The first Fender precision bass !

[TheDialog]

In regards to #1, echoing what some others have said, it seems there are 3-4 of the "#1's".
9/18/51 is the earliest neck date and appears on the basses with the "prototype" appointments that both @Bflat and @2saddleslab referenced.
0017, 0116, and 0144.

From what's been gathered by @Bflat, 0017 was one of the first three made. Given to Arlis McMinn at the Fender factory by Leo Fender.
0017 had has quite the life. Contoured to look more like a '57-now, modern style P, refinished multiple times etc.
I've put a lot of love and work into the bass over the last year including having Lindy Fralin rewind the original pickup and having the neck refinished to 50's specs so it will age and wear appropriately. The whole bass was sporting a clear coat that would never allow the bass to age as it should.
Next and last up is refinishing the body. I'm heavily considering sending it to Joe Riggio to do the work in 2023. I'll keep the 1951/1952 thread updated.

 

[jimmydean]

Entwistle had #2 and he said he hated it , terrible sound . Bass #1 will never be found......I'm keeping it .

 

[bluesblaster]

I played a 53' once at a "vintage store" possibly the worst playing and sounding bass I ever had my hands on. They were asking a fair bit of coin for it, I told the owner I wouldnt give you $5 for this thing, he said its still a 53' Fender bass, I said yeah, its an old piece of wood and thats about it, a totally awful bass.

 

[Stewie]

So what was the full price offer?

It started at $1375 and had dropped to $675. I had 375 in my pocket. This was before bank cards or I would have it now

 

[Headless horse]

It started at $1375 and had dropped to $675. I had 375 in my pocket. This was before bank cards or I would have it now

How much, do You think, it would cost today ?

 

[cdef]

Just for the record, here's a photo from a 1953 Lionel Hampton gig in Sweden with Monk Montgomery
playing a Fender electric bass, stated to be "the only one in the world". Obviously a misunderstanding
on the reporter's part.

 

[TheDialog]

Just for the record, here's a photo from a 1953 Lionel Hampton gig in Sweden with Monk Montgomery
playing a Fender electric bass stated to be "the only one in the world". Obviously a misunderstanding
on the reporter's part.

View attachment 4885866

Stories like this are akin to Bill Wyman saying there were only 5 '69 Ampeg SVT's and he had/toured with them all.
As a community, we've found plenty more '69's.

 

[TheDialog]

I believe there were 75 bodies and 84 necks (someone correct me if I'm off on my numbers) made in 1951.
@Bflat has an excel spreadsheet containing all the 51's still in existence.
I believe the last one added, number 41, was Jeff Hill's, bass player for the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Steve Earle & the Dukes etc.

 

[Chrisk-K]

I am sure Fender Custom Shop will introduce the Limited Edition American Very First Precision Bass, priced at $4,999.

 

[g-dude]

The serial numbers were not sequential, so can't go by that. Production started in Nov of 51. There are thought to have been 2 to 4 prototypes made and TB member @TheDialog has a very early Sept proto w/ some non production details [2 screw tug bar, longer control panel].

The body on mine dates to NOV 7 51.
View attachment 4885451
View attachment 4885452

It's funny how...well, it looks like someone named bubba put it together in his shed - much like so many things from that era. The same can be said for the early NASA space capsules - John Glenn's looks like someone literally had some spare corrugated metal and decided he was gonna build him a spaceship.

Meanwhile today you can get a Glarry P-Bass for $99. That's the equivalent of $8.97 in 1951. For the price that Fender charged back then ($199.50 is the figure I found), the modern equivalent would be paying $2,225.

We've come so far in terms of the ability to manufacture objects with greater precision at a lower cost...although some of that comes from finding inexpensive sources of labor.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I am sure Fender Custom Shop will introduce the Limited Edition American Very First Precision Bass, priced at $4,999.

Sounds like as bargain. Sign me up.

But, only if they make only one, ever.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

If any of you have it sitting around, taking up space, just send it to me and then you will be able to put something else under your bed.
Seriously, I am not completely opposed to a birth year bass.

 

[sylvanbass]

George Porter Jr. has one of the first 100 ever made according to his website. I remember reading a thread on here years ago (I think), but I couldn't find anything via search. I probably missed it cause my searching skills on here suck.

 

[HaphAsSard]

some of that comes from finding inexpensive sources of labor

Same as back in the day, only in different places.

 

[TheDialog]

If any of you have it sitting around, taking up space, just send it to me and then you will be able to put something else under your bed.
Seriously, I am not completely opposed to a birth year bass.

Address?

 

[g-dude]

Same as back in the day, only in different places.

Yup.

It’s amazing to think that Japanese manufacturing went from being considered to be low quality to suddenly world-class in just a matter of decades.

A lot of it was due to this man: W. Edwards Deming - Wikipedia

 

[InhumanResource]

In my garage. At least last time I checked. It had a hum I didn’t care for so I let the kid play around with it.

Weight?

 

[Fender_Bender]

There was a thread about this subject a year or two ago. I just got a like on one of my comments a couple of days ago.

 

[Killing Floor]

Weight?

Was right at 9 pounds before I routed it for a bridge pickup and added a Kahler. Thinking about reshaping the headstock to stop the neck from diving.
Thoughts?

 

[icefly]

I'll keep the 1951/1952 thread updated.

Please, post thread link