Looks legit. Also the cavity of the truss rod seems heavily used looking at the wood so it could be that it the finish worn out.
In any case it seems like good buy!
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@Paul that hole for the truss rod is black. I cleaned it up last night. I can post another photo when I’m off of work.
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thanks !
It’s not easy to be sure, really. Those pots look exactly like what we find on the current cheap asian (chinese) production, which is not really a good point. But the cavity seems correctly shaped and the black paint (conductive ?) would not have been mandatory so maybe there won’t be that inner paint on a cheapest instrument.
Also the serial number starts with E8 which normally means Eighty-8 for 1988. The problem is that this model is believed to have been produced from 1985 to 1987. a E8 is not really impossible, but a E5 to E7 serial would have been more reassuring.
So, hard to be 100% sure.
Anyway, I’m shocked that chinese counterfeits are everywhere nowadays.
If it helps, here is an interesting link : Rex and the Bass: Fender Jazz Bass Special
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Oh so it was just dust 
I really like the black headstock!
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not so sure actually. Here are cavities of real (supposedly) JB Special’s :
Note that the cavity does not have the same shape so it’s not the exact same model.
Anyway, what I want to show are the bigger pots with a dark brown epoxy plate and the square switch, which are very consistant with what I’ve seen on many vintage/old japanese instruments. I’m quite sure all Fujigen and Matsumoku 70’s and 80’s must have had those components.
Also the cavity seems routed with way more care and attention.
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@terb Maybe the knock offs are just getting better???
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Yeah maybe. Fake Gibson’s are way easier to identify. They do a pretty good job as copying Fender’s actually, and this one is for sure the more “correct” I’ve seen so far.
Another interesting thing to verify would be the magnet type used for the pickups. It requires to remove the pickups and see what their bottom look like.
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This is so curious to me now, I would love to know for sure if it is fake or real.
My vote is fake.
We need a poll, lol.
- Real
- Fake
0
voters
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@terb removing the pickups and removing the neck are a little outside the scope of work i am comfortable doing on an instrument.
Sadly both of them i think are a necessity for authenticating the bass…
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Yeah @Marshpoc at this point it’s still hard to be sure without seeing the neck pocket and pickups magnets. Still, at this point I vote “fake” to the poll, but I’m really not 100% sure. Say, 95% …
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@terb could i save the strings if i take it apart? Im handy ive just never done more than change the strings on a ukulele hahaha
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Yeah sure, you even don’t have to remove the strings from the bridge actually
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If it is a Duff bass, you could tell by the neck profile. It’s unique to that bass. Long story short, G&R made Appetite for Destruction, Duff had money and bought a bass off the shelf, and when they went to tour Duff wanted backup basses and couldn’t get one out of the custom shop that felt the same. Fender sent out an engineer who determined that the original bass had a manufacturing error and the neck did not come to spec, and QC missed it. So the Duff reissue replicates the manufacturing error on the neck.
How you go about that who knows, but it should be different than other Fenders. Looks like a good find.
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I may try this tonight when i get home then.
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Put a towel down on a table.
Simply detune the strings until they are very very loose and floppy.
Put a towel down on a table.
Flip bass on its front onto the towel.
Loosen all neck screws a bit, then remove them all.
Wiggle the body and the neck apart while upsidedown, so you don’t risk them coming apart when you flip over (sometimes the neck is tight in the pocket, sometimes not.
Carefully flip over both body and inspect pocket and back of neck heel.
It is ok if the strings come out of the tuning pegs, they slide right back in.
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Here’s a link to serial numbers used for MIJ Fender:
https://support.fender.com/en-us/knowledgebase/article/KA-01874
Can you add a third option “It doesn’t matter as it’s a cool looking bass for $200”
That’s my vote 
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oh I didn’t knew they were different, thanks for this useful information !
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I call and spoke to a Rob at Fender.
Not overly helpful because according to him Fender does not have records of SN# farther back than 1992 due to a sale of the company at the time.
He recommended taking it to an authorized repair center.
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That’s legit. Nobody fake that model and it’s a heck of a deal so congratulations are in order.
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