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Fender '51 re-issue Precision

lpdeluxe said:
I bought it from Music123, which is where I got the P. Both were on backorder, but now I got 'em. Here is a link to the photos: click on "back" to see the 51 in all its yella glory, and "next" for several shots of the case.
Link Removed
Edited to add information: this is the Fender case. I have a Tribute L2K with an MF tweed case which cost less than half this one, but it's nowhere near as nice.

That case is the schitz. If you're gonna have a nice '51 RI, get a case to do it justice.
--I don't think I want to know how much$

Is the guitar that yellow or is it the photo?
I can make mine look like anything from a taxi cab to a burnt-umber crayon just by tilting the camera. It must be about the hardest color to photograph.

John
 
Here is one upgrade I made to mine that I'm very happy with. I replaced the tuners with some nearly direct replacement Hipshot tuners. I say nearly because the 2 rear holes (nut side) were perfect but I had to fill in the front ones and drill new holes. The back plate covers any surgery. Much, much smoother. Like night and day smoother!

I've always loved the look of the Tele headstock and the neck doesn't seem to be as bulky as a later model standard P neck.

Lex
 
The color doesn't photograph well: it looks like an opaque yellow but it's really a transparent stain, with the wood grain showing. It's an attractive bass, if a little garish. I'd rather it were more a blonde wash (like the "real" '51) but I'm not going to pay the 5-figure diff, just for the color. If it **really** starts to bug me I'll get a Warmoth natural finish body (hmmm...with contouring, no pickguard, maybe it's worth it). The fact is, that when I play it, I dont see much more than the neck, so what's the problem? I have several prettier basses, but they don't respond the way the '51 P does, so I don't worry too much about the looks. And, under stage lights, it looks awesome!

If I really had my druthers, it would look worn in like the real '51, not all glossy and shiny as it is, but no doubt that will come with time.

The case was $120, when bought with the bass. It is a nice tight fit, which is more than I can say for the MF that the Tribute is in. Overall, it is much higher quality, and like you say, it does the bass justice.
 
Wilkinson makes compensated brass saddles to replace the stock noncompensated saddles. Here they are on my '51. Future planned upgrades include a Lollar pickup and Hoveland tonecap.
51P-bass002.jpg
 
Ahh... I spent an hour or so today setting the bass up a little more to my ham fisted taste; put on a heavier set of strings - 46-106, then raised the action until the buzz went away. But I've got a complaint here....

You can't get to the truss rod without taking the neck off.

Dang it! That means the bass has to go into the shop next week to rout a channel in the pickguard (and the body) to provide access to the truss rod with the strings on. I've had to have that done to all the Fenders I've bought in the last 10 or 12 years, but still, I hate that Fender hasn't made this a standard feature of their basses.
 
I took a forsner (sp?) bit and routed my own little channel in the body to allow for access to the truss rod. All I have to do is remove the pickgaurd and I have easy access to the slots. By not touching the pickgaurd I didn't have to worry if the route job was perfect looking. Although the job did turn out to be fairly clean looking.
 
Lex P. said:
I took a forsner (sp?) bit and routed my own little channel in the body to allow for access to the truss rod. All I have to do is remove the pickgaurd and I have easy access to the slots. By not touching the pickgaurd I didn't have to worry if the route job was perfect looking. Although the job did turn out to be fairly clean looking.

I thought about doing it under the pickguard, but it seems that whenever i decide that i need to adjust the truss rod, I wanna do it NOW!. Instant gratification, you know... :)
 
jonathan_matos5 said:
:hyper: i played on at gc and im in love with the way it sounds, the neck was a bit bassball bat like but i can live with that.

I dunno - it seemed to me that the '51 neck that I have is smaller than the '54 (sting re-issue) neck. I can't verify that because I ended up replacing the Sting neck with a Warmoth Tele Bass neck (the Fender neck wasn't a good one).
 

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