Cryin' - Fender Bass V content!

**TRichardsbass** · #1 07-05-2011, 06:06 AM

Okay, was at a fourth of July event yesterday. One of the bands was a young "School of Rock" chorus backed by another band of young kids.

I'm staring at the bass kid, and I see something I haven't seen in years. A FENDER BASS V! You can't miss that shape.

So I got to talk to him afterward and also to check out the bass close up. UGGGHHHH!

Original Bass V for sure, however the kids "grand dad" (someone my age) gave it to him as a gift. The kid, well, personalized it:

1. Has DR DDT strings, wrong of course. Because of the tension and different string gauges the neck is seriously curved.

2. He didn't like the paint, so he took a can of matte, grill Krylon and personally painted the whole thing black.

3. And the worst, he didn't like the short neck so he and a friend took a neck from a cheap, Chinese 5 string, put it on the bass, and used the bridge from the same bass on the Fender.

Talk about tears, I was about to commit bassist homicide. The kid told me that he still has the neck and bridge, and if i want it I could have it, but he really likes his mods.

So, rare bass completely crapped by 18 year old who had no idea what "grand dad" really gave him.

WWWAAAAAAAAAA!

BassMan4Him · #2 07-05-2011, 06:17 AM

Kill. Him.

danomite64 · #3 07-05-2011, 06:20 AM

Bah, those basses suck anyways.

packhowitzer · #4 07-05-2011, 06:42 AM

We could drive ourselves crazy if we dwell too much on all of the "coulda beens". It stinks that this piece of history has been mangled to such a degree, but try not to lose too much sleep over it. If only my mom hadn't wrecked her 66 Chevelle SS. If only I hadn't blown up my Star Wars action figures. If only this kid hadn't torn up this bass. It all sucks, but there will be other cars, toys, and basses. You just have to keep looking. The journey is half the fun anyway.

tomshepp · #5 07-05-2011, 07:02 AM

Shame on the grandfather. Part of the "gift" should have been an education of what the bass was. Then, tell the kid he could/should either keep it all original and mod his own cheap bass, or sell and buy parts to build his own. Oh well..... just makes the original ones that are left more valuable.

stflbn · #6 07-05-2011, 07:19 AM

Everyone's done stupid things when they were young. This could be that kids.

Don't dwell on things outside your area of effect.

**pacojas** · #7 07-05-2011, 07:26 AM

from Wikipedia:

The following players are purported to have owned a Fender Bass V:

James Jamerson, Motown legend
John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin
C.F. Turner of Bachman-Turner Overdrive

also, only about 200 were made between 1965-70!

slotrod65 · #8 07-05-2011, 08:20 AM

You could offer to trade him a bass... like some dumb looking new bass that kids like these days. Even restored Bass V should be worth big bucks.

PhR · #9 07-05-2011, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pacojas

from Wikipedia:

The following players are purported to have owned a Fender Bass V:

James Jamerson, Motown legend
John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin
C.F. Turner of Bachman-Turner Overdrive

also, only about 200 were made between 1965-70!

Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick and Rick Price of The Wizzard (and The Move) also played a V.

SCMan88 · #10 07-05-2011, 08:25 AM

Geez...
WHAT THE **** HE THINKS HE IS DOING?!

I'd kick his b@alls for doing that..

ingo62 · #11 07-05-2011, 08:38 AM

The ugliest bass Fender ever made (my personal opinion, of course).

But if you like it, buy or trade it from the kid and restore it, why not?

**TRichardsbass** · #12 07-05-2011, 08:45 AM

Just got a pick of the original neck...can you say, "bowl?" Total loss. No restoration possible. He even took the tuners out and can't find 'em.

Oh the humanity...

Darkstrike · #13 07-05-2011, 08:51 AM

His bass, his right to screw with it.

**TRichardsbass** · #14 07-05-2011, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

His bass, his right to screw with it.

You are absolutely correct, however I'm sure that if you knew someone who owned say, Fender Precision Serial number 1 from '51 and then they gave it to a young relative who proceeded to pull all the frets, install a Dark Star and use auto body paint to make it flip-flop you might cringe some as well.

Obviously I wasn't there to stop him, and yes, it was his to destroy. But geez, don't kids these days have any curiosity about their instruments? I know I'd have done some research first and probably my stepson, if I did the same, would have seen it was worth thousands and would have sold it and bought himself a new car...

johnk_10 · #15 07-05-2011, 09:03 AM

i actually worked on precision bass serial # 001 years ago, and it was re-routed, horribly reshaped, and split down the middle with a walnut stringer installed in it. and the neck was so bowed, you could shoot an arrow off of it, so i feel your pain.

madbassplaya · #16 07-05-2011, 09:17 AM

I get what you're saying.

I googled the bass and I've got to say it's hideous.

Darkstrike · #17 07-05-2011, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRichardsbass

You are absolutely correct, however I'm sure that if you knew someone who owned say, Fender Precision Serial number 1 from '51 and then they gave it to a young relative who proceeded to pull all the frets, install a Dark Star and use auto body paint to make it flip-flop you might cringe some as well.

I honestly wouldn't, long as it's owner was happy why should I care? They're just basses. I know people who've done similar things with either vintage or boutique stuff, more power to them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRichardsbass

Obviously I wasn't there to stop him, and yes, it was his to destroy. But geez, don't kids these days have any curiosity about their instruments? I know I'd have done some research first and probably my stepson, if I did the same, would have seen it was worth thousands and would have sold it and bought himself a new car...

Not everybody's a gearhead. Some people just want to get their axe working well(or more precisely, to suit them) and concentrate on playing.

**TRichardsbass** · #18 07-05-2011, 09:37 AM

I'm not a gear head, but I have a reverence for many things. When it comes to some instruments they are better left alone or with minimal mod. I change out pickups on some of my basses for playability, but I always do it carefully and have the originals available for re-install. My guitar player has a low serial number SG, and it is just sweet stock. It has a sound that only it can. He put a roadrunner sticker on it 25 years ago. He now regrets it.

One of my Q4 basses turns out was a factory prototype piezo installation. I was going to pull it out and put the bass back, but now I'll never touch it. I have a piece of history.

bassbenj · #19 07-05-2011, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRichardsbass

Talk about tears, I was about to commit bassist homicide. The kid told me that he still has the neck and bridge, and if i want it I could have it, but he really likes his mods.

So, rare bass completely crapped by 18 year old who had no idea what "grand dad" really gave him.

WWWAAAAAAAAAA!

Hey. Is the kid learning to play bass or be an antique dealer? IF he likes high temperature matt grill paint, then how is that different from the TBers who want some ancient piece of crap (Like a Fender V) to play and pay a fortune for it? At least the grill paint didn't cost a fortune!

This bass was a total piece of crap when it was new and no doubt NEEDED to be modded to turn it into a bass! The only difference between the kid and people our age is that we have learned that money isn't so easy to come by. So if we find a piece of crap that some idiot is willing to pay a couple grand for, WE sell it to him and then go buy something else. The kid just wanted to play a bass that he liked and so he took Leo's nightmare and made it something he liked.

You should see what I've done to MY Fender! I'm sure at some point down the road some antique dealer will be cussing the stupid jerk who ruined this "vintage" Fender. But the only difference between me and the kid is mine doesn't have anybody willing to pay a stupid amount for it ... yet.

TolerancEJ · #20 07-05-2011, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomshepp

Shame on the grandfather. Part of the "gift" should have been an education of what the bass was. Then, tell the kid he could/should either keep it all original and mod his own cheap bass, or sell and buy parts to build his own. Oh well..... just makes the original ones that are left more valuable.

+1