Vintage Fenders

[nilorius]

2 minutes ago, briansbrew said:

 

 

 

If you look at this one there is a tide mark where the date has been under the neck pocket and is lighter, the other one looks to clean for my liking, but what do I know

 

 

This one looks suspiciously!

[briansbrew]

9 minutes ago, nilorius said:

This one looks suspiciously!

This one is on sale here at BC

[Old Man Riva]

Our six-string pals have similar debates!

 

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/fender-1960s-era-neck-date-stamp-missing.2034190/

[rodney72a]

5 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

 

No-one has got to the bottom of that one. 'Exhibition Special' is mentioned a fair bit.

 

That and also 'Entered Special'. Not very plausible though, as there are so many instruments having this stamp.

[miles'tone]

4 hours ago, rodney72a said:

 

That and also 'Entered Special'. Not very plausible though, as there are so many instruments having this stamp.

Extra Shim required 😄

[mowf]

2 hours ago, miles'tone said:

Extra Shim required 😄

Encore / Squier?

[SurroundedByManatees]

5 minutes ago, mowf said:

Encore / Squier?

Maybe just a random cheeky hate message like "Elderly Suck"...

 

Entered special is mentioned a lot indeed, but me too think it's a bit too common to be all exhibition models.

 

Maybe it's a quality control stamp, that they'd like to have tracable after the instrument had been finished. Funny that none seems to know for sure..

 

 

[Burns-bass]

I’ve worked in factories (and my dad used to build them) and these things happen on production lines.

 

The odd missing stamp isn’t much to worry about I wouldn’t have thought.

[miles'tone]

4 hours ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

 

 

Maybe it's a quality control stamp, that they'd like to have tracable after the instrument had been finished. Funny that none seems to know for sure..

 

 

Only Eduardo Sanchez knew what he was thinking at the time 🤔 🤷‍♂️

Edited April 24, 2023 by miles'tone

[Woodinblack]

30 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

The odd missing stamp isn’t much to worry about I wouldn’t have thought.

 

It must affect the value, however minimaly.

[wateroftyne]

5 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

It must affect the value, however minimaly.

I would say so. Anything that introduces an element of doubt would.
 

That said, it’s not an unusual occurrence, and it seems to be legit.

[SurroundedByManatees]

I think it has more to do with it being a usual part of the determination of the age, if it affects value a bit. Besides the stamps are usually there and part of the legacy 

 

I don't think these stamps are key in authentication as they are the most easy aspect of the neck to imitate. 

[Woodinblack]

47 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

I would say so. Anything that introduces an element of doubt would.
 

That said, it’s not an unusual occurrence, and it seems to be legit.

 

Ironically, i would say it makes it more likely to be legit - i mean if you were faking it you would never forget that bit!

[thodrik]

When your bass is over 40 years old and you haven’t cleaned it properly for 15…

 

Looking better now, though I probably should have taken a ‘before’ photo. Nitro finish on the neck is now disappearing faster than my hair…In both cases I have now taken a ‘let nature take its course’ approach. 
 

Plays great, sounds great. Tuned to C sharp standard. It hasn’t been tuned above D standard since 2010.

 

[Old Man Riva]

22 hours ago, thodrik said:

When your bass is over 40 years old and you haven’t cleaned it properly for 15…

 

Looking better now, though I probably should have taken a ‘before’ photo. Nitro finish on the neck is now disappearing faster than my hair…In both cases I have now taken a ‘let nature take its course’ approach. 
 

Plays great, sounds great. Tuned to C sharp standard. It hasn’t been tuned above D standard since 2010.

 

Nice! I’m a sucker for white/cream p/ups - reminds me of the 70s DiMarzios that were the replacement p/up of choice at the time.

 

What’s the story with the pickguard? It looks like it’s been carefully modded rather than a clean-line break… 

[thodrik]

1 hour ago, Old Man Riva said:

Nice! I’m a sucker for white/cream p/ups - reminds me of the 70s DiMarzios that were the replacement p/up of choice at the time.

 

What’s the story with the pickguard? It looks like it’s been carefully modded rather than a clean-line break… 

In terms of the pickguard, it was like that when I got it as a 13 year old in 1999.

