1966 Fender Jazz Bass Sunburst

Rare Early-1966 Jazz Bass with Padauk Fingerboard

This 1966 Fender Jazz Bass in Sunburst is a fascinating early-’60s example featuring several important transitional characteristics.

Built in early 1966, this Jazz Bass has an unbound maple neck with dot position markers and a particularly rare padauk (paduak) fingerboard. The naturally reddish-orange/brown padauk, with its distinctive grain, gives this bass a striking appearance and sets it apart from the much more commonly seen rosewood-fingerboard examples.

The bass retains its original Sunburst nitrocellulose finish, original electronics, original hardware, original frets and original Fender case.

Condition is very good. It has clearly been played and enjoyed, with normal signs of use and performance, but it has not been abused.

Highlights

• Early 1966 Fender Jazz Bass
• Original factory Sunburst nitrocellulose finish
• Rare padauk fingerboard
• Unbound neck with traditional dot position markers
• One-piece bolt-on maple neck
• 34″ / 864 mm Fender scale
• Original frets
• Original Jazz Bass pickups
• Original potentiometers
• Original pickguard and hardware
• Original Fender “F” neck plate
• Original Fender four-string bridge
• Original Fender tuners
• Original black Fender case with orange plush interior
• Weight: 4.2 kg / 9.3 lbs

Rare Padauk Fingerboard

One of the most distinctive features of this Jazz Bass is its padauk fingerboard.

Padauk is a naturally reddish-orange to brown hardwood with a pronounced grain pattern. Its unusual coloration creates a distinctive visual appearance compared with the rosewood fingerboards more commonly encountered on vintage Fender instruments.

The fingerboard features the early Jazz Bass dot-marker configuration without binding, representing an important visual characteristic of this period.

Early 1966 Transitional Specification

This Jazz Bass represents an interesting period in the development of the model.

The unbound neck with dot markers predates the later Jazz Bass configuration with rectangular block inlays and binding, giving this instrument a particularly attractive early-’60s appearance.

The neck retains the characteristic Jazz Bass profile and Fender’s traditional 34-inch scale length, providing the familiar playing feel associated with the model.

Original Electronics

The bass retains its original Jazz Bass electronics, including the traditional dual single-coil pickup configuration and original potentiometers.

The original potentiometers are:

• Volume: CTS
• Tone: Centralab

Note: Pickup date codes, resistance measurements and additional electronics details are available in the photographs and can be added to the description once confirmed.

Condition

The bass is in very good condition — used but not abused.

It shows normal signs of playing and performing, consistent with a vintage instrument of this age.

There is some finish wear on a small area of the lower side of the body, apparently consistent with repeated use on a guitar stand. This is relatively minor and does not detract from the overall appearance of the bass.

There are also two small screw holes from a different bridge that was installed at some point in the past. The bass has been returned to its original bridge, and the additional holes are barely visible.

Please study all photographs carefully for a detailed view of the instrument’s condition.

Original Hardware & Plastics

The bass retains a very nice collection of original components, including:

• Original pickguard
• Original Fender “F” neck plate
• Original pickup covers
• Original volume and tone knobs
• Original Fender tuners
• Original Fender four-string bridge
• Original strap buttons

Vintage Fender Case

The bass comes with its original black Fender hard-shell case with orange plush interior, as shown in the photographs.

A Legendary Instrument

The Fender Jazz Bass has become one of the most influential electric bass designs ever produced and has been embraced by countless legendary musicians, including Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller and Geddy Lee.

This early-1966 example offers a particularly interesting combination of vintage Fender characteristics, rare padauk construction and excellent original components.

Specifications

Body

• Solid alder body
• Original Sunburst nitrocellulose finish

Neck

• One-piece bolt-on maple neck
• Jazz Bass profile
• Padauk fingerboard
• Pearloid dot position markers
• 20 frets
• Original frets
• 7.25″ radius
• Neck depth: approximately .88″ at 1st fret / .92″ at 12th fret
• Nut width: 1.5″ / 38.1 mm
• Scale length: 34″ / 864 mm

Electronics

• Original dual Jazz Bass single-coil pickup configuration
• Original potentiometers
• Volume: CTS
• Tone: Centralab

Hardware & Plastics

• Original pickguard
• Original Fender “F” neck plate
• Original pickup covers
• Original volume and tone knobs
• Original Fender tuners
• Original Fender four-string bridge
• Original strap buttons

Miscellaneous

• Weight: 4.2 kg / 9.3 lbs
• Original black Fender case with orange plush interior

Professional Inspection & Setup

As with all guitars and basses offered by us, this 1966 Fender Jazz Bass is professionally inspected and set up to ensure optimal playability and performance.

Manufacturing date codes and detailed interior photographs are available upon request e-mail

Fandango Guitars · Lugano, Switzerland

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