Help: Need some info on Walnut Precision Basses

[Starky]

Looks just like my new 70's P BASS!
At least when I put the new pickguard on it!

 

[Tommygunn]

No.

Mocha was never a Fender colour (neither was it called root beer). The stained finish was called Walnut, and it looked different over the years. The translucent version from '76 became known as root beer, but it wasn't the real name. No mocha ever existed, also just a nickname.

To further the confusion, Fender later made a walnut neck and bodied version of the Precision Special, which later became the Elites. These had natural clearcoat finishes, showing the walnut grain.

Fender had 2 IIRC

One transparent and one solid color.

Let me find a good pic to tell the difference.

 

[Tommygunn]

After searching I see they were all trans, I was just seeing some pics wrong.

 

[Jo6Pak]

i had one from the early 70s. as i recall, it was not trans. i may still have a pic of it somewhere. if i find, i will post.

 

[Jo6Pak]

Not the best pic (scanned from a ~40 yr old snapshot), but it appears as though some grain is visible there. That bass was actually my first 'real' Fender and I paid $274 for it new, at a local music chain in Orange County (Wallach's Music City). I do remember that for sure. Must have been '72 or '73, at the latest:

.

 

[elgranluis]

There's a pic somewhere of my5yates' walnut basses and teles. Those look MINT!!!

 

[Tommygunn]

So it did have grain

 

[Steve]

There's a pic somewhere of my5yates' walnut basses and teles. Those look MINT!!!

If that's the P special with the chips on the headstock thanks to Jaco...I'm the original owner. I think that's the handle of the guy I sold it to.

 

[Dbassmon]

That walnut finish is transparent brown finish (wood grain is visible), produced from about 72 - 80 +/- was considered a factory custom color. You do not find a lot of them in comparison to natural or sunburst. I own a 75

 

[sgnirtsyknuf]

I know this is an old thread, but i've got a set of twin "brown" 1976 P's that I'm planning on doing a photo shoot with very soon. both are rosewood but one is factory fretless-unlined. next few days i'll post.