'51 P pickup "fell off"

Probably means the pickup cover. I see a pickup.

 

No you don't. You see the bottom of the bobbin.

 

The invisible headstock is a tribute to its Fenderness.

 

+1

This instrument has taken a pounding, IMHO.

 

ash body tho...

 

I have read of the strings catching on the '51 Reissue top lip pickup and tearing it out.

The pickup on mine does seem kind of fragile in there.

 

You know, that totally makes sense. With most any other bass, the bobbins are protected by a cover. Most pickups are, and usually if they're not, they're in a housing or back far enough where the string doesn't have enough give to catch. With an instrument like this, the E or G string *can* catch under the top bobbin.

 

So what brand is it? A Fender? Squier? Schecter?

 

HA! exactly.

 

looks like a "School Bus Yellow" Fender '51 RI.

 

The neck is tinted all wrong for this to be a Fender. 51RIs that I've seen all have a deep amber color, this one is almost bleached looking. Even with a bright flash I don't believe you could wash out the tint of the neck.

I vote nay on it's authenticity.

 

Perfect time to put in a Basslines SCPB-2 upgrade pickup!

 

Looks like a Fender.

Nobody but Fender paints a bass that particular shade of Baby Poop Yellow.

 

Horsehockey. On the ones I've owned they couldn't since the fingerboard is higher than the pickup and blocks the string from ever reaching the top of the bobbin.

If somebody sets it up so the strings can touch the bobbin the pickup would have to be higher than the fingerboard and they don't know how to set up an instrument.

Most likely it was knocked off by carelessly resting his thumb on the pickup

 

Yup, on these single coil P's using the pickup as a place to anchor your thumb puts sideways stress on the pickup since it has no plastic cover to protect it. So yeah, you push the pickup apart. That's why I like the chrome covers installed.

 

Those ferrules look funny....

 

These '55-style Japanese pickups are notorious for having the tops pulled off.

I've been hearing complaints of this since the most recent '51RIs and Sting basses started coming in. According to an SCPB vintage maven, the originals did the same thing.

 

Fender doesn't make them, nor do they even make the basses themselves.

Whoever actually makes them, these are pretty close to the original 1955 pickup, according to people who claim to know. I don't think they are made by the same company who makes the export '51RI itself (Dyna).