Are these supposed to have a 1 piece body?

[Ploonter]

Just aquired through trade a 2011 NOS AM. ST. P-bass.
I like it very much.
My question though, is it supposed to have a 1 piece body?
Or am I seeing this wrong?

[img][/img]
[img][/img]
[img][/img]

[96tbird]

My 1962 jazz is not one piece. Does that help you understand that standard Fenders are not one piece? Never have been. Very nice bass you have there, enjoy!

[C.Linton]

At best, it's a two or three piece body with a veneer on it. AFAIK, Fender has never had one-piece bodies, except maybe for special runs or Custom Shop models.

[fretno]

I don't think Fender ever had rules on how many pieces in a body . I think I see 2 in this body . I look for straight lines as a giveaway which can be really seen on the end if it's clear but not if it's painted black . I see what looks like a seam below the ferrule .

[worxforme]

Could be, to me it looks like there is seem an inch or so from the ferrules looking at it from the bottom up toward the neck. Hard to say on my phone but it looks to be a bit darker and I can see a line.

[Baird6869]

Not sure if Fender has ever even made a 1 piece body.

Unless the custom shop has, I would say they don't exist today or even in the 50s.

[mmbongo]

It has a burst finish for a reason..so you can't see the ends and how many pieces of wood are underneath the veneer.

[Pilgrim]

I doubt that Fender has ever made one-piece bodies. They definitely don't make a practice of it or sell basses on that premise. The best wood goes into the natural finish and transparent finish bodies like yours. Solid colors often conceal odd looking (or lackluster) wood grains and even more pieces in the body.

[temmrich]

I know some manufacturers end up with one piece bodies as kind of the luck of the draw. Sometimes things just work out that way. I know Carvin is like that, and Warmoth goes so far as to charge extra for one piece bodies. Both companies will do two and 3 piece bodies as their stock allows. I've never heard that fender had any policies concerning the number of pieces in their bodies. But I would think that they receive blanks in similar sizes to the other companies.
If it looks like one piece, believe it is. It might just sound better because you believe in it.

[Mastermold]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

I doubt that Fender has ever made one-piece bodies. They definitely don't make a practice of it or sell basses on that premise. The best wood goes into the natural finish and transparent finish bodies like yours. Solid colors often conceal odd looking (or lackluster) wood grains and even more pieces in the body.

I've got some CS and AV Fenders with two piece bodies, nicely put together, seam goes down the middle, hard to find but if you know where it is you can find it. My Fender AS P-fiver has a three piece body that is also blended really nicely, wood nearly matches so it's hard to tell but you can find the seams if you look for them.

[Mastermold]

Looking at the OP's pics, looks like a three piece body (nicely matched like my AS fiver).

[Fran Diaz]

That body has three pieces, but they are very well matched.

I've seen a few CS Fenders with one piece bodies, but not too many.

Here you have a couple of them (nice grain also):

[Ploonter]

Wow. Awesome woodgrain on those nat. Jazz backs!

Thanks for the input all!

[jlepre]

I have had ONE bass that was a one piece, and it was an EBMM Sterling 5. It was very light (9 pounds) but didn't have a very resonant tone like my 13 other basses. Most basses are 2 to 3 piece bodies because I have learned that multiple pieces of SOLID wood glued correctly are stronger than MOST single piece bodies.

[FourBanger]

I see a three piece.

Having the center piece like that can make it harder to tell it is multi piece than if it were a two piece body. You don't get a seam down the middle like the cap on a Les Paul or the top and back of an acoustic, the joints are hidden where the grain is tighter and straighter.

A lot of Fenders are three piece, maybe they try to put certain finishes on certain bodies but Fender has always been loose about that.

[godofthunder59]

My '75 Walnut P is four pieces and very poorly matched, great sounding bass though. Yours is beautiful the quintessential sunburst/tort P bass Classic!

[godofthunder59]

The body looks in one piece to me budum bump

[thisSNsucks]

Originally Posted by fretno

I don't think Fender ever had rules on how many pieces in a body . I think I see 2 in this body . I look for straight lines as a giveaway which can be really seen on the end if it's clear but not if it's painted black . I see what looks like a seam below the ferrule .

Yeah I see two pieces. In the first pic, look about an inch down from the E string ferrule. Looks like theres a seam that goes straight across.

[P. Aaron]

Nice looking bass. Nicely matched woods.

Hope it gives you many years of joy.

[Ploonter]

Originally Posted by godofthunder59

Yours is beautiful the quintessential sunburst/tort P bass Classic!

Thanks! How's that saying go...."There are many like this one, but this one is mine-