Shaggy Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 (edited) Made a couple of big purchases this year (the T-bird, & another old Gibbo incoming), so having to face that the time has come to “rationalise” the collection down to 4 or so and sell some basses I’d always regarded as keepers. Also - Mrs Shaggy says so! Posting this and the BCR Eagle for now, depending on what happens may also post the MM Sabre, Gordon Smith Galaxy, and the Guild B301-F too - so anyone interested in those now PM me for pics & details. Not looking to make a profit on any of them, likewise not really looking for trades. Anyway, had this beaut off Walbassist as couple of years back; best thing is to quote most of his original ad directly; “[i]If you like your vintage fretless basses to have "mwah" and "mojo", then this is the bass for you.. Bassbod owned it for 20 odd years; whoever had it before him had taken a maple-necked P bass from 1973 and made it into a fretless bass with ebony board and active electronics. Bassbod returned it to passive and played and loved it until I took it off his hands. It is by no means original in many respects, but it is a lovely bass. The neck is original, although it had an unlined ebony fingerboard pro fitted at some point, as well as being narrowed to a jazz-like width at the nut and oil finished on the back. The original finish is still on the front of the headstock, so it retains the vintage vibe. I assume the machine heads are original. I had the fingerboard levelled so it now features a standard Fender radius at the nut which flattens out further up the neck. The body features the original 1970s sunburst finish, but as you can see it has been well worn and housed an active circuit at some time, hence the black backplate to hide the routing. The pickups are modern Seymour Duncans (the P is an SPB1 Vintage series, the J is an Antiquity II series). I have just had the bass rewired with new Fender-correct CTS 250k solid shaft switch pots, a Switchcraft 1/4" jack, black/white cloth wire and a .047mfd Orange Drop tone capacitor in a volume/volume/tone configuration. To the best of my knowledge the scratchplate and most screws are original, however the thumb rest is not. At the same time as the rewire and fingerboard levelling were done I had the bass given a pro setup. The bass plays beautifully, full of wonderful smooth fretless tones. The P is plummy and rich, the J nasal and barking. Sustain is excellent and the bass is a lightweight.”[/i] I’ve made a couple of mods since acquiring it; I changed the SD J p/u (bridge) for a Lindy Fralin unit which gives a bit more hi-fi clarity, and mixes beautifully with the P p/u to add some “honk” and bite; also replaced Leo’s bent-metal bridge with a chrome Badass II but would include the original unit with the bass. Now strung with Fodera Diamond roundwounds, and in a plush-lined Fender moulded ABS case. In effect it’s a Tony Franklin model, but the real deal; a 73 Precision but with modern boutique pickups, and hard ebony board. Looks vintage, plays modern, sounds like either. The mods obviously decrease its value as a vintage bass (hence the price), but [b]vastly[/b] improve it as a players bass – head and shoulders in terms of tone, sustain, and playability above [b]any[/b] Fender I’ve played and pretty much any other top-end fretless too. The mod that worried me before seeing it was the rear cavity - which is in fact very small, merely a continuation of part of the existing cavity through to the rear with no sideways enlargement. Edit: Price drop to £900, less £50 if not wanting Badass, less £50 if not wanting case. plus postage if not collecting (I’m near Swansea, S Wales) Edited January 18, 2010 by Shaggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Jeez, hell of a day for fretless Fenders I've been gassing after for years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 It's a good job I've already got WoT's Tony Franklin or I'd have to buy this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Someone buy it quick before I get all nostalgic....I really, really can't afford to! BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 [quote name='BassBod' post='543520' date='Jul 17 2009, 07:54 PM']Someone buy it quick before I get all nostalgic....I really, really can't afford to![/quote] Plus the one on that. Awesome bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarnacleBob Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Sunday morning Holy type bump BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 Bump for a lovely old fretless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 another bump! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted August 6, 2009 Author Share Posted August 6, 2009 Price drop - see first post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsixties Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 That's an awesome bass and Greg a great guy to deal with so have a bump from me. Good luck with the sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 Still available, and I'll be driving over SE England way weekend after next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 I [b]so[/b] want this back! It's such a beautiful bass and plays really well; best passive fretless I've ever used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 [quote name='walbassist' post='608308' date='Sep 25 2009, 08:18 AM']I [b]so[/b] want this back! It's such a beautiful bass and plays really well; best passive fretless I've ever used.