Bass Guitar
Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt (1974 - 1983)
Price: 2.200 EUR – 3.933 EUR
Price history
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
Availability: 8/10 (Common)
CBS-era production Jazz Basses built with Fender's 3-bolt neck joint and bullet truss rod, distinguishing them from both the earlier 4-bolt vintage examples and the later re-issue lines.
About the Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt (1974 - 1983)
Fender switched the Jazz Bass to a 3-bolt neck plate with a micro-tilt adjustment screw starting in 1972, and from around 1974 paired it with a 'bullet' truss-rod nut visible at the headstock, replacing the separate neck-shim system used on 4-bolt necks. This generation also carries the enlarged headstock adopted in 1976, so most of the window covered by this listing shows the combination of 3-bolt joint, bullet truss rod, and large headstock together on the same instrument.
Collectors generally rank CBS-era Jazz Basses below the pre-1972 4-bolt examples, citing looser quality control, thicker polyester finishes on some years, and the perception that the 3-bolt joint reduced sustain and neck stability compared to the 4-bolt design it replaced. That reputation keeps well-preserved 3-bolt Jazz Basses more affordable than 1960s examples while still representing genuine, period-correct vintage Fender instruments rather than reissues.
Where to buy
Price
–
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt with Rosewood Fretboard 1974 - 1983 - Black 2.200 EUR Best price View details
-
Reverb 1982 Fender Jazz Bass (Artist Owned) – Black 2.474 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt with Rosewood Fretboard 1979 2.475 EUR View details
-
Reverb 1978 Fender Jazz Bass - Cherry Burst - Dots & Binding - OHSC 2.700 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt with Maple Fretboard 1977 - 1978 - Cherry Sunburst 2.950 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 1980 Black 2.990 EUR View details
-
Reverb 1977 Fender Jazz Bass 2.999 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 1977/1978 3.000 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt with Rosewood Fretboard 1974 - 1983 - Black 3.228 EUR View details
-
Reverb 1976 Fender Jazz Bass (rosewood, sunburst, blocks) 3.241 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass USA 1977-78 Vintage E-Bass Guitar 3-Bolt Sunburst 4 String Bassgitarre 3.289 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt with Maple Fretboard 1974 - 1983 - Black 3.538 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt with Rosewood Fretboard 1978 - Black 3.600 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt with Maple Fretboard 1974 - 1983 - Natural 3.849 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender 1975 Jazz Bass, Black 3.909 EUR View details
-
Reverb Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt with Rosewood Fretboard 1974 - 1983 - Black 3.933 EUR View details
No platform selected – pick at least one above.
Some links below are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Source: https://reverb.com/item/86596403-fender-jazz-bass-3-bolt-with-maple-fretboard-1974-1983-black
Sound character of the Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt (1974 - 1983)
The 3-bolt neck joint with micro-tilt adjustment and bullet truss rod changed how the neck attaches and adjusts rather than the pickups themselves - tonally this era still carries the bright, scooped-mid dual single-coil J-Bass voice, though some players and builders have argüd the 3-bolt joint transfers slightly less resonance than the earlier 4-bolt design.
Technical data for the Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt (1974 - 1983)
| Neck joint | 3-bolt with micro-tilt |
|---|---|
| Truss rod | Bullet-style, headstock-adjustable |
| Headstock | Enlarged (from 1976) |
| Body | Alder |
| Pickups | 2x Single-coil J |
Price history for the Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt (1974 - 1983)
Cheapest seen: 2.200 EUR · Most expensive seen: 3.933 EUR
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
The history of the Fender Jazz Bass 3-Bolt (1974 - 1983)
The 3-bolt neck joint and bullet truss rod mark the CBS-ownership Jazz Bass generation, running from 1972's neck-joint change through the early 1980s before Fender returned to 4-bolt necks.
