54 Precision Attic Find

[Tim Rinkerman]

Some quick experimental shots...the first is a piece of ash sanded with 60 grit and filled, and sanded with 400..the second shot is a raw piece and the filled piece with 1 coat of Behlens sealer each. 3,4,and 5 are 1007 as it is now, sanded to 600 grit...still got some touching up to do, but its looking pretty good. The last one is butterscotch over the test pieces...too dark for one light coat, that's why I'm gonna be mixing my own...

 

[EdBo]

Awesome. Your on it.

 

[Tim Rinkerman]

Well, I decided to take a shot at cleaning the residue from the neck pocket where I thought there was more writing...I got lucky. I've had painters tape in the neck pocket for most of the time its been here for protecting the 11-54 area, but the bottom of the neck pocket had some solvent into it at some point.. I don't think the guy that hogged it out for the pickup and painted it red, seperated the neck from the body, and some solvent migrated into the neck pocket finish..luckily, I was able to painstakingly scrape the crust off of the clear..does anybody else see another date in there?

 

[AltGrendel]

Well, I decided to take a shot at cleaning the residue from the neck pocket where I thought there was more writing...I got lucky. I've had painters tape in the neck pocket for most of the time its been here for protecting the 11-54 area, but the bottom of the neck pocket had some solvent into it at some point.. I don't think the guy that hogged it out for the pickup and painted it red, seperated the neck from the body, and some solvent migrated into the neck pocket finish..luckily, I was able to painstakingly scrape the crust off of the clear..does anybody else see another date in there?

Looks like 12-52

 

[Aberdumbie]

Well, I decided to take a shot at cleaning the residue from the neck pocket where I thought there was more writing...I got lucky. I've had painters tape in the neck pocket for most of the time its been here for protecting the 11-54 area, but the bottom of the neck pocket had some solvent into it at some point.. I don't think the guy that hogged it out for the pickup and painted it red, seperated the neck from the body, and some solvent migrated into the neck pocket finish..luckily, I was able to painstakingly scrape the crust off of the clear..does anybody else see another date in there?

Wow.. Just wow.... Elvis wasn't even shaking his hips then.

 

[digmeout]

Looks like 12-52

That's what it looks like to me also, 12-52

 

[Tim Rinkerman]

I’m open to speculation..somebody wanted a slab body after the contoured ones were already being produced? Got traded in or sent back for some reason? Fender historians please feel free to comment...

 

[AltGrendel]

I’m open to speculation..somebody wanted a slab body after the contoured ones were already being produced? Got traded in or sent back for some reason? Fender historians please feel free to comment...

Pure speculation here. I think that's the date the body was made and the other date is the assembly date.

 

[2saddleslab]

Pure speculation here. I think that's the date the body was made and the other date is the assembly date.

This is the most probable. Fender was known to use all existing parts available.

 

[Tim Rinkerman]

So this body laid around all of 1953 and eleven months of 1954 before it got used? And didn’t get contoured? Next theory please...

 

[GMC]

So this body laid around all of 1953 and eleven months of 1954 before it got used? And didn’t get contoured? Next theory please...

It could easily have been a loaner or a display body. The neck was damaged and only the body was re-used. It's common and a free bass body is a large margin of profit for a small guitar company.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Pure speculation here. I think that's the date the body was made and the other date is the assembly date.

This seems the most logical. They dated the body when they made it.

 

[2saddleslab]

So this body laid around all of 1953 and eleven months of 1954 before it got used? And didn’t get contoured? Next theory please...

Not unusual at all for Fender in the 50's. Might not want to ask the question if you're not interested in the answer.

 

[Lava]

Wow! Too cool.

 

[Fat Freddy]

So this body laid around all of 1953 and eleven months of 1954 before it got used? And didn’t get contoured? Next theory please...

Don't have another theory but 12-52 is what it says...

 

[AltGrendel]

Only other theory I have is that they left of the "= -40" part.

 

[Tim Rinkerman]

I’m interested in all theories ...but from what I’ve read and seen they didn’t waste much time getting these out..the biggest difference in neck and body dates I’ve seen is about 4 months ..I don’t think they had 100-200 bodies produced ahead of time...but I could be wrong ..

 

[Tim Rinkerman]

I have read of occurrences where they got sent back for damages, or traded in on a newer model, and they got “refurbished” and sold as new...according to the 51-54 bass book..

 

[2saddleslab]

I’m interested in all theories ...but from what I’ve read and seen they didn’t waste much time getting these out..the biggest difference in neck and body dates I’ve seen is about 4 months ..I don’t think they had 100-200 bodies produced ahead of time...but I could be wrong ..

Rumor has it that the Tele bass introduction in 67/68 was due to extra unused slab bodies from the 50's.

 

[Fender_Bender]

Could he have sent it back to the factory to get it refinished from butterscotch to blonde at that time?.