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NDB: 1961 Fender Precision

DavidBassista

DavidBassista

May 21, 2014
403
802
44
NYC
#1
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I periodically check vintage Precision bass prices on various websites to see what's out there, mainly because I've had a vintage (1963) Fender and like to follow the market. It's hard to keep track of all the different stores one can check on for prices. But this weekend the Music is Win YouTube channel posted a video that was filmed at Rudy's Music in SOHO. So I thought I'd check their site and see what they had in the realm of vintage Fenders, and I saw this bass.... I really wasn't actively looking to purchase another vintage Precision bass, but the condition of this bass along with what felt like a very good asking price compelled me to go check the bass out in person. I REALLY wanted to find something wrong with this bass in order to dissuade me from buying it because I don't NEED another vintage P bass. I had to come into Manhattan today for a dentist appointment in the East Village. After the appointment I walked down to SOHO. I came in with a very skeptical attitude in an effort to talk myself out of what visually and price-wise was a deal that seemed exceptional. I played through most of my repertoire on this thing. Having owned what I consider to be a very fine example of a Pre-CBS Precision in my 1963 for the past 6 years, I knew what to look for in a vintage bass in terms of playability and sound. This bass has it. Due to my emotional attachment to my 63, it kind of even pains me to say that this 61 plays better than my 63 in some ways.

I sat there in front of the amp with my mind spinning. Was I about to buy this bass?
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I frantically texted a friend for advice who encouraged me to go for it. Deep down I knew I couldn't walk out of the store without it. It was too good, and the price - it seemed underpriced, less than many team built Custom Shop basses go for. According to the store, the prior owner of the bass acquired it in 1971 and hasn't changed it since then, which means that it had its original finish stripped before 1971. It has the original nitro pick guard in perfect shape - no cracks in it which is quite rare. It looks amazing. Original pick-ups and pots. The only thing replaced on it are the re-production tuning machines and a graphite nut. It has a slab-board neck dated September 1961. The frets are original and feel great. It's set up really well. It's a two-piece ash body. The maple neck has flame all up and down it. It's hard to see in the picture:

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The bass weighs 8.6 lbs. For a player-grade instrument, it kind of doesn't get much better than this. I think the natural finish looks great. I'm not sure what was used to re-finish the body - maybe poly. It has lots of natural checking in it. The neck finish seems original. The case that it is in is insane - totally far out. It's some sort of home-made job. Funky, but it's cool.

I made the decision. They threw in a nice black leather strap to sweeten the deal even more. Next thing I knew I was Ubering back to Brooklyn with this thing.

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I got home and laid it out with its cousin:

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Well that's it for now. I feel quite lucky to have both of these great early 60's basses. Here are a few more pics I pulled off the website listing.

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#15
DavidBassista said:
I think I'm going to keep it natural for now! Though I think some sort of transparent nitro finish could look cool. Maybe blond. Thoughts?
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Keep it the way it is and it looks better less shiny like you have it now not the way it looked in the shop pictures. FWIW I've been around for a long time and would bet that the vast majority of stripped Fenders were done during the 60's. There were many stripped Fenders back then, 90% of Fenders were either sunburst, sunburst or sunburst so the color got a little tiresome and Fender started making natural P basses sometime early 70's, I want to say 1971. Colors other than sunburst were very rare back then.
 
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#18
Awesome, and congrats. Very cool that it's ash. It was most probably blonde originally. Blonde was an alternate standard color that was available at the same price as burst, from the split-coil P Bass's introduction all through the early to mid '60s (and possibly longer). And when it was ordered, it came with the tort guard, not the white guard used on most custom colors. Blonde with rosewood board and tort guard is not a combination that dealers ordered very often, so it's rare (though not that desirable)...but it was indeed considered a "standard" color scheme, listed right alongside burst in the Fender price lists of the day.

Odd that the guard has the thin black layer normally associated with the second-generation tort guards, which had non-nitrate w/b/w layers. Have you checked the pot codes, and/or looked for a body date that was possibly not wiped out during the refin?

Also, is the guard on your '63 original? It looks a bit "off."
 
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#20
2F/2F said:
Awesome, and congrats. Very cool that it's ash. It was most probably blonde originally. Blonde was an alternate standard color that was available at the same price as burst, from the split-coil P Bass's introduction all through the early to mid '60s (and possibly longer). And when it was ordered, it came with the tort guard, not the white guard used on most custom colors. Blonde with rosewood board and tort guard is not a combination that dealers ordered very often, so it's rare (though not that desirable)...but it was indeed considered a "standard" color scheme, listed right alongside burst in the Fender price lists of the day.

Odd that the guard has the thin black layer normally associated with the second-generation tort guards, which had non-nitrate w/b/w layers. Have you checked the pot codes, and/or looked for a body date that was possibly not wiped out during the refin?

Also, is the guard on your '63 original? It looks a bit "off."
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I have not had the neck off of it. According to Rudy's the neck date is 9-22-61. And the Pots are dated to the 35th week of 61. No mention of a body date. If I had to guess I would say it was a burst because the edge of the bass seem to have some darkness to them as if not all the black paint was removed. That being said, if I ever did get it re-finished I would have it done as transparent blond.

The body of the 61 is more crudely sculpted than my 63 which is more refined. The horns on the 61 are chunkier. The 61 is nearly a one-piece ash - just the bottom bout is a second piece of wood.

The Pick guard on the 63 is by Spitfire who makes very nice reproduction guards. You can read about my 63 P restoration here: Fixing up 1963 Precision Bass
 
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