What happened to this bass?

[RyGuyHill]

I’m talking this bass
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And this bass

And this bass

If you haven’t picked it up already it’s an Olympic White P Bass with a black pick guard and maple neck. This is probably the coolest looking bass on the planet and I have only seen it now in:

The Fender Dee Dee Ramone signature (which goes for thousands on eBay)

That one Squire bass (which has a PJ configuration)

Matt Freeman signature Squire (nobody is aware this bass exists)

Anyone know the history behind this bass? It looks like it had its height in the 70’a and kinda faded away. And do any of you own one of these? And why can’t I find a lefty like this?

 

[SulzerType2]

I like the workmanlike appearance of these basses.

Fender P Basses came with celluloid tortoiseshell pickguards in the '60s. Occasionally white pickguards were used as well. Either due to costs or the instability of the material they shifted to a weird printed tortoiseshell material and, by the mid '70s a 3-ply black material. They also didn't spray a kitchen-appliance white finish and instead used that warm Olympic white colour.

I think these were all stock '70s P Basses. Dee Dee Ramone got through a lot of these basses. Some ended up with aftermarket red pickguards and silicone caulk around the edge to waterproof the electronics, but he didn't swap out pickups. I assume Paul Simonon was using a Dimarzio pickup in his bass, judging by the white cover. Generally these were 'off the peg' basses, bought then battered onstage.

I don't think there is a reissue, USA-built '70s-style Precision at the moment. Even when reissued as a MIM Bass Fender have added block neck inlays or otherwise changed the formula. I like the DEE DEE signature bass, though the shade of white seems too pale. The big chunky '70s decal was reissued on the Highway One basses and you can still get Olympic white P Basses with maple necks, but I don't think you can get them all in one package.

 

[kodiakblair]

And why can’t I find a lefty like this?

Jump over to the Stratosphere. Grab this left hand loaded body.

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Pair it with this neck.

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Add a set of strings and it'll still come in just under Player Precision money.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Matt Freeman signature Squire (nobody is aware this bass exists)

Not sure about that......

 

[jd56hawk]

If you haven’t picked it up already it’s an Olympic White P Bass with a black pick guard and maple neck. This is probably the coolest looking bass on the planet and I have only seen it now in:

Matt Freeman signature Squire (nobody is aware this bass exists)

I think you might need to see some more basses.

As for the Matt Freeman bass, plenty of people know it exists. Several recent posts about it and how crazy the asking prices are.

Other than that, white Fender Player left-handed P basses are readily available...a dozen on Reverb right now.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

The best looking bass is one of the 10 in my collection. Depends on what day I'm having. Today it's my relatively new fretless seafoam green fretless 5 with mother of toilet seat pg and cocobolo fingerboard.
Tomorrow it might be my 51 P5.
The real trouble begins when it's a $5000 bass on Reverb...

 

[No Malarky]

That look of a P Bass is 'All Business'!

 

[Stranger Danger]

I’m talking this bass
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
And this bass

And this bass

If you haven’t picked it up already it’s an Olympic White P Bass with a black pick guard and maple neck. This is probably the coolest looking bass on the planet and I have only seen it now in:

The Fender Dee Dee Ramone signature (which goes for thousands on eBay)

That one Squire bass (which has a PJ configuration)

Matt Freeman signature Squire (nobody is aware this bass exists)

Anyone know the history behind this bass? It looks like it had its height in the 70’a and kinda faded away. And do any of you own one of these? And why can’t I find a lefty like this?

There are tons of white and maple p basses out there. Just slap a black pickguard on it. It takes about $40 and 10 minutes

 

[pineweasel]

And why can’t I find a lefty like this?

Fender Japan made a nice 70s model, albeit with a rosewood board, for a while. This was mine, sold in 2012:

 

[bbao]

For the record, the second picture from your post is not a maple neck

 

[JohnnyChatter]

Fender American Precision. Just add a black pick guard. I’m still annoyed I didn’t grab the Matt Freeman when they were going for 3-400 used. I was like na dog I’ll just hang a minute and grab one in a year… nope.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

It seems to me a P-Bass in white would be very common. A left handed model might be more difficult, but not any more so than any other left handed bass.

 

[Rib 13]

White Precisions with maple never went away and are always around. Just Google Search "White Precision Bass" or "White P-Bass". Tons of stuff, including the current Fender Player Precision Bass - Polar White with Maple Fingerboard
....For the ones with pickguards of other colors, the only thing youd have to do is change the pickguard to black. Easy fix

 

[Kal-El]

To answer the original question."All my best stuff is in the pawn shop."

 

[Ricky Rioli]

For the record, the second picture from your post is not a maple neck

White, black, rosewood is currently available as a Japanese Domestic Market model, with a 1 + 9/16" nut, 9½" radius and U-shape profile.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Very expensive and time consuming option — buy two lefty Am Pro II P-basses:
one mystic surf green / white / maple
one white / black / rosewood

Swap the necks.
Keep the white / black / maple,
sell the mystic surf green / white / rosewood.

 

[Killing Floor]

Here you go. Took 10 seconds. Lefty. You can choose neck type and finger board if you prefer rosewood. 3 weeks to your door. Not hard. Made in Corona.

 

[Batced]

Towards the end of his career with the Ramones, Dee Dee did stop using Fender’s, apparently the quality of their builds was inconsistent in the 80s compared to the 70s (though I guess it beggars the question why Dee Dee didn’t just prowl around for 70s CBS-era Fender Precisions) and had switched brands to ESP. He used three custom built ones and I think this Thunderbird custom was my favorite, dunno how it sounded since there’s not much live video or audio of it out there, and Dee Dee infamously did not play on his last album with the Ramones “Brain Drain” so I doubt it was used there.

 

[Slater]

Dee Dee did stop using Fender’s, apparently the quality of their builds was inconsistent in the 80s compared to the 70s

That would have to be really inconsistent.

 

[Grinderman]

I’m talking this bass
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
And this bass

And this bass

If you haven’t picked it up already it’s an Olympic White P Bass with a black pick guard and maple neck. This is probably the coolest looking bass on the planet and I have only seen it now in:

The Fender Dee Dee Ramone signature (which goes for thousands on eBay)

That one Squire bass (which has a PJ configuration)

Matt Freeman signature Squire (nobody is aware this bass exists)

Anyone know the history behind this bass? It looks like it had its height in the 70’a and kinda faded away. And do any of you own one of these? And why can’t I find a lefty like this?

Here's another one.

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I don't really understand the question. Getting a P bass with those basic specs is nothing complicated at all. I've got one; I built it.