A Time Capsule!

This "brand new" twenty-six-year-old bass guitar weighs 11.20 lbs. With a very narrow neck width (compared to the Precision Bass) of 1 1/2 inches and a scale length of 34 inches. Solid ash body and one-piece fretted maple neck with 20 frets and pearloid block position markers and single white binding. Individual German-made Schaller tuners with cloverleaf metal buttons. Headstock decal with serial number under the decal. Single round string tree. Three-bolt neck plate with the Fender backward "F" logo but without the serial number. Two eight-polepiece pickups with outputs of 6.85k and 7.18k. Three-layer (black/white/black) plastic pickguard with the thumb rest on the bass side (as opposed to the treble side). Three controls (two volume blend controls, one for each pickup, and one master tone control) and jack socket, all on metal plate adjoining pickguard. Black plastic knobs with white markings. Combined four-saddle bridge/tailpiece. With both the original bass pickup and bridge pickup covers. The bridge cover with the original mute. The serial number on this guitar is "S845205." The pots are dated: "1377830." A tiny bit of slight blistering in the chrome on the bass pickup cover. Otherwise this guitar is in totally mint condition. This particular Fender Wine Red finish is almost transparent, and gives the appearance of the wood having been stained and then lacquered, with the beautiful grain clearly visible through it. Housed in its original Fender black hardshell case with red plush lining (9.50).

"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).