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Fly Guitars Interview: Jack Casady - part 2: Fender Jazz bass

Intro | Fender Jazz | Guild basses | Alembic & Modulus | Epiphone Jack Casady Signature | Amps | Other guitars


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.

Video Clips: Jack Casady with Fender Jazz bass guitars - click the images to view clips

Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit Jefferson Airplane - High Flyin Bird

Two clips from 1967 in which Jack plays the Fender Jazz bass. The first mimingWhite Rabbit, on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and the second High Flyin' Bird live at the Monterey Pop festival.



Thanks to Graham Fieldhouse and Jack Casady

Further reading: JackCasady.com | HotTuna.com

Fender Jazz bass guitars for sale

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1980 Fender Jazz Bass, Natural finish, original

1980 Fender Jazz Bass, Natural finish, original

Laguna Niguel, California, 926**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2400

Up for sale is a CBS era Fender made in Fullerton, CA 1980 Fender Jazz bass with all original parts in it's original natural finish, albeit with over 40 years of natural relic-ing. Bass body has had the common finish reaction with the interior fuzzy lining of the hard case in which it sat for so many years. This was fairly common for late 70's early 80's Fender instruments with the polyurethane finish reacting with the glue or adhesive fumes used on the lining of the hard cases back then. Not a ... more
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1973 Fender Jazz Bass - All Original - American Made

1973 Fender Jazz Bass - All Original - American Made

Frisco, Texas, 750**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$6000

I am the second owner of this bass and have had it for 25 years. This bass is all original other than the bridge pick-up which was rewound to spec by Lindy Fralin in 1999. The finish is worn from the original case. Other than that, the finish has some light checking, which is normal for a 50 year old bass. Fret wear is light, and plays like a dream. The date stamp on the neck is very faded and hard to make out, but I tried to document it. I think the date code on the pots indicates they were ... more
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1971 FENDER BASS THUMB REST PRECISION / JAZZ  / TELECASTER /  MUSTANG BASS

1971 FENDER BASS THUMB REST PRECISION / JAZZ / TELECASTER / MUSTANG BASS

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 554**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$80

VINTAGE FENDER BASS THUMB REST / TUG BAR ORIGINALLY ON A 1971 MUSTANG BASS. INCLUDES THE SCREWS. CAN BE USED FOR PRECISION, JAZZ, TELECASTER AND OTHER FENDER BASSES. IT'S A PURPLE-ISH TRANSLUCENT COLOR. GREAT SHAPE. PLEASE NO OFFERS, TRADES OR RETURNS. $$$PAYPAL ONLY$$$ CONUS SHIPPING ONLY. SHIPS USPS PRIORITY MAIL SMALL BOX FOR FAST AND SAFE DELIVERY. THX
... more
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1964 Fender Jazz Bass Pre-CBS Vintage Bass Olympic White w /  Gold Hardware, Case

1964 Fender Jazz Bass Pre-CBS Vintage Bass Olympic White w / Gold Hardware, Case

Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$16500

Up for sale, a 1964 Fender Jazz Bass in perfect working order, featuring factory-installed gold hardware and the original custom color Olympic White nitro lacquer finish. While Pre-CBS era Fender Jazz Basses in custom colors enjoy a certain reverence for their relative rarity, the all-original gold hardware certainly elevates this example above the pack
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
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1971 FENDER JAZZ  BASS BRIDGE USA Original Vintage

1971 FENDER JAZZ BASS BRIDGE USA Original Vintage

Brooklyn, New York, 112**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$425

1971 FENDER JAZZ BASS BRIDGE USA Original Vintage
Very Good + Condition. With original mounting screws
There's a slight bend near the head of the E String intonation screw that doesn't effect use
Shipped Fully Insured!... more
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Fender Jazz Bass with Rosewood Fretboard 1973 - Black

Fender Jazz Bass with Rosewood Fretboard 1973 - Black

Croton-on-Hudson, New York, 105**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3900

Fender 1973 Jazz Bass refinished black over black (done years ago)
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
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1962 Fender Jazz Bass Black / Reverb. In Excellent Condition.

