I imagine it is simply cheaper to have all the bodies come off the same line rather than have different lines or to have to reprogram the CNC machines to make different body/contour shapes for various runs.
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Fender Fullerton Reissue club
- Thread starter mrpackerguy
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Yeah could be it. I would think on a reissue or custom shop quality bass they would put some final sanding into it by hand to get the correct contours but maybe not.
Thanks @MetsMan75 and @BritBass 2.
If the change in contours was driven by cost cutting, I wonder if it began closer to the CBS buyout, maybe with the '64s? This article says the change in contours coincided with the sale to CBS:
Fender and the CBS Takeover
Wonder if anyone out there lucky enough to have an original '62 or '63 could comment on whether they still have the deeper contours?
If the change in contours was driven by cost cutting, I wonder if it began closer to the CBS buyout, maybe with the '64s? This article says the change in contours coincided with the sale to CBS:
Fender and the CBS Takeover
Wonder if anyone out there lucky enough to have an original '62 or '63 could comment on whether they still have the deeper contours?
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Regarding the body differences, the tummy cut on the backside of the original '57 is somewhat deeper but otherwise, it would probably take a micrometer to tell any significant differences between the original and the Fullerton reissue. The neck profiles are very similar, the original is very slightly narrower, the reissue is slightly chunkier front-to-back. Remember that back in '57 there was a lot more hand work involved in shaping neck profiles than was the case 25 years later.
The original does not have the hootenanny strap button on the backside of the headstock. The Fullerton does have one, which is thought to be protypically incorrect for 1957 Gen 2 Precisions. Mine has a 11/57 neck date so the lack of the button may or may not have been a late in the year running change. I assume the early '57 Gen 1 (Tele-like) P-basses still had the button but I'm not certain of that.
Also, the original is about a pound lighter than the Fullerton which is a very early build with an 8/9/82 neck date and a V000xxx neck plate.
Here's a picture of both of them together that I posted a few years ago.
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I always found it rather odd that the Custom Shop Jazz Bass body was the wrong shape compared to the original 60's models. The lower horn being more blunt and less defined than both the original 60's vintage and Fullerton Reissue series versions.
In 2012 Fender took precise measurements from various vintage basses to be replicated on their new Pure Vintage series .Price being no object, why couldn't the Custom Shop adopt the same approach ? The hootenanny button is also missing, moving the Custom Shop logo by a few millimetres should solve that issue .
From the various articles I've read ,back in the early eighties it appears Fender wanted to produce modern day vintage interpretations rather than ultra accurate reproductions. The '57 and '62 Reissue Strats possessed very skinny necks which were greeted with mixed reactions.Regarding the body differences, the tummy cut on the backside of the original '57 is somewhat deeper but otherwise, it would probably take a micrometer to tell any significant differences between the original and the Fullerton reissue. The neck profiles are very similar, the original is very slightly narrower, the reissue is slightly chunkier front-to-back. Remember that back in '57 there was a lot more hand work involved in shaping neck profiles than was the case 25 years later.
The original does not have the hootenanny strap button on the backside of the headstock. The Fullerton does have one, which is thought to be protypically incorrect for 1957 Gen 2 Precisions. Mine has a 11/57 neck date so the lack of the button may or may not have been a late in the year running change. I assume the early '57 Gen 1 (Tele-like) P-basses still had the button but I'm not certain of that.
Also, the original is about a pound lighter than the Fullerton which is a very early build with an 8/9/82 neck date and a V000xxx neck plate.
Here's a picture of both of them together that I posted a few years ago.
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Just another word regarding values of these instruments - many of us bought ours when they were new, I paid $1,200 for my original '84 jazz in 1986 - which was a lot of money back then, adjusted for today's money would be about $2,600 - I'm of the opinion that our basses have appreciated in value.
Another interesting thing I failed to mention in my previous post is that the fullertons are not all completely identical. Just as there was slight variances in the originals, the fullertons I have experienced also are not all identical. With the 10 '57 Reissues I have owned I have seen some differences in neck profiles and slight difference in contours. All of them had very deep contours (much deeper than todays basses) not all were quite as extreme but most were. The vast majority I owned were identical (to the eye) to my real '57 but I never did measure contours. Ive had a few fullertons with not quite as extreme deep contours. Other differences I've had is in nut width...Ive actually owned a couple slightly over 1.75" but most were at least at 1.75". (I once had one that was slightly under on my calipers measuring 1.73" at nut). My real '57 was about 1.70". I have experienced and/or heard of other anomalies with the fullertons such as factory refins, non-raised A poles on '57 Pickups, no neck dates or stamps for neckdates instead of pencil dates, I even heard of someone buying a '57 reissue with a '62 rosewood neck who's previous owner swears it came out of the box that way. These were the last of the hand-made Fenders from what I read and I think there's something special about a handcrafted instrument. I'm not saying the modern cnc'd instruments are inferior but I prefer the handcrafted way.
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True & my reaction is still... YAY!! That's the greatest Strat neck I've every played, by far!!!! Sooooo much better then the original baseball bat necks...ugh?I should add & confess that I'm mainly a guitar player, but one who loves to play bass too!!!
I played an '82 Tobacco Sunburst '57 Reissue Strat for 16 years (for 12 of those it was paired with a two different great Jazzmasters- one at a time, with one replacing the other) & just 3 years ago, I started playing electric again & got an '83 Tobaccon Sunburst '57 Reissue Strat again!! It was the first guitar I went to get when I was looking.
