Firstly, can Itake this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy New Year for 2012, and also say "thanks" foor all the comments, messaegs and e-mails. Another year older... if not wiser !!
I had a great run - up to Xmas, selling various data and technical manuals for cars. Some of the proceeds were invested in this Bass, which I've been after for ages.
A bit of a hybrid really, as its based on a 1951 Telecaster / "P" Bass (early Precision), though has a 1957 Precision pick up. The body is a slab (no contours), and the scratchplate again from a '51, like the control panel. The neck / head is Telecaster, and the bridge cover / ashtray is again from a '51. The finishing touch is a period "Fender Telecaster Bass" decal to the headstock...
Although its only about 12 months old, the Tele has been carefully reliced to look as though it has years on the clock... acid etched hardware, missing paintwork and a few dinks in the paintjob. The guy who reliced the bass does them to order, so you can specify how worn or not it looks when completed...
He was also working on a very nice 1970 Precision replica (with the neck humbucker) which I was briefly tempted by before re-deciding on the tele...
Fender's Custom Shop will do this kind of thing to order, though they charge several thousand US $ for the privilege.... This loks the part, plays like a dream and has a real punchy tone. Plus it cost a fraction of what I might have paid...
If there's enough guitar / bass minded people out there, then I'd welcome some posts on the topic... pics & descriptions can be sent via the usual e-mail address & I'll post them up periodically.
Hello & Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteBass look great, I "play" a 1979 Rickenbacker 330semi.
would love a JMI Vox AC30 but prices are out of my range.
ciao, nicola
i like the look.vintage is the right word.
ReplyDeleteit reminds me of those old guitars-like rory gallagher`s strat or willie nelson`s acoustic.
my musical career ended very early. I was just too lazy to practice. My guitar teacher recommended me: practice, practice and more practice and I should stop to hear the guitar heros.
what remains are a few guitar chords. the problem repeated itself when I started to play saxophone.Herr Pauli simply too lazy.......
Hey, I had Rickys also Nicola. Had a 1986 330/12, a '1988 360 and a 1973 4001 bass. Now have a Gibson G3 bass. Happy new year!
ReplyDeleteA few years back, I bought an early 1970s P-Bass that had absolutely been slung about, and looked all the better for it. For whatever reason, the volume and tone knobs had gone missing. I couldn't justify spending a wedge on a pair of suitably vintage Fender knobs, so I purchased a shiny new pair, which looked quite ridiculous in context. We were about to fly overseas for a tour, so I rang our producer who gave me a fantastic tip -- simply fill a cup with Coca-Cola and let the knobs soak overnight. Without exaggeration, in the morning the knobs looked thirty years old. Obviously, after seeing what Coca-Cola did to chrome in such a short amount of time, I've been scared to drink that shit since. But there you go, a decent, effective and inexpensive tip for relic'ing chrome bass/guitar parts.
ReplyDeleteSonme people use acid though a can of pop is a far cheaper way. Done that myself a few times. Am about to stick a Precision pick up cover on after a dip in the fizzy liquid of course. Sadly an original P / tele bass cover won't fit due to the pick up but I reckon it will all add to the hybrid look...
ReplyDelete