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P-Bass Pawn Shop Find

Tulsa Teddy

Tulsa Teddy

Aug 11, 2016
194
618
Coeur d'Alene
#1
I walked in to one of my local pawn shops a few days ago and saw a P Bass with "Fender" on the headstock instead of "Squier" for $140. It had dusty grime all over it and only 3 strings. The action was high and it had enough pick scratches to conclude that someone probably used it in a garage metal band (at least that's my made up back story). The thing looked like hell warmed over. Closely looking at the headstock I could see it had a Mexican serial number starting with MN4 and the remains of a small decal that used to say "Squier Series". I've heard of these. In the mid nineties,due to a fire at the California factory, Fender sent American necks and bodies to the Mexico facility and these became the "Squier Series." I verified it's a Fender alder body with an American Fender neck, bit it had cheaper hardware all the way around.

I checked it out as best I could and couldn't find any deal breaking defects. No cracks, neck seated firmly in the pocket, etc. I talked the pawn shop down to $110 and walked out with a new project. After I cleaned all the crap off it, this bass started to shine. I soaked the bridge in WD-40 to get the screws loose. Replaced the cheap pots with quality 250k pots and a good cap. New pickguard and a set of flat wounds later I had a thumping PBass for less than $200. After I gave it a set up it's every bit as nice a player as my MIJ Geddy Lee J-Bass and it sounds good too, but not great just yet. I have a Fender '62 Reissue pup on order from the Custom Shop to round out the deal. I think I have a bass that is just a set of tuning machines away from being as good as any similar year American Standard. But because it's technically a "Squier Series" even though they are true American Parts, I'd never be able to get that much for it.

I guess I'll keep it.
 

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#5
Tulsa Teddy said:
I was originally thinking of cleaning it up and selling it on craigslist for a profit to help finance a new amp and cab. I still need the new rig. But now I have more options to play through it when I get it.
Click to expand...

How about this? Your sig. says you have two Js - maybe sell one of them.
 
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#7
I don't think that the story about the fire has ever been substantiated. Weather or not those were US parts is unknown.

What is known is that the "Squier Series" Fender instruments from Mexico use the same necks and bodies as all the other MIM instruments that were coming out of the Mexico factory at the time, just with different levels of hardware.

The stock pickups in these are pretty good, new pots really help. Necks are fantastic.

What is also known is that you got a good deal on that bass :bassist::bassist:

Full disclosure - I own 3 MIM Squier Series P basses and have researched the heck out of them. I'll have a 4th if I can ever find a white one.
 
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#8
buldog5151bass said:
How about this? Your sig. says you have two Js - maybe sell one of them.
Click to expand...
Can't do that. I'm attached to the Geddy and I need the 5 string at church. I'll just have to live with 3 basses for not. The new rig isn't critical. It's more of a want. Besides, I'm had good luck at finding diamonds in the rough and flipping them for a $50 to $100 profit lately. It helps that there's a couple of pawn shops that don't really know what to look for in town and enough people on craigslist that need money fast.
 
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#10
Justice said:
I don't think that the story about the fire has ever been substantiated. Weather or not those were US parts is unknown.

What is known is that the "Squier Series" Fender instruments from Mexico use the same necks and bodies as all the other MIM instruments that were coming out of the Mexico factory at the time, just with different levels of hardware.

The stock pickups in these are pretty good, new pots really help. Necks are fantastic.

What is also known is that you got a good deal on that bass :bassist::bassist:

Full disclosure - I own 3 MIM Squier Series P basses and have researched the heck out of them. I'll have a 4th if I can ever find a white one.
Click to expand...

I was impressed with the pickup once the new pots were in. It's better than I expected. And yes, the neck is amazing. I'm definitely keeping my eyes open for any other Squier Series offering I can locate. I almost had a Squier Series strat for $140 a few weeks ago but the guy sold it to someone else an hour before I could meet up with him. Couldn't get off work fast enough.
 
#12
Tulsa Teddy said:
Well, I'll keep mine for now, but I could act as middle man for him if I run across a white one.
Click to expand...

yeah, i like em cause I have bean able to get them fairly cheap, since some people are put off by the "Squier Series" tag. Thats why I did a bunch of research on them. :) I have 2 black ones and a red one. Need a white one to complete the set. I would have bought the one you found as well just because it was a great deal even though it is black :) :)

FWIW, there are also Fender "Squier Series" instruments from Korea and Japan. The Korean ones have a black and silver Fender logo (instead of all black) and most of the ones I have see first hand have lamainated (plywood bodies). The Japanese ones seem pretty rare and I have never seen one in person.
 
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#13
Justice said:
yeah, i like em cause I have bean able to get them fairly cheap, since some people are put off by the "Squier Series" tag. Thats why I did a bunch of research on them. :) I have 2 black ones and a red one. Need a white one to complete the set. I would have bought the one you found as well just because it was a great deal even though it is black :) :)

FWIW, there are also Fender "Squier Series" instruments from Korea and Japan. The Korean ones have a black and silver Fender logo (instead of all black) and most of the ones I have see first hand have lamainated (plywood bodies). The Japanese ones seem pretty rare and I have never seen one in person.
Click to expand...
My research makes me skeptical of the Korea ones as well. I'm mainly interested in the Mexican ones because of the (now questionable) stories about the use of American necks and bodies. I think if I found one with a sweet neck, I could over look the plywood body if the price was right.

I've exhausted all of my research leads in a short amount of time. There doesn't seem to be much written about this series.
 
#14
I had a Korean Squier series Precision that was solid wood, and I've see one example of a Jazz that was too (the latter was missing a big patch of paint on the lower edge.) Only a sample size of two, but I believe there are plenty of MIK basses with solid bodies. Interestingly, both of those were Maui Blue.

On a related note, I saw a battered red MIM Squier Series P in a pawn shop a few weeks ago for $80, I probably should have grabbed that one...
 
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#17
I noticed one difference besides color between mine and your red one. My tuners are stamped with "Licensed By Scheller." Yours have no writing on them at all. Other than that they look identical down to the single ply pickguard and felt washers on the strap lugs.
 
#18
Tulsa Teddy said:
I noticed one difference besides color between mine and your red one. My tuners are stamped with "Licensed By Scheller." Yours have no writing on them at all. Other than that they look identical down to the single ply pickguard and felt washers on the strap lugs.
Click to expand...

Yeah, during that era, Fender used both types of tuners, they look pretty much the same but some say "Licensed by" and the others don't. It's weird. I know at least one of my MIM (All between 1994 and 1999) basses has the Licensed By tuners, but i don't remember which one.
 
#20
When I read 'P-bass pawn shop find' its like I hear a gong ring out and all the townsfolk turn their heads and look to the distance in unison.
Today is a good day, for a P-bass hath been found in thyne pawn shoppe.

Really this is what I live for.

Never heard of this fire at the fender plant story, but I want it to be true.
I have heard so many iterations of the 'these ones are made with american parts but in mexico' that I may start to believe that maybe they ARE both made of wood!

Anyway that bass looks sweet, I love a good mexican P, and it seems so do you.
 
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