Dr.Dave Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 (edited) Loads of Fender interest at the mo so thought I'd offer this - some of you will have seen it before , one or two of you have even had a play on it. It's a 1973 Precision which I bought in 1978 and have used ever since , though I am precious about it and it's sort of semi-retired. Cost me £150,private sale. Consider that my wages as a new starter were £33 a week though. What's 5 weeks pay for a youngster today?? You'll see there are many non-original parts , rather than just list them I'll tell you why I did it. Let me say first that from day one I had no interest in keeping it original for valuation purposes. I'd never sell it so it has no monetery value to me. Zero. I figured that if something went wrong, or could be significantly improved , I'd always look for the best on the market. So - here it be.. Every bit of mojo courtesy of it's travels with me around the toilets of Northern England. The bridge is the newest bit although it's yonks old I think. I had a Badass II on it for many years after the original saddle screws coroded and the G saddle collapsed mid gig. This Badass '1' I bought from Beedster only a couple of weeks back. I like the brass saddles , they match with the brass nut. It's set as low as it will go and the deep grooves in the saddles mean it's exactly like it was with the II on in terms of string height (where I left the saddles unfiled), but it won't lower any further. Not the ideal 'drop in' job a II is and please read the excellent sticky in the repairs forum if you're considering any Badass. The PUP is a Duncan quarter pounder. The original just stopped working about 5 years ago. A mate of mine put me a Di Marzio in which I didn't like , I tried an ebayed (probably broken) Bart which I couldn't make work properly and gave it to BW member 'Telebass'. This went in maybe 4 years ago. If the PUP had gone tits up today I'd probably have put a Wizard in - in fact I might do anyway. The original scratch plate I cut into a weird shape to be flash then got bored with it - this is non-Fender from WD. I had to mimic the tin earthing panel with kitchen tin foil! The strap pins take Dunlop straplocks - the Schallers I used for years dumped my Status on my foot , hence the change. The Jack socket is a replacement , the springy bit on the original snapped inside. The washer on this is oversize which relieves the strain around that bit of the scratch plate. The pots are original but the knobs aren't. I flogged the 2 scratched and pitted originals for 50 brick on the bay and these cost a fifth of that. Q parts with T/shell tops to match the scratch plate. Lets have a look up the head end. See the ding behind the 3rd fret? Did that the first week I had it at a rehearsel. I know where I am when my thumb feels it now so no point in having it filled. 2nd 'worse' ding is right by the back of the bridge , top side. Guitarist did that with the head of a Les Paul while we were posing away in Stalybridge 25 years ago. Playing the Colne Blues fest about 18 years ago I came off stage and the gear wheel from the E M/C was still in the case!! Never even went out of tune but I thought maybe it was time to upgrade the M/C's. I read every mag going and the concencus seemed to be the Schaller M4S was the best available. I had to drill 2 small holes in the back of the headstock for each and filled the original holes with polyfilla mixed with coffee instead of water. Nescafe , 1 sugar. I started life playing with a pick and was even more heavy handed than I am now. I probably didn't know how to string up properly either back then. Result was a rattly A string. The second string guide cured it and I've done that to Fender type instruments ever since as a matter of routine. The first 5 frets are newish (well - not new at all really!) - by 2001 ago they were nearly flush with the rosewood so I had a partial re-fret done. The guy used the top 5 frets from the 'dusty end' (which had hardly any wear ) and put new fret wire up there. I only get up that far on Bank Holidays and even then I get vertigo. See the brass nut. 28 years old. My dad made it for me out of a lock from a building site bog door. That's probably the most precious bit on it for me. He's 94 now and wouldn't be able to make me another. He'd probably have a go but if he couldn't it would upset him - and me too. Round the back... The buckle rash blends into 'rib cage rub'. Better these days now I'm a fat bastard!! I do recommend chips to all of you with buckle rash problems. The serial says 412347 That's 1973 everywhere I've looked it up but if any of you Fender heads care to enlighten me I'd be really interested. You might have seen I've just bought a Mex Jazz which I'm tarting up a bit. Just waiting for the M/C's to arrive from the US of A then I'll do a similar blow by blow account on it to this one - I should then be able to finally bore to death any of you that have got this far !!! UPDATE - the M/Cs are here and on so here's a link to the Mex Jazz post. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18056"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18056[/url] Edited April 24, 2008 by Dr.Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Great bass, lovely stories - and a good dinner time read as well Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 [quote name='Legion' post='181750' date='Apr 21 2008, 12:49 PM']Great bass, lovely stories - and a good dinner time read as well Thanks[/quote] Indeed. A fine accompaniment to my bacon sarnie. Toasted no less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee4 Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Like the amusing but sentimental story of a much loved family pet.The sort with flatulance(the pet,not the bass). Lovely axe with a well-used aura around it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Nice to see a '73 that's been played and adapted rather than kept under the bed, I like mongrels far more than originals Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Not THAT's a bass. With a hairy arse and everything. Ta for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceguyhomer Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Lovely P Dave, mojomongous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdy Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Great story Dave and a lovely bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Can't fault a bit of vintage porn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artisan Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 nice old axe & a damn good read, cheers from a fellow chip eating, blues playing northern fat bastard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul, the Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Nice to see a bass that's lived a bit. The Badass1 is a cool looking bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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