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What makes a 51' P a 51' P?
- Thread starter vbasscustom
- Start date
Thats a rubbish relic job somebody did on that CIJ '51.
They even added the router hump.
A couple theories -
1) template defect
2) extra "meat" to strengthen the neck pocket
I believe theory #2, because Leo was a very "practical" man.
Of course, we all know ..... Leo didn't invent the electric bass.
Fender still likes to think so.
Musician and inventor Paul Tutmarc developed a fretted electric string bass. The 1935 sales catalog for Audiovox, featured his Electric Bass Fiddle, a four-stringed, solid-bodied instrument with a 30½-inch scale length.
The cross-head screws should have sounded alarm bells for me.
Musician and inventor Paul Tutmarc developed a fretted electric string bass. The 1935 sales catalog for Audiovox, featured his Electric Bass Fiddle, a four-stringed, solid-bodied, fretted electric bass instrument with a 30½-inch scale length.
So where are all the famous Audiovox players today? This is genuine trivia -- until someone uncovered this factoid around '96, no one had ever seen or even heard of one. That doesn't make him the daddy of the Fender bass any more than any other tinkerer out there who had the obvious idea of a bass guitar. But Leo made it work, made it popular, and gets the credit in my opinion.
thank you, thank you everyone, i started one monster awesome thread. and its been extremely (i almost said terribly) informative for me, as i will soon be undertaking this project. i will consult you all, every step of he way.
M.R.Ogle,
That one is there on all of them, thanks..... to answer the 50 to 52 question, There are around 25 actually signed and dated basses that have surfaced with a 1951 date although more were made. Exactly how many isn't known, the rest are 52,53,54 basses and there are around 1200 of those made. There are many differences etween 51 basses and the others as Leo fine tuned the design....
That one is there on all of them, thanks..... to answer the 50 to 52 question, There are around 25 actually signed and dated basses that have surfaced with a 1951 date although more were made. Exactly how many isn't known, the rest are 52,53,54 basses and there are around 1200 of those made. There are many differences etween 51 basses and the others as Leo fine tuned the design....
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,636
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
i think i heard that the prototypes (non production ones) were actually being made in '48 or '49. i did have one come into my shop in the mid 80's that had a three digit serial number that was 001(!), stamped on the bridge's base plate. it belonged to a former fender employee that worked there from 1949-'early 60's.
