Hen's teeth! 1966 Slab bodied Precision rears its head...

[wateroftyne]

[url="http://www.mercatinomusicale.com/mm/a_Fender-Precision-bass-1966-Slab-body_id1867149.html"]If I had the money...[/url]

Edited November 30, 2010 by wateroftyne

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1043133' date='Nov 30 2010, 11:16 PM'][url="http://www.mercatinomusicale.com/mm/a_Fender-Precision-bass-1966-Slab-body_id1867149.html"]If I had the money...[/url][/quote]
I always thought they had black pickguards ... but wow!

[bumnote]

Im amazed that Fender havent done a ltd edition re issue of this

I cant be that difficult to do and people would be interested

[Low End Bee]

I can't live without the forum chamfer on a Precision so why do I want one of these so much?
They look great.

[Musicman20]

Wow, Ive never seen one of these! Needs a rosewood board though.

[Sibob]

That's a hell of a price really, considering that's what you'd pay for a normal '64 or something.....and this is a LOT more rare.
But yeah, not sure about the pickguard....I THOUGHT they were black too, but dunno.

Si

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='bumnote' post='1043337' date='Dec 1 2010, 09:06 AM']Im amazed that Fender havent done a ltd edition re issue of this

I cant be that difficult to do and people would be interested[/quote]
They have: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_66_slab_body_p_bass_cc_owt.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_66_slab_bo...bass_cc_owt.htm[/url]

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1043348' date='Dec 1 2010, 09:18 AM']... forum chamfer ...[/quote]

[bumnote]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1043378' date='Dec 1 2010, 09:34 AM']They have: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_66_slab_body_p_bass_cc_owt.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_66_slab_bo...bass_cc_owt.htm[/url][/quote]

I meant as a non custom shop really

Thats a lot of of money although they look great.

I sold my Japanese 51 reissue because I found the lack of forearm chamfer uncomfortable to play.

[jimijimmi]

what a beauty

[Mickeyboro]

[quote name='bumnote' post='1043512' date='Dec 1 2010, 10:59 AM']I sold my Japanese 51 reissue because I found the lack of forearm chamfer uncomfortable.[/quote]

I had one of those too Nigel, and found a similar problem.

Mind you my waistline is bigger than yours!

Enjoying the Squier CV 50s P, which fits in all the right places. But rehearsal tonite called off due to snow - damn it!

[Doctor J]

Eight and a half grand doesn't get you an E string that isn't practically hanging off the side of the neck?

I'll pass, thanks.

[Gust0o]

It's nice; but that price nice?

I don't know. I think I'm self-selecting out of being a vintage Fender enthusiast.

[bumnote]

[quote name='Mickeyboro' post='1043574' date='Dec 1 2010, 11:35 AM']I had one of those too Nigel, and found a similar problem.

Mind you my waistline is bigger than yours!

Enjoying the Squier CV 50s P, which fits in all the right places. But rehearsal tonite called off due to snow - damn it![/quote]

Glad you are enjoying the bass Mick, Im waiting for the ups man to arrive with my pretty pink one

We had a shadows night in the fountain tonight but that's been canceled because surrogate hank is ill so I wont be able to use it anger till next week

I wonder why fender made those slab bodied ones I shall do some internet digging

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='bumnote' post='1043629' date='Dec 1 2010, 12:03 PM']Glad you are enjoying the bass Mick, Im waiting for the ups man to arrive with my pretty pink one

We had a shadows night in the fountain tonight but that's been canceled because surrogate hank is ill so I wont be able to use it anger till next week

I wonder why fender made those slab bodied ones I shall do some internet digging[/quote]
[url="http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=693355"]Starter for ten...[/url]

[zero9]

It's not for me. I prefer my MIA 'p'.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='bumnote' post='1043512' date='Dec 1 2010, 10:59 AM']I meant as a non custom shop really[/quote]
OK, I misunderstood. So yes, a MIJ run (for example) would surely sell loads.

