1963 Fender Jazz Bass

1963 Fender Jazz Bass

This sunburst Fender Jazz Bass dates from 1963. It features a 34” scale length with a 1 1⁄2” inch nut width with a thin unbound rosewood cap with clay dots and 20 frets on a maple neck. The offset body has a three tone sunburst lacquer finish, a pair of slim multi-pole pickups, a 4-ply “pepperoni” tortoise pickguard and electronics mounted on a triangular plate. The heel of the neck is stamped for June of 1963, while the volume and tone pots are date coded to the 29th week of 1963, indicating a mid-1963 assembly date.

Overall, this pre-CBS bass shows some transitional features for what was a relatively recent addition to the Fender line up, having been introduced in 1961. The neck has the then newly introduced thin rosewood cap on the fingerboard, but unlike post CBS examples it remains unbound, retaining the ‘dark’ clay dots at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 19th frets. The dots would give way to rectangular celluloid markers in the post-CBS era.

The alder body is painted in a three tone sunburst on an offset profile. The electronics arrangement, volume, volume and tone, replaces the stacked knob configuration introduced in 1961. On the earlier models, four string mutes were mounted underneath the tailpiece ashtray, while this bass was never equipped with them. This feature was dropped not long before this bass was made. The early style pickups, with a flat metal strip acting as a grounding shield extending from the bridge pickup to the tailpiece, are retained here. The pickups show no signs of alteration or repair. The solder joints, pots, foam and cloth covered wire are all intact and original. Both ashtray covers are original, though the four mounting screws have been replaced with appropriate oval head Phillips head screws.

Similarly, the four ply celluloid pickguard is original with no signs of damage from shrinkage. Two of the pickguard screws are original while the others are more recent replacements. The three screws mounting the electronics plate are original. The original finger rest is no longer present, but another could be mounted easily. There are no signs of touchup, alterations or routes to the body.There are numerous areas of playwear on the front face, particularly where a thumb rested in the area just beyond the pickguard at the bass side of the fingerboard extension. Another rub through the finish into bare wood is at the apex of the lower bout on the bass side, with several smaller digs, dings and lighter rub throughs in the area between the edge and the pickguard. All signs of a long playing life. The back shows more wear, with a large area of belt buckle rash running from the neck plate area towards the strap button on the bass side horn, with a larger area of scratches and rub throughs extending beyond. The wear is indicative of extensive use, but not abuse. The back of the neck is similarly played in, with rub through evident from the first fret to the twelfth. The headstock shows a few light marks, particularly at the edges, but the decal and original tuners and the strap button on the back of the headstock are fully intact and original.

The frets are the original ‘skinny’ wire. They are well dressed with plenty of life left. The nut is a more recent replacement.

This is a well played and well cared for survivor, with none of the alterations or repairs found on many examples from this period. The pickups sound fantastic with a wider array of tonal choices than a typical P-bass. It is housed in its original somewhat worn brown Tolex case.