86 Performer Bass with unique stress crack

[affprod]

I just purchased another Fender Performer bass. It is not unusual to see stress cracks around the E tuner on vintage Fender basses, but usually they run straight or follow the grain. This one actually turns to the top and cuts across the grain. It must be stable because it has discolored inside. Normal cracks are easy fixes. Not to sure about this one.

Any ideas? This is not an inexpensive bass...I have purchased several and I paid a premium price for this one because it is a desired addition to my collection. I can return it, but don't want to unless this is a fatal flaw.

Thanks.

[KramerBassFan]

I'd imagine someone hit the headstock against something.

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by KramerBassFan

I'd imagine someone hit the headstock against something.

This. It takes a lot to crack a piece of wood across the grain like that. More than simple day to day use, anyway.

[mongo2]

Personally, if I had paid a premium price for it, I'd return it.

[affprod]

Thank you for the input. I have looked at that headstock 100 times today trying to figure it out, make that 101. I guess there are only two possibilities, either the headstock was struck hard against something -without leaving any visible sign other than the crack...i.e. no bent paddles or shafts, no chips to the finish on the tuners themselves, no other wood damage - or, possibly, someone put a new (vintage) set of tuners on it and blasted the ferrule into the wood sending a lateral crack outward. I am making myself nuts. I finally took it over to a certified luthier close by. Still interested in any other opinions though, please. I will post what I am told by the luthier if anyone is interested. Thanks again.

[hover]

Short of forcing a full break, prep and glue and clamp it together, you could also stabilize the crack by wicking in thin superglue...

But I'd love to know what the luthier says. Certainly looks like a got banged or fell flat on its back.

edit: the swapped ferrule thought is very strong too...I hope there's not more than one crack.

[Rip Topaz]

I'm thinking you may be right. The tuners were probably swapped and the new ferrules were hammered in, cracking the headstock.

Maybe the new ferrules were a different size than the originals and they forced them in instead of plugging and redrilling.

[JIO]

Originally Posted by affprod

Thank you for the input. I have looked at that headstock 100 times today trying to figure it out, make that 101. I guess there are only two possibilities, either the headstock was struck hard against something -without leaving any visible sign other than the crack...i.e. no bent paddles or shafts, no chips to the finish on the tuners themselves, no other wood damage - or, possibly, someone put a new (vintage) set of tuners on it and blasted the ferrule into the wood sending a lateral crack outward. I am making myself nuts. I finally took it over to a certified luthier close by. Still interested in any other opinions though, please. I will post what I am told by the luthier if anyone is interested. Thanks again.

Not a luthier here, but a fix could be as simple as drilling a medium sized hole or 2 smaller holes through the cracked piece into the headstock and inserting a maple dowel (or dowels) w/Titebond glue. You will have a visual of the dowel-heads but it will keep it from coming apart. Same fix but more involved would be removing the cracked piece and doweling/gluing it internally.

Oh, and would love to see the collection of your Performers. Custom Performer/Supersonic bass

[affprod]

Here they are. Still missing the Burgundy Mist to complete the set.

[Fair Warning]

Neat! THis is the first time I have seen or heard of those. What do they sound like?

[M.R. Ogle]

Since you're a collector, and you obviously have a nice collection of these and are NOT a starving musician (LOL) I'd take that neck off and get it to the BEST luthier/repairman in the US I could find. That repair couldn't be more than a hun or two at most to get fixed RIGHT!

The Performer is one of the very few instruments I wish I had back... I didn't spend enough time with the one I briefly had, I should have experimented with strings and setup with it a lot more, I'd probably have grown to like it.

[JIO]

Originally Posted by affprod

Here they are. Still missing the Burgundy Mist to complete the set.

Excellent! I have seen fewer w/the Burgundy Mist Metallic finish than the rest and I feel it was the best of the available colours for that design. I personally never cared for the pearl white (especially aged/yellowed-so 80's), the green was, er.., interesting, and the blue-grey blasé. The classic sunburst actually suited it well.

