C'mon please Fender (P Bass) experts, your opinions need here.

So, hopefully someone out there can help me figure out whether or not my "1975 Fender Precision Bass" body is geniune, or not.

As you can see from the attached pics, it has a name stamp in the neck joint and a (rather unusual looking) round cut-out underneath the bridge.

Is this normal for a mid 70's P Bass, does anyone know?

I bought it on eBay and have subsequently found out that the "original" pickup was made 13 years after the neck was!

Just wondering how much else is non-original?

Any, as usual, all opinions are welcome!

 

Yes, I do. But they're misleading, as the neck is certainly original, as are the tuners and bridge. The scratchplate was replaced by me and the pickup is from a 1988 US '57 reissue. I'm not too sure about the pots, but I'm not too worried about them.

I've included another pic of the control cavity, anyway.

I suppose the real question is, do any other owners of mid 70's P Basses have this kind of circular cut out underneath the bridge of their instrruments?

 

It does actually. That's the funny thing. I was knocked out with it when I got it, as I wasn't expecting too much, it's only recently that I've begun to have my doubts about the authenticity and (therefore) value of the thing. That won't stop me playing it constantly and enjoying it - I just want to be really sure about what I claim, if I ever come to sell it (unlike the bozo who sold it to me as "100% original and authrentic". :scowl:

 

Really? Is it the same shape and depth?

That's encouraging, if it is.

 

I don't have any other pics, apart from the "finished article" (attached).

As for the control cavity routing, it does join up with the pickup cavity, but isn't this normal on a 70's P Bass? My '62 (reissue) has a separate cavity for each, but I think that was normal from the beginning up until the CBS era (please correct me if I'm wrong).

 

Thanks a lot Jimmy.

Just one more question:

Does the control cavity join up with the pickup cavity (like on mine)?

 

Whoo hoo! I'm off to sell it on eBay!

Only kidding. That's great news, thanks. Now all I have to figure out, is whether or not it's been repainted?

I suspect it has, as there is are two very thick layers of white paint under the black, one matt white (primer?) and one thicker off-white (original top coat?). Also, the black paint is on the inside of the cut out under the bridge, which I guess it wouldn't be if that hole was for hanging the body on during painting (?)

Any opinions on that one?