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'74 P-bass for $5000 on e-bay - ***?

#21
savit260 said:
The pot dates are correct for a 1974 Fender.

A 78 Fender would have the serial number on the Headstock.

What exactly are you talking about?
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I own a 78 Fender Jazz that's serial number free on the back of the HS.

What I'm talking about is after the 7, it looks to be an 8, and he claims he can't read the neck stamp date.
 
#22
nemo said:
There is possibly a reason why he doesn't bothered to show the back of the pickups.
Showed pots, didn't showed pickups.
Instead he wrote he "believes" all is original.
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If I were genuinly interested in the bass, I'd ask the seller to take a pic of the back of the p/u.

Can't say for certain one way or the other if it's original, because I'm not particularly interested in the minute details of that era Fender. It would be easy enough to look up though, and confirm one way or another with a pic.

All the other parts seem to be consistant with a 74 VIntage at least at a quick glance.

I still wouldn't give much for that one though. Too far gone IMO.
 
#24
BellBottomBlues said:
I own a 78 Fender Jazz that's serial number free on the back of the HS.

What I'm talking about is after the 7, it looks to be an 8, and he claims he can't read the neck stamp date.
Click to expand...

If you own a 78 Fender it should be; serial number free on the back of the headstock.

The serial number on a 78 Fender will be on the front of the headstock, and start with the letter S and then most likely followed by an 8, and then a bunch more numbers.

If the serial number doesn't appear there, you have have a replacement neck, or a different year bass.


74 the serial number was on the neck plate, just as pictured in the photo of this bass.
 
#25
savit260 said:
If you own a 78 Fender it should be; serial number free on the back of the headstock.

The serial number on a 78 Fender will be on the front of the headstock, and start with the letter S and then most likely followed by an 8, and then a bunch more numbers.

If the serial number doesn't appear there, you have have a replacement neck, or a different year bass.


74 the serial number was on the neck plate, just as pictured in the photo of this bass.
Click to expand...

I was talking about the the stamp on the bottom of the neck heel, which he said he couldn't make out. I think there's been some confusion.:p
 
#26
The neck heel looks to say "0101 18xx". You were talking about a '78' which does not seem to appear on the neck heel. You also kept mentioning headstock. So tell me, who's confused here?:D

1972 to 1980 Neck Stamps Explained.
This information was provided by Greg Gagliano. The 1972-1980 eight digit code is similar to the previous 1969-1971 system. Example, Music Master (s/n 595121) with code 49002153. The first 6 digits are paired off and the last two digits are taken singly. So that gives us 49 00 215 3 where:

49 = model code (Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco)
00 = neck code (rosewood fingerboard)
21 = week code (week 21)
5 = year code (1975)
3 = day of the week code (Wednesday)

Model Codes Used from 1972 to 1980.
Model codes (first pair of digits):
01 = Precision Bass
02 = Jazz Bass
04 = Mustang Bass
08 = Telecaster Deluxe
09 = Stratocaster
13 = Telecaster, Telecaster Custom, Telecaster Thinline
49 = Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco
Neck Codes Used from 1972 to 1980.
Neck codes (second pair of digits):

00 = rosewood fingerboard
01 = rosewood fingerboard
03 = fretted maple neck OR skunk stripe neck with rosewood board
10 = fretless maple neck
Click to expand...

So, the 0101 means it's a Precision with a rosewood board, and the 18xx means it was made on the 18th week of a year that we cannot make out. There were not 78 weeks in either 1974 or 1978, so I'm assuming '18' is the proper number, and even if it were a '78', it still would not mean the neck was made in '78. Again, there are tons of resources out there, please look them up before buying a vintage Fender.
 
#28
danomite64 said:
The neck heel looks to say "0101 18xx". You were talking about a '78' which does not seem to appear on the neck heel. You also kept mentioning headstock. So tell me, who's confused here?:D



So, the 0101 means it's a Precision with a rosewood board, and the 18xx means it was made on the 18th week of a year that we cannot make out. There were not 78 weeks in either 1974 or 1978, so I'm assuming '18' is the proper number, and even if it were a '78', it still would not mean the neck was made in '78. Again, there are tons of resources out there, please look them up before buying a vintage Fender.
Click to expand...


hello danomite!

could please kindly tell me some good books about all this things. i really appreciate!

thank you in advance!
netbot
 
#30
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#32
BillMason said:
Jim - curious how you can tell that it has a truss rod issue and that the frets are bad? They look ok to me as far as I can see from the picture, but am eager to be "schooled." :)

I wouldn't pay $5k for it, but aside from the truss rod and frets I might pay $1500. But only if it sounds good.
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Here is my humble "reasoning."

