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Fender P bass question...

Eskimo Spy

Eskimo Spy

Supporting Member
May 27, 2010
724
7
Fort Worth, TX
#1
I've got a 1973 P with a B neck, and I love it. So, I started looking for a 60's P bass with a B neck, and I realized that I have no idea when they started offering that neck as an option. So, when was the B neck first available on a fender precision bass?
 
#4
Thanks, I think that's right. I searched for this but couldn't find anything that clearly stated when they switched (or if they were simply an option). So, if I want another B neck P bass, I need to be looking for '68 or newer it seems.
 
#5
P. Aaron said:
Bing search produced this: Demystifying Fender Neck Sizes Based On Letter Designations | eBass
Click to expand...
clear as mud:laugh:dont mean to be a smarty pants either:)any ideas what the neck specs are for the Steve Harris P-Bass are? I believe its based on his 70's bass but I'm sure even then there were all types of necks going on. I love the chunky neck on my Steve Harris and would like another P-bass, American if possible, but prob end up with another Stevey bass to put roundwounds on
 
#9
Just had phone call with a friend and vintage Fender enthusiast the other day. He told about a 1963 Precision with B-neck (!), which he is about to acquire this weekend. I'm waiting for him to get back to me and tell me more about that bass. I hope to meet him soon and see the bass myself.
 
#11
The thing is that all four neck widths were available by order from the beginning of the letter classification system, which started in ''62 or '63, IIRC.

Another oddity is mid '60s maple necks, available by order long before they became common again early '70s.
 
#12
Based on the above does this pic make any sense to anyone? It's off the above mentioned 72 P bass (at least I've believed it's a 72 for the past 35 years based on the neck plate serial number. I happen to have the neck off because the bass is being rebuilt at the moment. I don't see any letters.
Thanks
Rob

image.jpg
 
#13
I don't mean to take over this thread but a friend of mine thinks these markings mean this above post is a 60's neck. Anyone have any experience with this to confirm?
Thanks.
 
#14
RNG1 said:
I don't mean to take over this thread but a friend of mine thinks these markings mean this above post is a 60's neck. Anyone have any experience with this to confirm?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

I see what appears to be 0103 1963 - I'd be interested to know myself as I'm not familiar with this marking (but I'm no authority) ;)
 
#15
Those markings date to the early '70s IIRC, maybe late '60s, I forgot the year they started. I believe they were concurrent to the old stamps for a year or so.

Some were in blue ink, which tended to fade, and earlier were black ink.

I'll let someone else link the site that explains how the new numbering system worked.
 
#16
Thanks for the responses. I do know this much, although I have this bass 35 years (that still freaks me out saying this), anyway I wasn't the original owner. A long time ago before the Internet existed I called Fender and gave them the serial number off the neck plate and I was told that it was a 72 (maybe 70 but I'm pretty sure 72) but not being the original owner I don't know if the neck was swapped. The body had been modified so it could have been a neck from something else although I never thought about that as a possibility until now.
 

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