If Fender wanted jazz players to convert to electric bass, they needed a bass that would register with them. But at first, the decision to develop the jazz bass was probably due more to marketing than anything else. Fender created a top of the line bass to fill out its product offerings. Little did they know the impact on the music industry the bass would have.
1962 through 1965 Decal on the Fender Jazz Bass
When the bass was introduced in 1960, the Deluxe Model bass as it was known, was renamed the Jazz Bass because Fender felt that the mid-range, up front tone, the narrower and rounder neck would be a perfect fit for Jazz musicians. The body is a more contoured, asymmetrical design, originally called the “Offset Waist Contour”, and it has become an iconic symbol for jazz bases.
However, what really makes the big difference is in the sound. The two single coil pickup design gave the bass a warm, strong, mid range sound. Upright bass players who used electric basses occasionally muted their strings to try to achieve the deep, upright bass sound. The original 1960 Jazz Bass had individual string mutes, but they were removed by the 1962 release, because the bass was adopted by professional players of not only jazz, but rock and roll, blues and country, making the argument for a muted sound old news. It became, and still is, the mostly wildly popular bass guitars of its kind.
Fender's Advertisement Campaign Ad circa 1963
The original ‘62 Jazz Bass featured a contoured Alder body, three color sunburst finish, a veneer rosewood fingerboard, concentric (stack) volume and tone knobs, and a tortoise grain celluloid three layer pick guard. Needless to say, an original is a highly sought after collector’s item, and are available in price ranges from $19,000.00 to $22,000.00 US.
Fender has a beautiful Reissue ‘62 Vintage Fender Jazz Bass available. Revisiting this classic, the ‘62 J-Bass has features all of the original firsts, such as the offset body, slim fast-action neck, and full range bi-pole pickups. The bass also features:
- Alder body
- Maple C shape neck
- Rosewood fingerboard
- 20 vintage style frets
- 2 Vintage Jazz Bass single coil pickups
- Stacked concentric controls (Volume/Tone)
- American Vintage Jazz bridge
- Vintage style reversed tuners
- Deluxe brown hard-shell case
Check out a great deal on the ‘62 Vintage Fender Jazz Bass
Fender Basses Featuring: Alder Body, Maple C Shape Neck, Reversed Tuners, Rosewood Fingerboard, Single Coil Pickup, Stacked Concentric Knobs, Vintage Style Frets
