Fender pre-CBS Club: pics mandatory!

[mindwell]

Bought my '65 a new Spitfire guard for her 50th birthday. Along with the new guard, here's some shots of the control cavity and the shielding plate, which I'm assuming is original..? It's got bits of the original finish, which looks to be Dakota Red.

 

[DavidBassista]

Bought my '65 a new Spitfire guard for her 50th birthday. Along with the new guard, here's some shots of the control cavity and the shielding plate, which I'm assuming is original..? It's got bits of the original finish, which looks to be Dakota Red

Nice. Are those the clay dot fret markers or pearl? It's hard to tell from the pic. Also, what style of Spitfire guard did you order? That almost looks like the crazy 70s style. Anyway, looks great.

 

[mindwell]

Clay dots. And this is actually a used guard. If I had to guess, I'd say bright red speckled 60s.

 

[DavidBassista]

Clay dots. And this is actually a used guard. If I had to guess, I'd say bright red speckled 60s.

Is the neck date stamped '65? How are you determining the date on this bass?

 

[mindwell]

Neck date is January 1965 with a '5' stamp, L-Series neck plate, clay dot Brazilian veneer board, original custom color Dakota Red finish and gray bobbin pickup. I wonder if you or anyone on the thread might have some info on the shielding plate stamps?

 

[Splods]

I remember someone posting a Precision bass a while back which had it's lower horn removed. Was the finish original? Or was it a refin?

I ask because I just saw this photo of a young Derek Trucks. The Bass player has some interesting fashion sense, but also a P bass without a lower horn. Looks a bit familiar.

It's probably not the same, but I immediately thought of this thread.

Link Removed

 

[Davo-LON]

Last night I went through the whole thread and I make these observations as No 23 i.e. Davo-London:

• Lots of Precisions as you would expect, as the period of pre-CBS Jazz production is so much less than Precision. However, the range of original colours (non-refin) is very limited. I was hoping for a sonic blue!
• Where are the stack-knob jazzes?
• IMVHO the sunburst finish ages better than any other finish - or rather looks the best with heavy wear
• It would never occur to me to refinish a guitar. How come there are so many?

Thanks to the OP for a great post.
Humbly
Davo

 

[96tbird]

Many refins here seem to be like mine: bass acquired by current owner with a hack job refin and new owner desires to have it redone so it doesn't look like a hack job refin. A new pro refin is better than a hack job done 30 years ago that already stripped the collector value from it.

 

[TheDialog]

 

[AntLockyer]

Hi, thought you guys might like to see my P bass.

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

 

[Energy]

This one moved in with me just recently.
1964, ser # L6...., all original, custom colour, original case.
And it sounds good, too!

 

[Mastermold]

Hi, thought you guys might like to see my P bass.

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

P Bass by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr

Beauty! So please tell us the details!

 

[Mastermold]

This one moved in with me just recently.
1964, ser # L6...., all original, custom colour, original case.
And it sounds good, too!

Love the LPB! Still in fantastic shape!

 

[AntLockyer]

Beauty! So please tell us the details!

Neck stamp says 5NOV62C

I bought is last year for my 40th birthday. The body is a refin over the original sunburst that can be seen in the neck pocket. It is a really old refin with loads of crazing etc. Pots are changed but everything else looks original. the neck feels really wide but shallow, very different to my 2000s P bass. Sound is superb, I was running it with some flats that were on there for 12 years but just gone to TI flats for a bit more of a deeper tone with less thud.

It came with a 70s bridge on it which I replaced with a correct one. I have the pickup cover as well but don't like running it.

 

[96tbird]

Not a refin, Ant. Likely orig custom color. They would just grab a finished body off the shelf and shoot the color over the standard SB when a dealer ordered one.

Orig custom color ups its value in the collector market. Yours and the lpb "64 above might as well be made of solid gold since their value is so high. Beautiful scores gents.

 

[Gorn]

Do any of you use the strap button on the back of the headstock? I don't have a pre-CBS Fender but I have a bass pretending to be one: a CIJ 62 reissue jazz.

 

[Energy]

Do any of you use the strap button on the back of the headstock? I don't have a pre-CBS Fender but I have a bass pretending to be one: a CIJ 62 reissue jazz.

I don't.

 

[AntLockyer]

Not a refin, Ant. Likely orig custom color. They would just grab a finished body off the shelf and shoot the color over the standard SB when a dealer ordered one.

I paid refin money for this one. I'd be very surprised if it was factory

 

[Mr.Fingers]

It most likely is a refin... Only thing I can come up with is that it's a Fender that was imported into the UK by Jennings. They did offer a refinish into Fiesta Red because The Shadows were so popular back then in the UK. It isn't a factory refinish, since the shape of the paint-stick doesn't match up with what was used by Fender, that was Invalid Link Removed

 

[jim nolte]

Just sharing a little rosewood love One true pre-CBS, and two 'transitional years'

View attachment 543826
1963 Jazz with clay dots

View attachment 543827
1965 Jazz with pearloid dots

View attachment 543828
Early 1966 Jazz with pearloid dots and binding

Do you know the neck date month on the '65? I have a May 65 with clay dots, L series, always wondered when in'65 they started using the pearloid dots. Thanks, Jim