1960 was a great year for the Fender Company. It had been around long enough to see its designs road-tested under all manner of playing and recording conditions and was becoming the legend that we know today. Honestly, every real vintage piece of Fender gear from 1960 I have experienced myself has been tremendous, including a brown 4×10 Concert amp that got away from me that I still yearn for in the dark of the night. It was the year when Fender got it all right.
1960 also was the first year for one of Fenders’ most iconic instruments, the Jazz Bass, which has been a staple of stages and studios worldwide ever since. To commemorate the ongoing popularity and enduring perfection of the instrument, Fender is releasing a limited edition 50th Anniversary Jazz Bass. Rather than simply reissue a 1960 bass, however, the 50th is built with a combination of features that span the entire life of the Jazz Bass, which will make it a perfect axe for many bassists out there.
The 50th is constructed around an alder wood body lovingly covered in a Candy Apple Red nitrocellulose lacquer finish and a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, pearloid block inlays, and a matching Candy Red headstock. The neck does not feature the binding usually found with the block inlays but does have graphite reinforcement rods running its length to keep things stable. Electronics are typical J-Bass and the two 75 Vintage pickups are set in the 1970’s style, which means the rear pickup is a hair closer to the bridge than it was in the ’60s. Other highlights include Fender/Hipshot lightweight vintage-style tuning gears, a High Mass Vintage bridge that allows top-loading or through-body stringing, and old-school chrome pickups and bridge covers.
The 50th Anniversary Fender Jazz Bass is a fitting tribute to an everlasting instrument that has remained almost unchanged since 1962 and is further proof of the genius of Leo Fender and his company. Bottom dwellers take note: this one is for you. How much is it?
Be the first to comment