ossyrocks

I don't pretend to be an expert, it's just that I own three 70's Fender basses. I think before around 1965 the cap was 0.1uf, which probably meant it rolled off more treble than the .047uf used later. I'm sure there are others with more expertise than I. Rob

Yes to the pots - 250k No to the cap, the standard in the 70's was 0.047uf.

I've had two of those cases, they were often sold from new with the guitar, so it could be that it is in fact the "original case" that came with the bass, in fact I'd put money on it. Many Fenders in the early 60's were shipped over to the UK without Fender cases and then sold with Selmer cases. As for it's value, do a comparison with similar items, there are a few around at the moment. If it can be had for significantly less than those currently advertised, then it might be worth a gamble. There are a number of concerns for me, the neck (what's it actually like now?), the truss rod and the pickup, do they work? Tony, is there any opportunity to go and have a look?

The 2x10 is a couple of inches smaller and 1.3kg lighter than the Barefaced TWO10 (which I have). The best price I can see is at Thomann for £922, which is £223 more than a new Barefaced TWO10. It's going to have to be good, if not better than a Barefaced cab to entice anyone in this market. However, it seems the opposite way round for the 2x12 which is slightly bigger than the Barefaced equivalent, and bang on the same weight. It's also £274 cheaper than the Bareface Super Twin 2x12. This might be very tempting to a lot of people, including me.

I played one of these this morning in Promenade Music in Morecambe. Gary (the bass guru who works there) was rather excited about it and said he'd put it up against mostly everything in the shop and it was his favourite bass of the moment. In fact he keeps it in the demo room so he can go and play it often. I must say, it was light, felt good, looked good and sounded rather splendid. I currently have three P's and a J, but this has me thinking I might need a 5th bass. It was the vintage white one and the colour really did look like an old '74 Olympic white strat I had years ago. I really don't need this kind of dilemma at the moment! Rob

Matt Schofield. Great player, great band often with Jonny Henderson on keys when he played in the UK. I’ve been to gigs when there were barely 50 people in the room, when in the US he can fill a big room and draw big festival crowds.

I've been looking at these further, and followed some links to others for sale on other sites. It appears that Andertons are advertising the wrong nut width. They are not 42mm as it says on the Andertons website, they are in fact 44.5mm, which is a significant difference to me. I'm out. https://www.fender.com/en-GB/electric-basses/precision-bass/vintera-ii-60s-precision-bass/0149220305.html Rob

Those cabs are more or less the same weight as Barefaced cabs, at least the 2x10 and 2x12 anyway. I wonder how they will compare, performance and price. I’ve always admired Ampeg ever since I first encountered a 70’s SVT + 8x10 at close quarters. To me they were the ultimate in bass tone, but completely impractical to own.

Has anyone noticed they've narrowed the nut width on the P Bass from the first version? Now 42mm (B width). It makes them much more attractive to me now. Rob

I had a set of the ACS plugs for years, they were great. Then one night I left them in a taxi! When I came to replace them a few years ago, I asked for recommendations and lots of people said Read Audio custom plugs. So I went ahead with those. I have to say, I don't find them as good, or anywhere near as comfortable as my old ACS plugs. The ACS plugs are relatively soft so they move and change shape with your ear canal as you open and close your mouth to sing etc. They are also smooth, and slide into your ears easily. The Read Audio plugs are made of a much harder material with virtually no give whatsoever and they are also rough textured and much harder to put in. I'm glad this thread popped up, it reminds me to get another set of ACS plugs. Rob

I spent a month in Seattle, working at Microsoft, albeit in 1995, almost 30 years ago (f**k!). We used to go to Pioneer Square, which was, a big square with bars all around it. We used to pay $8 to enter the first bar, get a stamp on your hand, and that got you into every bar on Pioneer Square. There was basically a band on in every bar on the square. Lots of blues and soul. I saw a very very good blues/soul band there one night, led by a really old black guy who sang and played bass and sat on a bar stool at the mic. His band were all much younger, and all very good. I hope it’s all still there because it was basically brilliant. Rob

What’s the neck profile like on your ‘77? I have a ‘79/79 that whilst it’s a B width neck, is really big and quite a handful, much bigger than my ‘73. I had thought I’d like an earlier P bass, but having owned an AVRI I just couldn’t get on with the wider nut. The 70’s B width are just perfect, mine are both 41mm. The result is that I don’t desire a 60’s P Bass, which is quite good really, but a 60’s Jazz…..hmm. Rob

Is it just me? I can’t push the boat out that far if it’s got a non-original pickguard. The pickguard is essential for the aesthetic of these early 70’s basses. I’ve looked at quite a few, and as soon as the guard is wrong, it’s a no from me. Yes, I’m probably in the minority, I know. Rob

1987. I’d worked for two years “doing the clubs”, then my second child came along, and I just couldn’t keep going. Jacked it in, went to Uni, got a job……played for fun ever since.

Yes, and you can also depreciate tools - such as amps and basses, typically over five years. So a £5k bass can knock off £1k every year from your tax liability, regardless of whether or not the bass is actually increasing in value!

Yes, the earnings per year are an indicator of whether this is a hobby, or a job. You are allowed to earn up to £1000 a year from your hobby, without declaring income to HMRC. Anything over this falls into the work category. This would be a very good basis on which to consider whether you are working, or it's just a hobby. I'm definitely in the Hobby category. Rob