I even asked the good folks at 30th ST Guitars in NYC (who had just had one for sale on ebay) if there was an equivalent I could just substitute that would replicate it & they said that that was part of the great reputation & appeal of these early Fullerton reissues- the unique necks. He said if I'd asked that same question about other Strats, that he usually could point out something very close to replicate it...but, with those, if you love them, you have essentially no other option that to bite the bullet & buy (mine was $2500, the most I've ever paid for any guitar BTW).
Interestingly enough, when I finally found a Tele I could deal with... I found two. Their necks were always way too large & I never bonded with them like I did with Strats & Jazzmasters... anyhow. I A/B compared an '89 '52 Reissue (from Corona) vs. an '82 Fullerton & the '89 won. Although the '82 was clearly the 2nd best, it was also a fairly distant second for me.
Don't know a thing about the reissue basses, except that they exist & that the sunburst ones look amazing with the anodized gold guards!!!
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I've seen a '62 Fullerton sunburst Strat - (pristine time capsule) for 5K.
The prices on these things have gone that high. Part of it is cork sniffer weirdness... the Fullerton era first reissues were from '82 to '84 & then they moved to Corona. Like I said I played an '89 '52 Reissue that beat out an '82, but I've also played later era Corona Strats that couldn't hold a candle to mine, so... I know there were changes & that there is something to the greatness of those early ones, but some of it is just trivia about them being the very first reissues & being made in the final years of the old factory to boot.
An interesting moment of perspective & reflection for me involves the fact that when these came out, in 1982,a 1957 Strat was a 25 year old instrument. A 1982 Reissue is now a 34 year old instrument. Also, a little person trivia is that I sold my first great electric guitar, a 3-tone sunburst, maple board Strat to get my two-tone sunburst, maple board 1982 Reissue & ended up breaking even doing so & getting, for me, a much better instrument.
The one I saw had a pristine case (with keys), all the case candy, the guitar itself looked unused. Pretty amazing, it was like oli's jazz -
Speaking of pristine time capsules...check this out...
1962 FULLERTON RARE 1962 RI FENDER PRECISION 1982 BASS MINT
I remember seeing this a few years back and I never seen one with original box. Someone bought this back in the day just to store it. Makes me wonder how many others like it are out there in someones closet. "You can eat off it"
1962 FULLERTON RARE 1962 RI FENDER PRECISION 1982 BASS MINT
I remember seeing this a few years back and I never seen one with original box. Someone bought this back in the day just to store it. Makes me wonder how many others like it are out there in someones closet. "You can eat off it"
Thanks, Woody.Regarding the body differences, the tummy cut on the backside of the original '57 is somewhat deeper but otherwise, it would probably take a micrometer to tell any significant differences between the original and the Fullerton reissue. The neck profiles are very similar, the original is very slightly narrower, the reissue is slightly chunkier front-to-back. Remember that back in '57 there was a lot more hand work involved in shaping neck profiles than was the case 25 years later.
The original does not have the hootenanny strap button on the backside of the headstock. The Fullerton does have one, which is thought to be protypically incorrect for 1957 Gen 2 Precisions. Mine has a 11/57 neck date so the lack of the button may or may not have been a late in the year running change. I assume the early '57 Gen 1 (Tele-like) P-basses still had the button but I'm not certain of that.
Also, the original is about a pound lighter than the Fullerton which is a very early build with an 8/9/82 neck date and a V000xxx neck plate.
Here's a picture of both of them together that I posted a few years ago.
Hard to imagine a neck being even thinner (front to back) than on the Fullerton '57s. They must have found a magic batch of wood for the Fullertons: even though the neck on my '57 reissue (neck date: 12-7-82) is the thinnest of my four Precisions it is the most stable by far--and two of the others have graphite rods.
Woody, how much does your original '57 weigh?
Regarding the slight variations on the Fullerton reissues--and the originals--this video graphically demonstrates why that is the case. When viewing how these instruments were made it's actually a wonder that they were able to achieve the consistency that they did.
Speaking of pristine time capsules...check this out...
1962 FULLERTON RARE 1962 RI FENDER PRECISION 1982 BASS MINT
I remember seeing this a few years back and I never seen one with original box. Someone bought this back in the day just to store it. Makes me wonder how many others like it are out there in someones closet. "You can eat off it"
Even in mint condition, if that went for $5500 the buyer was high.
I have seen more than a few Fullertons with neck issues. Maxed out truss rods are one of the first things to look for. You will see many with the truss buried deep in the hole. I had one that got refretted and had washers added to correct that issue but even then had limited truss adjustment. So the thin necks "can" be an issue. Plenty of great ones with absolutely perfect neck too. I guess it all comes down to the specific wood on that specific neck I guess.
I have one of those necks with the deep trussrod adjustment. The headstock also looks like it went to war with a cymbal.
To tell the truth the neck on my '83 P is not super stable, but it suits me as I tweak it every gig (it's very dry here at altitude and all my basses need seasonal adjustment anyway).
I have heard of a number of J necks in particular going bad, that's why you sometimes see Fuljerton Js with replacement necks for sale.
I imagine if a neck didn't develop a twist or ramping quite early it won't now.
7 lbs., 9 ounces according to a postal scale. I've owned Strats that weighed more!
BTW, the '82 Fullerton weighs 8lbs., 8 ounces.
I believe that was my first Fullerton. I am not sure if that was the one that was refretted as well but I think it may have been. If the neck adjusts OK then it doesn't matter how deep it is. I know I had another one that had a deep truss like that and washers were added which gave it a little more movement but not much.