Frets: very significant wear on multiple frets visible in photos. Refret might not be needed if you like very low frets. That could be OK if the neck is very very healthy. The chances of that in a '74 are low, in my experience.

Truss rod: The nut looks like it has been turned a lot (in and out), the neck hole is boogered. The photos are careful to avoid any side shots or fret plane views of the neck. Red Flag, IMHO. Sellers like this are not usually stupid, just greedy (check the price).

Early and mid 70's P-basses are prone to a hump over the pocket which often eats up truss turns, yielding a shot truss rod. Also, most P basses of that vintage have some degree of asymmetry to the relief, i.e., you can't get a consistent action with normal relief. The seller mentions "high action," and blames bridge screw corrosion. Sorry. That is not an acceptable situation. A seller of a vintage bass MUST remove such obstacles to assessing the health of the neck. The only reason for not doing so is to hide an unhealthy neck that needs serious attention to get it to set-up properly.

I must admit this is all just conjecture, but it is based on having a fair amount of experience with 70's P-bass necks (5) that all had these issues to some degree. For 5K, a buyer must demand the seller not hide problems. :ninja:

A good refret is ~$250. The cost of addressing truss rod issues: $unknown and not certain to be fixable. This might mean you are back on the market looking for a suitable neck, which puts you right back in the same situation, only worse...:scowl:

A neck is is much easier to evaluate on a strung bass than as a part, so in a way, you are worse off searching for a neck alone to upgrade a sick vintage bass. Sick vintage necks do end up on the market mounted on the less desireable old basses, IMHO, but are often sold "AS IS" as parts. Can you tell I have been burned??? :D :D :D
 
#33
Jim Carr said:
Here is my humble "reasoning."

Frets: very significant wear on multiple frets visible in photos. Refret might not be needed if you like very low frets. That could be OK if the neck is very very healthy. The chances of that in a '74 are low, in my experience.

Truss rod: The nut looks like it has been turned a lot (in and out), the neck hole is boogered. The photos are careful to avoid any side shots or fret plane views of the neck. Red Flag, IMHO. Sellers like this are not usually stupid, just greedy (check the price).

Early and mid 70's P-basses are prone to a hump over the pocket which often eats up truss turns, yielding a shot truss rod. Also, most P basses of that vintage have some degree of asymmetry to the relief, i.e., you can't get a consistent action with normal relief. The seller mentions "high action," and blames bridge screw corrosion. Sorry. That is not an acceptable situation. A seller of a vintage bass MUST remove such obstacles to assessing the health of the neck. The only reason for not doing so is to hide an unhealthy neck that needs serious attention to get it to set-up properly.

I must admit this is all just conjecture, but it is based on having a fair amount of experience with 70's P-bass necks (5) that all had these issues to some degree. For 5K, a buyer must demand the seller not hide problems. :ninja:

A good refret is ~$250. The cost of addressing truss rod issues: $unknown and not certain to be fixable. This might mean you are back on the market looking for a suitable neck, which puts you right back in the same situation, only worse...:scowl:

A neck is is much easier to evaluate on a strung bass than as a part, so in a way, you are worse off searching for a neck alone to upgrade a sick vintage bass. Sick vintage necks do end up on the market mounted on the less desireable old basses, IMHO, but are often sold "AS IS" as parts. Can you tell I have been burned??? :D :D :D
Click to expand...

Wow, see, I would never have picked up on any of that stuff, nor known what it means. TB rules.

I have a used 2003 MIA P bass that needs very high action, and there doesn't seem to be much relief in the neck - could it also have this problem? Or is that too open a question?
 
#34
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#37
BillMason said:
Wow, see, I would never have picked up on any of that stuff, nor known what it means. TB rules.

I have a used 2003 MIA P bass that needs very high action, and there doesn't seem to be much relief in the neck - could it also have this problem? Or is that too open a question?
Click to expand...

Need more info, but a high fret area hump is unlikey in a new P-bass. They are caused by years of stress at the point where the neck bolts down.

Get a pro set up or consult the Willis book for set up instructions. I'll bet that with careful adjustment and perhaps less string tension, you can get the action more to your liking. :D
 
#40
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