Question for those who know MIJ Fenders - Precision Bass ID?

[ggvicviper]

In my Manhattan travels yesterday (where I also posted about a hugely overpriced fretless P), I saw another unique, more modern take on a Fender Precision bass from Japan. It was a more contoured body with a black-painted headstock, had the plastic black "F" knobs rather than chrome, and lacked a pickguard. I'm sure it was from the 80's. Very nice playing bass, very light. I was wondering what the model was?

EDIT: Found pictures of it - see below.

[1bassplayin]

Not an expert, but it sounds like you are describing this bass.

[MartinG1957]

Like this one by any chance?
This is my MIJ 51- P special -all black, no guard, all black hardware, black on back of neck also...metal knobs though..side jack and gold Fender logo on black headstock...no other identifier on headstock...

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by 1bassplayin

Not an expert, but it sounds like you are describing this bass.

Definitely not. I know that's an Aerodyne J. This was a P bass with a P bass body shape - just more contoured.

Originally Posted by MartinG1957

Like this one by any chance?
This is my MIJ 51- P special -all black, no guard, all black hardware, black on back of neck also...metal knobs though..side jack and gold Fender logo on black headstock...no other identifier on headstock...

Close! This had plastic knobs. The body was a little more contoured I think. I would recognize it instantly if it was in another color - black makes it hard to see.

[ggvicviper]

Found a few images if it helps:





One site listed it as a "contemporary series".
Any information would be helpful.

[MartinG1957]

Hi again, yeah you can't see it in the very high gloss black finish but upper half is contoured at the back and also on the front beside the bridge.. I also gave you the wrong details mine is designated as a: PB62 ALL BLK if that helps and is CIJ as opposed to MIJ, made around 2002 if I remember rightly need to check the serial - the years and basses are merging together!
Only difference I see is that mine has only Fender on the headstock and the knobs are black metal, no F on top, so might be a variant/different year.. Out of interest can you remember what price they were looking for? Thanks!

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by MartinG1957

Hi again, yeah you can't see it in the very high gloss black finish but upper half is contoured at the back and also on the front beside the bridge.. I also gave you the wrong details mine is designated as a: PB62 ALL BLK if that helps and is CIJ as opposed to MIJ, made around 2002 if I remember rightly need to check the serial - the years and basses are merging together!
Only difference I see is that mine has only Fender on the headstock and the knobs are black metal, no F on top, so might be a variant/different year.. Out of interest can you remember what price they were looking for? Thanks!

They were looking for $700 if I recall correctly. Definitely not a more modern CIJ. It was an MIJ, gotta have been from the 80's.

It was a smoke/charcoal color too! Real sharp. Felt nice.

[DrSpunkwater]

I was just thinking that too. It definitely looks like it's from the 80s.

[MartinG1957]

Originally Posted by ggvicviper

They were looking for $700 if I recall correctly. Definitely not a more modern CIJ. It was an MIJ, gotta have been from the 80's.

It was a smoke/charcoal color too! Real sharp. Felt nice.

Thanks for that - interesting! Serial number would date it of course if it was gettable - ring the shop? I love the all over gloss black on mine - very shiny and different for a P!

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by MartinG1957

Thanks for that - interesting! Serial number would date it of course if it was gettable - ring the shop? I love the all over gloss black on mine - very shiny and different for a P!

The 80s ones are rather rare. Guess it wasn't popular. Still isn't.

$700 is a bit much for it to be honest. I saw one other in nice condition go fr under $500 online. A lot of these boutique guitar shops think they can charge crazy amounts just because something says "Fender". See my thread yesterday about the fretless P. They said they go for $2500 in good condition. They were asking for $2300 when it was playable, but modified, and the neck was well worn and the poly finish was cracking. Everyone here told me they were charging about $1000 too high.

Still, that contemporary P was nice!

[MartinG1957]

Yep they can charge what they like but anything is only ever worth what someone is willing to pay and this community especially has a wealth of knowledge available to us all

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by ggvicviper

$700 is a bit much for it to be honest. I saw one other in nice condition go fr under $500 online.

$500 is no steal either.

ESPECIALLY sight-unseen!

What continually astounds me on TalkBass is the obliviousness people evince to the fact that instruments that are twenty or thirty years old can very well be simply worn out.

A few years hard use with cheap stainless roundwounds and you're ready for a refret, the cost of which will exceed the value of a lot of these instruments...never mind the slow but fatal warping and twisting a lot of necks show after a few decades.

With care, proper storage and little use, old gear can be as good as the day it was made, but you aren't going to know this without close expert scrutiny.

[1bassplayin]

Definitely not. I know that's an Aerodyne J. This was a P bass with a P bass body shape - just more contoured.

That was the first one that popped in my head.

[lowphatbass]

Originally Posted by ggvicviper

Found a few images if it helps:





One site listed it as a "contemporary series".
Any information would be helpful.

I don't think those basses were imported into the US in any significant numbers, they're pretty uncommon and tough to value.

[luzxkm]

the cost of which will exceed the value of a lot of these instruments.

[Johnny Alien]

They were called Precision bass specials or something like that. Duff played one through most of his career with Guns and Roses and they recently did a signature model for him that was a reissue of that bass. They weren't uncommon in the 80's and they pop up semi-frequently. In good shape $500-600 would be the max I would pay for one. $400 for one that had some wear to it. People seem to love the necks on these.

[coreyfyfe]

Originally Posted by Johnny Alien

They were called Precision bass specials or something like that. Duff played one through most of his career with Guns and Roses and they recently did a signature model for him that was a reissue of that bass. They weren't uncommon in the 80's and they pop up semi-frequently. In good shape $500-600 would be the max I would pay for one. $400 for one that had some wear to it. People seem to love the necks on these.

These were similar but they aren't the same as the jazz specials. Same basic construction and finishes and such, but only a P pickup and I don't think they have the TBX tone control like the jazz special.

[lowphatbass]

Originally Posted by coreyfyfe

These were similar but they aren't the same as the jazz specials. Same basic construction and finishes and such, but only a P pickup and I don't think they have the TBX tone control like the jazz special.

Yep. No bridge pickup or active electronics, although the pole-pieces are oversized like the "Specials".

[coreyfyfe]

Originally Posted by lowphatbass

Yep. No bridge pickup or active electronics, although the pole-pieces are oversized like the "Specials".

The specials weren't active either, just used a fancy tone control. The power specials were the active series.

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by Johnny Alien

They were called Precision bass specials or something like that. Duff played one through most of his career with Guns and Roses and they recently did a signature model for him that was a reissue of that bass. They weren't uncommon in the 80's and they pop up semi-frequently. In good shape $500-600 would be the max I would pay for one. $400 for one that had some wear to it. People seem to love the necks on these.

That's the Jazz Bass Special. P/J, P Body, switch with knobs. Yeah, Duff played the Jazz Special (now known as the Duff P Bass), but not the bass in question, which has a the same electronics and overall construction as a classic P. Just looks and feels a little different from a normal P.

Originally Posted by lowphatbass

Yep. No bridge pickup or active electronics, although the pole-pieces are oversized like the "Specials".

There was another P Bass Special introduced around 1980 that had an active circuit. Also had brass hardware.