Description
What makes this bass special: A pre-CBS player, drenched in mojo and dripping with vintage aesthetic. This beauty was obviously a road warrior for many years of its life, and showcases all the good honest playwear that nearly 60 years of use provides. At some point (likely in the ‘70s), a previous owner decided to increase its versatility by adding a jazz bass pickup in the bridge position, along with a toggle switch. Beyond these additions and the routs that accompany them, this gorgeous piece is 100% original. The neck feel is unrivaled, with a terrific rounded profile providing effortless maneuverability up and down the length of the nicely played-in maple fingerboard. This piece showcases a gorgeous patina throughout, with a beautifully highlighted fingerboard and aging in the finish that really can’t be faked. It has been professionally inspected and setup by our in-house master luthier, and will arrive ready to play out of the case.
Cosmetic condition: This was obviously someone’s go-to, as evidenced by all kinds of authentic player’s wear. There are various scratches, dents, dings, nicks, chips, scuffs, a few small holes in the body, and areas of finish wear throughout the instrument, along with the expected weather checking and ample edgewear around the entire body. The frets are original and pretty well worn down, but all notes still ring clearly up and down the length of the fingerboard. There are a handful of visible dents, dings, and scratches in the fingerboard along with the expected sweat stains, but no noticeable pitting, or anything that hinders playability. The body has been routed for the addition of a Jazz Bass pickup, and half of that rout has been filled in with a wooden veneer. The control cavity has also been routed to accommodate the added control switch. Overall, this piece has a great vintage look, with a beautiful patina.
Body: Contoured, solid alder body in original sunburst finish with gold aluminum pickguard, black mounted rest, and top loading bridge with individually adjustable threaded barrel saddles. Pickup cavity dates body to 4-59.
Weight: 8 lb, 9.7 oz
Neck: Rounded, medium profile maple neck with rosewood skunk stripe, black side dots, and black dot inlays. Frets show wear consistent with age, but all notes intonate clearly up and down the length of the neck. Maple fingerboard shows plenty of signs of age with scattered dents, dings, sweat stains, and scratches, but nothing that affects playability. 1 3/4" nut width, 34” scale length. Original open gear tuners function as they should. Neck is straight and truss rod is fully functional.
Electronics: Original Precision bass split pickup in the center position, with added 70’s black bottom Jazz Bass pickup in the bridge position. Added 3-way toggle switch. Knurled chrome knobs, 1x volume, 1x tone. pots date to ’59, and all electronics are in fully functioning condition.
Case: Unoriginal, late-60’s Fender hard shell case included. Case has seen some better days and does have one broken latch, but still does the job fine.
