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'70s Fender Precision love

#81
JonKim said:
Sonoma thinking of replacing my 70's stamped logo tuners for something a bit lighter. Are there any direct replacements like gotoh resolites? Would the reso cover up the extra holes if I were to get them? Thanks!
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I do not know of any direct replacements that are significantly lighter. The Hipshots may be a tiny bit lighter. The holes in the Gotohs Resolites will not line up exactly but may cover the 70's holes.

Does this bass have an exceptionally light body that is causing some neck-dive issues? That's a rare problem with a 70's bass! :)
 
#82
9mmMike said:
I do not know of any direct replacements that are significantly lighter. The Hipshots may be a tiny bit lighter. The holes in the Gotohs Resolites will not line up exactly but may cover the 70's holes.

Does this bass have an exceptionally light body that is causing some neck-dive issues? That's a rare problem with a 70's bass! :)
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It's actually a Nate Mendel sig. With the badass bridge it weighs only 8.3lbs. I'm thinking by getting rid of the bridge for a traditional bridge and gotoh tuners I can get it down to around 7.75lbs!!
I actually purchased 5 different Nate mendels over the past few months looking for a great resonant and light body. I still have 1 more first year production model coming this week!
 
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#83
IMG_3645_zpsyo3k43it.jpg


IMG_3646_zpsgoasagib.jpg


75 with a Dimarzio
 
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#84
JonKim said:
It's actually a Nate Mendel sig. With the badass bridge it weighs only 8.3lbs. I'm thinking by getting rid of the bridge for a traditional bridge and gotoh tuners I can get it down to around 7.75lbs!!
I actually purchased 5 different Nate mendels over the past few months looking for a great resonant and light body. I still have 1 more first year production model coming this week!
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Totally with you on that! - Show your red basses!
I still have another Nate Mendel that was heavier that I will either sell or part out and keep that neck.

NM02.jpg
 
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#88
I just posted this in the 70's Precision thread....

Here's my '76 P. I've had it for some time, and not long after I got it I found a complete brass bridge assembly (still sealed and period correct) from the Fender Brass Works, when they were making all the replacement hardware to suit the "brass is better" craze.
A relatively new Fender PG, bridge cover and a '62 RI pickup complete the mods.

This is the lightest solid body bass I've ever owned - just over 7 lbs. It actually has neck dive! I have no idea what wood it is - the original paint is complete. Swamp ash? Alder? (I'm guessing alder).

It has a killer woody tone and is a joy to play.

76 P FR FULL a - 2014.jpg
 
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#89
bassclef112 said:
I just posted this in the 70's Precision thread....

Here's my '76 P. I've had it for some time, and not long after I got it I found a complete brass bridge assembly (still sealed and period correct) from the Fender Brass Works, when they were making all the replacement hardware to suit the "brass is better" craze.
A relatively new Fender PG, bridge cover and a '62 RI pickup complete the mods.

This is the lightest solid body bass I've ever owned - just over 7 lbs. It actually has neck dive! I have no idea what wood it is - the original paint is complete. Swamp ash? Alder? (I'm guessing alder).

It has a killer woody tone and is a joy to play.

View attachment 932542
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Very nice. Is that Oly White or Blonde? I have a '75 that is/was Blonde over ash and is also super light. It was stripped when I got it and the ash grain is too nice to put another Blonde finish on. I cannot understand why Fender covered it in the first place. It is with Pat @Wilkins right now getting a trans-white "Mary Kaye" finish that will show that grain.
 
