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SOLD. Tony Franklin Signature Custom Model Fretless Precision
£1495
Devon


Ted Theodore Logan, III
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Ok, so here's one for all you bc'ers that think you're better than the “regular" fretted bass player... 
(I've got news for you... You ain't!!! 
Well, maybe you are but your slap tone stinks and leaves much to be desired!!!...)


However, in this insane “PC-World" (no affiliation to the “Curry's" franchise)
I would not want to rule out any fretted players especially with myself (the incompetent musician I am) falling into said category.

So here's a beast of Signature Custom Bass that will blow the proverbial socks off of ANY bass player's hooves... and may even encourage the fretted player to ACTUALLY learn where the notes are on a bass neck without the support of those “oh so convenient" vertical metal strips that they hammer into fingerboards so that bass players can have “one too many" down at the local and still produce a “passable" performance to the eight members of the audience (but mainly to the three who are actually listening).


What we have here, I think, is a Gibson Les Paul model... NAH!! I'm just messing...

It's a Tony Franklin Signature Custom Model Fretless Precision Bass with passive circuitry, ebony fretboard, three way selection switch, Hipshot tuner, a Tony Franklin Single-Coil Jazz Pickup with Hex Screw Pole Pieces and a Tony Franklin American Split Single-Coil Precision Bass mid pickup.

As our good friend Sir David of Dickinson would say...

“This IS the REAL deal!"

B-E-autiful ebony fingerboard with none of that namby-pamby fret marking business!! 
“... Err... which note is this..." 
“Doesn't matter!!! You look BOSS!!"

You got Tony's signature pickups there, ya know, both of them!!...

The Jazz pickup is extra special and was coated with unicorn dust before being blessed by a Goddess and then lovingly placed into this gorgeous Nitrocellulose finished Fender P Bass body... “Mmmm, Nitrocelluliscious..." It's also got those fancy Hex Screw Pole Pieces and Ceramic Bar Magnets... You know the ones... :scratch_one-s_head:

The middle pickup is also rather special as it's a Tony Franklin American Split Single-Coil Precision Bass pickup which, rumour has it, Tony Franklin invented whilst showing Jimmy Page how to de-fret his guitar and shred an axe like a real man!!! Apparently Jimmy playing fretless guitar never caught on but at least it birthed the amazing Tony Franklin American Split Single-Coil Precision pickup that is housed in this marvelous instrument today! 
(Or so I've been told by a mate of Jimmy's... at the pub).

For hardware you got an American Vintage Bass Bridge with Steel Barrel Saddles and Fender '70s Vintage-Style Open-Gear with Hipshot Bass Xtender "Drop D" on the E... and no that last part ain't rap lyrics.

The neck width is 1.625" at the nut which is synthetic bone (not sure what creature they source that from). You got a 34" modern “C" shaped maple Fender neck, of course with the gorgeous ebony board. None of that fret marker nonsense though you do have side marking dots... Obviously it's a fretless but I reckon you got the equivalent to 22 frets... or is it 21?... I dunno but the length of the board will translate to that of a number of frets that you might find on another instrument that might have frets...

Passive circuitry so there's no need to worry about a battery leaking when it's been stored in your temperature and humidity controlled cupboard for fifteen years cos you ain't got the skills to play it... 

Basically this instrument is the Bee's knees after the Bee has had knee surgery and can now kick a bowling ball over the River Thames and into the window of 10 Downing Street, smashing the plastic cereal bowl that Boris Johnson is slurping his Wheetos from and incidentally covering the ludicrous man in softening cereal and chocolate flavoured milk...*(continued below)

This IS a serious player's bass! Everything from it's high spec hardware down to it's Custom electronics and premium choice woods, Fender and Mr Franklin have teamed up to produce a real road warrior that has a build quality and sturdiness that you know was designed to outlast the A.I. war of 2027.

Oh and check this quote out from Fender -

“In an extra-personalized touch, the neck plate of the Tony Franklin Fretless Precision Bass is engraved with his signature."

If that doesn't improve the sound and overall quality of the instrument and more importantly improve your bass playing tenfold then I don't know what would.

I heard that Tony Franklin personally high-fived the guitar tech each time one of his Signature Fender P models was completed. Apparently Tony was between tour dates during this period and spent an unhealthy amount of time at the Fender Factory, much to the concern of many staff members... 

In case you're wondering who the fudge Tony Franklin is... He's a session bassist dubbed “The Fretless Monster" because he lives in a Bayou in Louisiana, has no skeleton, five tentacles and 58 eyes. He mainly lives on a diet of swamp snake but will occasionally snack on other reptiles including turtles and small alligators. Despite his appearance and peculiar diet he has worked with many great musicians such as David Gilmore, Jimmy Page, Kenny Shepherd and even Whitesnake, though he did try to eat them once... 
Basically he's good enough for a Fender Custom model and a bunch of great musicians allow him to perform on their tracks, so there ya have it... THIS BASS MUST BE AWESOME!!!

The Bass is in MINT condition from New and really has only been used to motivate the partner to say “another bass guitar that you don't play..." 


