1975 Fender Precision Fake?

[Doctor J]

You'd expect there to be extra routing to find a home for the battery powering the EMG, no?

[MrFingers]

Under the pickguard is plenty of realestate for that. 

 

 

[itu]

I wouldn't bother. I expect the price to be irrelevant to the playability and sound it makes. Collectible? No. Soundmachine? There are better alternatives available. If the production year is important, the price does not mean a thing, although the parts are most likely a collection. "Handmade" details lower the price as well as desirability.

[Pea Turgh]

I love it! 🤣. If it was priced accordingly, it could be brought back up to spec?  (Apart from the ferrules 😬).  Gut feeling it plays nice.

 

Are you happy to share how much you paid for it @ronswanson?

Edited yesterday at 10:00 by Pea Turgh

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, miles'tone said:

The fingerboard dots look like they've filled the holes with woodfiller to match the body finish.

 

I agree with that. This looks like a bass that has been owned and modded in a way that suited the previous owner/s. The string through ferrules seem to be a result of fitting a replacement, brass bridge, with that option and the subsequent holes made for that feature, made without recourse to a drill press and are, thus, all over the place.

Edited yesterday at 10:30 by ezbass

[HeadlessBassist]

1 hour ago, Doctor J said:

You'd expect there to be extra routing to find a home for the battery powering the EMG, no?

 

In some cases they hide the extra routing for the battery under the Scratch Guard, in front of the volume control.

[Doctor J]

That's entirely the point, the lads were discussing potential routing hidden by the scratchplate.

[ronswanson]

 

Thanks again for all the replies.

 

It was an auction house through their online portal. They have T&Cs that cover forgeries. If the buyer can prove it's a forgery then they'll refund so I'm not too concerned on that front. It was described as 1975 Fender Precision with no real caveats apart from condition. It came from the estate of a working musician who'd passed away, so I don't think there's anything devious going on - just the potential that the family didn't really know.

 

Based on the feedback, it seems likely to be genuine, thanks @MrFingers especially. Definitely nothing conclusive to say otherwise so I have to pick it up to investigate further.

 

I'd like it to be a player. I have an early 80s P bass that I love but I played a 78 at a studio recently and it was very nice. I'd probably try to restore it a little with original parts if I can. Expect a future question on tackling the bridge situation!

 

How much did I pay? .... £1150 including fees. If it's mostly genuine I think that's a good price. It doesn't seem uncommon for these to be around £3K but Rich Tone Music has one on eBay just now (a 76) for £2K.

 

I'll post some updates once I've collected it.

 

[ezbass]

3 hours ago, ronswanson said:

Expect a future question on tackling the bridge situation!

Put a regular BBOT on and fill the offending, through body holes with dowels.

[Burns-bass]

3 hours ago, ronswanson said:

 

Thanks again for all the replies.

 

It was an auction house through their online portal. They have T&Cs that cover forgeries. If the buyer can prove it's a forgery then they'll refund so I'm not too concerned on that front. It was described as 1975 Fender Precision with no real caveats apart from condition. It came from the estate of a working musician who'd passed away, so I don't think there's anything devious going on - just the potential that the family didn't really know.

 

Based on the feedback, it seems likely to be genuine, thanks @MrFingers especially. Definitely nothing conclusive to say otherwise so I have to pick it up to investigate further.

 

I'd like it to be a player. I have an early 80s P bass that I love but I played a 78 at a studio recently and it was very nice. I'd probably try to restore it a little with original parts if I can. Expect a future question on tackling the bridge situation!

 

How much did I pay? .... £1150 including fees. If it's mostly genuine I think that's a good price. It doesn't seem uncommon for these to be around £3K but Rich Tone Music has one on eBay just now (a 76) for £2K.

 

I'll post some updates once I've collected it.

 

A skilled luthier can fill the holes in the back and you should be able to colour match the finish pretty well.

 

Barring any major horrors under the scratch plate it’s probably all good.

 

Reckon it could be a cracker. If not, you’d make it back selling the parts.

[kwmlondon]

On 07/06/2025 at 18:14, Burns-bass said:

Deleted post as I was wrong.
 

This is the bass I had seen.

 

Might be good as a reference?

 

https://richtonemusic.co.uk/fender-1976-precision-bass-mocha-hard-case-2nd-hand/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17621730406&gbraid=0AAAAAD_dMP3g5GEaSq-BJVH3JCCIPv-ag&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxo_CBhDbARIsADWpDH6QFy1oJPV75GkeXgflwqYVhEsDYkGIdtm5VpjOL6DXnNRJLpUpqvYaAn7qEALw_wcB

I've seen this around a couple of times and it's EXACTLY the kind of vintage bass I'd be after - one that's been messed around too much for a collector, but loved enough that it's been played a lot and worth customising. If I was still playing 4-string basses I'd love to have a go on it - could be a killer instrument. Or a mutt, but it'd be worth trying.

[diskwave]

I had a nearly new Mocha P bass bk in 77. Those new pictures with the crazing, colour tone etc show the body and neck are prob legit but as we've already deduced the entire thing is a hack job. Pity. If its a nice weight then its prob a nice player.