Vintage Fenders

[Hellzero]

The neck plate serial number is weird, but as it was Leo's philosophy to use everything remaining, it could be right and it's never been a reliable way to date a Fender.

 

The black grounding wires going from the pots to the jack are not original as there were none back in the days.

 

Apart from these points, I can't see any other "flaws".

 

Everything is saying 1965, even the maxed in truss rod nut.

 

A photo with one tuner removed should show some divot cups at the back of the headstock to permit flush mounting of the machine heads.

[Hellzero]

And it's the closest to my birthday Fender bass I've seen: day, month and year. Amazing.

[Steve Browning]

5 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

And it's the closest to my birthday Fender bass I've seen: day, month and year. Amazing.

I think the 5 refers to Precision bass rather than a day. 

[Hellzero]

3 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

I think the 5 refers to Precision bass rather than a day. 

I was born on the 20th...

 

I was talking about the pots codes, not the 5 meaning Precision Bass, while 7 means Jazz Bass. 😉

 

The pots codes are saying 23rd to 29th of August 1965.

[Hellzero]

So close, but yet so far.

[LukeFRC]

40 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

So close, but yet so far.

they had to wait till you were born, and news got to California before they started making it in your honour. Once the lacquer had cured they made sure they used the brand new shipment of pots for it... 

[Hellzero]

@JazzyJ as your bass is an L series model, you could ask these people to make you a more accurate neck plate bearing an L84239, for example, which would be an August 1965 serial number.

 

Don't ever buy an "original" pre-CBS Fender neck plate as most of them are fake.

 

https://axetremecreations.com/product/custom-serial-number-stamped-stratocaster-telecaster-bass-neckplate-screws/

 

[GuyR]

Apart from the neck plate, mix&match screws, strap buttons, it looks right, as far as I can tell without looking up the correct decal type.

 

Lovely looking bass!!  That level of wear suggests it plays as well as it looks.

[Hellzero]

The decal is correct: it's the first thing I look at, @GuyR.

[JazzyJ]

Thanks for all your replies. 

I have the original ? strap buttons & pup/bridge covers in the case. I'll do a few more photos when I'm back in UK later this week. 👍 

 

[Hellzero]

13 minutes ago, JazzyJ said:

 

The case is not period correct, it's a 1966 model at the oldest as, from 1958 to 1965, there were no logos on cases: no big deal, that said. 😉

 

I knew you had the original strap buttons, @JazzyJ. 😊

 

Good to know you also have the ashtrays. 👍🏻👌🏻

 

That said, I can't see any mismatching with the screws as they were nickel, they rust and age all very differently.

 

Edited yesterday at 20:41 by Hellzero
Plural

[wateroftyne]

2 hours ago, JazzyJ said:

1965 Precision...

It would be greatly appreciated if you guys in the know could advise me if I bought a bitsa, which I purchased over 10yrs ago from Kings Rd Vintage?

The only thing that bothers me is the neck plate serial, which relates to a late '50s P. ?

Anyway, it's such a joy to play and was always going to be a keeper.

Supposedly, it was the house bass at Shangri-La recording studios. Arrived with period correct case with 'Mountain Dew Boys' stenciled on it.

I can provide more photos if required.

Thanks 😊 

 

 

 

'A' tuner is different to the others- possibly earlier.

 

Edited yesterday at 20:48 by wateroftyne

[Hellzero]

The "A" tuner is the same as the others @wateroftyne, or please enlighten me.

 

Edited yesterday at 20:56 by Hellzero
Bloody autocorrector

[wateroftyne]

9 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

The "A" tuner is the same as the others @wateroftyne, or please enlighten me.

 

 

T'isn't. 'A' tuner more commonly found in the early 60s.

[Owen]

Phew. I am glad you came up with the answer quickly. I was about to embark on a spot-the-difference puzzle, and I hate those.

[Hellzero]

You mean, the kind of notch @wateroftyne ?

 

It looks like rust to me and I've gone back in my books, but can't see that "notch" as a standard early 60's feature.

Edited yesterday at 21:16 by Hellzero

[wateroftyne]

Yip

[Hellzero]

Thanks @wateroftyne, we can see that step going through the whole tuner thickness here more clearly on a 1960 Precision Bass:

 

 

As I said earlier, Leo's philosophy was to use all the remaining parts, so it's not that uncommon to see such a thing.

 

That said, even if it's linked to the early 60's, you will find loads of P's and J's with only 1 or 2 miscrafted tuners from that period and rarely with the 4 tuners.

 

Kluson must have owned one defaulted cutting press back then, but not all of them.

 

Anyway thanks for having enlightened me (us?). 😊

[briansbrew]

2 hours ago, Hellzero said:

@JazzyJ as your bass is an L series model, you could ask these people to make you a more accurate neck plate bearing an L84239, for example, which would be an August 1965 serial number.

 

Don't ever buy an "original" pre-CBS Fender neck plate as most of them are fake.

 

https://axetremecreations.com/product/custom-serial-number-stamped-stratocaster-telecaster-bass-neckplate-screws/

 

I have one on a Precision I bought but it’s the wrong era for the Headstock logo 

[wateroftyne]

22 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

Thanks @wateroftyne, we can see that step going through the whole tuner thickness here more clearly on a 1960 Precision Bass:

 

 

As I said earlier, Leo's philosophy was to use all the remaining parts, so it's not that uncommon to see such a thing.

 

That said, even if it's linked to the early 60's, you will find loads of P's and J's with only 1 or 2 miscrafted tuners from that period and rarely with the 4 tuners.

 

Kluson must have owned one defaulted cutting press back then, but not all of them.

 

Anyway thanks for having enlightened me (us?). 😊

I haven’t seen many / any with a combination of plates. Always matching.

[Hellzero]

9 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

I haven’t seen many / any with a combination of plates. Always matching.

Check Reverb, Andy Baxter and the likes, and you'll be amazed, so it's not a real feature of that period as it's not constant.

[Reggaebass]

19 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

 

T'isn't. 'A' tuner more commonly found in the early 60s.

Well spotted , I’ve been looking and it appears that they stopped using the stepped one in late 65 

Edited 5 hours ago by Reggaebass
Added late

[wateroftyne]

8 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Check Reverb, Andy Baxter and the likes, and you'll be amazed, so it's not a real feature of that period as it's not constant.

Mixed sets? Got any examples?

[Hellzero]

8 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

Mixed sets? Got any examples?

Check by yourself, there are plenty examples and I even had great difficulties finding one with four stepped tuners in line.

[wateroftyne]

1 minute ago, Hellzero said:

Check by yourself, there are plenty examples and I even had great difficulties finding one with four stepped tuners in line.

 

First one I looked at does 😃

https://reverb.com/uk/item/87116534-1964-fender-precision-bass-pre-cbs-vintage-bass-sherwood-green-riggio-w-paperwork-case