Need help identifying my fender

Well, I can't help you with any information ... But it sure is a VERY nice looking bass ... I guess you can probably get a whole lot of moeny for it now.
But as I already mentioned: I don't know anything about Fenders ... there are people here on TB who will readily give you all the info you want

 

Could this be an early 80's 60's RI that's been modded?

The tuners are the 70's CBS type but I'm not sure about the huge bridge. I remember Mike Watt playing a white Fender Frankenbass with a Tele neck in fIREHOSE that had a similar bridge but that's the only other time I've seen one. I'm assuming the battery cover on the back is an after-market add on for the EMG's.

I'm a bit of a Fender bass nerd and I'm stumped!

 

It's got...The Claw!

Dun, dun, daaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

 

Not the Craw, the CRAW!

 

Sorry about that, Chief.

 

*lowers cone of silence so more old gags don't escape*

 

WHAT?!

 

Sorry, I have a banana in my ear.

 

I agree - that bridge don't look original to me, as it's missing screw holes in the bass. The route for the rear control cavity also looks a little large for the cover. But the tuners and the strap pin on the back of the headstock look re-issue.

 

So you'll need to mime.

 

That bridge was Fender's answer to the high mass Badass bridge. Pretty rare. Looks like a 1980ish Precision Bass Special body, aftermarket PU, changed pickguard and knobs. Tuners and string tree are probably from a P-Bass Special, possibly a '62 AVS neck, based on the decal and strap button.
Might bave been some kind of export model, could be a parts bass. It looks great, probably sounds huge. If you look under the pickguard and at the butt of the neck, more questions could be answered. Sorry I can't tell you more. Someone smarter will be along shortly.

 

This is what confuses me. By the time they started the RI range in the early 80's CBS had sold Fender so all new basses came with those chunky tuners that you see on new Fenders today. The RI ranges had period correct tuners and that's a 62 RI neck with 70's CBS tuners.

And I still have no idea about that bridge.

 

Two questions for the Original Poster:

When you bought it, it was sold as brand new, right?

Would I be correct in stating you made no modifications?

 

"Doing a little Research I just found out that the fender custom shop started creating about the same time as I bought her, could it be an early custom shop bass or am I dreaming."

I think dreaming.

It looks to me like a parter made of sundry '80s components both factory and aftermarket. The "Claw" bridge was made for Fender by Kahler as part of Fender's "Brass Works" collection of parts. AFAIK the Claw was never used by Fender as an OEM bridge, it was sold as an aftermarket item.

 

Weird. I can't imagine that this bass was new when you bought it. There's too much wrong with it.
It looks like it COULD be a '62 RI, but someone changed the string tree, tuners, knobs, neck plate (the serial # was probably on the original), bridge, pickups, pickguard (thumb rest holes are on the "E" side), and routed it for the battery in the back.
I doubt the Custom shop had anything to do with this bass.

I would post it up for opinions over on the Fender forum too.
I don't know what exactly you have there, but I'd bet money it was neither new nor stock when you got it...

 

Posting for lunarpollen:

 

Can't imagine a Fender coming from the factory with EMG's.

To repeat what a few others have said...

it looks to me to be assembled from some early 80's parts, probably not at the factory.

Odd that there are holes in the p/g for the thumbrest and p/u covers but never were attached. Also there are screw holes in the bridge that haven't been used as well.

This doesn't appear to be a factory job to me, but who knows. Might be what they refer to as a "Lunch-Box" special in the firearms world. Something cobbled together by someone who works at the factory off the clock.

More than likely a parts bass though. (a cool one at that)