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Incoming '76 Fender Precision fretless


Clarky
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I spent an hour playing this beauty at Vintage & Rare yesterday and absolutely loved it. A bit heavier than my '72 Precision (maybe 10 lbs?)but hangs really nicely and has a fabulous tone (albeit enhanced by playing through a gorgeous vintage Ampeg B-15 flip-top!). Has a very vibrant sunburst (original, not re-fin) and a relatively unmarked rosewood board.

Having checked the provenance and come to an agreement on price, I will be collecting it in the next day or two. Can't wait!

[attachment=44477:main_14550.jpg][attachment=44478:main_14551.jpg][attachment=44479:main_14553.jpg]

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Great decision Clarkey, and a great bass. I find vintage fretless basses even more variable than fretted, and on that basis even more satisfying when you find one.

Looking forward to some vintage P-Bass comparisons when we next hook up.

C

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Put some TI flats on this yesterday and it is a delight to play. In amazing condition for a 34 year old bass as Happy Jack can testify (I bumped into him in Denmark St when I went to pick up the bass from V&R).

Starting to wonder whether I really need my 73 Jazz after all as I am in love with my two 70s P's!

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[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='771419' date='Mar 11 2010, 11:28 AM']It would be rude not to keep hold of the jazz as well... you never know when you might need it... and finding another good example may be harder than expected![/quote]

You are probably right but there is also the delicate question of me having over-spent on basses in the past four months (three vintage Fenders, ouch) :)

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[quote name='Clarky' post='771443' date='Mar 11 2010, 11:54 AM']You are probably right but there is also the delicate question of me having over-spent on basses in the past four months (three vintage Fenders, ouch) :)[/quote]

Try to keep the Jazz! You cant split the family now :lol:

I am the same though...over spent. :rolleyes:

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[quote name='Happy Jack' post='771547' date='Mar 11 2010, 01:09 PM']Maple board, mate, that's what you need, a maple board. :rolleyes:

Did the saddles/bridge sort out nicely?[/quote]
Nah, maple boards look rubbish on fretlesses IMHO, like a long strip of banana :)

Bridge/saddles all fine (I lowered the saddles with the TI flats to get the action nice n low)

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[quote name='steve-soar' post='771578' date='Mar 11 2010, 01:33 PM']Fretless? punk rocker? What is the world coming to. :)[/quote]
You of all people Steve should recall that Barry Adamson used a fretless in Magazine and in his Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds recordings (eg, the superb 'Your funeral, my trial') :rolleyes:

Edit: I will not be going Jazz-rock, for the avoidance of doubt!

Edited by Clarky
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[quote name='steve-soar' post='771612' date='Mar 11 2010, 02:04 PM']Agreed.

Ok then, if you grow your hair longer at the back, a la mullet, you will look just like Tony Franklin-Blue Murder. Jelly Roll anyone?[/quote]
I already err dangerously close to a mullet :)

[attachment=44631:kismetik4.jpg]

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[quote name='Clarky' post='771589' date='Mar 11 2010, 01:42 PM']You of all people Steve should recall that Barry Adamson used a fretless in Magazine and in his Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds recordings (eg, the superb 'Your funeral, my trial') :)[/quote]

Sounds like it, but it was actually fretted (Ovation Magnum). One of my top three all-time fave bass tones.

On topic; that's a peach of a P. V&R come in for some bad press but they're not so bad (I bought a '65 T'bird there last year) and sure is safer tham ebay for vintage gear.

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[quote name='Shaggy' post='771730' date='Mar 11 2010, 03:40 PM']Sounds like it, but it was actually fretted (Ovation Magnum). One of my top three all-time fave bass tones.

On topic; that's a peach of a P. V&R come in for some bad press but they're not so bad (I bought a '65 T'bird there last year) and sure is safer tham ebay for vintage gear.[/quote]
I wasn't 100% sure about Magazine bur are you sure about the Bad Seeds? The bass has a lot of slides on the album I mentioned

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[quote name='Clarky' post='771741' date='Mar 11 2010, 03:51 PM']I wasn't 100% sure about Magazine bur are you sure about the Bad Seeds? The bass has a lot of slides on the album I mentioned[/quote]

Honestly not sure what was playing in the BS - seen him with Rics, Fenders, and unidentified, but never a fretless! He always gets that slidey "hollow" sound, I'd love to know how on a fretted bass. Seems to have gone back to the old Magnum of late, probably because of the Magazine reunion


[quote name='Happy Jack' post='771816' date='Mar 11 2010, 04:49 PM']YMMV.[/quote]

? :)
I realise of course, that a pit of crocodiles is safer than ebay, so it wasn't much of an endorsement for V&R!

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