Calling Vintage Fender Experts

[Tom Brogan]

I acquired a vintage franken-P awhile back, and it's been growing on me so I'm starting to look into it more. I'm curious about the bridge and pickup. Supposedly the body is a '68 and so is the pickup. The pickguard is vintage Fender appropriate, but is not original to the body according to the previous owner. Knobs, jack, and thumbrest are not original, but the finish is original.

The bridge is interesting because the inner/outer string-thru bridge holes are wider than the saddle spacing, so the strings are brought "inward" over the saddles. Not sure if that is typical. Don't know much about IDing '68 pickups, so let me know if there's something I should look for.

Thanks. Meanwhile, I'll continue going through Google images....

 

[two fingers]

You're gonna need to take it apart.

Date stamps on the pots will help ID their age amd brand.

Date stamps and other info in the nack pocket and at the base of the neck will help OD the body and neck.

There should either be numbers or other indicators of pickup age on the back of them.

Cool bass.

 

[Tom Brogan]

Thanks. The pots are not original, either. I'll add some more pics of the neck soon.

 

[jeff62]

Maybe the bridge was disassembled at some point and, when reassembled the saddle screws were simply put in the wrong holes?

 

[mikeswals]

The best images you'll find will be on ebay or reverb where a sellers dismatle the bass to show the provenance.
Your alder body sure looks like it could be from 68/69 and if thats the original bridge, it doesnt have the long G intonation screw. So very well could be.

In 68 the pickup could have stamps or written date on the underside. If stamped it will be a 4 digit code, middle two numbers will be the week while the last digit being the year. If its hand written, then the date will be obvious.

What does the rest of your neck look like?

 

[bobyoung53]

That's a nice looking sunburst, the bridge looks like a 70's bridge, that would have had a bridge like this one with which you could adjust the strings sideways, maybe someone replaced the saddles at some point?

Invalid Link Removed

 

[jamro217]

Wrong saddles for a '68. Bobyoung53 has it right in post #6. If the neck is original it should have a 5 (code for a P bass), followed by the month, 68 (year) and a letter (usually either A, B, or C, describing the width of the neck at the nut).

 

[GretschWretch]

I'm wondering if the E and G saddles have been transposed.

 

[Tom Brogan]

I was told the neck is a '71. The stamped code on the neck is hard to read, but I think it's 0101-4913. The name is X. ARMENTA. Adding some more pictures. Thanks for the comments so far!

 

[UNICORN BASS]

Threaded inserts, battery box?

 

[Tom Brogan]

Threaded inserts, battery box?

Yep. Obviously not original. Battery box is empty -- it's back to passive wiring.

 

[mikeswals]

Wrong saddles for a '68. Bobyoung53 has it right in post #6.

Nope! mid 68 saw the swich from threaded saddles to smooth saddles.

Mid 1968 was a shift for everything: Script logo changed to TV logo's. Finish went from nitro laquer to Poly. The tuners changed from lollipops and any remaining reverse klusons to forward turning clover tuners. cloth wiring would also be phased out by the end of the year. The hootenanny headstock button was phased out at end of year too.

 

[Tom Brogan]

Just had the pickups out tonight. One coil is dated in pencil 6/4/68 and the other coil is dated 5/4/68. Handwriting looks the same on both. And the serial number on the neck plate also dates to 1968.

 

[The Bass Clef]

Mikeswals is correct, a '68 can have either type of bridge as it was a big transition year for many things on the P bass.

Also, the bridge looks correct to enough for the benefit of the doubt (they do make replacements that look very close, but it's likely the original). The saddles on those bridges are not milled to butt up next to each other precisely... there's some room for them to move. A couple of them just got shifted over a little. Shift 'em back over with your finger.

 

[Tom Brogan]

Mikeswals is correct, a '68 can have either type of bridge as it was a big transition year for many things on the P bass.

Also, the bridge looks correct to enough for the benefit of the doubt (they do make replacements that look very close, but it's likely the original). The saddles on those bridges are not milled to butt up next to each other precisely... there's some room for them to move. A couple of them just got shifted over a little. Shift 'em back over with your finger.

I think you're likely correct. I took the bridge off, and judging from the impression in the finish, and some of the finish stuck on the bottom of the bridge, (and some gross spills of some mystery liquid that seeped under the bridge and has now been cleaned), it's been on there a very long time. And I was able to push the saddles around so the strings are now straight from the nut to the ball end.

 

[Tom Brogan]

Regarding the neck stamp 0101-4913, a post on the Fender forums states the first 01 = model (P bass), the next 01 = fretboard (rosewood), 49 = the 49th week of the year, 1 = 1971, and 3 = the day of the week (Wednesday). So I think that means the neck's b-day is December 15, 1971. Likely common knowledge but I'm not familiar with this Fender era, so news to me.

 

[jamro217]

Nope! mid 68 saw the swich from threaded saddles to smooth saddles.

Mid 1968 was a shift for everything: Script logo changed to TV logo's. Finish went from nitro laquer to Poly. The tuners changed from lollipops and any remaining reverse klusons to forward turning clover tuners. cloth wiring would also be phased out by the end of the year. The hootenanny headstock button was phased out at end of year too.

I was taking the info from my May '68 P. I thought '69 was when the changeover occurred. Knowing CBS it probably took another twelve years to really ruin things.

 

[Tom Brogan]

 

[GreaserMatt]

IMHO, the finish is the most important thing to be original. Love the bass! : )