And just as the Stratocaster expanded on the Telecaster rather than supplanting it, this new bass would complement the P Bass by offering great tonal versatility and a design that went beyond the utilitarian to the realm of the sleekly stylish.

Why We Love This

If the P Bass was a Chevy, the new, more deluxe Jazz Bass model would be a Ferrari. Leo Fender himself said so. In a Guitar Player magazine interview years later, he said, 'Well, it’s like a car, you know - you come out with a standard model, then you have a deluxe model - a Cadillac version.'

Featuring a two-piece ash body clad in a Heavy Relic lacquer finish, a tinted quartersawn maple neck with a ’60 Jazz Bass “U” profile; and a 9.5”-radius fingerboard with 20 medium jumbo (6150) frets, white nitro binding, and mother of pearl block inlays. The hand-wound vintage Jazz Bass pickups are wired to knurled chrome master volume and tone control knobs on the chrome control plate for a classically enticing look.

Other features include a three-ply black pickguard, vintage-style bass bridge with four threaded saddles, vintage-style ’66 “lollipop” tuning machines, bone nut and a third strap button on the rear of the headstock for old-school upright-style play. Priced with hardshell case.