 

From what I can remember, one of the previous owners had been having major problems with the jack socket and was getting really fed up of having to take the whole pickguard off every time he/she wanted to access the jack socket. So he/she must have got a luthier to cut the pick guard into two to make it easier to access the jack socket without having to take the rest of the pickguard out. It is actually a pretty neat job and was probably by some kind of luthier in the London area as that is where the bass was bought by me. As it is, the jack socket was a bit dodgy when I got it. My brother (then 15) re-soldered the connection soon after I got it and has worked perfectly ever since. 

 

There is a bit of a gap between the pickguard pieces, so there is probably a good bit of sweat and moisture which seeps through the gap though the various gigs and rehearsals and being lugged around the country. It also devalues the bass, but as it has been my 'go to' bass since 1999, it frankly will never get sold by me. 

When I got the bass, it also included a replacement pickguard which may or may not have been a period correct replacement Fender pickguard or it could be the 1980s equivalent of a Stagg replacement. It is somewhere in my parent's attic and I haven't looked for it since about 2001.
 

[Old Man Riva]

1 hour ago, thodrik said:

In terms of the pickguard, it was like that when I got it as a 13 year old in 1999.

 

From what I can remember, one of the previous owners had been having major problems with the jack socket and was getting really fed up of having to take the whole pickguard off every time he/she wanted to access the jack socket. So he/she must have got a luthier to cut the pick guard into two to make it easier to access the jack socket without having to take the rest of the pickguard out. It is actually a pretty neat job and was probably by some kind of luthier in the London area as that is where the bass was bought by me. As it is, the jack socket was a bit dodgy when I got it. My brother (then 15) re-soldered the connection soon after I got it and has worked perfectly ever since. 

 

There is a bit of a gap between the pickguard pieces, so there is probably a good bit of sweat and moisture which seeps through the gap though the various gigs and rehearsals and being lugged around the country. It also devalues the bass, but as it has been my 'go to' bass since 1999, it frankly will never get sold by me. 

When I got the bass, it also included a replacement pickguard which may or may not have been a period correct replacement Fender pickguard or it could be the 1980s equivalent of a Stagg replacement. It is somewhere in my parent's attic and I haven't looked for it since about 2001.
 

It sounds like an eminently sensible and practical way to try and improve the instrument!

 

I can't recall anybody I knew back then even giving a second thought to whether the (perceived) improvements they were doing to an instrument would affect future value. Swapping out the original nuts for a brass version ("more sustain") or installing a new Schaller bridge (with rolling saddles!) were done with a view that the instrument would be improved, which was the main consideration.

 

The first replacement p/ups I knew of were the cream coloured DiMarzios. Then came the active EMG p/ups, which caused quite a stir. You could have an active bass with relative ease. The battery was normally okay to squeeze under the control plate on a Jazz, but more difficult to do with a Precision, which is why the body was often routed to fit the battery.  

 

And the work that went into fitting a Floyd Rose to a Strat would these days probably be seen as sacrilege. I blame Eddie Van Halen!

Edited April 25, 2023 by Old Man Riva

[thodrik]

17 minutes ago, Old Man Riva said:

It sounds like an eminently sensible and practical way to try and improve the instrument!

 

I can't recall anybody I knew back then even giving a second thought to whether the (perceived) improvements they were doing to an instrument would affect future value. Swapping out the original nuts for a brass version ("more sustain") or installing a new Schaller bridge (with rolling saddles!) were done with a view that the instrument would be improved, which was the main consideration.

 

The first replacement p/ups I knew of were the cream coloured DiMarzios. Then came the active EMG p/ups, which caused quite a stir. You could have an active bass with relative ease. The battery was normally okay to squeeze under the control plate on a Jazz, but more difficult to do with a Precision, which is why the body was often routed to fit the battery.  

 

And the work that went into fitting a Floyd Rose to a Strat would these days probably be seen as sacrilege. I blame Eddie Van Halen!

I always liked the ‘install a jazz bass pickup in the bridge of a P bass’ mod

 

I have been tempted over the years of adding a better bridge and hotter pickups but never got round to it.

