Vintage Reissue Custom-color Jazz Bass.

1991 Fender '62 Re-Issue Stack-Knob, Slab-Board Jazz Bass.

This vintage reissue custom-color Jazz Bass weighs just 9.00 lbs. and has a very narrow nut width (compared to the Precision Bass) of 1 1/2 inches and a scale length of 34 inches. Solid alder body, one-piece maple neck with a very comfortable medium profile. Slab rosewood fretboard with 20 frets and white dot position markers. Headstock with the original decal with "Fender" in gold with black trim, "JAZZ BASS," "TRADE MARK," and "ELECTRIC" in black in three lines beside it, followed by a small "PAT. PEND." in black in two lines, and then "OFFSET Contour Body" in black in three lines. Single round string tree. Four-bolt neck plate with serial number ("V 057239") between the top two screws. Two black eight-polepiece pickups with outputs of 7.35k and 7.40k. Tortoiseshell over white/black/white plastic pickguard with beveled edges and eleven screws. Two concentric ("stacked") volume/tone controls and jack socket, all on metal plate adjoining pickguard (the two domed chrome volume knobs with knurled sides on top of the two black metal tone knobs with knurled sides). The potentiometers are stamped "R137 9017" (CTS April 1990). With the original (black plastic) thum-brest on the treble side of the pickguard. Combined bridge/tailpiece with four individually adjustable threaded saddles. With the four original individual felt-tipped mutes (not fitted). The original chrome-plated bridge and pickup covers have been removed and are not with the guitar. There are a couple of very small and insignificant surface marks on the body which are all that prevent us from giving this fine instrument our top (9.50) mint condition rating. Complete with some of the original Fender papers from 1991. Housed in the original Fender re-issue 'Tweed' hardshell case with brown leather ends and red plush lining (9.25).

"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).

"This addition to the Fender line incorporates a new tone circuit with two separate pickups and separate tandem tone and volume controls for each. A new pickup principle is employed on the jazz bass resulting in richer bass tones, to which varying degrees of treble may be added. Bassists will appreciate the slender neck design of the new bass. The body of the bass employs the Fender off-set waist design for playing ease. The separate tandem tone and volume controls used for each of the pickups permit any desired tone response and are positioned so as not to interefere [sic] with the player's hand. Other features include the truss-rod reinforced neck with rosewood fingerboard and a newly designed adjustable two-way bridge for each string for perfect string length and custom string height" (Namm Daily, July 12, 1960, in J.W. Black and Albert Molinaro, The Fender Bass, p. 26).