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#90
9mmMike said:
Very nice. Is that Oly White or Blonde? I have a '75 that is/was Blonde over ash and is also super light. It was stripped when I got it and the ash grain is too nice to put another Blonde finish on. I cannot understand why Fender covered it in the first place. It is with Pat @Wilkins right now getting a trans-white "Mary Kaye" finish that will show that grain.
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Quite honestly I can't tell you the original color. It was already a light custard yellow when I got it and it has only gotten deeper into that. I've had the bass around 20 years. I remember I paid just under $600 for it at Rudy's here in NYC and I was told I was taken:cool:....I have no regrets:thumbsup:. Other than having a gold Badass II it was completely straight. I accept your evaluation on the wood since you have one you are sure of. I thought it might be a light ash but I couldn't be sure. There's one quarter sized rub through - impossible to tell the grain. I appreciate that info after all these years.

Pat does monster refins - that Mary Kaye is going to look killer on that grain.

Be sure to post a pic - I'd love to see it!
 
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#92
I had a few thru the years and loved them all. A few days ago I put in a CD of my old band where I cut the bass tracks with a 78' walnut P bass. The tone was awesome and made me miss the bass right away. Don't buy into the 70's Fender haters, there were some great basses produced thru those years.
 
#93
bassbully said:
I had a few thru the years and loved them all. A few days ago I put in a CD of my old band where I cut the bass tracks with a 78' walnut P bass. The tone was awesome and made me miss the bass right away. Don't buy into the 70's Fender haters, there were some great basses produced thru those years.
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No doubt. There is something to the drop in QC at that time because they ramped up their production output.
The dog percentage definitely did increase. But with careful selection you could still get a great bass.
 
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#94
bassclef112 said:
No doubt. There is something to the drop in QC at that time because they ramped up their production output.
The dog percentage definitely did increase. But with careful selection you could still get a great bass.
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I feel the Precision Bass was least effected by the changes Fender made in 70's as they never messed with the basic design. The only issues you really encounter are heavy basses and sloppy neck pockets, both of which can be present on a bass that still sounds and plays good. It's also possible to find Precision Basses from the era that have neither of these issues.

- Steve
 
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#95
The fact is that as the 70s continued, quality control went down, and weight tended to go up, as they switched from swamp to northern ash. Were there good ones? Yes. But Fender even apologizes for the period on their official website.

When I was young in the late 70s and early 80s, post CBS Fenders were considered crap.
 
#96
bassfiddlesteve said:
I feel the Precision Bass was least effected by the changes Fender made in 70's as they never messed with the basic design. The only issues you really encounter are heavy basses and sloppy neck pockets, both of which can be present on a bass that still sounds and plays good. It's also possible to find Precision Basses from the era that have neither of these issues.
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That's the point - they lacked consistency. My '76 happens to have a giant neck pocket (unevenly cut to boot) and still sustains forever.
Things got pretty sloppy indeed. Like I said, you could still find a "good one", meaning care taken in the construction/presentation, but you had to do some sifting. For the record, mine had the original pickup and I thought it sounded like crap. I went through a number of swaps until I found exactly what I wanted with the '62RI.

buldog5151bass said:
The fact is that as the 70s continued, quality control went down, and weight tended to go up, as they switched from swamp to northern ash. Were there good ones? Yes. But Fender even apologizes for the period on their official website. When I was young in the late 70s and early 80s, post CBS Fenders were considered crap.
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This is the truth. I was a teenager then, and the older players that I knew all felt things had taken a giant turn for the worse.
None would buy new instruments. The stuff from '69 on was regarded with suspicion, and things spiraled down going forward.
it was a very strong sentiment. That's why I always kinda shook my head as I watched them go from untouchable to very desirable
(read "affordable vintage").

I know there were good ones because I was lucky enough to get one, but the general consensus was quite the opposite.
 
#100
I started playing bass in 1982 and when I decided to upgrade from my starter bass, I encountered the bias against recent Fenders that other have referenced here. This actually puzzled me because I knew that many of the bassists I saw playing Fenders at the time were not using pre-CBS models. I wound up going with the recommendation of the guitar store owners and I bought G&L L-1000 and then a Music Man Stingray. Both were Leo Fender designs and nice basses in their own right, but what I really wanted was a Fender and that's pretty much all I've played for the last 30 years.

- Steve
 

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