Is this Real?

[Rabidhamster]

'fake' has such stigma attached to it. So does term 'red flags'. For all we know it could be a high quality neck attached to a Warmoth body. Maybe the pickup is a Fralin. Someone throws a Fender waterslide decal on it and all of a sudden everyone cries FAKE! FAKE! Red flags!
That bass looks really good to me.

Nah it’s not a Warmoth neck either. It’s not a real Fender, and it’s a really bad water slide decal too so it’s not a “replica” either Fake isn’t an insult it’s the truth.

 

[Rabidhamster]

Unless someone wanted and paid a great deal of money for a bass that looked like a "knockoff " Fender , that is not a Custom Shop bass .......Nice looking bass , enjoy !

Hey that would be a fun order to try to put through wouldn’t it? I wish I had that kind of money it would be hilarious.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Nah it’s not a Warmoth neck either. It’s not a real Fender, and it’s a really bad water slide decal too so it’s not a “replica” either Fake isn’t an insult it’s the truth.

so, just remove the decal and call it a parts bass and BAM! no one calls it a fake anymore lol

 

[lowendrv]

Looks like the truss rod access is on the headstock. On American Fenders it’s at the neck heel right?

97-98 California Precision Bass specials are the only American basses that have truss rod access on head stock . .

 

[bearhart74]

If you can touch it its real.

 

[Rabidhamster]

so, just remove the decal and call it a parts bass and BAM! no one calls it a fake anymore lol

Probably not to someone’s face, but definitely if it were asked on TB

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Probably not to someone’s face, but definitely if it were asked on TB

yeah TB. There ya have it!

 

[B String]

too bad the bridge was installed very very slightly too close to the treble string side. Oh well. Hardly a big deal. Very very nice bass, and solid craftsmanship, and very pretty body wood finish!

Not much that can go wrong with a solidly built precision bass.

I don't know anything about fender labels, but I do think I see a sticker outline on the usa made label small text part at bottom of front of headstock (below the FENDER logo word)... and I don't know if that is normal or not, but just an observation. And I might well be wrong about seeing that. I just would have thought that I wouldn't see that on a real usa. It's been so long since I had a fender bass that I couldn't tell ya any more LoL.

I really like it though and would probably choose it over a stock precision due to the bridge and general appearance, and the fact that it looks legit enough at least wins over badge-crazy crowds on stage.

I mean, come on, we all know that the girls snicker at us when we play Squiers on stage, right? (I'm kidding, I've rocked squiers on stage without any more girls snickering at me than usual!)

The bridge might not be the issue. Loosen the strings, then loosen the neck plate screws a bit so the neck isn't tightly screwed in. Try to gently move the neck so the strings align better, then tighten the screws on the neck plate.

 

[elgranluis]

Not since the 70's if I'm not mistaken.
Recent, 80's on, have been heel adjustments.

You might be mistaken. Every bass with the bi flex truss rod has used headstock access for adjustment (that means 80s and 90s made in USA, with the bi flex feature, meaning elites , American standards , etc) Also the highway 1 series, first couple of iterations.

 

[micguy]

For all we know it could be a high quality neck attached to a Warmoth body.

Easy to find out - Warmoth stamps their bodies in the neck pocket. If you take the neck off, you'll learn some more about the thing, even if what you learn is that nobody claims to have made the parts.

 

[castlev]

too bad the bridge was installed very very slightly too close to the treble string side.

The neck may have shifted in the pocket. I would loosen the strings, and back off the neck screws a turn or two, and pull the neck towards me and tighten the screws back down. It's amazing how the slightest movement of the neck affects string alignment.

It would also help the string alignment over the pickups.

It looks like a very nice instrument. If it were me, I'll sand the face of the head stock to remove the fender logo, assuming it isn't authentic, then I would put this water slide decal on it. I'm being serious, I'm not even joking, it would be a blast.

 

[erratick]

97-98 California Precision Bass specials are the only American basses that have truss rod access on head stock . .

Incorrect- (see Avatar) bass is from 91 - Precision Plus and the like. Headstock adjust and USA made. Purchased new, and have catalog.

There are others as well.

However that is not the neck OPs bass has- which looks like a squier with a bad decal.

 

[erratick]

Not since the 70's if I'm not mistaken.
Recent, 80's on, have been heel adjustments.

Incorrect. The precision and jazz plus from the late 80s, early 90s had headstock adjust and they are USA made. There are some other models as well. But generally the retro basses from the USA have been heel adjust.

The OPs bass neck looks like a Squier though.

 

[FRoss6788]

You might be mistaken. Every bass with the bi flex truss rod has used headstock access for adjustment (that means 80s and 90s made in USA, with the bi flex feature, meaning elites , American standards , etc) Also the highway 1 series, first couple of iterations.

Incorrect. The precision and jazz plus from the late 80s, early 90s had headstock adjust and they are USA made. There are some other models as well. But generally the retro basses from the USA have been heel adjust.

The OPs bass neck looks like a Squier though.

I stand corrected

 

[lowendrv]

Incorrect- (see Avatar) bass is from 91 - Precision Plus and the like. Headstock adjust and USA made. Purchased new, and have catalog.

There are others as well.

However that is not the neck OPs bass has- which looks like a squier with a bad decal.

I agree , Fender did a lot " Specials and Pluses " in the 90s that were limited or short run versions of Fender FSO's . All the American standard and reissue stuff had truss rod at the heel. Fender has been trying to reinvent their own wheel since the 80's . lol
The age old question . What did Fender offer new this year ?

 

[Fender_Bender]

The tuners appear to be copies of these. They had a softer, non flat clover.

 

[Fender_Bender]

The logo is close, but here’s the original type

 

[Keenan]

The tuners appear to be copies of these. They had a softer, non flat clover.
View attachment 4525797

The tuners on the bass are identical to these...

https://reverb.com/item/4817735-fen...me-tuning-keys-2011-american-deluxe-jazz-bass

 

[bolophonic]

That truss rod access doesnt look like anything fender offered.

Every MIM Fender neck I have owned has had the truss rod access right there.

 

[elgranluis]

I agree , Fender did a lot " Specials and Pluses " in the 90s that were limited or short run versions of Fender FSO's . All the American standard and reissue stuff had truss rod at the heel. Fender has been trying to reinvent their own wheel since the 80's . lol
The age old question . What did Fender offer new this year ?

again , not really. American standards in the late 80s and early 90s had truss rod adjustment at the headstock.