Fender Precision Bass Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1962), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 78483, white re- finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
Overall length is 45 3/4 in. (116.2 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.)., 8.26 lbs.
While far from a fully original instrument this is a superb player's Fender bass, made up of a marriage of mostly older parts into a real featherweight tone machine. The original 1962-3 clay-dot neck has a sealed headstock crack running up through the tuners from the E to the base of the D shaft, ancient and fully solidly sealed up. The entire neck sports a very old amateur sand and refinish job, very thin and heavily worn through with a good correct style repro decal and the original tuners all with replaced gear retaining screws. There is a 1962 neck date penciled on the heel; while the marking is NOT genuine but this IS an authentic 1962-3 Fender neck, and a great feeling one at that. Amazingly the small-wire frets look original and in not-too-bad shape, and the bone nut is original as well.
The Fender body has an old amateur refinish in white, showing several layers of different colors underneath. Tantalizingly there is what appears to be an authentic looking Sonic Blue over white undercoat beneath this, but without removal of the overlaid finish it cannot be verified as original. This body is loaded with 1966 dated Fender pickups and cloth wiring, which appear to be a complete original set. The grey bobbin pickup coils are hand-dated 12-14-66 and 12-22-66 and the pots coded pots 6636. The body likely dates to 1966 as well, carrying an original threaded saddle bridge. It is topped with a later repro "green guard" pickguard and later correct-style knobs. While obviously a mutt, this is an "Old Yeller Frisbee Dog" of a bass, simply one of the best sounding and playing Precisions we have had, a real tone monster even if of the Frankenstein variety! It lives in a VERY beat up older '70s Fender case, semi-functional but at least fine for storage. Very Good Condition.