[/quote] Thanks for the good words walbassist, and gotta say I've never acquired a bass before or since this so well set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 Last bump before she's a keeper. Now with the original bridge back on (so bit of discount), and with added option of Mighty Mite fretted rosewood neck (amber nitro) if wanted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Damn, every time I see that I want it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Please don't put a MMite neck on it...is that just a cruel way to make me buy it back (and starve the children for a few months)? BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 [quote name='BassBod' post='671444' date='Dec 1 2009, 07:12 PM']Please don't put a MMite neck on it...is that just a cruel way to make me buy it back (and starve the children for a few months)? BB[/quote] I'm [i]sure[/i] your kids would rather you had a nice Xmas prezzie for a change instead of them.... Anyway fear not, original neck aint going anywhere, I've really just done the opposite of what WoT did with his fretted '71 when he put a fretless Allparts neck on - just gives you an easily swappable option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overwater#1 Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 No, can't change that neck! I wish I had the money your asking for this! Wanted this ever since it first came up on the forum aaages ago, looks awesome! I could make an offer perhaps, but wouldn't want to offend, so i'll keep quiet! Phenomenal looking bass!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted January 18, 2010 Author Share Posted January 18, 2010 About to be traded for somehing newer....(sniff ) staying in the BC family though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 [quote name='Beedster' post='543183' date='Jul 17 2009, 12:44 PM']Jeez, hell of a day for fretless Fenders I've been gassing after for years [/quote] I've had this a month now and I can say with 100% confidence that everything that's been said about it is spot on, a truly great bass. Took me a while to get it set up, but now I have, it is definitely the best fretless I've played, and I've owned a few nice ones. Greg, thanks for your patiance on this mate, hope you're enjoying the Ric. Wallbassist/BassBod, many thanks for your help, you were both bang on! Having taken it apart and had a good nose about, it's also a '71... Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Good to hear you're happy with it. The '73 was based on a date stamp on the "original" Pbass pickup..which died a few years ago. The neck also originally had a "J Torres" stamp on the heel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 [quote name='BassBod' post='767454' date='Mar 7 2010, 11:48 PM']Good to hear you're happy with it. The '73 was based on a date stamp on the "original" Pbass pickup..which died a few years ago. The neck also originally had a "J Torres" stamp on the heel.[/quote] The Torres is still there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 [quote name='Beedster' post='767280' date='Mar 7 2010, 08:38 PM']I've had this a month now and I can say with 100% confidence that everything that's been said about it is spot on, a truly great bass. Took me a while to get it set up, but now I have, it is definitely the best fretless I've played, and I've owned a few nice ones. Greg, thanks for your patiance on this mate, hope you're enjoying the Ric. Wallbassist/BassBod, many thanks for your help, you were both bang on! Having taken it apart and had a good nose about, it's also a '71... Chris[/quote] Chris – glad you’re happy mate, it was easily the best fretless I owned too - certainly the lightest (which if it’s a ’71 makes sense, as Fender were still in ‘60’s mode) - but I’m playing mainly fretted these days, plus I’ve had a fretless Ovation Magnum for many years that for all its faults just feels right – a “comfortable old sweater” of a bass. Haven’t played the Ric as much as it deserves; I plan on putting the Ric bridge and strings back on once I source some Ric p/ups, and change in one fell swoop. It’s a thing of beauty though, and apologies to Mrs Beedster for replacing it with yet another garish tatty old Fender…….. [quote name='BassBod' post='767454' date='Mar 7 2010, 11:48 PM']The neck also originally had a "J Torres" stamp on the heel.[/quote] Wonder what he's doing now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 [quote name='Beedster' post='767464' date='Mar 7 2010, 11:55 PM']The Torres is still there![/quote] See - the memory is going, I thought it had been sanded out of history... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 [quote name='Shaggy' post='767689' date='Mar 8 2010, 10:34 AM']Wonder what he's doing now? [/quote] Just imagine how many famous people have played his necks? I know that until recently there were a couple of folks at Fender who were there in the 50's, so perhaps he's still there? [quote name='BassBod' post='767697' date='Mar 8 2010, 10:39 AM']See - the memory is going, I thought it had been sanded out of history... [/quote] No, made me smile when I saw it, I've never played a bad Torres neck Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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