Fender pre-CBS Club: pics mandatory!

[jim nolte]

I noticed that on a lot of early sixties pre CBS Precision basses the E and A strings are not centered between the pole pieces. It looks like the E-A split coil is a bit too far to the right, any idea what the actual reason is? It's not just the photo angle, the D-G strings are fine and i don't think that it is a problem with the neck/neck pocket. My '64 Precision has the same string alignment as in the photo below taken from the first post in this thread. The bridge/position looks fine though.

View attachment 3541360

Hard to tell from the pic but if the saddles have the multiple little groves in them you can just move the string sideways to center between the poles.

 

[shadven]

Picked up the 52 yesterday and it is lovely! The bass also was PLEK-ed so it plays like a new one. Sound is increddible, even better than my other slabs (2 53's).

View attachment 3545201 View attachment 3545202

That came out great. I am really on the fence about my '54 and whether I should refin or leave it alone?. It was stripped to natural many years ago and the original pickup is long gone (it has a Fralin replacement that sounds great).

 

[Mastermold]

Posted this photo before--'64 P with a '68 EB-2:

 

[BassAgent]

That particular bass is one of the reasons I ordered my new custom bass in CAR. So pretty.

 

[Mattia]

Welcome to the Club! Beautiful Jazz!

It's been a while since I last added anyone, I forget what number we left off on but I'll find the last list.

EDIT: Okay assuming I got it right--looks like you're #76

Could you please add me as well? I posted my '61 on page 81. Thanks!

 

[Mastermold]

Could you please add me as well? I posted my '61 on page 81. Thanks!

#82 for you!

 

[Mastermold]

MEMBER LIST UPDATED
October 16, 2019

Fender pre-CBS Club members:
#1 Mastermold
#2 Webtroll
#3 Hilton Marsh
#4 2saddleslab
#5 Jim Carr (aka Dr. Jim)
#6 9mmMike
#7 ExaltBass
#8 Pilgrim
#9 that1guy222
#10 tomshepp
#11 M.R. Ogle
#12 og61pbass
#13 Beano z
#14 D Bopp
#15 herr_rocket
#16 zacmac
#17 KPO2000
#18 Brams77
#19 thisSNsucks
#20 Bhazulle
#21 Easy8
#22 bh2
#23 Davo-London
#24 bucephylus
#25 Kmrumedy
#26 narud
#27 57pbass
#28 Lublin
#29 shadven
#30 SLaPiNFuNK
#31 sentry
#32 thebrian
#33 1SHOT1HIT
#34 johnk_10
#35 slime1
#36 derbalou
#37 Ron Clark
#38 audiorep2
#39 96tbird
#40 Matt Call
#41 jonno1707
#42 geddy402
#43 darkhelmet
#44 FFTT
#45 StephenR
#46 z65
#47 djkool
#48 marcray
#49 JRB
#50 DavidBassista
#51 bassplaynbaiken
#52 tazzydfair
#53 Stizz
#54 mactac
#55 LeftyMikel
#56 veebass
#57 interp
#58 mrbassman_de
#59 funk7856
#60 devnulljp
#60.1 ZonieBass
#62 Dluxe
#63 bbjonz or #62
#63 jknorton
#64 st0n3
#65 Jazz_bass2664
#66 MMatFoCBass
#67 JvN
#68 Judge Nickels
#69 jazz Bass 74
#70 BearCave
#71 Arlid
#72 harryphunk
#73 Arrow
#74 Ghastly
#75 Cripula
#76 MD Stingray
#77 PolkaHero
#78 Kevin Teed
#79 davidprice
#80 Alexander
#81 CosmicRay
#82 Mattia

 

[Mattia]

Thank you!

 

[JOME77]

Here's a 62 P-Bass that I worked on for a local guy. He wanted it repaired (pickup and electronics didn't work) for his grandson to play).
When he first told me I wanted to say "NO! Not your grandson!". But after I saw it I figured that it didn't matter .....
Apparently he decided to alter the head stock and body (cut off one of the horns but eventually had it re-attached) and painted it red. What a shame!

