Up for sale, a 1984 Fender '62 Precision Bass JV-series model PB62-75 in near-mint condition and in perfect working order. Fender Japan's inaugural '62 Precision model from the JV (Japanese Vintage) series, this bass hails from the golden age of Fender Japan production at the Fujigen factory and is an exceedingly rare example.
Produced concurrently with the very first Fullerton factory Fender reissues in the USA, this JV model has hardware crafted to exacting vintage spec, a black bobbin split coil pickup, Olympic White gloss finish and a very vintage-correct neck profile carve, offering slightly more roundness than Fender's Fullerton-era reissue neck shapes, with fretboard edges that are gently rolled.
Extremely accurate to vintage spec and initially not intended for export, this P bass has a resonant alder body and round, dynamic acoustic voice with plenty of muscle, tonal breadth and pillowy thump through the original black bobbin pickup. Weighing 8lbs 11oz, we've dialed in this '62 Precision Bass here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with roundwound 45-100 strings, comfortable action and accurate intonation.
The maple neck has a very slender C-shaped profile carve with moderate shoulder at the nut and a graceful increase in roundness and overall heft as you travel up the fretboard, measuring .760” deep at the 1st fret and .940” at the 12th. The thick slab rosewood fretboard has a 7 1/4“ radius, dot inlay, and practically perfect original slender fretwire that retains its full factory height and well-rounded crowns. This bass plays cleanly up the full 34” scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The stock bone nut measures 1 11/16” in width, and the headstock sports the stock tuning machines. Virtually identical to their Pre-CBS forbearers, these tuners have long stems, clover buttons, full-size baseplates, and reverse-gear functionality.
The back of the headstock retains the small “75” sticker, which denotes the model number and original price (¥75,000) of the bass when sold new. The “Made in Japan” text is present above the four-bolt neck plate, embossed with the JV-prefix serial, and the neck heel is pencil dated 9-6-83, with a factory Fender-branded shim in the pocket which is stamped 2-84, pushing production into the '84 model year.
All of the electronics function as intended, with the original black bobbin split-coil pickup wired to a modern pair of USA-made 250k CTS pots. The chrome-plated hardware is bright and clean, including the flat-topped knurled knobs and bridge with vintage-style spiral saddles. The brown tortoise pickguard is a unique material only used on the earliest Fender Japan instruments. The gloss Olympic White finish is stunningly well-kept, still presenting bright white with sparingly little aging of the clear coat. Cosmetic wear is limited to just a scant few tiny dings on the back and lower bout body edge, and the smooth gloss on the neck profile is flawless.
The original brown faux leather gigbag is included.