Fender Jazz bass
FlyGuitars What was your first bass?
Jack Casady One of my pals was Danny Gatton who was a very, very fine guitarist who's since passed on. Danny was a 16 or 15 year old wonder kid when I turned 16. We played in each others bands on the circuit from time to time and his bass player got sick and I filled in for him for a two week gig. I really enjoyed the instrument and went out and brought a 1960 concentric pot Jazz bass, that was my first bass. The Precision is a little tough for the size of my hands but the Jazz bass with that more narrow neck at the top was little easier for me to get around on.
FlyGuitars Can you remember what it cost for the Jazz bass at the time when you bought it?
Jack Casady I remember that the 58 Tele was $115 dollars. I'm sure that the Jazz bass at the time was a little bit more. I bought it in 1960 the first year the Jazz bass came out. I'm sure that's a matter of record, you know you didn't get deals on instruments then. You paid what they charged.
FlyGuitars By today's standards it would be quite cheap but unfortunately back then it was expensive I guess?
Jack Casady Well you know gasoline or as you call it petrol was 19 cents a gallon so it's all scaled down. The dollar was a lot harder to make in those days and I worked six nights a week in a club. When we had a steady gig we got a $115 dollars a week, that was a lot of money. It was enough money for me to go out and get my own apartment when I was 17 but if you paid $300 dollars for an instrument or $500 dollars for an instrument that was a lot of money.
FlyGuitars So when you first joined Jefferson Airplane you were using Fender basses?
Jack Casady Yeah the first three albums are recorded with a Fender Jazz bass, and I customised that by adding a P pickup right butted up against the neck. So in essence I had on the very bassy end of the speaking length of the string an offset P pickup and then two bar pickups of the Jazz bass.
FlyGuitars And how did that the P pickup work?
Jack Casady I took the concentric pots that were used and later on dropped by Fender for there Jazz bass line. You would have a volume and a tone stacked up on top of each other, so that's the configuration I used. I used a volume/tone, volume/tone, volume/tone for each pick up and blended them together. That was my '60 Jazz bass, it got stolen just before I came out to California in 1965.
When I arrived out there I bought a brand new 1965 Jazz bass. That bass originally came with the two volumes and one tone. I took those controls out and put in concentric pots and added a p bass pickup.
Thanks to Graham Fieldhouse and Jack Casady
Further reading: JackCasady.com | HotTuna.com
Fender Jazz bass guitars for sale
Fender American Vintage II 66 Jazz Bass (2022) #14911 with Original Hard Case
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 152**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1699
Since 2002, Empire Music has aimed to deliver the finest in-store shopping experience. Now you can receive the same amazing in-store experience through our eBay store. We promise to deliver the highest quality products and services to all of our customers This Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazz Bass is in VERY GOOD overall condition. Cosmetically, it is in very good shape but does show wear / blemishes in places. See below for a detailed description. It has been ... more
1960's Fender Jazz Bass -California Blue
Kansas City, Missouri, 641**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$620
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazz Bass - Seafoam Green - Used
Rothschild, Wisconsin, 544**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1899
Weight: 9 lbs 7 oz
Body Material: Alder
Neck Material: Maple
Neck Shape: 1966 U
Scale: 34 "
Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 7 25 "
Frets: 20 Vintage Tall
Nut Size: 1 5 "
Action at 12th Fret: 2 00 mm
Pickups: Pure Vintage '66 Single-coil Jazz Bass
Electronics Controls : 2 x Volume, 1 x Tone
Tuning Gear: Vintage Style Lollipop
Case / Gig Bag: Case
Condition Note: This bass guitar is in mint ... more
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazz Bass - Sea Foam Green
El Paso, Texas, 799**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1875
... more
Fender Jazz Bass Vintage 1983 "Dan Smith" Featherlight 8 8lb With Upgrades AMZIN
Sherman Oaks, California, 914**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$2995
Glasguitarsla com
This one is a bit special .. Pro L A session players Dan Smith era USA Jazz from new bought in late 83' in olyimic white, with parchment pick guard, full active symore Duncan pickups and electronic upgrades. Comes with a nice Tweed case- Very clean axe all over, been on many a recording for sure .
