Lozz196 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) Not sure about this one: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1982-Fender-Precision-Bass-Made-USA-/150776149788?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item231af5771c"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item231af5771c[/url] Everything looks ok, except for the bridge. My trusty Fender book states that five-screw mounting stayed on Precisions until 1985. That bridge had screw adjustments for height on the saddles. The three-screw mounting bridge did have allen key adjusters, but, all of the intonation screws were of equal length. The bridge on this bass has longer screws on both the D and G - can`t find any reference to a Fender bridge like this. Any ideas, anyone? Edit, serial number checks out as being made in the Fullerton plant, between 82 - 85. Edited March 17, 2012 by Lozz196 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 It's probably just an early 80s 'parts bin' bass. That era threw up some odd combinations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) The bible 'The Fender Bass an illustrated history' shows a 3 screw bridge like this 'primarily' used on Jazz Basses from 83 until 94. They may have bunged it on the Precision when they ran out of five screwed ones? The long intonation screws supposedly stopped being produced in 73 but they are really handy. If I could get hold of them I'd fit them to my Fender bridges. Edited March 17, 2012 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlfer Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 [quote name='gjones' timestamp='1331972143' post='1581487'] My book 'The Fender Bass an illustrated history' shows a 3 screw bridge like this 'primarily' used on Jazz Basses from 83 until 94. They may have bunged it on the Precision when they ran out of five screwed ones? [/quote] Good grief, to suggest Fender would do something like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 [color=#000000][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=1][left]"Guitar was bought by my father in 1990 from a dealer and it has never been played"[/left][/size][/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 [quote name='gjones' timestamp='1331972143' post='1581487'] The bible 'The Fender Bass an illustrated history' shows a 3 screw bridge like this 'primarily' used on Jazz Basses from 83 until 94. They may have bunged it on the Precision when they ran out of five screwed ones? The long intonation screws supposedly stopped being produced in 73 but they are really handy. If I could get hold of them I'd fit them to my Fender bridges. [/quote] That was my thoughts, as everything else on the bass is correct to the period, and I know Fender have thrown some curve-balls in with their instruments over the years. Seriously considering this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutton Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Everything looks fine to me. If it didn't have a three screw bridge I would be suspicious. Here's mine:- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Did they use those machine heads as early as '82? I thought they were later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 [quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1331976154' post='1581552'] Did they use those machine heads as early as '82? I thought they were later. [/quote] Yeah.. They came about for the Elites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutton Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 My trusty Fender book shows the three screw bridge as per my pic above as being introduced on Jazzes in 1983. As both Jazzes and Precisions seem always to get the same bridges then I would expect three screw bridges to appear on Precisions of the same time. These machine heads on the ebay bass are also correctas they were introduced on American Standard instruments from 1983 on. The elites had similar mchine heads but can be differentiated by a thicker style of button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkpegasus4001 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 [quote name='gjones' timestamp='1331972143' post='1581487'] The long intonation screws supposedly stopped being produced in 73 but they are really handy. If I could get hold of them I'd fit them to my Fender bridges. [/quote] I have one of those on my early 1974 Jazz bass, probably Fender using older parts which is typical as the pots are 73.. The Ebay listing looks correct to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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