Kramer Bass with no neck heel

[W1_Pro]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317842979976?_trkparms=itmf%3D1%26aid%3D1110006%26rkt%3D4%26mech%3D1%26algv%3DSimVIDwebV4WithCtxRankerV1UnifiedFeatures%26pmt%3D1%26amclksrc%3DITM%26sd%3D306399910796%26sid%3DAQALAAAAEGru5tixYhNKOgr0uilKcKg%3D%26itm%3D317842979976%26noa%3D0%26plcampt%3D0%3A153028341012%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26brand%3Dkramer%26asc%3D20231107084023%26ao%3D1%26rk%3D2%26pid%3D101875%26b%3D1%26mehot%3Dnone%26lsid%3D0%26meid%3Da285ce8b656a4f05a0762608ab4ac115%26pg%3D2332490&_trksid=p2332490.c101875.m1851&itmprp=cksum%3A317842979976a285ce8b656a4f05a0762608ab4ac115|enc%3AAQALAAABIKLoGo41gKHtqPfIa5lF%2FWjQjdzIQ73rtGosP%2BBGmcPis1364XGSU%2Fh7VHaFLoC%2Blvy4GGaVQOeNvpWQyZ2L4rxtEHEVpC98il2vD1v0q%2FqXAsS95RzUYutSTmx%2Bl4KAWa1cbwSHQZSA%2BkXEXw%2B0ixnAMGB458x7TZMLVGARZBFEAKD12TOZgFf3mzE8i%2BVDTnHVHrY50BTcSfnyPxYVY5eFgxSlF%2FcqVxqxIdZCa1UkKG3XNDP%2F1uJWbPacw3esUrhKVkwG5VgQ8lGCKEotGMPTScl9KWA1gLvqX9%2FdL0H4vVFKhaMQoRgm7j50K3MSLXIk%2FIfDZoN%2F%2BVZPV0J5%2Fxt6opVr1HZq3AGaY9HOTT2JPZ7SawJJaRKRWilMS4JuWg%3D%3D|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2332490&itmmeta=01KJ58ZS4YJTYP4A8CFEGE202B

 

This is a bit of a strange one, looking at the heel of the neck, normally, these are a standard squared off heel (well, on mine it is anyway). This looks like someone has removed the heel for some reason...very weird....

[alyctes]

There seems to be some damage on the body above the heel.  Possibly related?

It would be interesting to see it with the neck off.

 

Edited 21 hours ago by alyctes

[alyctes]

I'm going to stick my neck out (ha!) and compare it with this one...

My guess is that they changed the design at some point.

Equally, I may have entirely the wrong end of the stick.

 

[briansbrew]

Mine up close 

 

[floFC]

I have never seen a 450B like that either. Mine has the chunky heel also.

@alyctes is probably right, and the design change (maybe when they started making the DMZ so they can use the same necks).

On that particular bass though, there is a  lot of damage to the body right where it joins the neck, indeed. It may or may not be related. The neck plate is also much shorter than on mine (again like @briansbrew DMZ).

[W1_Pro]

2 hours ago, briansbrew said:

Mine up close 

 

Nice bass that.

 

[briansbrew]

1 minute ago, W1_Pro said:

Nice bass that.

 

Thanks, very clean and well looked after 

[W1_Pro]

1 hour ago, floFC said:

I have never seen a 450B like that either. Mine has the chunky heel also.

@alyctes is probably right, and the design change (maybe when they started making the DMZ so they can use the same necks).

On that particular bass though, there is a  lot of damage to the body right where it joins the neck, indeed. It may or may not be related. The neck plate is also much shorter than on mine (again like @briansbrew DMZ).

Yes, they must have changed it, but as you say, it looks like theres a bit of damage there- also the centre lamination on the neck heel looks weird. Either the finish has gone a bit funny or maybe its been damaged and repaired? 

[W1_Pro]

1 minute ago, briansbrew said:

Thanks, very clean and well looked after 

I've also got a 5000 in black (again with a fully formed neck heel). Really nice bass to play. Brutal pickup, I think it's a Dimarzio?

[briansbrew]

3 minutes ago, W1_Pro said:

I've also got a 5000 in black (again with a fully formed neck heel). Really nice bass to play. Brutal pickup, I think it's a Dimarzio?

That must be lovely in black, yes those Dimarzios are the beast....

[Shaggy]

Pic of the neck heel on my 450B, which is of the "chunky" type (same also on my 650B), so as suggested above I'm assuming the ebay one is probably a later model with a more sculpted heel.

That's top dollar for a 450B, but I guess seems reasonable when compared to a Fender of similar vintage - and I know which one I'd prefer to have.