Most of the parts are all original. Only things non-original are the body finish, back of neck finish, and ground wire to the bridge. Comes with a Road Runner "Sunglass" Style case. The neck stamp has sadly been lost to time. The serial number is an early L Series, which puts it at mid 1963 P. This makes sense due to the Spaghetti Logo and Clay Dots. The fretboard is a gorgeous Brazilian Rosewood with nice reddish grain mixed in with the brown. I have an early 63 P with a Dec 62 date stamp so have been able to compare the two. This bass has the slightly fuller, rounder profile that 1963s are known for. I happen to prefer it to the really thin 59-62 profile. Sadly, my pockets aren't deep enough to keep both. This one was purchased because the shop was going to part it out and I couldn't bear to see that. Especially one as rare as this with the original mint pickguard. I had Joe Riggio refinish the bass with nitro in Fiesta Red with a slightly aged looking clearcoat. The back of the neck was refinished to have a worn in feel and is on par with, if not better than the Fender Custom Shop. It's tough to capture the slight pinkish hue of true Fiesta Red with an iPhone camera but I will try my best. Weighs 8.4 lbs so you can play for hours! Strung up with a new set of Thomastik Jazz Flats ($80) it sounds just like you dream it does I'll be uploading more pictures in the coming days Please let me know if you have any questions. Price includes shipping to Continental US. I'd consider shipping to Canada. Original: Body, Neck, Frets, Nut, Clay Dots, Front Headstock Finish and Decal, Pickup, Mint Pickguard, Aluminum Pickguard Shield, Pots, Cap, Some Wiring, Tuners, Bridge, Tug Bar, Both Chrome Covers, Knobs, Neck Plate, and as far as I can tell all Screws on the bass. Not Original: Body Finish, Back of Neck Finish, Ground Wire to Bridge replaced with vintage style cloth.
Thanks! It's not that I don't trust my packing skills, the rules about Brazilian Rosewood are too ambiguous. Wouldn't want to go through having it seized.
Wish I knew my friend. The body had an amateur paint job or two before I acquired it. It was a custom color due to the green pickguard but sadly, the world will never know. I went Fiesta Red due to it being striking in person and a signature Fender color.
IMO, along with the '57-'58 slight V shaped necks, these are the most comfortable neck shapes Fender ever created! I have a Dec '62 and it amazing!
Agreed. Current Fender reissue necks say they're "63" shaped but the change in thickness from 1st to 12th is too drastic IMO. The custom shops "60 Oval C" is fairly accurate for 59-62 but 63 is just a touch fuller and feels great.
Price drop...$7,250.00. Before you shell out for a Pino, consider the real deal! Not going to find another original mint pickguard that's for sure.
Yes sir, 100% nitro. Joe Riggio does phenomenal work. I can take more pictures tomorrow if you'd like. I'm at work until late tonight.
In light of the brutal economy and employment drop...I'm willing to consider reasonable offers on this. I've gotten a few trade proposals but I'm all set on Amps, Cabs, and pedals. Any basses would have to be 4 string passive, nitro finish, humbucking, and less expensive than this. If it doesn't fit those it has to be something I can sell easily. Thanks for looking!
Sadly that paint was definitely not the original finish. It was almost a Dakota red painted over another color. There was crappy black paint under this red in the neck pocket. Looks like whatever custom color it was originally was stripped and then finished natural or black. Dark red on top of the black then mostly stripped back to natural by the time I got it.