Fender Precision: any idea on age?

[P. Aaron]

THE HISTORY: My friend bought it a a guitar show for $300.00 in '97 from a dealer as a 'used Precision'.

The neck looks legit. It is severly checked & worn at the edges, very yellowed. Note the aditional screw holes behind the tuning pegs.

The body's been re-finished. There's little revealed in the pocket...except the white paint. The routing may provide clues, it has Barts installed. The re-paint goes into the PU routing areas. The unpainted wood in the pocket looks like alder. The pot pics didn't turn out so well so I didn't post 'em.

Tone-wise, it's as nice a Precision as I have played.

Apologies for the sub-par phone pics.
Thanks for your input and knowledge.

[Bluesbob]

I was going to say the neck is a '76, based on the tuners and logo. Those holes might mean that the tuners aren't original either, though, so it's just a guess. But the body - who knows?

[bass-flyer]

I was going to say the neck is a '76, based on the tuners and logo.

With the LARGE logo, it should be pre-1976 ... or a VERY early '76.

The unpainted wood in the pocket looks like alder

My '75 P is alder.
Is the neck an A-neck? Looks on the skinny side.

The bridge and pups look like replacements. Anything stamped on the bridge? Doesn't look like it.

PS ..... I've never understood the neck code thang!

[bass-flyer]

1972 to 1980 Neck Stamps Explained.
This information was provided by Greg Gagliano. The 1972-1980 eight digit code is similar to the previous 1969-1971 system. Example, Music Master (s/n 595121) with code 49002153. The first 6 digits are paired off and the last two digits are taken singly. So that gives us 49 00 215 3 where:

49 = model code (Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco)
00 = neck code (rosewood fingerboard)
21 = week code (week 21)
5 = year code (1975)
3 = day of the week code (Wednesday)
Model Codes Used from 1972 to 1980.

Model codes (first pair of digits):
01 = Precision Bass
02 = Jazz Bass
04 = Mustang Bass
08 = Telecaster Deluxe
09 = Stratocaster
13 = Telecaster, Telecaster Custom, Telecaster Thinline
49 = Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco
Neck Codes Used from 1972 to 1980.
Neck codes (second pair of digits):

00 = rosewood fingerboard
01 = rosewood fingerboard
03 = fretted maple neck OR skunk stripe neck with rosewood board
10 = fretless maple neck

Now try and decode a Precision Bass (s/n 647149) with code 01031051. You should get:
01 = Precision Bass
03 = fretted maple neck
10 = Week 10
5 = 1975
1 = Monday

[jaywa]

I was gonna venture that the additional screw holes in the headstock meant a Hipshot D-Tuner had once been installed... except that on my 78 P-Bass the Hipshot was a straight drop-in using the existing tuner holes.

[P. Aaron]

Originally Posted by bass-flyer

With the LARGE logo, it should be pre-1976 ... or a VERY early '76.



My '75 P is alder.
Is the neck an A-neck? Looks on the skinny side.

The bridge and pups look like replacements. Anything stamped on the bridge? Doesn't look like it.

PS ..... I've never understood the neck code thang!

The back-side of the neck is very round-ish after the pocket. As posted above; the bridge, Pups, possibly the electronics look to be replaced.

Considering the year my friend bought it (97), the body has a good chance of being Fender too. Hard to tell without stripping the paint carefully off.

PS: My buddy's done nothing with this bass since he bought it. We just took the neck off last Saturday.

[Bluesbob]

Originally Posted by bass-flyer

With the LARGE logo, it should be pre-1976 ... or a VERY early '76.

Based on the logo and the tuners, '76 is the only possibility. But if the tuners aren't original, it would most probably be earlier.

[bass-flyer]

Based on the logo and the tuners, '76 is the only possibility

The tuners do look more like '76 and on. I need to put on my glasses and check some photos.
I'd still say early to mid '76 as the logo changed in '76 at some point.

Also .... in '76, the serial # appeared on the headstock ..... I have NO idea when in '76.
After checking some photos, and my bad eyes, even with glasses (LOL) .... the tuners look very much like
the tuners on my '75 P.
(I disagree with myself now! See my other post further on down)
Looking at photos, I can see a slight difference between the tuners used up until '77
and the Schaller tuners Fender started using in '76. I just can't see the above photo clearly enough to tell.
But .... to me, YMMV ..... they look more like my '75 tuners.
(again ... I disagree with myself!)

[bass-flyer]

The back-side of the neck is very round-ish after the pocket

When I spoke of "skinny", I meant the width of the neck.
What is the width at the nut?
Sure looks like an A-neck (Jass neck) to me ..... but I've been wrong before.

EDITED TO ADD: After staring at the neck in that one photo ..... I can't tell!
But I don't think it's an A-neck.

[bass-flyer]

As posted above; the bridge, Pups, possibly the electronics look to be replaced.

Yep, I missed the part about the Barts ... THREE times!

[bass-flyer]

Ahhhhhh ...... I finally see the difference!
They do appear to be Schaller tuners, which Fender starting using in '76, according to one book of mine.

The bass could very well be a '76 (neck anyway), BEFORE the logo change and the serial # change in '76.

Bluesbob .... you are CORRECT sir!

[Bluesbob]

Originally Posted by bass-flyer

Ahhhhhh ...... I finally see the difference!
They do appear to be Schaller tuners, which Fender starting using in '76, according to one book of mine.

The bass could very well be a '76 (neck anyway), BEFORE the logo change and the serial # change in '76.

Bluesbob .... you are CORRECT sir!

Well... the first half of '76 would be most probable, but only if those tuners are original. I'm pretty sure that Schallers use the same holes as the Fender circle "R" tuners that preceded them. The doubt is cast by the extra holes. It could be possible that the original tuners were replaced at some time, then the Schallers replaced the replacements. So the neck itself could be earlier, but definitely no later, than '76.
It's most likely (IMHO) a nice old parts bass, made from some nice old parts.

[Kenner]

Neck and tuners look like the 76 I just sold....serial #7649845

[bass-flyer]

Well... the first half of '76 would be most probable, but only if those tuners are original.

Agreed.

[RMay]

The TV logo and control cavity route lead to me to believe this is a '76.