1962 Fender Jazz Bass Black / Reverb. In Excellent Condition.

Oroville, California, 959**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$10000

Fender Jazz Bass-Electric Bass guitar, 1962
Made in Mexico. Well kept guitar. It??s black and has the Reverb feature. A real Classic piece
... more
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1974 Fender Jazz Bass last of the cool 4-Bolt Maple Necks Geddy Lees favorite !

1974 Fender Jazz Bass last of the cool 4-Bolt Maple Necks Geddy Lee's favorite !

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$5995

Just in is a rare original 1974 Fender Jazz Bass w / all the right features, its has an original Black finish w / a few dings over an Alder body, its desirable 4-Bolt Black Block & Bound Maple Neck feels great, it had a headstock repair done many years ago & does not take away stability, its white reissue pickgard pulls this all together making it one of Fender??s best & last period "Geddy Lee" type Jazzes, its got 1 original rhythm pickup & 1 cloth wrapped vintage reissue lead ... more
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Fender Jazz Bass 1975

Fender Jazz Bass 1975

Davenport, Florida, 338**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2795

1975 Fender Jazz Bass, used in good condition. Pickups are Lindy Fralin. I don't have original Pickups
Non original hardcase. Any questions, let me know.... more
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Vintage Fender Jazz Bass Olympic White 1983

Vintage Fender Jazz Bass Olympic White 1983

Brookfield, Wisconsin, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2999


Vintage Fender Jazz Bass Olympic White 1983
PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR FOR AN IN-HAND DESCRIPTION
A gorgeous looking Jazz Bass with some really nice appointments - namely the white pickup covers & knobs combined with the aged white finish & tortoise pickguard. A silky smooth player that's been professionally set up by the experts here at Cream City Music
Cosmetic Condition: There's a pretty good sized chip on the treble side of the body, lower bout. It was ... more
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Fender Jazz Bass Special 1984 - 1987 - Black Japan

Fender Jazz Bass Special 1984 - 1987 - Black Japan

Huntington, Indiana, 467**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1100

For sale is a Fender Jazz Bass Special 1984 - 1987 - Black Japan in Good Condition!
This beautiful bass comes from the famous Fujigen factory which has become synonymous with high quality! These are becoming harder to come by and are very collectible!
Just cleaned and set up with super low action!
Electronics have been modified (Vol - Vol - Tone - Input)
This can easily be modified back to original as they used the existing holes. The original jack is still intact on the side of the... more
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Fender 1979 Jazz Bass. Vintage. You Won??t Find Another One This Nice.

Fender 1979 Jazz Bass. Vintage. You Won??t Find Another One This Nice.

Sebastian, Florida, 329**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$7900


Fender 1979 Jazz Bass.
This bass sounds as amazing as it looks. I??ve played many Fender basses, including at least nine 1970s Fender basses. This 1979 Fender jazz bass has an amazing sound. It has a low growl. The neck and fretboard on this bass plays like a dream and is perfect
I bought this Jazz Bass from the original owner who purchased it new, on August 5, 1980 at Windy City Music in Chicago. A Copy of ... more
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1977 Fender Jazz Bass cool 48 year old Olympic White Maple Neck ready to enjoy.

1977 Fender Jazz Bass cool 48 year old Olympic White Maple Neck ready to enjoy.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3995

Just in is another killer all original 1977 Jazz Bass, it has its original Olympic White finish over an Alder body showing some play time all over, its white bound white block inlaid Maple Neck feels great, its original black pickgard pulls this all together, its loaded w / 2 vintage original pickups that are funky w / that quintessential ??Jazz Bass?? sound !, its lightweight & comes w / its 2 pickup covers, its serial # designates it to be from 1977, it plays & feels excellent, she??s... more
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Vintage Fender Jazz Bass 1976 +  Case  All Original Fantastic condition

