The Fender American Vintage II 1966 4-String Jazz Bass Guitar features a comfortable U-shaped, hard rock maple neck. It plays like a dream with a 7.25-inch radius round-lam rosewood fingerboard and vintage tall frets. The Fender American Vintage II series presents a remarkably accurate take on the revolutionary designs that altered the course of musical history. Built with period-accurate bodies, necks, and hardware, premium finishes, and meticulously voiced, year-specific pickups, each instrument captures the essence of authentic Fender craftsmanship and tone. When Don Randall at Fender Sales requested a more sophisticated, high-end bass model, the iconic Jazz Bass was created. The neck was narrower at the nut, providing a faster and more effortless feel and the sleek new body style mirrored the offset contoured style of the Jazzmaster. By 1966, the evolution of the instrument reached new heights with striking features.

Design

Characteristic of production in 1966, this J-Bass is offered with white neck binding, pearl dots, two volume controls with the master tone, matching painted headstock, and a 4-ply tortoiseshell pickguard. The 4-saddle bridge with threaded saddles, vintage-style lollipop tuners, and Pure Vintage ‘66 Jazz Bass pickups deliver classic thump and style. The instruments in the American Vintage II series are direct descendants of the original Fenders. It is designed for players with a fine appreciation for vintage Fender tone and feel and is built with unmatched quality, down to the last screw. These are Fender electrics in their purest form, that is, the Fender American Vintage II, the stuff of legends.

Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish

Nitrocellulose lacquer, used on the 50s and 60s Fender instruments, is a premium finish that reveals the instrument’s true tonal character.

Alder Body

Alder has a well-balanced tone with beefy mids and a robust low-end.

7.25-Inch Radius Bound Round-Laminated Rosewood Fingerboard

The 7.25-inch radius fingerboard provides the comfortable playing feel of a vintage instrument, while vintage-tall frets make it easier to bend notes without fretting out.

1966 U-Shape Neck

In vintage years, the shape and thickness of Fender guitar necks varied tremendously. The American Vintage II Series offers a variety of authentic neck profiles from Fender’s past.

Pure Vintage 66 Single-Coil Jazz Bass Pickups

Specially voiced to reproduce the authentic sound and performance of individual model years, Pure Vintage pickups are constructed just like pickups from Fender’s golden years. Materials include cloth-covered wire, fiber bobbins, and alnico magnets.

Vintage-Style Hardware

From the bridge to the string tree and tuning machines, every piece of American Vintage II hardware is manufactured to look, sound, and function just like it did on the originals. Much of the American Vintage II hardware is still manufactured on the original 50s and 60s era Fender factory machines.