1965 Fender Bass V

[woodsideh]

I saw this on CL today. I need to preface that I am not associated with the seller. I thought this was a really cool bass. Does anyone know anything about these? I really didn't know there were 5 string basses around in the 60's.

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[Spinal Tapper]

Super rare piece there. Leo designed the 5 string - it just didn't catch on enough to keep manufacturing them

 

[woodsideh]

That's amazing. Were they set up BEADG? If so, I bet it was tough to find strings.

 

[chi-town_mike]

These are rare but for a while NOT collectable. Really only to Fender collectors / period piece collectors.

Pickup is like a mustang pickup, elongated. Its tuned E - C. JPJ used one with Zepplin here and there.

During the horrid CBS years..like the Coronado and Starcaster and other mistakes.

 

[tifftunes]

Though judging by the string silk, might be tough to get proper strings for...

It appears to have the Mustang body, and a short scale (possibly 32 inch?)...

I have seen a few, but never played any. I'm guessing it's a very close cousin to the Bass VI, with a slightly thicker string gauge. Probably still in the "Baritone" range, like the Bass VI...

 

[johnk_10]

i liked those bass V's. the CL listing says that there were only 2 of them made? i've actually played more than five of them just like it.

 

[woodsideh]

I thought it looked like a stretched Mustang body. Wasn't sure if it was the photos.

 

[Bassmingo]

Notice the scale length.... Only 15 frets!

 

[Spinal Tapper]

i liked those bass V's. the CL listing says that there were only 2 of them made? i've actually played more than five of them just like it.

next bass build idea, John???

 

[kobass]

I've seen a pic of Jamerson playing one.

 

[smcd]

Super rare piece there. Leo designed the 5 string - it just didn't catch on enough to keep manufacturing them

These aren't really *that* rare. The come up for sale fairly often. The reason it didn't catch on is because it wasn't a good sounding instrument. As someone else mentioned, these are attractive to Fender collectors only.

 

[JTE]

It's tuned E A D G C, and it's only got 15 frets, so it only goes to Eb anyway, just like a Precision. It is however a full 34" scale, but only 15 frets. It was designed to make it easier to play across the neck instead of up and down. No more range than a P or a J, and quite different from anything else, plus Leo ran into the same problems a lot of 5-string P basses had early on- getting the two coils to sound balanced when one has to be longer than the other.

John

 

[Spinal Tapper]

These aren't really *that* rare. The come up for sale fairly often. The reason it didn't catch on is because it wasn't a good sounding instrument. As someone else mentioned, these are attractive to Fender collectors only.

Really? I've hardly ever seen these for sale anywhere...

 

[iamthebassman]

I think what he means is they are very popular with collectors or players.

 

[smcd]

Really? I've hardly ever seen these for sale anywhere...

Over the years I've seen a lot of these around. Used to be I couldn't go to a guitar show and not see one.

 

[PhR]

As said earlier, John Paul Jones used one during Zeppelin's US tour 1973. He had a sunburst model with a block neck. Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson had one too, a dot neck model he plays here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVfHKEKYRk0

It was also perhaps the first bass with the split coil pickup reversed, like Yamaha did in the late seventies.

 

[mongo2]

It appears to have the Mustang body, and a short scale (possibly 32 inch?)...

34" scale.

Dave Pomeroy Article in BP about Bass V

The article briefly discusses stringing it BEADG.

 

[knuppe]

I've seen a pic of Jamerson playing one.

I can´t find that picture through Google. Anyone who can find a picture of Jamerson playing the Fender Bass V?

 

[Big_Daddy]

...Would this have been what Lennon would have played on Helter Skelter?

 

[KramerBassFan]

i liked those bass V's. the CL listing says that there were only 2 of them made? i've actually played more than five of them just like it.

I think he is thinking of the Spinal Tap Bass VI.