Vintage Fender Jazz Bass 1976 + Case All Original Fantastic condition

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3250

This is a fantastic example of a vintage 1976 Fender Jazz bass with ash body and maple fingerboard. I acquired it from the original owner bought it new in 1976. He said he only used it at church and he took care of it and kept it 100% original. The original case looks like it was barely used and even has the original hang tags and manual. It is nearly 50 years old I was surprised at only finding a few minor scratches and dings on the body. The neck is straight and the truss rod turns nicely. ... more
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FENDER 1970-76 USA JAZZ OR PRECISION BASS CASE BLACK TOLEX ORANGE VINTAGE USA

FENDER 1970-76 USA JAZZ OR PRECISION BASS CASE BLACK TOLEX ORANGE VINTAGE USA

Decatur, Alabama, 356**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$299

This is a great case that once housed a 1976 Fender Jazz Bass. This case fits a Jazz Bass like a glove and will also accommodate Precision basses and protect them safely. You can see the pad on the lower left that holds the bass firmly in place. It measures 48" long on the outside and the inside width is 13 " . The Fender logo badge has no tail and the tiny ??Made in USA" letters sit next to the giant "F " . All the latches and hinges work well. The plastic handle is solid, the leather ends are ... more
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Original Vintage 1971 To 1976  Fender Jazz Bass Pickguard And Thumb Rest Used

Original Vintage 1971 To 1976 Fender Jazz Bass Pickguard And Thumb Rest Used

Hemet, California, 925**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$230

Original Vintage 1971 To 1976 Fender Jazz Bass Pickguard And Thumb Rest Used

Some Wear As Pictured .. Not A lot of shrink !!
Great Original Example
No Screws Included ??
... more
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1974 Fender Jazz Bass Natural w / HSC

1974 Fender Jazz Bass Natural w / HSC

San Diego, California, 921**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4995

1974 Fender Jazz Bass
This Bass Is Located At IVG Sherman Oaks
In Very Good Overall Condition (Please See Photos)
Shows Cosmetic Playwear Including Various Marks, Dings, And Scratches
Some Finish Checking Throughout
Lightweight Alder Body With Natural Polyurethane Finish
Maple Neck With Bound Maple Fingerboard And Block Inlays
Original Frets Are Low But Playable
Pickups And Electronics Mostly Original With One Pot Replaced, Original Included
34" Scale ... more
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Fender Jazz Bass 1981 Burst

Fender Jazz Bass 1981 Burst

Hendersonville, Tennessee, 370**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2299

1981 Fender Jazz bass
Brown Burst
Maple board
Blocks and binding
Original case
350 00 International shipping... more
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Vintage 1962 Fender Jazzbass Guitar w / HSC!

Vintage 1962 Fender Jazzbass Guitar w / HSC!

Mesquite, Texas, 751**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$8500


Item: Vintage 1962 Fender Jazzbass Guitar w / HSC!
Description: You are purchasing a Vintage 1962 Fender Jazzbass Guitar w / HSC!All Original Parts Olympic White Refinish Body with Over Sprayed Neck. Neck Stamp is 7SEP62A (See Photo)Needs A Little TLC Neck Needs Slight Realigning Headstock Slightly Warped But It Can Be Fixed The Action Is Good Plays and Sounds Good Not Original Case But Comes With A Hard Shell Case Please ask any questions before buying if you have any Shipping: $350 ... more
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1983 FENDER PRECISION BASS 62 OR 57 REISSUE 250K CTS POT ALSO FOR R / I JAZZ BASS

1983 FENDER PRECISION BASS 62 OR 57 REISSUE 250K CTS POT ALSO FOR R / I JAZZ BASS

Berlin, New Hampshire, 035**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$59

FREE USA SHIPPING!
This is a nice original 1983 Fender CTS pot in superb condition. I've had it for quite awhile and guarantee it came out of a 1983 Fender '62 Reissue Precision Bass. 8312 date code for the 12th week of 1983. Parts like this are getting difficult to find and remember, it's over 40 years old! Of course you can also use it in 'regular' 1983-84 USA P & J basses
FREE USA SHIPPING and a 30-day return privilege if you are not happy for any reason. The Bass Palace will be ... more
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