt buckle scarring ont he back, some small chips, especially on the edges, a certain amount of body checking, the back of the neck the varnish has been worn away between the third and the tenth frets.
This is the best example of an original Jazz Bass that we've ever seen.
The thumb rest is on the treble side

Original felt-tipped string mutes (p. 25).
Round string tree on headstock
Pot dates: "1376039." The thirty-ninth week of 1960.

This is the beginning.

"After the introduction of the Jazzmaster in 1958, Fender needed an upscale model to augment the bass line. In 1960, Leo's new Jazz Bass borrowed the offset waist and part of the name from the Jazzmaster. It also featured a narrower neck width, which was faster playing than the Precision Bass" (J.W. Black and Albert Molinaro, The Fender Bass, p. 25).