Vintage Fender Guys - please discuss

[bhunt1]

What's up w this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1969-Fe ... 4625e41814

[pjmuck]

Looks to me like another victim of "lefty envy". Some knucklehead righty wanted to look cool (word of advice, you don't!), so he bought a lefty to butcher and drilled a strap button hole on the lower horn. When that didn't work for said knucklehead righty, he drilled another strap hole in the heel of the neck. And when that didn't work for said knucklehead righty, he either wised up and got a proper right handed bass or did the world a favor and quit playing music altogether. I can't account for the various other drilled holes in the pick guard, body, etc. except perhaps that they were done because he was a knucklehead righty.

[AzWhoFan]

I am certainly no vintage Fender expert, so of course I will chime right on in! It looks to me like frets 15 thru 20 have been filed down significantly at one point. Also looks to me like the truss rod nut is turned in a fair bit, maybe too much (see, I've been listening to you Fender guys!), the action appears to be Eight Miles High. IME the finish chipping/cracking on the neck pocket comes from knuckleheads who don't know how to take a neck off of a bass properly. Mini toggle switch looks like it was drilled thru the PG, and looks like there's non-original wiring. Gut shots of the cavity are a must for the serious buyer of course.

On the positive side, from the profile pics of the neck, it looks like an A width neck.

[Lefty007]

Hmm.

That neck is no good, if you ask me. Truss rod nut is pushed in very deep, and the action looks a mile high. Those strings looks like they are 20-years old, which means the bass probably hasn't been played for a while. Frets looked shaved/files at the center, as noted, so I'd bet that bass is unplayable. The fret ends are sticking out quite a lot. It has signs that it has been through the elements, hot and humid, and then dry a cold. Probably left in a garage or attic for years. And as noted, it looks it has been in the hands of knuckleheads.

Looks like a B neck to me AzWhoFan, not an A. . .

For $1000 it could make for a nice player if you invest another $1000 (new truss rod and frets) . . .

[pjmuck]

A few more questionable things I see:

1. Rosewood skunk stripe and rosewood headstock face "plug" on a rosewood neck? Never seen that before. I think this neck started out as a maple neck/fretboard and was possibly refaced rosewood.
2. Bridge saddles should have been threaded up to '69 or would have had a long G intonation screw by 1970 with newer saddles. This has neither threaded saddles or the extended G string screw.
3. There is no indication whatsoever that the thumb rest was previously positioned under the G string, as there's no drill holes. Fender did not reposition the thumb rest to the bass side (above the E string) until way later around 1974, where you see drill holes on this bass, so either the pick guard's newer than '69-'73 or the body is.
4. Lollipop tuners were primarily used on Jazz basses not Precisions. Never seen lollipops on a Precision.

Bottom line: I thin k this is parts bass. Photos of the neck stamp/date, pot dates, body heel pocket, etc. would obviously help.

[slybass3000]

From what I know the oval tuning pegs were use only in 1966. There you go

[gravesbass]

The bridge doesn't look right (too big) and I thought the pick guards back then had mint in them. A lot of ???'s on this bass.

[Lefty007]

From what I know the oval tuning pegs were use only in 1966. There you go

I think they were introduced in 1966 on Jazz basses, but used all the way through 1969 . . . It's rare to see them on P-Basses, but they exists.

[Addison]

Yikes... that thing is fugged.

No way would I touch that bass.

I thought the pick guards back then had mint in them.

Mint was never a color that was used back then... it was originally supposed to be a white celluloid material that was used on pre-CBS models. It had a very slight tint to it when new and it eventually turned mint green from being out in the sun and reacting to other materials in the pickguard. So when people use mint guards today, they're just recreating that aged look of what was originally supposed to be white.

Fender switched to vinyl in '65 and those stay pretty white... unless they're tobacco stained and look like pee.

[rdavidson]

I have a 68 P bass with original oval / lollipop tuners. I consider it all original, but I guess it can be referred to as a 'parts' bass... although it is all original from the time it was made / sold. What I mean is that it was assembled using parts that date from 66 and 68, with final assembly (and presumably sale) in 68. It doesn't surprise me if you consider that the lefty bass might have been made to order or made as an 'afterthought' using parts on hand.

[slybass3000]

From what I know the oval tuning pegs were use only in 1966. There you go

I think they were introduced in 1966 on Jazz basses, but used all the way through 1969 . . . It's rare to see them on P-Basses, but they exists.

Yeap
That is more accurate

[Petethebassman]

Looked at all the ebay pictures.. where to start? The tort pickguard has the pixelated look I've seen on mid-to-late 70's Fender basses and it has thumb rest holes above the E string (used from '74). Some of the tuner screws and washers have gone AWOL, just look at the mismatched set on these.



The bridge plate looks thicker than what the period correct Fender bridges had. From the listing: "The neck is straight and the truss rod is in good working order." - I have my doubts, the action looks mile high.

Strap button installed upside down, LOL:


Look at the angle and curve of the fingerboard above the nut, my guess too is the fingerboard has been replaced, maybe this thing was a 1-piece maple neck as it has the skunk stripe and the rosewood plug above nut. And just one patent number under the Fender logo?



Too many red flags and ?'s on this one, pass.

[ADSR]

Quick note to add that my 1967 lefty P bass has the oval tuners.

[LHBASSIST]

I was also of the opinion that 'Lollipop tuners' were only used on 1966-67 Jazz basses.BUT, about 10 years ago, a friend had me evaluate his late father-in-law's bass for resale. It was a 1968 sunburst/ rosewood p-bass, with lollipop gears. A friend has a FIVE string Fender from the 60's with short handled Kluson lollipops!
So, Fender indeed used the lollipops on precisions, and other basses. The leftys are incredibly rare.
That p-bass looks like authentic to me...but without an up close inspection, it's hard to be sure. I had a '73. Serial# was 373711, so the numbers are about right.

[slybass3000]

I have a 68 P bass with original oval / lollipop tuners. I consider it all original, but I guess it can be referred to as a 'parts' bass... although it is all original from the time it was made / sold. What I mean is that it was assembled using parts that date from 66 and 68, with final assembly (and presumably sale) in 68. It doesn't surprise me if you consider that the lefty bass might have been made to order or made as an 'afterthought' using parts on hand.

Well I guess that proves the oddities around the vintage lefties Fender basses.

[crescenze]

Sold

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301283416084?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT