Fender pre-CBS Club: pics mandatory!

[Bass4ThePublic]

Hey, y'all. The chrome on the top of my tone knob is peeling back. I'm pretty sure the knob is original to my '58. Has anyone else had to figure out a solution to this?
View attachment 7211881View attachment 7211882

Put original knob in the case and buy some Pure vintage replacements.


I’d be VERY careful when using super glue on something like this. You want to use thick super glue after removing the knob from the bass. Something like this requires a lot of dry fitting, and a lot of finesse. A little glue goes a long way, see how fast the glue comes out on a piece of cardboard or something.


But I’d get some replacements.

 

[mikeswals]

I would not use super glue!
I'd use Testors model glue, takes two hrs to dry, so easy to clean any excess. Probably lay the knob face down on a piece of aluminum foil so it doesn't stick to anything, put a weight on it while it dries.

 

[Judge Nickels]

I,m afraid we'll need photos of the entire bass to make a determination...

 

[TomB]

Replacement knobs - good thinking! Keep the originals.

 

[Lucky Chuck]

Oh, man, I wish I had that problem...

 

[kurpak]

The circled holes look like originals. The arrows point to the holes that were drilled later. The edges are much more ragged.

View attachment 7166580

Late to see this, but that looks like a transitional prototype hole pattern to me. In 59 they went from anodized 10 hole to tort 10 hole, then tort 11 hole? and 13 hole, but trying out a few experimental screw placement patterns. The first 10 hole tort guards use the same pattern as an anodized guard. Later in 59 they settle on the current traditional 13 hole placement. If this is a real mint guard from 59 I would guess this bass was made around August or so in 59. My mid 59 has this same hole pattern, but it's tort. The anodized shield match this same pattern, not drilled after the fact. I've seen a handful of these over the years but they're pretty rare transitional iterations as they tried to figure out the best place to drill the screw holes for the plastic guards. A white\mint guard version from that transition period sounds like a unicorn but looks legit to me. The ragged looking holes in the shield are common as the pickguard shrinks and pulls against them egging out the holes, or sometimes owners drill them out a bit to relieve stress and allow the shrunken guard to line up to the shield (done this myself plenty of times.)

 

[kurpak]

Here's an 11 hole. If I dig around I'm sure I can find another with the same funny 13 hole pattern as the mint guard one.

 

[R.W. Goldguard]

With the premium that an original finish brings to pre-cbs guitars and bases it begs the question has anybody found a way to beat the blacklight test
I am not looking for names because I really don't want to give free advertising to anybody who is setting out to defraud the public however it would be interesting to know from a buyer's perspective if this has been done and how common it might be

 

[Arrow]

After a few years without a vintage Fender bass, I came across an oppertunity I could not let go; a 1964 Jazzbass in player condition: Stripped body, newer bridge and a newer pickguard without the thumbrest. The rest is stock, even the frets and the trussrod was never touched! The neck has the nitro laquer still present, but is worn in very nicely! Here in Holland it's very rare something like this comes up for sale. So I jumped on it! After a few notes I knew it was the holy grail I was after for so long; the neck played so well, the sound jumps of the Rio-pallisander fretboard and all the notes were even! Today I tried it on my amp and this bass sounds so lifely and it just sings. All the mods it had were done before 1979 when the seller, who was the second owner, bought it. I put on a Roadworn bridge and a Lavaguard pickguard I had on my Flea-Jazzbass and I added a new thumrest, and some screws and strapholders that I reliced myself. I really like the worn in look it has and am very happy with it! Here are some pics:

 

[Arrow]

It has an almost fudge-like color I like a lot!

 

[mikeswals]

Nice Jazz!

 

[D Bopp]

Received this absolute gem today. A true closet classic. 1961 all original P.
neck, neck plate, pots, and body all date to 61.
Solder joints never touched.
I’ve noticed that the decal has the 4 pat pending numbers, which started in 62. So maybe this was one of the first ones to have the 62 logo. Everything else though dates it to 61.

 

[andare]

Received this absolute gem today. A true closet classic. 1961 all original P.
neck, neck plate, pots, and body all date to 61.
Solder joints never touched.
I’ve noticed that the decal has the 4 pat pending numbers, which started in 62. So maybe this was one of the first ones to have the 62 logo. Everything else though dates it to 61.

Time to break out the black paint or copper tape and shield the cavities

What a beauty. What's the neck thickness at the 1st fret?

 

[Mastermold]

Received this absolute gem today. A true closet classic. 1961 all original P.
neck, neck plate, pots, and body all date to 61.
Solder joints never touched.
I’ve noticed that the decal has the 4 pat pending numbers, which started in 62. So maybe this was one of the first ones to have the 62 logo. Everything else though dates it to 61.

Super clean! Congrats!

 

[kurpak]

What a beauty. What's the neck thickness at the 1st fret?

I was going to ask the same thing, I stupidly sold a refin 61 a few years ago that had the thinnest neck ever, it was something like .74 at the first fret. Those flat\wide necks are the best, not all of the 59-61's have thin necks. I think my 59 is about .81 and another 61 I had was around .79

 

[D Bopp]

Time to break out the black paint or copper tape and shield the cavities

What a beauty. What's the neck thickness at the 1st fret?

To the best of my ability, I'm getting 15mm thickness from the top of the fretboard to the back of the neck, looking from the side.

 

[ELG60]

A couple of my pre-CBS amps:

 

[TomB]

I was going to ask the same thing, I stupidly sold a refin 61 a few years ago that had the thinnest neck ever, it was something like .74 at the first fret. Those flat\wide necks are the best, not all of the 59-61's have thin necks. I think my 59 is about .81 and another 61 I had was around .79

I measured my Aug ‘61 just for fun: .81. It’s one fantastic neck, in any case.

 

[andare]

To the best of my ability, I'm getting 15mm thickness from the top of the fretboard to the back of the neck, looking from the side.

Wow that's thin!

 

[andare]

I was going to ask the same thing, I stupidly sold a refin 61 a few years ago that had the thinnest neck ever, it was something like .74 at the first fret. Those flat\wide necks are the best, not all of the 59-61's have thin necks. I think my 59 is about .81 and another 61 I had was around .79

Reason I asked is I have a Vintera II P bass that's supposed to be like an early 60s bass and it is in fact about .75" thick.
Personally I prefer a much fatter neck but I wouldn't complain of I had a vintage one.