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Fender Precision from 60s and 70s: years to avoid?

#81
mongo2 said:
There ain't no mojo. There is still nothing inherently better about an old bass. An inexpensive used Fender of recent manufacture will serve just as well as an old one and save a lot of money.
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Again, that's not what this thread is about. But we covered that already anyways a couple pages back. Now you've asked me to repeat myself a few times, so I'll just let you re-read the thread for my replies to those same statements of yours.

It's not my job to convince you that there are things that exist in this world called "collectibles". Some are very valuable and not everyone understands why some people value them that highly (cough cough). But nevertheless, they do exist and vintage Fender basses are just one of millions of valuable, historical, rare, no longer made with the same materials, nostalgic, etc.. items in this world. You may not like that collectibles exist, and even want to change the way the world thinks about their value. But in the end, we have a case of one guy who doesn't get it, trying to convince a bunch of people who do get it that they are mistaken.
 
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#82
Yeh, you probably wouldn't go to a car show and have the same conversation.... Why you driving this old thing? It's not as safe and efficient as a new car! Not a direct comparison but kinda works.... Too bad I couldn't convince myself it's mojo when I backed into a post.
 
#84
mongo2 said:
The question asked was, "Fender Precision from 60s and 70s: years to avoid?"
My answer was, and still is, all of them.
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Well, I guess you've gone full circle then and you're right back at where you started. All you accomplished essentially is letting more people know that you do not value the history or cultural importance of these vintage instruments, or apparently why collectables of any kind even exist. You have your right to your opinion, but coming in here and saying "avoid em all" is worthless to the topic of the thread.. and I can say with confidence that it had zero affect on the way the OP thinks about vintage basses.. especially since he contaced me personally about helping him to find a great vintage bass, which I'm happy to do.
 
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#85
The Bass Clef said:
Well, saying "avoid em all" is worthless to the topic of the thread..
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Actually it precisely and concisely answers the question asked.

The Bass Clef said:
and I can say with confidence that it had zero affect on the way the OP thinks about vintage basses.. especially since he contaced me personally about helping him to find a great vintage bass, which I'm happy to do.
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LOL...You forgot the "so there, nyah-nyah"

And good luck finding a "great vintage bass" for him. BTW, define "great."
 
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#86
pfonck334 said:
Hello
I am considering buying a vintage PB and my budget so far allows me to have a look of the ones between 1968 to end of Seventies. ideally, I would be looking for one of my birth year (1969) but I am not 100% sure.
I was wondering in the period 1968-1977 if some years are considered better than others, or if some years are better to avoid
(sorry for my English, not my native language)
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I have bought several basses here on TB and made some new friends along the way. I won't repeat any of the good advice that has already been offered, but would like to add one more check point for online buying. Connect with the seller by Skype so that you can hear how it actually sounds. Get the seller to play up and down the neck, adjust the volume and tone controls... give it a good thorough workout and take a good close-up look from different angles. It's just one more way to increase your comfort level with online buying. Make use of the technology that is available. Cheers and good luck with your search. Ron
 
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#87
mongo2 said:
LOL...You forgot the "so there, nyah-nyah"
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No, it was implied, and also meant to show you that you can endlessly troll the vintage threads and repeat yourself, like you do.. week after week, trying to convince others to "see the light" of your way of thinking.. but there are many of us that appreciate the past in ways that you probably never will.. and we see your rhetoric as what it is.. propaganda and intolerance other people's interests. And when you do this, you will get some backlash from the people you are demoralizing for liking what they like. I don't know why you are compelled to try to make everyone's appreciation for vintage basses as low as yours, but I don't care either. Because honestly, I feel like I'm trying to convince you that the world is round when you seem to not even want to acknowledge that basses are no different than all the other collectables that exist in this world, or understand why collectibles have more value over a similar modern item. You can't seem to get that, but you want me to get why I should "avoid em all" when I've been perfectly happy playing both vintage and new basses since I was a kid.
 
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#88
@mongo2 I'm sorry to say this, but IMHO you've been very 'negative kind of energy' with your posts in this thread lately, if there really is 'childish-ism' it is very probably goes to the opposite of what you think/wrote at your post right above. We already know what you think about old fender basses, I respect your opinion, it's your right. But please let us love what we love. And if it's an old Fender bass that has high price please let us be.
Personally I also don't love their high prices (but I know there's some 'economic law' in that,.. so what can I do...)...but I and some of us love old vintage fender basses. Please let me /us be.