Edited December 1, 2010 by EssentialTension

[Clarky]

Other than scarcity value of this particular model, I have to say (well I don't but I will anyway!) I prefer the contoured Precision shape to this. It looks a bit woodwork class to me

[Oakbear]

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1043590' date='Dec 1 2010, 11:44 AM']Eight and a half grand doesn't get you an E string that isn't practically hanging off the side of the neck?

I'll pass, thanks.[/quote]

+1

That'd have to sound like angels singing to be worth half the money and justify the fugly lumpy design....

[bumnote]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1043641' date='Dec 1 2010, 12:07 PM'][url="http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=693355"]Starter for ten...[/url][/quote]

I hate you

Theres another few hours wasted as I follow the links to artistes and their records

currently watching Ace Kefford and his slab body with the move and I can hear the grass grow

[The Bass Doc]

I've previously owned two of these blighters (one in particular has to be listed under the 'ones you should never have sold' thread).

I can vouch for the fact that the lack of body contour makes them a tad uncomfortable for the 'fuller' figure.

But oh the sound......my opinion as to why they sounded so different was more to do with the neck construction - maple on maple (no skunk stripe) but the fingerboard was 'rolled' as in almost a veneer on to the already cambered neck. The result was a very 'springy' sound - not that it lacked bass tone, but the top end would cut through with a clank that was remiscent of a Rick in full flight. I kind of proved the neck was the main contributor by swapping it onto my '62 Jazz bass for a while and, sure enough, the 'springy' sound tranferred to that bass too.

If anyone on the forum knows of a 6-string player lucky enough to own a '66 Telecaster with this type of neck construction I think you'll find the same sort of extra top-end will exist when compared to either rosewood or the solid maple versions.

The Youtube of Ace Kefford in The Move is an example that illustrates the tone very well.

I'm prepared to be shot down in holding the opinion that a neck can be such a factor in determining tone, but I know what I heard at the time!

BTW, both of mine had black scratchplates, but I was aware that tortoiseshell was used on other examples. Full alloy screening plates were also present.

[Deep Thought]

One of my local emporia sold one a while ago, ex-T.Rex:-

[url="http://www.modernmusic.co.uk/collectibles_and_rarities/sold/t_rex_steve_currie_bass.php"]http://www.modernmusic.co.uk/collectibles_...currie_bass.php[/url]

[EddieG]

John Entwistle said of them

[quote]“There is something different about the sound of these Precisions…I’ve tracked it down to the pickups and tone circuit — the sound is much raunchier and gutsy and has a hint of distortion when the volume is flat out.”[/quote]


[quote]“The slab Precisions were like white, squared-off Telecasters, with a split pickup, a maple neck, black scratch plate and what looked like blue veins coming through the white paintwork. I don’t know what they used on them but those basses had a sound of their own, really raunchy with more of a growl than a regular Precision.”[/quote]

I'd love to know exactly what's different about the electronics on the slab Precisions compared to the regular models, and whether anybody has tried to emulate this circuit with measurements and multimeter readings taken from a slab Fender.



Coolest picture EVER!

Edited December 1, 2010 by EddieG

[Clarky]

[quote name='EddieG' post='1044016' date='Dec 1 2010, 04:50 PM']

Coolest picture EVER![/quote]
He used the fur coat for string dampening. Fact

Edited December 1, 2010 by Clarky

[The Bass Doc]

[quote name='EddieG' post='1044016' date='Dec 1 2010, 04:50 PM']I'd love to know exactly what's different about the electronics on the slab Precisions compared to the regular models, and whether anybody has tried to emulate this circuit with measurements and multimeter readings taken from a slab Fender.[/quote]

I can safely say the electronics were fairly well standard - 250K pots for volume and tone, 0.05 capacitor. I've checked my records and found the pickup was slightly hotter at around 11.5K so there might be something in that.

John Entwhistle's mention of the 'blue veins' showing through has prompted me to think back to the wood used for the body - mine was stripped down at one stage and I remember seeing a green/purply area in the grain which leads me to think that tulip wood (also called magnolia) may have been used. The bass was quite light for a slab so this may have been a conscious decision by Fender to keep the weight down compared to using ash.