The folly of finding an old Fender.

icabod · Post by **icabod** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 1:25 pm

I've got a 60's Jazz re-issue, that was supposed to be miJ, when I ordered it and when it took over 6 months to get it, it was the transition from miJ to mim. When the first one came in, the frets were hanging over the side of the fingerboard and there were some sanding gouges in the face of the headstock. My store had Fender ship another, which took another 3 months, and when it came in I swapped the body's out and kept the first one as I liked the sunburst and grain better. I've had to put a spacer in the truss adjust cavity so I would not run out of thread whilst trying to flatten the neck out, but I've had several J basses including a 62, and a buddy has a 60 that he paid 9000.g's for, and I'll take my MIM any day and it is the bass I use most of the time, and it cost me 800. bucks...just my 2 pennies......R

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 2:59 pm

Well, after the weeks of deliberation, I bought my Fender today: an '86 Precision, ('70 reissue), MIJ, Olympic White w/ black pickguard, rosewood fretboard.

It has a pleasantly slim neck - somewhere between a Jazz neck and the '62 Precision RI (Which i found almost unbearable to play), but closer to a Jazz. I don't know if it's just this bass, or they actually did become slimmer in '70.

All in all, the price was right, it was a good player, has a few dings but is in good general condition, it's lightweight, and straightforward, like any good Precision.

I don't know if i'll keep it once those Lakland Skyline Decades come available, only time will tell. But for a good while anyway, this one at the ol' v68 will be the main gigging basses.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 3:29 pm

Fender made three different necks A, B and C until maybe around 1975,76 (not sure when they stopped). Most precisions had C necks and most (all?) jazzes had A necks. An A neck was 1 1/2" wide at the nut, with B being 1 5/8" at the nut. I would assume a C was 1 3/4". The 72 I bought has a B neck which is one of the reasons I bought it. I doubt the reissues are exact replicas of the 1970's, 60's or 50's just as the V63's, C-64's etc. aren't exact replicas of early 60's 4001's. My first Fender was a 71 with a C neck which was wide and you had a choice back then if you ordered one, I bought it off the shelf being a 17 YO kid who didn't know any better.
I almost bought a 65 Sunburst P bass a few years back with an A neck, it was exactly like a J neck of the same year, played beautifully, I hesitated and lost it (was only 1500.00 at the time)

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:42 pm

Thanks for that info Bob! Just measured, this one is indeed a B neck, dead-on 1 5/8".

rickboy88 · Post by **rickboy88** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:47 pm

Good to see you got something, John.

rick_ovic · Post by **rick_ovic** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:19 pm

Thanks a cool bass, JB. The classic Sid Vicious / Suzi Quatro look

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:59 am

"the '62 Precision RI (Which i found almost unbearable to play), but closer to a Jazz."

John was this a MIA P or a MIJ? I find the USA P's way too big for my small hands but have recently bought a MIJ '62 P with alder body and USA PUPs. I can't put it down, it is just so playable. It sounds the real deal as well. It's a 3 tone sunburst, very Jamerson...

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:05 am

Congrats, John!

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:05 am

It was an American Vintage '62 Reissue Precision.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:18 am

The obligatory pics (The white is a little less bright then it is in these pics):

The first thing I did was add the ashtray cover over the bridge and the thumb rest, to make it a bit more "period-correct". In a little while it's going to get some big flatwounds, then a gig with it tonight.

I think I may try a tortoise pickguard too, just to break the Sid Vicious vibe some!

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:28 am

But you can actually play, John. You've already broken the Sid vibe!

Nice score. Sorry I didn't get a chance to scour the local shops for ya.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:55 am

No problemo Sean, i'm mucho happy with this one. Precision body but with a smaller neck, it's exactly what I could've hoped for.

grayk · Post by **grayk** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:21 am

Great looking bass. White with a tort p/guard always looks great IMO.

lyle_from_minneapolis · Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:33 am

That is a sweet looking bass. Nice grab, John.

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:54 am

How was the gig?