Very nice looking I bet as soon as you get the bass home, your other basses won't get a look in & a couple more may go 
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1958 Fender Precision
- Thread starter BearCave
- Start date
Here are a few pics. I haven't had much time to play it yet, although it sounds soo good and powerful. I can't believe how loud this bass is! It had roundwound strings on it....I was told that they were put on the bass when the seller had it buffed and cleaned before he brought it into the store to put on consignment. I immediately took them off and put a set of TI flats on it. The back story on it was the bass was being sold by a man who inherited it when his grandfather passed away recently. His grandfather bought the bass new in 1959, but it doesn't look like he really played it all that much.
The case that came with it.....
Inside the case!!!
The case that came with it.....
Inside the case!!!
I was told they are. You can't really tell in the pic, but the pickup cover is the "flatter" style instead of the "rounded" style. Also, it was really cool when I saw that the bridge cover still had the foam mute in it.
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Congrats BearCave, enjoy that piece of a legend!
P.S.: Did you manage to keep the CS '64 J?
Yes, I had asked about the cover. So rare to see an original on or off a Fender.
The neck looks great, not too wide or fat, right in between.
Great price these days for a truly lovely instrument- and less worn and you'd be stressing about taking it out of the case, too.
Thanks again for all of the comments, compliments, input, and advice. Obtaining this bass has definitely been a "bucket list" moment for me!
Cheers to all of you!!
Cheers to all of you!!
How much for those original La Bellas?? 
Absolutely beautiful bass! Feels good to drop the dead weight, donut?
Absolutely beautiful bass! Feels good to drop the dead weight, donut?
So after having the '59 for a few days I decided to take it in to have the neck straightened. The E string was really close to the edge of the neck and the G string was pretty far away from the edge. I took it to my local trusted guitar guy that works in a shop that specializes in vintage instruments and showed him the problem. He immediately said that the neck was probably loose and proceeded to show me how he could push down and straighten the neck. He said that the bolts (screws) were probably loose or maybe even stripped.
A week later I went to pick up the bass (I was having work done on a couple of other basses) and he did get the neck straight. The E and G strings are both properly placed from the edge of the neck. He said that the bolts were loose so he tightened them up and put a little shim in the side of the neck pocket too. One thing I noticed is that when he tightened up the neck, the neck plate is now "pillowed" from the bolts being really tight.
My concern is, will this affect the value of the bass now that the neck plate is "pillowed" and the neck is slightly shimmed?
Before:
After:
A week later I went to pick up the bass (I was having work done on a couple of other basses) and he did get the neck straight. The E and G strings are both properly placed from the edge of the neck. He said that the bolts were loose so he tightened them up and put a little shim in the side of the neck pocket too. One thing I noticed is that when he tightened up the neck, the neck plate is now "pillowed" from the bolts being really tight.
My concern is, will this affect the value of the bass now that the neck plate is "pillowed" and the neck is slightly shimmed?
Before:
After:
I don't think it really affects the overall value, and a buried neck plate isn't uncommon on vintage instruments, but at the same time, if it was not "pillowed" like that before you took it in, I would be PISSED! What should have taken a few seconds right there on the spot, to move the pull the neck over a tad and snug the bolts took a week?? I really doubt the shim is even necessary with the bolts cranked down like they are now! Sounds like that guy is should not be working on vintage guitars (and maybe not even be handling tools period). You need to find a better tech IMO.
The neck plate was not "pillowed" like that when I took it in. It took him a week because he was also doing work on a few other basses (for some adjustments that he did a great job on) I had taken in with the '59 and was going to pick up everything at one time.
He said that the screws were pretty loose so he re-adjusted the neck and tightened down the screws also putting a small shim in the side of the neck pocket to ensure the neck doesn't move back over. The neck string spacing is nice and straight now, but I'm just concerned that with the neck plate being "pillowed" now that it will hurt the value of the bass.
He said that the screws were pretty loose so he re-adjusted the neck and tightened down the screws also putting a small shim in the side of the neck pocket to ensure the neck doesn't move back over. The neck string spacing is nice and straight now, but I'm just concerned that with the neck plate being "pillowed" now that it will hurt the value of the bass.
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theBrian is right. You don't need a tech to do that sort of thing. You can do it yourself and it takes 5 minutes. All you need to do is loosen the neck screws slightly, gently realign the neck and tighten the screws again but not over-tighten them to the point of bending that neck plate. Whoever did this should have cared a bit more about the instrument in my opinion.
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i wouldn't worry about the neck plate, i also would just leave it as is. the more you pull those screws out and run them back down really tight, the more chance you have of stripping one. then you have to drill it out and glue a dowel in...more damage to the value...
might be why the screws were not real tight in the first place.
on the neck plate. if the wood beneath is bent then when you tighten a straight neck plate down it's just going to bend to the shape of the wood.
if you are worried about it, when it's time to sell that thing, you could very gently hammer the plate back out flat then refrain from tightening the neck screws down really really tight...make sure you use the right kind of hammer so you don't mark the plate up...
might be why the screws were not real tight in the first place.
on the neck plate. if the wood beneath is bent then when you tighten a straight neck plate down it's just going to bend to the shape of the wood.
if you are worried about it, when it's time to sell that thing, you could very gently hammer the plate back out flat then refrain from tightening the neck screws down really really tight...make sure you use the right kind of hammer so you don't mark the plate up...