 

[SJLee]

Here's a 62 P-Bass that I worked on for a local guy. He wanted it repaired (pickup and electronics didn't work) for his grandson to play).
When he first told me I wanted to say "NO! Not your grandson!". But after I saw it I figured that it didn't matter .....
Apparently he decided to alter the head stock and body (cut off one of the horns but eventually had it re-attached) and painted it red. What a shame!

View attachment 3568011 View attachment 3568012 View attachment 3568010

Breaks my heart to see that headstock.

 

[Dynacord]

Here's a 62 P-Bass that I worked on for a local guy. He wanted it repaired (pickup and electronics didn't work) for his grandson to play).
When he first told me I wanted to say "NO! Not your grandson!". But after I saw it I figured that it didn't matter .....
Apparently he decided to alter the head stock and body (cut off one of the horns but eventually had it re-attached) and painted it red. What a shame!

Uff.

Why unmolested originals are worth so much...

What's up with the neck/neck pocket? Neck shifted forward?

Worked in a repair shop and saw too many similar examples. One that just killed me was a '61 3-knob Jazz Bass which had a similar treatment to the headstock as well as an entirely replaced fretboard and body sanded to bare wood (as so many were), pickups replaced BUT original Olympic White in the cavities (and "OLY WHT" written under the finish in the neck pup cavity and ORIGINAL FACTORY GOLD hardware - super rare, only seen it on one other bass (a '58 P which had been similarly sanded and stained 'walnut').

 

[JOME77]

Uff.

Why unmolested originals are worth so much...

What's up with the neck/neck pocket? Neck shifted forward?

I took the picture of the instrument after I first opened the case and the neck wasn't attached to the body.

 

[bassmike2010]

Uff.

Why unmolested originals are worth so much...

What's up with the neck/neck pocket? Neck shifted forward?

Worked in a repair shop and saw too many similar examples. One that just killed me was a '61 3-knob Jazz Bass which had a similar treatment to the headstock as well as an entirely replaced fretboard and body sanded to bare wood (as so many were), pickups replaced BUT original Olympic White in the cavities (and "OLY WHT" written under the finish in the neck pup cavity and ORIGINAL FACTORY GOLD hardware - super rare, only seen it on one other bass (a '58 P which had been similarly sanded and stained 'walnut').

Some people have no business owning pets. Some people are unfit to be parents. Some people are undeserving to own classic instruments. Some people are a waste of oxygen.

 

[SJLee]

I took the picture of the instrument after I first opened the case and the neck wasn't attached to the body.

Not even a screw to keep the neck from flopping around and marking up the new finish...

 

[mikeswals]

The 'sharp' upper tailpiece corners on that bridge on that 62 isn't original. Was that an aftermarket bridge, or possibly a 57-59 bridge?

 

[basses55]

62 all original

 

[Dynacord]

The 'sharp' upper tailpiece corners on that bridge on that 62 isn't original. Was that an aftermarket bridge, or possibly a 57-59 bridge?

Good eye. Not impossible that it might have been a left over stray '57-'59 (or maybe the bass is earlier - it is a slab board so '62 or earlier). The '61 Jazz with gold hardware I mentioned had the squared off bridge plate like that (so the bridge cover would not sit completely flush).

 

[mikeswals]

62 all original

I'm in love! it's perfect!!!!

 

[JOME77]

The 'sharp' upper tailpiece corners on that bridge on that 62 isn't original. Was that an aftermarket bridge, or possibly a 57-59 bridge?

No it’s original. He bought it new and wasn’t the type to replace a bridge. Maybe I’m remembering the year of the bass incorrectly. I’ll have to check and see if I took pics of the date stamp.

 

[basses55]

I'm in love! it's perfect!!!!

Thanks. The 62 plays and sounds amazing , I’ve been looking for 6-7 years for a players bass which actually is a little tough to find. I didn’t want a refin and wanted all original that plays great. I also will not buy over the internet based on description, I needed to play it . I’ve been all over the world in my travels going into every store etc and always something is quite not right with the bass for what I wanted. This one also was not at the top of the price range as it’s in players condition, not really prime collectors condition so that was a bonus. It’s been played and worked in beautifully, it’s a true old players bass with the original case too. No covers unfortunately.