thebigyin Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Hi Folks, Cut a long story short I've recently aquired a very old Fender P Bass fron a friend who passed away. The neck is very Chunky unlike other Fenders I've played, it was in a rather sad state..could anyone tell me what year the Chunkier profile necks came out? I believe it's a early to mid 70's Sunburst model, actions a tad high but sounds great....I've not gigged it, just a quick bit of noodling in the house, but definitely making me work harder with my recent lazy techniques. Cheers Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Hi Bob, if you go to the Bass Guitar section there is a pinned thread on dating your Fender. Cheers, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Cheers Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Would help a lot if you could post some decent pics of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Hi Disceet will try but my computer skills are pretty naff. I know certain era's Fender used C and D profile necks it's just deeper profile than I'm used too, but not a problem beggining to feel quite comfortable with it, was always used to playing Jazz basses, but it's a nice Bass, thinking of getting it proffesionaly set up. Cheers Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Chunky neck profiles were definitely a 70's thing and was just more evidence of the increasing lack of QC that happened at Fender during that decade, particularly during the later years. I've never heard of it described as a deliberate decision, so there's no year that they came out with that profile. I did a reasonably detailed timeline for 70's Ps a while back, with a link to the provide.net page to help with neck, pot, serial and pickup codes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 I don't think chunky necks were a QC thing, especially as they started appearing in the late 60s well before the rot set in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1425737220' post='2710205'] I don't think chunky necks were a QC thing, especially as they started appearing in the late 60s well before the rot set in. [/quote] As I've played precisely zero late 60s ones I didn't know that, so consider me edjermacated. They certainly pop up in the early 70s occasionally and by the end of the decade they were pretty much the norm, but I've also played a late 70s one with a slimmer profile. I'd always put this down to wider tolerances as the decade went by rather than a conscious decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Thanks guyz for all the replies. Having played a lot of slimmer necked Basses and adopted a lot of bad habits mainly laziness du to having big hands, this Bass is certainly bringing a better technique back and finding the wider neck quite comfortable, for an old Bass it certainly plays well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Seems like chunky necks are not generally popular, but after I go back to one after yet another foray into Jazz country, it feels like coming home... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 I love the deep chunky neck on my 78 Precision, it makes me work harder and I find playing it more enjoyable because of this. I also just love my 78 anyway, I know some aren`t too keen on 70s Fenders but I`m not one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1425744273' post='2710290'] I love the deep chunky neck on my 78 Precision, it makes me work harder and I find playing it more enjoyable because of this. [/quote] Good point Lozz. I favour a medium/high action for the same reason... note choice becomes more important and if a string has room to vibrate, it sounds better. IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 (edited) - Edited February 22, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M@23 Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1425744273' post='2710290'] I love the deep chunky neck on my 78 Precision, it makes me work harder and I find playing it more enjoyable because of this. I also just love my 78 anyway, I know some aren`t too keen on 70s Fenders but I`m not one of them. [/quote]. Me too. I don't own, but have used a 78 quite a bit, with dead rounds, and it plays and sounds great. Its a weighty beast, but is so solidly built and nicely played in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Here: http://www.guitarnucleus.com/fenderserial.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorbass Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1425744273' post='2710290'] I love the deep chunky neck on my 78 Precision, it makes me work harder and I find playing it more enjoyable because of this. I also just love my 78 anyway, I know some aren`t too keen on 70s Fenders but I`m not one of them. [/quote] My 78 is by far my favourite bass. I love the B width nut and while the neck is a good hand full, its not excessive. The ash body is on the heavy side but ive felt much heavier Jazz basses from this era. I just cannot get another precision set up and sounding like this one, no matter how often im tempted away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil.c60 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I know what you mean about the Jazz basses - I've got a 1999 Hot-Rod P which I love and gig regularly (I know a lot of people don't like them in the same way they don't like 70's Ps but....hey, it's mine and it's left handed too) and it's a slight as a feather: I also have a 79 Jazz and wow, it's heavy! (but sounds great, and guess what - yup, it's left handed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Am surprised the obvious answer of remove the neck and check the neck & pocket dates has not been suggested yet. [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1425745421' post='2710304'] Good point Lozz. I favour a medium/high action for the same reason... note choice becomes more important and if a string has room to vibrate, it sounds better. IMHO. [/quote] Totally agree on this one. On some basses you can hear the tone / note bloom / string response 'disappear' as you lower the action even when there is no string buzz etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Sounds like a $50.00 set up would get that bass in respectable gigging order. You could ask the Luther if it's indeed the original neck. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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