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Fender Telecaster Bass club #1

#22
I just picked up this to go with my '74. Surprisingly good build quality, but I've only quickly plugged it in to check it works & not played it fully yet. I'll give an a/b review asap.

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It'll be cool to A-B them
 
#23
Not sure what the definition of a Tele is but others have their 51RI's in .... so here's mine... :hyper:

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I just put down cash for a Fralin split coil. Can't wait to try it.

I actually sold this bass - then managed to negotiate it back in to the collection a year later once I realised what an idiot I was.
 
#26
rust_preacher said:
If you want to do a restricted-to-Fender-original-Telecaster-Bass-Club, I'm all for it. The "Official Telecaster Bass Club" that I started is a bit more varied.
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Yes, you're right. :ninja: Thanks.... No ill intentions or 'hijacking' intended.. I didn't see the original one.

SO this is just as I stated in the OP -post #1
JUST Fender Telecaster Basses
Sorry Vin*tone :hiding::D
 
#28
My Ol' Gal is turning 40 this year on Oct. 23. Born in 1972, here's the quick story. I walked into a local pawnshop 15 years ago and there it was hanging on the wall setup like crap with flats on 'er. Played like crap, but felt awesome they wanted $300. I decided to take a walk and jumped into my van and on my way I was stricken all of a sudden that I NEEDED to have that bass. I just so happened to have $300 towards rent due in 4 days and of course, what would any rationally insane bass-aholic do? That's right, farg the rent, the Lord provides(!). I decided to go home and get the dough and if the bass was still there when I got back, I would own her. I got back there an hour later and sure enough, there it was, backbow and all. I talked them down to $250 including tax, Ya Baby! As I was on my way out, behind the counter guy says..."I don't understand why everybody want all these Fender guitars, they been selling like hotcakes here" This was a new pawnbroker business, I asked him how many he's sold, he said in his finest chinese accent, "10 in the last week" I told him he was a good businessman with great selling skills, that's why he's sold so many. Couldn't bring myself to tell him that he was selling great guitars at bargain basement prices. I walked outta with the last Fender in the shop, phew!!
Oct 23, 1972...wow... Got her home, let out the backbow, set-up was as easy as pie and plays like a dream, really comfortable neck and slim for a Tele. That's the original pickup beside it, it was in the case and in it's place is a DiMarzio something or otherBucker with a split switch and a Bombastic sound, especially with the flats. Original pickguard was cut to fit it, dang. Beautiful shape with the obligatory forearm wear on the upper bout and some belt buckle rash 'round back beside the 3 bolt plate and the grain peeks out through the barely tranlucent finish. I think it was the original owner that brought it into the shop because it's in such good shape, really no dings or scratches other than that buckle rash. I'm sure it was the original owner who replaced the real tuners with Schallers, I'm not impressed, looking to get back to originals, lollipops would be nice. Ashtray's missing, but I'm cheap and will replace it when I run into a deal. Thunder On, gang! A#? :D
 

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#30
GBassNorth said:
Rod - I've played a '70s tele with the single pickup at the neck. It was a decent bass with deep tone but not a lot of definition. The one I own (and is shown in the pic) is a brand new Fender Modern Player (made in China). The pickups are technically split coil precision pickups but in a humbucker style housing. Because of the locations of the pickups one at the neck and one near the bridge you get a relatively wide difference in the pickup tones.
On the old 70s tele I played the pickup was rather mushy. On the Modern Player tele the neck pickup isn't mushy it's balls deep, I mean really really dub bass, in a rap hip hop and regge kind of way. But when you dial in the bridge pickup (which is also a very deep dark sounding split coil - not sure how they wound these pickups) you start to bring in the clarity needed to provide note definition to the neck pickup. So on the Modern Player bass if you want a ton of fundamental bass you got it and you can go up a bit from there by dialing in the bridge pickup.
This is NOT a bright bass, even with a maple fb. In it's brightest setting with the neck pu off and the bridge full up it sits about middle of the tone spectrum for a P bass. It will never be my main player but it sure is a neat tool to have for those times when you just need a driving beat with a lot of fundamental underlying gooeyness. I paid about $500 on sale for it at GC.
PS - I tried a set of Ernie Ball Cobalts on it thinking it would bring up the brightness a bit - wrong - sounded like crap so I took them right off. I don't think this bass was meant to have bright strings on it. The strings that come with the bass are great but I'll probably continue to experiment to see what else this bass can do with different strings. My next try will probably be La Bella tapewounds - those should kill on this bass.
Click to expand...

I believe those pickups are actually humbuckers designed after the tele from early 70's not a split coil.
 
#40
jumbodbassman said:
I believe those pickups are actually humbuckers designed after the tele from early 70's not a split coil.
Click to expand...

Your guess is as good as mine...
Here's the info from the Fender web site for the Telecaster Modern Player...


Electronics
Pickup Configuration: H/H
Middle Pickup: Modern Player Wide Range Precision Bass® Pickup (Middle)
Neck Pickup: Modern Player Wide Range Precision Bass® Pickup (Neck)
Controls: Neck Volume, Bridge Volume, Master Tone


Invalid Link Removed
 

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