'66 Slab Precision...Anyone seen one/got one?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1332282868' post='1586226']
Oops, and in colour this time:-

[attachment=103078:IMG_0002.jpg]
[/quote]
Even better in colour.

[discreet]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1332281700' post='1586202']
I met Leo Fender and that trumps everyone here
[/quote]

Gaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!! yes, it does.

[Johnnysonic]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1332281700' post='1586202']
No need to apologise John.

I met Leo Fender and that trumps everyone here
[/quote]True....true

[Truckstop]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1332282868' post='1586226']
Oops, and in colour this time:-

[attachment=103078:IMG_0002.jpg]
[/quote]

He's got well wonky tits.

Truckstop

[KK Jale]

One came through Guitarist mag when I worked there. Wish I could remember who the owner was. This was about 1990 or so. We did a photo spread on it but i think I lost that issue... I lobbed most of them. Damn nice bass.

[The Bass Doc]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1332291623' post='1586333']
He's got well wonky tits.

Truckstop
[/quote]

Offset contour body

[Conan]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1332315821' post='1586384']
Offset contour body
[/quote]

[dlloyd]

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1332245886' post='1585399']
Is this yours, or just a pic of one??
[/quote]

I refer you to Johnny 's post...


[quote name='Johnnysonic' timestamp='1332281389' post='1586195']
I've owned two - one in original finish and one refinished. I am quoted in the Barry Matthews book (sorry Howard!) and I also wrote an article about them for Bassist Magazine in the late 90's. The pictures posted here are of my original finish one, which was used in the article.

Cool basses. Not sure they sounded any differenet but they looked great (though a bit cumbersome).

Cheers

Johnny
[/quote]

I posted them for the benefit of people who haven't heard of them.

Edited March 21, 2012 by dlloyd

[discreet]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1332315821' post='1586384']
Offset contour body
[/quote]

Zzinggg!

[pnts]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1332282868' post='1586226']
Oops, and in colour this time:-

[attachment=103078:IMG_0002.jpg]
[/quote]

Xlnt pic. Bonus that the bass on the pic is a r e a l Fender and not one of the preseries P/J/T..

[Prosebass]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1332282868' post='1586226']
Oops, and in colour this time:-

[attachment=103078:IMG_0002.jpg]
[/quote]

Cool picture but there seems to be a bit of 'Pauline's Pens' going on.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Prosebass

[Schnozzalee]

I'm sure Steve Harris of Iron Maiden played one too - remember looking for one as my first bass lol - white and maple it was too, I wanted a black newcastle utd pickguard for it...ah to be 15 again

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1332273315' post='1585983']
Cheers Rick, I'm afraid I don't own one now. My favourite presently resides with Barry Matthews.

He's a nice guy who may let you visit to try it out. If you need a number on him I can put you in touch via PM.

I note your point about twiddling to equalise the sound of a couple of Fenders but I meant to refer to the acoustic properties being different to begin with. I go along with the fact that the pickups/amp settings govern the final result but, on the other hand, if the bass rings differently before you plug in, the pickup/amp end can at first only amplify what's there to begin with (does that make any sense?).

Anyway, I like the fact that different opinions exist on this splendid forum.

Never forget what dear old Uncle Adolf said 'Opinions are like testicles - we've all got one'.
[/quote]

Thanks for the great info. I'm definitely with you on the acoustic thing, despite my earlier comments, you put it so much better!!

PM'd.

Cheers

Rick

[mckendrick]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1332259453' post='1585706']
If you have a beer gut then a slab can be quite uncomfortable. So I've heard.
[/quote]
....and if you're really bony it can be [b][i]damned[/i][/b] uncomfortable!

[Telebass]

Never had any problem with/without contours...use each interchangeably...

[njr911]

Interesting thread.

Does anyone know if Bravewood have made them ? And would love to see pics of the Bass Doc one

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I'm endlessly fascinated by these basses. Something I'm not sure of re: the neck - what is a rolled fingerboard, and how does it differ to slab-cut?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1397476541' post='2424216']
I'm endlessly fascinated by these basses. Something I'm not sure of re: the neck - what is a rolled fingerboard, and how does it differ to slab-cut?
[/quote]

Slab board on the left, veneer on the right. I've no idea if slab '66s were slab boards:

[EssentialTension]

'Rolled fingerboard' usually means that the square edges of the finger/fretboard have been rolled so that they have the curvature of an old and used instrument rather than a new freshly cut one which would be squarer - it's a kind of good relicing.

But maybe what was meant in this case was the slab versus veneer above.

Edited April 14, 2014 by EssentialTension

[BigRedX]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1397481473' post='2424301']
Slab board on the left, veneer on the right. I've no idea if slab '66s were slab boards:


[/quote]

What's the reason for the "veneer" style board? I can't help but think it would have made the production of the neck unnecessarily complicated - something which would have gone agains Leo Fenders philosophy when it came to building musical instruments.

[The Bass Doc]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1397499455' post='2424545']
What's the reason for the "veneer" style board? I can't help but think it would have made the production of the neck unnecessarily complicated - something which would have gone agains Leo Fenders philosophy when it came to building musical instruments.
[/quote]

An explanation (that I think has been aired previously) is that, in the case of some slab boards, occasional twisting occured as a result of the rosewood being a fair thickness tended to dry out at a different rate to the maple whereas in the case of the cambered board it was more of a veneer and did not interact with the maple to the same extent.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1397499455' post='2424545']
What's the reason for the "veneer" style board? I can't help but think it would have made the production of the neck unnecessarily complicated - something which would have gone agains Leo Fenders philosophy when it came to building musical instruments.
[/quote]
Two explanations sometimes given are (1) it was cheaper because rosewood cost more than maple, which doesn't sound convincing, and (2) maple and rosewood expand and contract differently and so there's less likelihood of a problem if there's less rosewood, which also sounds unconvincing.

No doubt someone will be along in a minute with a better explanation.

And no doubt someone will say that one (or the other) sounds different and better, or not.

Edited April 14, 2014 by EssentialTension

[The Bass Doc]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1397501817' post='2424586']
.
No doubt someone will be along in a minute with a better explanation.

And no doubt someone will say that one (or the other) sounds different and better, or not.
[/quote]

The second explanation is the most acceptable imo, particularly as Leo Fender told me himself

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1397502530' post='2424596']
The second explanation is the most acceptable imo, particularly as Leo Fender told me himself
[/quote]
Go on, show us the picture again in case anyone missed it.

Do you think Leo was correct then because the slab board is still around on my 62 reissue neck?

[BigRedX]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' timestamp='1397501456' post='2424581']
An explanation (that I think has been aired previously) is that, in the case of some slab boards, occasional twisting occured as a result of the rosewood being a fair thickness tended to dry out at a different rate to the maple whereas in the case of the cambered board it was more of a veneer and did not interact with the maple to the same extent.
[/quote]

AFAICS every other manufacturer of basses with maple necks and rosewood boards seems to be capable of making them without the necks twisting. In fact this is the first time I've actually come across this explanation. I's have thought it would have been simpler just to season the wood properly before constructing the neck. Does anyone actually have a twisted Fender neck with a slab rosewood board?