The alder body Has aged lovely, with it now a nice cream tone, the plastics ... more
1978 Fender Jazz - Nearly All Original, and only 2 Owners!
Springfield, Missouri, 658**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$2499
Here??s a true gem from Fender??s CBS era ?? a 1978 Fender Jazz Bass that??s seen decades of grooves but remains ready for many more. With only two owners since new and all-original parts except for a BadAss bridge upgrade, this is your chance to own a piece of Fender history that plays and sounds every bit as good as it looks
This bass has all the classic Jazz Bass charm ?? tight, articulate low end, punchy mids, and that unmistakable single-coil growl. It??s got ... more
Fender Jazz Bass with Rosewood Fretboard 1973 - Black
Croton-on-Hudson, New York, 105**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$3900
serial # 390182
sounds incredible, that great '70's Jbass sound!
all original hardware and pickups
tuning machines run perfectly, no rust
pickguard is not original but period correct and reliced
no neck drive or issues, frets in very good condition,
date stamp: not legible (typical for this period)
weighs 9 2 lbs
no cover plates
Original hardshell case
NO TRADES !
No international shipping ... more
1960 & 1969 Fender Jazzmaster Electric Bass Guitar w / HSC! -LL
Mesquite, Texas, 751**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$8600
Item: 1960 & 1969 Fender Jazzmaster Electric Bass Guitar w / HSC!
Description: You are purchasing a 1960 & 1969 Fender Jazzmaster Electric Bass Guitar with a Hard Shell Case 1960 body and 1969 neck on this Jazzmaster Refinished body. All original parts All original neck It plays and sound good This is a stunning guitar Please ask any questions before buying if you have any Shipping: $100 00 shipping to the Lower 48 States! We ship overseas. Overseas shipping prices will ... more
Original 1966 Fender Jazz Bass Body 4 Bolt Natural USA Vintage 69??s World Ship
Vancouver, Washington, 986**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1275
Original vintage 1966 fender jazz bass body.
Beautiful natural stripped body
Originally was a sunburst
Natural color smooth on front and more stripped on back
Some wood wear removed at upper arm rest contour as seen in pictures
Small amount of control cavity route as seen in pictures
Super nice solid vintage 55 year old bass body Originally
Priced to sell
You will be very happy with this cool fender vintage bass body Originally Priced
Thanks for ... more
Vintage Fender USA Jazz Bass Molded Case
Camano Island, Washington, 982**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$175
I have since found an original 1973 Jazz Bass case, so this one can go. It served its purpose well
Handle is fine. Handle mounting brackets are tarnished
Latches are all there, they all work fine, albeit a bit tarnished
Hinges are all there, 1 could use some tightening
Metal binding is ok, closes and shuts fine
These molded cases were known for the plastic to warp, does not cause any issue to the inside integrity
There are 2 ... more
Fender Brass Bridge Collector Series Jazz Bass 1982 Gold Plated USA ??
Bell, California, 902**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$500
from the 1980s
the collector series
A 3k bass
this bridge is in excellent condition for its age and is a great upgrade if you own a collector series bass
Or a high quality custom build
Fender USA
Ships in a box ?
... more
Vintage Fender 1963 Stratocaster telecaster jazz bass precision bass strap butto
Fort Mill, South Carolina, 297**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$199
... more
1974 Fender Jazz Bass gorgeous last of the great 4 bolt's 1 of a kind & Minty !
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$8495
1985 Fender Boxer Series Jazz Bass Special PJ-555 Vintage PJ Bass, Japan MIJ
Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1500
Fender Precision / Jazz Bass Case 1967-1971
Edmond, Oklahoma, 730**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$450
... more
Fender Jazz Bass Special Medium Scale PJ-535 MIJ 1985 - Vintage White
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, 838**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1365
1965 Fender Jazz Bass Fiesta Red Relic w / Case
Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$6600
Weighing at 8lbs 8oz, tonewoods include an alder body, maple neck, and dark rosewood fingerboard, and the instrument has a ... more
FENDER 1970-76 USA JAZZ OR PRECISION BASS CASE BLACK TOLEX ORANGE VINTAGE USA
Decatur, Alabama, 356**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$299
1964 Fender Jazz Bass Pre-CBS Vintage Bass Olympic White w / Gold Hardware, Case
Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$16500
With extremely heavy playwear and a super jumbo refret, this Jazz Bass looks mean yet has a vitality and breadth of tones well-suited to ... more
Vintage Fender Jazz Bass Sunburst 1968
Brookfield, Wisconsin, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$7999
Vintage Fender Jazz Bass Sunburst 1968
PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR FOR AN IN-HAND DESCRIPTION
An outstanding Jazz Bass offering superb tone & playability. The perfectly shaped neck is exceptionally comfortable & plays great up & down the fretboard. The body is very resonant & the pair of single coils deliver warm, rich, dynamic tones. Professionally set up with fresh strings & low action so it's ready to play straight out of the case
Cosmetic ... more