Best of luck hunting a BMM one down eventually!

[affprod]

LOL! Yeah, some of the colors would go nice with avocado shag carpet and yellow gold appliances in the kitchen, just beyond the hanging wall of peace beads, but these play serious music. The white one is my player, it has a vintage Hipshot Drop D expander on it and when I do a one bass gig, outdoors, that is my go to. For its time, it was quite progressive in selection options, and I still think it is the best neck ever made.

Hey! I like the green....you and my wife, most of my friends, and all the people I jam with or for - have no taste.

[affprod]

I am sorry I missed a question from Fair Warning, but I don't have a very good answer. Except for a couple Ibanez SR 500s, which used to be my outdoor bass, and a Washburn 8 string octave that I have just for fun, all I have every played, since 65, are Fender products. If I had to choose one, I would say it sounds most like the Jazz, but with the pickup selection N/B/B and a nice tone pot, you can really change sounds. Heck put on a set of flats and you can make it sound like a 72 Tele.

Thanks for your comment M.R. Ogle. We think alike. The body is so very nice, truly near mint, with the electronics fully functional and sound - I can deal with the headstock. I probably will have more in this one than it will return in my lifetime, but it is for my enjoyment. Happy Birthday to me! Okay, that's a few months off but that is the principle I used to rationalize it.

[Bone]

I don't see Candy Apple Red in there.

[JustinStrings]

My guess would be that somebody was playing it, jumped, and it hit a ceiling maybe.

Edit: Now looking at it blown up, it only looks like it's just the finish is cracked.

[affprod]

Bone, you are right, the red one missing. It's actally called Burgundy Mist (Metallic). If you see one for sale, please let me know. I am always looking.

Justin, at 6'4", 270+ and 61 years old, I can tell you, it was not me doing the jumping. Unfortunately it is the wood. It is actually a lateral, or horizontal crack that was caused by a forceful placement of a tuning ferrule. At least that is what the guy fixing it is saying. The toughest part will actually be cleaning up the crack where it breaks surface because over the years the dust and dirt have discolored the wood. Way over my head...I kind of like the ceiling idea...I can understand that.

[JIO]

Originally Posted by affprod

LOL! Yeah, some of the colors would go nice with avocado shag carpet and yellow gold appliances in the kitchen, just beyond the hanging wall of peace beads, but these play serious music. The white one is my player, it has a vintage Hipshot Drop D expander on it and when I do a one bass gig, outdoors, that is my go to. For its time, it was quite progressive in selection options, and I still think it is the best neck ever made.

Hey! I like the green....you and my wife, most of my friends, and all the people I jam with or for - have no taste.

(...or different tastes )
Colour is always subjective and some people like orange and purple also. I pretty much like all colours, it just depends on where they appear. Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't do mauve (I guess BMM is close) and teal (the gunmetal blue/grey?) which could have been the official colours of the 80's.

I've never seen a Performer "in the flesh" and look forward to playing one some day. I guesstimated the size of my Supersonic and would be interested to see how close I came. [width>13" at the hips / length>13" from the lower horn to the butt] I extended the upper horn, but my original scale-sketch had that length at 18.5" Was I close?

[Turnaround]

Originally Posted by affprod

I just purchased another Fender Performer bass. It is not unusual to see stress cracks around the E tuner on vintage Fender basses, but usually they run straight or follow the grain. This one actually turns to the top and cuts across the grain. It must be stable because it has discolored inside. Normal cracks are easy fixes. Not to sure about this one.

Any ideas? This is not an inexpensive bass...I have purchased several and I paid a premium price for this one because it is a desired addition to my collection. I can return it, but don't want to unless this is a fatal flaw.

Thanks.

That crack is actually running with the grain. I think you might be confusing the grain with the annual growth rings - different things.

[affprod]

JIO, very close,not more than an inch off anywhere. And she has a svelte 9" waiste.

Turnaround. Thanks for the input. Learn something new every day.