--------------------------------------------------------------let's change the topic:

To the OP pfonck334 : "Which color you like? :)

1969 Fender Precision Basses (All are Not mine :D ) :

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thelowend net

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bravewood
 
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#89
Avoid ? No. with Fender each bass should be judged on it own merit. You can find great basses, and dogs in any year. That said, Fenders QC got worse after 1973-1974.
So there were just a higher ratio of dogs to great basses after that. By 1979-1980 things got real bad. And fender got off there butts are revamped there line.
 
#90
mongo2 said:
LOL, still with the childish attempts at denigration? Tells me a lot about you. You assume an awful lot, yet haven't answered my question.

Buh-bye...got a rehearsal to go to.
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This is a classic troll. Move on buddy, you're not welcome here.

Now, to the original post, I have owned a 69' that I would swear is this bass below (which I sold in December) and the bass was almost perfect with the exception of the truss rod. You need to pay special attention to the truss rod Adjustment and if it's snug and non operable you need to pass regardless of how perfect it may be. The search to me is as fun as the

bluesdogblues said:
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bravewood
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#92
Thanks everyone to all your comments on my topic. I did not imagine it would generate such passion!
the questions I have asked was not vintage or new bass for the money I want to put in it! I have indeed decided to go for a vintage bass, and that reason is very personnal. I won't debate on the pros and cons on vintage other new. Thank you to every one who gives his advice on that choice.
I like my vintage stingray, because it is the first serious bass I bought when I was a in my twenties. I like it because I worked all summer long in wine farms and fruit picking to be able to finally buy the bass I was looking at for months in that Store. I like it because it has many dings and playwear and I can almost say for each ding when it was made at which specifict gig I had in France or Europe.
Similarly, I like the idea of having a good fender bass that would be born around my birthdate and that would have passed hands to hands over the years through many bassists and many different musics. Some sort of heritage. And I prefer to put the money I have in that kind of bass then in a brand new fancy one. That is only my personnal viewing and I understand and accept that others think the opposite.
Anyway, having that choice my question was: which year seems to be better than others in the period 1965-1980 and I had many answers for that, and thank you very very much
 
#93
Funny how contentious these threads get. I, for one, am convinced these debates are akin to "Faith" vs. "Reason"... amplified (forgive the pun) when someone owns an example of the item in question. I guess if I had a '77 P bass and loved it, I'd might get spun up if someone said that '77 was a bad year... then again, I might not. I usually don't give a frosty crank what folks think of my gear, only how I sound.

But I stand by my one point that not all things that are old are great, and "vintage" is far to liberally applied. Try doing this: Every time you see the word "Vintage" used to sell or describe something, substitute the word "old". It rather takes the gloss off of the word - a word that is used too often to sell product (new product, at that!). We all see the irony in companies calling a new item "Vintage" - right?
 
#94
SanDiegoHarry said:
Funny how contentious these threads get. I, for one, am convinced these debates are akin to "Faith" vs. "Reason"... amplified (forgive the pun) when someone owns an example of the item in question. I guess if I had a '77 P bass and loved it, I'd might get spun up if someone said that '77 was a bad year... then again, I might not. I usually don't give a frosty crank what folks think of my gear, only how I sound.

But I stand by my one point that not all things that are old are great, and "vintage" is far to liberally applied. Try doing this: Every time you see the word "Vintage" used to sell or describe something, substitute the word "old". It rather takes the gloss off of the word - a word that is used too often to sell product (new product, at that!). We all see the irony in companies calling a new item "Vintage" - right?
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Exactly. Heaven forbid someone should tell the truth around here.
 
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#97
pfonck334 said:
Anyway, having that choice my question was: which year seems to be better than others in the period 1965-1980 and I had many answers for that, and thank you very very much
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The most important changes to me personally are neck profile and width prefrences. Around 67-68' Fender switched from C width 1-3/4" wide thin necks to B width 1-5/8" narrow chunky necks and most of the 68-72'ish P's I have played had thicker necks with the B width which I personally prefer and I think you would also transitioning from a stingray.

My 63' P is wide as hell and really thin with tiny frets which took me a while to and my 71' is in my eyes much more comfortable to play being chunkier, narrower and having the jumbo frets that fender went to in the late 60's.

Tone wise, people dog CBS era Fenders for inconsistency but all of the 68-75' P's that I have played really felt and sounded the same to me and they all really shine with Rotosound 66's. The 65-67' P's with nitro, wide necks and grey bottoms have a different sound and really shine with flats to my ears. The 59-64's are an entirely different animal tone wise. Big and balsy with the up front in your face P tone that you hear on great records. The quality is better IMHO but that being said, I play my 71' as much as I play my 63' and they are both great basses, ones just worth much more due to the rarity.
 
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