Comes with a rather well crafted deluxe Fender locking hardcase that really does look la-di-da.

Collection and trial always welcome down in bumpkin town!! Can arrange insured courier or meet part way etc...

 

*(Continued from 7 paragraphs up)  
Contrary to what you might think, Boris actually congratulates the Bee on it's incredibly powerful and amazingly accurate left foot (yep, wasn't even it's right foot) and offers the Bee a job as his ghost writer for speeches, however the Bee politely declines and they part ways.
The next morning Boris is back at number 10, again, eating his Wheetos only this time from a rather haphazardly taped together, broken plastic bowl. He's thinking to himself how amazing that Bee's kick was and how great it's speeches may have been if only it had accepted his offer to be his ghost writer, at that very moment Boris hears a smashing of glass and swooshing of air. A bowling ball comes crashing through the recently replaced window of number 10 and lands directly on top of Boris's already damaged plastic cereal bowl, this time damaging the bowl beyond any means of repair. 
Boris slowly gets up from his booster chair, wipes some of the milk from his suit jacket and picks off a piece of softening cereal from his left cheek. He walks over to the broken window and leans on it's frame, looking outward through the shattered glass toward the rising sun across the cityscape and over into the endless and unseen horizon. 
“What speeches that Bee might have written..." He says softly as a small, joyful yet melancholy smile begins to take shape across his face. 
“C'est la vie", he thinks to himself, “c'est la vie...".


Anyway check out the pics below...


# Air-horn noise!!!

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Edited by Silvia Bluejay
topic title reinstated
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12 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

You've got me thinking now. Surely a 'Precision Fretless' is an oxymoron...

 

P.S.    Is it good for metal?

Ha!! Good man!!

I was hoping one of you beautiful bc'ers would “pickup" (no pun intended - but you got one anyway!!) on the irony of a “Fretless-Precision".  

10 points to Stub!!

 

And as for it being good for metal, I would say it's better for wood... Much more wood to metal ratio on this bass.

You might wanna check out the Kramer plenty of metal there.

You're welcome...:i-m_so_happy: 

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12 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

Nice ad and Shepherds Hut!

Is it just me but the P pickups seem to look a lot duller than the Jazz one, which shines?

Oh, and don't leave those leaves on the lawn too long....

Cheers, that hut is my home!! Built it myself!  Wouldn't believe I can fit 37 Bass Guitars, 8 cabs, 12 Amps and a roadie in there...  I just sleep on the roof like Snoopy, it's not great this time of year...

 

As for the dull finish of the P pup... That's down to me replacing the high end, original one with a cheapy China squire copy... but don't tell anyone... :secret:

 

Did my Mum tell you to message me about clearing those leaves?... :sad:

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3 hours ago, Ted Theodore Logan, III said:

Cheers, that hut is my home!! Built it myself!  Wouldn't believe I can fit 37 Bass Guitars, 8 cabs, 12 Amps and a roadie in there...  I just sleep on the roof like Snoopy, it's not great this time of year...

 

As for the dull finish of the P pup... That's down to me replacing the high end, original one with a cheapy China squire copy... but don't tell anyone... :secret:

 

Did my Mum tell you to message me about clearing those leaves?... :sad:

No, she said," Get that bass off my frikken back garden and have you done your homework?'

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  • 2 weeks later...
2 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Too bad, it's not the Tina Franklin model, you sexist. 😎

“Tony" is a unisex name... This IS a gender neutral bass guitar!! 

I can assure all potential buyers and interested parties that this instrument is entirely “Politically Correct" and Supportive of “Equal Opportunities".  I have signed paperwork to prove this.

 

IMG_20191212_210845915~2.jpg

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On 04/12/2019 at 16:23, Grahambythesea said:

Mr. Franklin’s photo doesn’t quite match up to your description of him.

 

3ABD5B89-3C00-49A5-B91D-5100234FA481.jpeg

“RIGHT!!"  A single comment about my instruments for sale and the accuracy & legitimacy of their covering stories is one thing but this is starting to become a witch hunt!!  

I cannot help that Tony Franklin, Ian Hill and Ernie Ball Musicman all took Bass Guitar lessons and Spanish lessons from me and in return they gave me 15% of their royalties for everything they ever do and also an instrument as a memento and token of gratification for all the amazing secret awesome bass techniques that I taught them.

 

If anything I should be asking triple what I am for these instruments because of the provenance that goes with them...

 

Just give me a minute and I will back it all up with certificates... 

 

 

.... I know I left them somewhere...

 

 

 

...dang it!! Where's that blue pen...

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  • 5 weeks later...
4 hours ago, pjv said:

This is really a great bass. I've had two. Both were bought here. Sadly they are long gone. Maybe someday I'll buy my third one. 

I might know where there's one for sale if your interested... :i-m_so_happy:

 

It is a truly remarkable instrument, such a joy to play and the tone is outstanding. 

Amazingly warm, powerful and creamy smooth... Like a double espresso latte...

 

Thanks for the love!!

If you do decide you need this beauty back in your life give me a holler ;)

 

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