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Vintage Fenders

Reggaebass

By Reggaebass,
in General Discussion

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briansbrew Grand Master

briansbrew

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, ossyrocks said:

I took delivery of this one this morning. Richard Henry made the trip up to the seaside and brought it to my house personally.

 

He had it advertised as a '72, and whilst the pot codes are 39th week of '72, the serial number is early '73, so I'm going to call it a '73. All original except for the saddles, intonation screws and springs. It was probably one of the grubbiest basses I've ever bought, but after two or three hours of cleaning and polishing, including the frets and the board, it has come up a treat. It's now sporting a set of Labella LTFs, the action is low, and it plays superbly well. It sounds fabulous too. The weight is an astonishing 8lbs 6oz, or 3.8kg.

 

Richard has had this for a while, and I have resisted it all this time, and I even thought Brian on here was going to buy it for a while, but it remained for sale, and when Richard dropped the price for the second time in a week I just couldn't not buy it. 

 

I'm very pleased with this one.

 

EDIT: Group shot added, the P bass collection. I really should stop now.

 

Rob

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I was waiting on the sale of a bass to fund this but it fell through, you have done a marvelous job on it Rob., looks fantastic

ossyrocks Veteran

ossyrocks

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, briansbrew said:

I was waiting on the sale of a bass to fund this but it fell through, you have done a marvelous job on it Rob., looks fantastic

Sorry Brian! I reckon if I hadn't bought, someone else would have snapped it up though. 

 

Cheers.

 

  • Like 1
ossyrocks Veteran

ossyrocks

Posted
Posted (edited)
25 minutes ago, Pow_22 said:

I know most consider "vintage" to be 70's and older but this John Deacon-esque 1980 popped up on Bass Bros and has me intrigued (other than the weight).  Im currently considering selling all my basses and just having one older P bass, this could be the one potentially.

 

https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1980-fender-precision-bass-2/

 

I can see where you're coming from, but that bass is quite heavy. I personally couldn't play it for that reason, my back wouldn't allow it.
Stripped finish P basses do come along now and again if you keep an eye on things. 

Edited by ossyrocks
Owen Grand Master

Owen

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Pow_22 said:

I know most consider "vintage" to be 70's and older but this John Deacon-esque 1980 popped up on Bass Bros and has me intrigued (other than the weight).  Im currently considering selling all my basses and just having one older P bass, this could be the one potentially.

 

https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1980-fender-precision-bass-2/

I totally get the attraction of being a one bass bloke. I shall never achieve it. 

  • Haha 2
Burns-bass Grand Master

Burns-bass

Posted
Posted
47 minutes ago, Owen said:

I totally get the attraction of being a one bass bloke. I shall never achieve it. 


I have one bass I actually use and an endless procession of others that attempt to topple the king!

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2
briansbrew Grand Master

briansbrew

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, ossyrocks said:

Sorry Brian! I reckon if I hadn't bought, someone else would have snapped it up though. 

 

Cheers.

 

Glad someone on here got it Rob and your health to enjoy it 

  • Like 4
bakerster135 Experienced

bakerster135

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, briansbrew said:

Quick question guys, when did Fender stop using Kluson tuners, I see them until 66 but could they have stopped before the end of 66...

Yeah, I think it was mid-late 66? I believe the lollipop tuners were made by Schaller, so I suspect it went along with that?

Bagman Mentor

Bagman

Posted
Posted
On 09/07/2025 at 18:38, Pow_22 said:

I know most consider "vintage" to be 70's and older but this John Deacon-esque 1980 popped up on Bass Bros and has me intrigued (other than the weight).  Im currently considering selling all my basses and just having one older P bass, this could be the one potentially.

 

https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1980-fender-precision-bass-2/

It looks like a nice instrument, good luck if you proceed with the purchase

 


 

 

  • Like 1
Belka Experienced

Belka

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, briansbrew said:

Quick question guys, when did Fender stop using Kluson tuners, I see them until 66 but could they have stopped before the end of 66...

