1959 Precision Bass

[devnulljp]

You gonna mod it?

Route for a Kahler, humbucker in the neck position, refinish in silver sparkle

 

[Killing Floor]

There’s one at the GC here. Some knucklehead carved “funk” in the back. Would have nabbed it if not for that.

 

[slagheap]

That was A LOT of money then. Probably 3 months rent.

in 1970 my nice brkly studio apt w/full kitchen on dwight at shattuck was $90.00 a month including nice off street parking. IIRC pg&e was usually about $15.00.

 

[slagheap]

The 'vintage' concept was definitely already a factor by the late 70's (earlier, really) and they often went for more than then new models - and it was driven in reaction to the current stuff. Hence Fender introducing the vintage reissues in the early 80's. There was clearly a market for them. For context, I remember buying a brand new Jazz Bass at Leo's Music in Oakland in 1979 for $385 out the door (sales tax included) with the case. They had a beautiful '64 (IIRC) Olympic White/matching headstock Jazz (with super birdseyed neck) at the same time and it was $1,100.
It's also true that great deals could still be found on them back then for cheaper than new as well though (that was still true to a degree until the proliferation of the internet).



Mid '57 through mid '59. They were gold anodized and sprayed with clear lacquer. 10 hole screw pattern which then switched to 13 hole with the introduction of the tort guards (there were some transitional tort guards with 10 hole and even 11 hole pattern as well but those are quite rare).

my first band was in leo's all the time, bugging the hell out of leo and the " staff. " this was early 70s.

 

[txhawaii]

The 'vintage' concept was definitely already a factor by the late 70's (earlier, really) and they often went for more than then new models - and it was driven in reaction to the current stuff. Hence Fender introducing the vintage reissues in the early 80's. There was clearly a market for them.

If I understand it, the Japanese imports, which were subjectively better than the crap the American manufacturers were putting out, were destroying their bottom dollar. They were all hemorrhaging money producing crap guitars no one wanted and the imports were better quality and cheaper. Well at least more innovative to say the least. Everyone knew the older guitars were better and that drove the demand up.

The reissues, it seems, were created to meet the demand of the vintage market, and relic'd instruments were a part of that trend...as well as counter fakes that were also meeting the demands of that same vintage market. At leasts thats how I understand it.

 

[mb94952]

in 1970 my nice brkly studio apt w/full kitchen on dwight at shattuck was $90.00 a month including nice off street parking. IIRC pg&e was usually about $15.00.

Wow, that is crazy. I know my aunt had an apartment in New York on 51st street , I think, with a doorman in the late 1960's for $45 a month.

So that was more like six months rent for you...

 

[Dynacord]

These pot caps too? Shouldn't they be flat tops? Maybe lm wrong but they looks rounded and kinda "new".

They look correct to me. From my '59 for comparison:

 

[DesolationBlvd]

When I was in Toronto, I went to a vintage guitar shop and they had a '59 Precision with some kind of low tension flats. Not as beautifully preserved as the OP's, but it was a magical experience to play. My '74 Precision was and still is set up with Rotosound 66s, but I put the TI Jazz Flats on my Rickenbacker and was able to get some magic of my own.

 

[mike buzzetti]

This bass is all original.

I just was one on Normans Rare gtrs site so YA I believe you ! Nice bass BTW !

 

[slagheap]

I bought my 1965 Jazz L-series in 1972 or 1973 for about $200 - $250, if memory serves. That was a lot of money for me back then.. I was debating wether to buy the bass or a decent used car for the same amount. For comparison, I think my out-of-state tuition and fees and room and board at GA Tech ran about $2000- $2500 per year (about $18,000 in today’s dollars); an older friend of mine was selling his mid-60s Jaguar XKE convertible for $1000, utterly and completely out of my price range.

in answer to the question about perceived value of the older Fenders, as Rhuddy posted, there was a definite bias towards pre-CBS (or just post-CBS) instruments at the time. The later 60s and early 70s instruments were very different. On average, to me they seemed heavier, not as resonant, and did not have the “open” and “woody” sound of the earlier models. Of course, CBS-Fender made some good instruments during that time as well, just different on average.

As an aside, my ‘65 Jazz is a wonderful instrument, which I will have until I can no longer play. My younger brother, also a bass player, will get it then. However, it is a player not a collectible. When I bought it, in an Iowa City music store, the previous owner had stripped the original finish off, wood-burned images of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco above the bridge, and a sunrise coming over a fence on the front top horn. His (presumably a he) graphic vision exceeded his wood-burning talents, however. Also, he must have played really hard with a pick, there were gouges in the wood between the pickups. One of the tuning pegs must have been loose at one time. There was a slight gouge and a piece of wood lifting up on the headstock.

I took it all apart, sanded down the body, stained it a brown walnut color, and sprayed on one coat of varnish. I had a local luthier fix the tuning peg and headstock. He placed pieces of veneer over the face of the headstock covering the decals. At the time, I wrote to Fender about getting new decals. They would have sent me new ones, all I needed to do was to give them the serial number. I was going to do that, and put a second coat of varnish on it, but it turned out that I needed it for a gig. I reassembled it and used it. About 20 years ago, I had a luthier add some shielding in the cavities and replaced the pots and wiring. I still have the originals, but there is a lot less 60 cycle hum when the pickup volumes are not completely equal. I added a Hipshot D-tuner around then, as well. I still have the original tuning peg.

It is a joy to play, but the reality is that my Roscoe Beck V gets the most gigging time these days. Just about all of my pop/rock, corporate, and musical theater gigs call for 5-string. The RBV was designed to be as close as possible to Roscoe Beck’s early ‘60s Jazz in sound. It does come very close to my Jazz with the added versatility of series and parallel pickup settings.

Wow, that is crazy. I know my aunt had an apartment in New York on 51st street , I think, with a doorman in the late 1960's for $45 a month.

So that was more like six months rent for you...

Wow, that is crazy. I know my aunt had an apartment in New York on 51st street , I think, with a doorman in the late 1960's for $45 a month.

So that was more like six months rent for you...

By the time I moved a few years later rent had risen to $110.00. OUTRAGEOUS, LOL.

 

[Rhuddy]

congrats on your ax, OP! pretty cool to have an instrument for that long --- especially one that keeps on giving!

I am assuming the OP refers to "Old Person" in the current vernacular, so I will deign to respond (lol)! I still use the '66 P Bass regularly, finally had to have a fret job. It is now back to its old self. It is battered and bruised, and keeps on delivering after all these years. I can account for most of the dings, dents, and cigarette burns. I feel fortunate since many of my friends were ripped off over the years. It is more like an old friend now that has seen me through all the highs and lows, young and old. Yep, it is pretty darn cool indeed. I appreciate your response to to all of us OP's!

 

[bassdude51]

OH BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!