Fender precision bass check

[Mike Groovie]

I was given a "Fender precision bass" by a friend a couple of years ago. I'm thinking of changing to a short-scale Coronado and trying to decide what to do with this one. He said he didn't think it was real, but I've had other guitar friends look at it and they think it's real. If it's real I'd give it back to him, otherwise I'd just pay the favour he did me forward. The Serial number on the back of the headstock dates it as a 97 US made. The decals don't look like cheap waterslides, if they are they've been lacquered over. The ends of the frets are nicely rounded with no edges. It's black with sunburst and has a funny red/black marbled (ish) pick guard. I don't want to give him it back if it's not real as it'd seem ungrateful but if it's real I'd hate him not to have first refusal. Anything else in particular that I should look for? 

[wateroftyne]

Your best bet is to post pics, especially close-ups of the front and back of the headstock and, if you can, the wiring under the pickguard in the control cavity, the heel of the neck and the neck pocket.

[Rayman]

Yeah, pics mate. I'm sure P bass experts, such as WOT will give you an idea of what to look for

[Woodinblack]

 

[karlfer]

Might also be an idea to state your rough location, Basschat has local Fender experts all over 🙂 

You may be able to take it to someone near to you to assess it.

Edited December 10, 2021 by karlfer

[Mike Groovie]

Sorry for the delay, Christmas blah blah. Pictures attached. 

[NancyJohnson]

I had a 78/79 Precision and that decal is virtually identical. 

 

If is was just a Standard Precision from 1997 the Fender logo should be silver with a black surround, serial number under it and the words Precision Bass would much smaller.  The string tree is in the wrong place, too (should be closer to the A-machine head).  Maybe it's my screen but the finish on that looks too 'rich' for a Fender.  Hell, what do I know.

 

I think as time goes on, it's just going to become harder and harder to identify what's what.  All these reissues, Squiers with Fender decals, Custom Shop decals, general swappage of hardware, custom builds with Fender decals, people putting different necks on.  Too many people with access to sandpaper.

 

There's probably thousands of people playing what they believe are vintage Fenders/Gibsons which came off a Chinese production line a couple of years ago.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by NancyJohnson
Bloody autocorrect.

[Doctor J]

I'd put the mortgage on it not being a US Fender.

[Reggaebass]

Doesn’t the us precisions have the truss rod access at the heel, 

[wateroftyne]

Based on the pics, it could be anything (apart from a US Fender).

[nilebodgers]

Mim-style tuners and headstock end truss rod adjust suggest mex.

[NancyJohnson]

The scratch plate doesn't look a good fit either...too much space between it and the body chamfer.

[NancyJohnson]

Machine heads don't line up properly.

 

 

[Lozz196]

Late 90s US Precision would be string-thru body as well

[Machines]

Neck looks off, burst looks off. Sorry

[Mike Groovie]

Thanks folks, I'll say its not then. I'll just "pay it forward" when I get a replacement. 👍

[Geek99]

That plate is def after market based on the pattern and it’s fit to the bass (very poor fit around lower horn) and I think the burst looks a bit odd

the action looks very high - my guess would be that it’s a decent bitsa - not even a whole Mex 

[Bassfinger]

Remove the neck plate and check the rear - OE Fender ones are a solid plate, the copies are sort of almost hollow on the rear.

 

The tuners look wrong to me, but I can't quite place them.  Possibly Squier, but I wouldn't take that to the bank.

[Reggaebass]

I think someone has put this together as a project, it probably plays well, but not an original US precision 🙂

[Bassfinger]

Looking at it now that pickguard qppears to be badly aligned. Even Fenders famously variable QC would surely have caught that.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Bassfinger
Scratching my behind