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Reversing P-J Mod???
- Thread starter ExaltBass
- Start date
I've got to go to a gig right now, but I'll catch up later.
2nd Hint: It's not a '69 - what might it be and what clues are there?
2nd Hint: It's not a '69 - what might it be and what clues are there?
The pictures show that it was painted yellow before it was painted metallic blue. So it once had a sunburst paint job? Possibly older that 1969?
Something about the little bump in the lower cutaway where it meets the neck pocket. I've read about this somewhere, don't remember what it means.
Going for a (long overdue) restoration of a great bass & gigging friend. I have other basses for other sounds. I actually agonized over leaving it as a P-J and just doing the paint, but my bass seemed to want to be made back to original... so I went with it.
Okay, some guesses... with a question.
Are you trying to hide the control rout from our view? I could be completely off, but maybe this was a Pre 1958 P-Bass with the single coil pickup rerouted.
OR
Is this a 1958 P-Bass when Fender first changed to the split coil pickup?
Alright, lets see what happens. Someone please tell me if I have anything wrong. I am 25 and still learning Fender Bass history.
Are you trying to hide the control rout from our view? I could be completely off, but maybe this was a Pre 1958 P-Bass with the single coil pickup rerouted.
OR
Is this a 1958 P-Bass when Fender first changed to the split coil pickup?
Alright, lets see what happens. Someone please tell me if I have anything wrong. I am 25 and still learning Fender Bass history.
Wait, no one asked this yet... what did they see before to define it as a 1969? Is it possible that what they saw as reading "69" was really "59"?
Not trying tho hide the P rout - just wasn't pertinent.
I bought this in Jan/Feb of '75 in a pawn shop in Grand Forks, North Dakota while gigging there for 2 weeks. The reasons I believed it was a '69 were (1) neck plate serial number, (2) correct bridge with long 'G' screw, (3) the correct tuners "Fender" - but no (R).
The bass was a mess with all the routs and a bowed and twisted neck and was a major relic already! The pots had been swapped out, so no help there... and I have the pickups 'someplace safe' in my house (still looking) after the P-J conversion back in the 70s, so I can't get date off them... yet. There was no readable date stamp on the body.
I'm going to have to wait for the confirmation from Gruhn, but all indications (yellow Fullerplast pretreat on wood, bump on body on lower horn, and some other stuff I never noticed - like screw holes used for finishing) indicate that this is likely a late 50s body (I understand that Ocean Metallic became a custom color in late 50s), and yes, quite possibly a '59 or '60.
SO, I guess I have an early Fender 'Parts Bass'
now if you could get the rest of the '59 parts you'd have a helluva bass! as far as the J not adding anything it's a bit too close to the bridge for my taste, I'd have put it a lot closer to the neck pickup (and recently I've had an urge for a P/MM bass).
Cool, I feel like a Detective. So what does the bump indicate? You must be tearing your house apart looking for that pickup!
I actually liked the 70's spacing for the J pickup. IMO it added more edge than the P-Js I've played with 60's spacing. And that's with either the DiMarzio & EMG P-J pups that I had in it. The EMGs were totally awesome!
I plan on putting in a Lindy Fralin P-Bass pickup until I can find the original. I am thinking I should have hung on to the EMGs but I'm looking for an unmodified vintage look.
OK, now what do I do? The verdict is "definitely 50's. late 50's" but no specific year... could have been a VERY aged LPB? or, a custom color. (Looks very OTM now) SO, I'm assuming '59...?
I always thought this was a '69 (mod by me - P-J) with a '73 replacement neck (original neck thrown away in '75). NOW, I have an indeterminately aged body (late 50's) with a LOT of '69 hardware and a '73 neck. So, WHAT DO I CALL HER NOW??? (other than 'Franken' - haha, bad MN joke
I'm a conservative, so don't GO there!)
BTW: awaiting the repainted body - hope to have it SOON! Will post pics when back (before, during and after)
I always thought this was a '69 (mod by me - P-J) with a '73 replacement neck (original neck thrown away in '75). NOW, I have an indeterminately aged body (late 50's) with a LOT of '69 hardware and a '73 neck. So, WHAT DO I CALL HER NOW??? (other than 'Franken' - haha, bad MN joke
I'm a conservative, so don't GO there!)BTW: awaiting the repainted body - hope to have it SOON! Will post pics when back (before, during and after)