[ossyrocks]

A 1973 Precision has appeared on eBay this morning. Very lightweight (8lbs 3 oz!!), but non original guard, which is a shame. It’s all the money mind you.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Precision-Bass-with-Maple-Neck-Rosewood-Fretboard-1973-Sunburst/304935471032?hash=item46ff9207b8:g:qSAAAOSwAY5kXrIl&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAAwC6xsaE1QVltL5PjeA4SNTjCMLX1Mw3Fb1d8FaK3MR1Ur4ba5TCLjTDhn3nZVvlUe6iaoKIE+z1wadVl9DeK+kpPmGZmj+sAhv1axN2aV2DclRACqqIDdNzlveFiwvczrnUBObVLUvW0scqMoPbuIE3rtwYTXgRX8YYc7W9VwNGp1Nqpsap9MOV28kVcgVNf2blktdj1phGXOSjyeUKVDXS++XZHfuLs1YanhFWWFDicyj2rXAkHervMxx8wFe9fJQ==|tkp:Bk9SR57g-L6CYg&LH_ItemCondition=4&pageci=d35efe13-2756-4185-9542-e2f1abdcf6ec&redirect=mobile

[King Tut]

14 minutes ago, ossyrocks said:

A 1973 Precision has appeared on eBay this morning. Very lightweight (8lbs 3 oz!!), but non original guard, which is a shame. It’s all the money mind you.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Precision-Bass-with-Maple-Neck-Rosewood-Fretboard-1973-Sunburst/304935471032?hash=item46ff9207b8:g:qSAAAOSwAY5kXrIl&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAAwC6xsaE1QVltL5PjeA4SNTjCMLX1Mw3Fb1d8FaK3MR1Ur4ba5TCLjTDhn3nZVvlUe6iaoKIE+z1wadVl9DeK+kpPmGZmj+sAhv1axN2aV2DclRACqqIDdNzlveFiwvczrnUBObVLUvW0scqMoPbuIE3rtwYTXgRX8YYc7W9VwNGp1Nqpsap9MOV28kVcgVNf2blktdj1phGXOSjyeUKVDXS++XZHfuLs1YanhFWWFDicyj2rXAkHervMxx8wFe9fJQ==|tkp:Bk9SR57g-L6CYg&LH_ItemCondition=4&pageci=d35efe13-2756-4185-9542-e2f1abdcf6ec&redirect=mobile

it does seem a bit pricey. Doesn’t the B after the neck date stamp indicate a Jazz width neck? I’ve got a 74 and a 76 both with Jazz width necks. What was the deal with these narrower necks? When did they start making P’s with a narrower neck? Are there whole batches of them or was it an option when you ordered it?

[walshy]

1 minute ago, King Tut said:

it does seem a bit pricey. Doesn’t the B after the neck date stamp indicate a Jazz width neck? I’ve got a 74 and a 76 both with Jazz width necks. What was the deal with these narrower necks? When did they start making P’s with a narrower neck? Are there whole batches of them or was it an option when you ordered it?

No A is jazz width and B is right between a P and J at 40mm. The perfect nut width imo 👌

[King Tut]

1 minute ago, walshy said:

No A is jazz width and B is right between a P and J at 40mm. The perfect nut width imo 👌

Ah ok thanks for that. The rest of my question stands about the B width vs the traditional 1.75” width.

[Reggaebass]

6 minutes ago, King Tut said:

When did they start making P’s with a narrower neck

Think you’ll find 68 was the year they changed from C to B neck, but I have seen some 67s , so 67/68 

[ossyrocks]

28 minutes ago, King Tut said:

it does seem a bit pricey. Doesn’t the B after the neck date stamp indicate a Jazz width neck? I’ve got a 74 and a 76 both with Jazz width necks. What was the deal with these narrower necks? When did they start making P’s with a narrower neck? Are there whole batches of them or was it an option when you ordered it?

I can’t answer your question, but I would love a P with a Jazz width neck. My 73 & 78 are both B necks at 41mm. The 78 is a proper handful though. Would you mind measuring your nuts (ooo err) and let us know what they measure? 

[Reggaebass]

My 71 is 40mm and really not much different really in profile to my jazzes ,

The precisions with the A neck 38mm are quite sought after by some, you don’t see them very often, I missed out on one here a few years back, it was listed while I was travelling and by the time I replied it was sold