Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Does anyone have any information on why from '65-'67 were a small number of Fender Precision basses made with the same slab style body as the Telecaster?

Were there any famous players?

The only one I know who played a Fender Slab Precision was John Entwistle of The Who...in September 1967, this bass was reportedly smashed to smithreens, but the pickup and circuits were used to make his Frankenstein bass made in 1968.

Well, apparently there's a whole book on the subject:
5 seconds of Googling turned up this:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=341044

Apparantly the book's been in the works for a while,
"Forward by John Entwistle".

I don't know how to get a hold of that book, especially if it's supposedly in the works.

The Fender Precision looks so cool with the slab body. Perhaps Fender Custom Shop should try experimenting and make a few of those (especially a John Entwistle signature model similar to his '66-'67 baby with three knobs and Jazzmaster-like toggle switch and strung up with Rotosound Swing Bass 66 roundwounds)?

Yeah, give them impoverished Brits a few of those old square old planks we can't be bothered to shape, blow 'em over quick, and then charge them double! ...

And you thought we had it bad with that economy model, dot inlay RM1999 ...at the least the body was shaped nice!

Bet they were real uncomfortable to play. Give me the contoured style any day....

Okay, while I have all your attention, how good were the 1978 Precisions, and what is a fair value??

johnallg wrote:Okay, while I have all your attention, how good were the 1978 Precisions, and what is a fair value??

Spotty - play it first if you can! In this market, $1200-$1500 depending on condition and all.

I'm of the opinion that CBS quality control declined right to the point when they sold out. So '78 is getting close to the worst year in terms of consistency. You can find some good ones, but the lousy ones are at least as common, and the majority are nowhere near as good as Grecos and Tokais of the same vintage, which will be cheaper.

Thanks Evan and John. There is one I can get for $850 - just not sure it is worth the effort to look. I have an Austin (SLM copy) that plays great and sounds pretty good so I dunno.

johnallg wrote:Thanks Evan and John. There is one I can get for $850 - just not sure it is worth the effort to look. I have an Austin (SLM copy) that plays great and sounds pretty good so I dunno.

I know you don't consider yourself much of a collector John, but the Precision will go up in value and the Austin won't. It's a great deal and I would jump on it (if I could play and inspect it first).

Given the price, I agree with JB from a collector's standpoint. It's also roughly in line with prices for used top-of-the-line MIJ RI P-basses after shipping. Unless the bass is seriously flawed, it sounds like a deal.

The story behind them is that they were apparently an experiment from the factory and the concensus was that they wouldn't sell domestically, so they were sent over to England. Entwistle owned several of them, playing them until they fell apart at which time he would use what components were still viable. I've always thought that they looked interesting but a reissue or limited run would be a little much. Then again, you never know.