Identifying a Precision Bass

[r6mile]

I went to the music shop in my city, and I found a new original Fender Precision Bass for 210 € (250 $), which I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy. But I went to the Fender website and the bass is different than the one in the website, it kinda looks like this (the image is fake, I've edited it with paint): Link Removed

What kind of Precision Bass is it? How do I know where it's made?

 

[Dough]

Are you sure its the neck pickup that looks like that? If its the bridge pickup I believe it would be an American Deluxe

 

[r6mile]

That's how it looks, with that colour and that fingerboard. Anyone?

 

[phxlbrmpf]

Hmm, I've never seen a P bass with 22 frets before.

 

[JayAmel]

Looks pretty much like an MIM Standard P with a maple board.
As well as Fender did (and still do) offer maple boards on their MIM Standard guitars, maybe they also did for basses sometime in the past. Not sure at all, though.
For $300 I believe the most important thing is to try this bass, listen how it sounds, feel like it plays, and you feel in love with it, then you can't make a bad deal anyway.
Cheers
Jay

 

[r6mile]

Lol it has 22 frets coz i copied and pasted the fingerboard of another bass on to the picture.

So it's a normal Precision Bass, just with a maple board? How do I know where it's made (I don't think the guy in the shop knows)?

P.S: What does MIM mean?

 

[JayAmel]

MIM means Made in Mexico.
Your bass as described looks very close to this one :
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Cheers
Jay

 

[r6mile]

OK I found a picture of a bass that looks like the same as the one I'm talking about:
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I know, the one on the website is a Vintage '57 Precision Bass, but the one on the shop looks exactly like that (except for the thumbrest). Could it be a Standard P-Bass? Is there any way to know where the bass is made just by looking at it?

 

[vene-nemesis]

it might say made in mexico, made in america or crafted in japan on the headstock thats all.

 

[Loel]

The made in mexico basses serial no's start with MZ on the headstock,cij crafted in japan are marked at the base of neck,and made in usa is found on the headstock!

cheers

 

[Sippy]

hmm you said it's "new" though. Fender doesn't make MIM Basses with maple fingerboards anymore. And there would be no way that they would sell an MIA for $250.. in fact i'm surprised they sell an MIM for $250. It looks nice though! Check the Serial numbers, if you get the numbers and post them here, we can tell you everything about the bass...

 

[r6mile]

Fenders here are pretty cheap (there are not a lot though), you can get an original new Fender Stratocaster for about the same price, 250 $. I'll go to the shop and get everything I can, I'll also try to take pictures to post them here.

P.S: When I said new, I meant that it's never been used, it's first hand, but maybe it's an old model that they've been keeping at the shop, I don't know.

 

[r6mile]

OK I went to the shop (finally), and I looked at the bass. It looked OK (only OK, it was not perfect, it had some scratches, so I think it might be used), but I looked everywhere and I couldn't find the serial number anywhere. Do you guys think it might be fake (it did said Fender Precision Bass on the headstock though)?

I also went to the other music shop here and I found another P-Bass, which said this on the back of the headstock: FO139067 KOREA
I couldn't find anything about this serial number, could u guys help me?

 

[lonote]

I'm going to guess it is a mid-90's "standard" P-Bass. The "standard" P-Basses were made in Japan for a while, then Korea and now Mexico.

 

[r6mile]

OK thanks. The Bass is a dark blue P-Bass (almost black), with white pickups. Any idea of what kind of P-Bass it might be?

 

[lonote]

I just told you what kind of P-Bass it is. White pickups are almost certainly aftermarket, probably DiMarzios.

 

[r6mile]

Ok sorry, I'll try to take pictures next time and post them here. If a P-Bass doesn't have a serial number, does it mean it's fake?

 

[lonote]

I'm sorry, I misread your post. The P-Bass you're considering has no serial # and the Korean bass with the FO139067 is a different bass that looks like the picture you posted, correct?

 

[r6mile]

Yes, they are two different basses in two different shops. One of the basses is black, maple fingerboard, black pickups, and has no serial number. The other one is dark blue, rosewood fingerboard, white pickups, and does have a serial number.