Page 2 of 2

Re: What kinda P Bass have I been using ?

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 12:23 am
by jps
The neck may be USA or possibly Mexico as the truss rod pocket at the headstock is the same for both. I think if the neck is '97 or so there would be a serial number on the back of it.

Here is an example.

Re: What kinda P Bass have I been using ?

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 10:49 am
by ken_j
marc61 wrote:
octagon wrote:How much are you selling it for?
NFS or I would be bassless... :lol:

hmmmm maybe I misunderstood the Second Strum forum but, I figured it as the place to discuss, buy sell anything non-Ric.
From the Board Index:
Second Strum: by Ken Joseph
Non-Rickenbacker Gear Classifieds
Moderators: ajish4, ken_j
I don't have the ability to move a thread. Contact Tony if you want it moved.

Re: What kinda P Bass have I been using ?

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:35 pm
by marc61
Seems like it was nicely moved :D

Anyway, here's a few more pics. Now I'm thinking it might not even be a Fender at all. Just a fake decal and neckplate. Looking at the stamp, anyone could have put that there. Doesn't fender usually have the neck shape too? Shame not to know what it is. Everybody loves the tone. I love playing it.

Re: What kinda P Bass have I been using ?

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:36 pm
by marc61
Showing the odd hole in the back of the body under the neckplate. I tried to take the pickup out but it was stuck to the foam. Took the best shot I could

Re: What kinda P Bass have I been using ?

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:08 pm
by antipodean
Afters some digging, the routing indicates that the body is:

- Not a Japanese RI - the MIJ RIs do not have a deep channel routed between the control cavity and the pickup;
- Not a US RI (same logic as the MIJ RIs) or standard (the US standard routing for the channel is "squarer");
- Not a Warmoth or Mighty-mite.

MIM seems to be the most likely option. I'm darned if I can work out that extra hole - the old "tilt neck" hole was located further down the neck pocket.... :?

Re: What kinda P Bass have I been using ?

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:23 pm
by marc61
hmmm,....this might make sense. on the MIM basses, the serial number is a decal on the front of the headstock. Maybe the bass is a MIM Pbass that someone tried to scam into a USA bass.

Re: What kinda P Bass have I been using ?

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:55 pm
by antipodean
The thick plottens - the "roughness" of the control cavity is eerily similar to '70s era P-basses, but they normally don't have the "channel" between control and pickup cavities - then I saw this on ebay:
P-Bass_72.JPG
P-Bass_72.JPG (1.06 KiB) Viewed 1008 times
Interesting..... but then there's that extra hole......

Re: What kinda P Bass have I been using ?

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:07 pm
by marc61
That hole could have been routed out later. Looks like it was. I also think the body started out life sunburst, then was painted black, then stripped.

Do you have the link for that Ebay body?

Re: What kinda P Bass have I been using ?

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 11:28 pm
by antipodean
marc61 wrote:That hole could have been routed out later. Looks like it was. I also think the body started out life sunburst, then was painted black, then stripped.

Do you have the link for that Ebay body?
Here it is!

I have this horrible feeling I've seen another body with that hole... maybe an old Chandler? It could be that whoever did the black refin drilled a new hole to hang the body from rather than use a hook in the strap-button hole. People do the oddest things sometimes!

The most likely scenario I can think of is that a previous owner broke the truss rod on their 197X P-bass in the '90s, and so scored a new neck.... The multiple finish changes are hard to date. The bass looks great in any event, and you like it, so it's a winner!