The end of 1965 for Jazz basses, the very beginning of 1968 for P basses.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
ossyrocks Veteran

ossyrocks

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Clarky said:

The Bass Gallery has a very clean (if pricey) Fullerton RI Precision. Looks great and also pretty light (8.6 pounds)

 

https://thebassgallery.com/collections/bass/products/fullerton-p-gally-on-me

It does look like a nice bass, but the 44mm nut is not for me I'm afraid. It also makes the '73 I picked up last Tuesday seem like a real bargain, which has brightened my morning, thank you.

 

Rob

  • Like 1
Belka Experienced

Belka

Posted
Posted
46 minutes ago, Mrbigstuff said:

I played the jazz version at New Kings Road and honestly didn’t understand the hype at all. I AB’d it with a real ‘63 and they were nothing alike.

I would agree with this from my experience and what a lot of other people have said - I think the re-issues that came the closest to the originals were probably the 2013-2017 AVRI line.

 

I'm sure these are good basses but the pricing on them at the moments feels extremely speculative, especially when you can get decent late'60s/early '70s models for less money. 

  • Like 1
Steve Browning Grand Master

Steve Browning

Posted
Posted

I ordered one of those 1983 reissues when they very first came out. I remember it was delivered just before a fire drill at work. They weren't impressed I took it outside with me. 

 

I sent it back because I couldn't live with the awful replica tort plate. 

  • Like 1
Misdee Veteran

Misdee

Posted
Posted (edited)

I remember when the Fullerton Reissues came out in the early 1980's and some reviews slating them as overpriced and underwhelming in terms of quality and playability. They were especially disappointing considering the relatively cheap but very cheerful JV Squires that were abundant  in the shops at exactly the same time .

Edited by Misdee
Pow_22 Veteran

Pow_22

Posted
Posted (edited)

Same experience with the Fullertons.  I tried a 58 P bass, I genuinely thought the more recent Classic MIM 50's were better.  For me, if you want an original but on a budget, you cant beat the 80's MIJ reissues

Edited by Pow_22
  • Like 2
GuyR Mentor

GuyR

Posted
Posted

I have a very nice 83 Fullerton and 82&84 JVs. The 84 was picked from every new Jazz bass available in Denmark St one day in 1984. It’s a great one.


Which is better? They are all very lovely and I enjoy playing them, but neither they, nor any other modern bass will, for me, come close to replicating the feel of a worn nitro finish, preferably pre CBS Fender bass.
The sticky, thick poly finish wears in a completely different, flaky, and less agreeable way, so they can never look authentic and, as @Steve Browning quite rightly says, the tort is a crime against humanity.

 

It might be 43 years old, but it’s not a vintage bass to me.

 

  • Like 2
Bagman Mentor

Bagman

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Misdee said:

I remember when the Fullerton Reissues came out in the early 1980's and some reviews slating them as overpriced and underwhelming in terms of quality and playability. They were especially disappointing considering the relatively cheap but very cheerful JV Squires that were abundant  in the shops at exactly the same time .

I've never played a JV Squire and only played one "Fullerton" reissue - that was a very nice bass. Considerably better than some late 70's Jazzes I have had a go on with construction / quality standards 

Geek99 Grand Master

Geek99

Posted
Posted (edited)
11 hours ago, Mrbigstuff said:

I played the jazz version at New Kings Road and honestly didn’t understand the hype at all. I AB’d it with a real ‘63 and they were nothing alike.

The real 63 was breathed on by Leo and touched by genuine American pixies and also was made of magic wood ✨

the later bass was made after leo left the building and is therefore not made of magic wood 

It will therefore sound rubbish by comparison 🗑️

Edited by Geek99
Misdee Veteran

Misdee

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Bagman said:

I've never played a JV Squire and only played one "Fullerton" reissue - that was a very nice bass. Considerably better than some late 70's Jazzes I have had a go on with construction / quality standards 

I owned a JV Squire Jazz back when they first came out. It was a very nice bass. Not sure I would pay what they are going for nowadays for one, though. I've never played a Fullerton reissue from that era. I just recounting what was written about them at the time to the best of my recollection.

 

With bass guitars as with most other things in life, people, myself included, can get nostalgic about anything. 

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