Calling All Vintage Fender P Bass Anoraks!

[pobrien_ie]

Last week I bought a P Bass cover on ebay. It was advertised as a 'Fender 1964 USA Nickel Precision Bass Pickup Cover', and it cost around £50 after customs etc. Very expensive for a run of the mill pickup cover, probably cheap if a genuine vintage one. Anyway, what I was looking for was the pickup cover with the more squatred edges, which I thought this would be.

From the pics below, can anyone tell if this looks legit? Anyone have a real '64 or '65 with covers to compare it to?

[url="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/pobrien_ie/media/Pickup%20Cover/2013-07-02224303-1_zpseb36b844.jpg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/pobrien_ie/media/Pickup%20Cover/2013-07-02224318_zps429395ba.jpg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/pobrien_ie/media/Pickup%20Cover/2013-07-02224254_zpsb496492f.jpg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/pobrien_ie/media/Pickup%20Cover/2013-07-02224345_zps556d29fd.jpg.html"][/url]

Here are some pics of '64 and '65 P Basses I found on the web. Note they all look to have the straighter edged pickup covers.

[url="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/pobrien_ie/media/Pickup%20Cover/fender-precision-bass-1964-500768_zps74672375.jpeg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/pobrien_ie/media/Pickup%20Cover/p1_u04xa4ule_so_zpsda84bb91.jpeg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/pobrien_ie/media/Pickup%20Cover/2011-04-03131144_zpsf2642ec6.jpeg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/pobrien_ie/media/Pickup%20Cover/1965_Fender_Precision_Bass_008_zpsb68e3eb1.jpeg.html"][/url]

If this is not genuine, I would obviously like to return it. I have since bought a couple of sets of the new '63 AVRI pickup covers which look to be what I was looking for.

I'd appreciate any help with this. Cheers!

[franzbassist]

I am no vintage Fender expert, but I am pretty certain you have answered your own question above!

[pobrien_ie]

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1372838750' post='2130436']
I am no vintage Fender expert, but I am pretty certain you have answered your own question above!
[/quote]

Thanks. I suppose my question should be when did Fender move from the square edged pickup covers to the rounder edged ones we see today?

A lot of Fender changes seem to be unclear, so I was hoping somebody could point me in the direction of where I'll get an unequivocal answer (if one exists).

I know ebay generally side with the buyer, but I'd like to make sure I'm in the right before I dispute this.

[MrFingers]

Vintage Fenders have the square covers, the first ReIssues (1981 I guess) had the round ones.

[pobrien_ie]

[quote name='MrFingers' timestamp='1372846652' post='2130542']
Vintage Fenders have the square covers, the first ReIssues (1981 I guess) had the round ones.
[/quote]

Thanks William....I knew the some P Bass anoraks would come out ...and I mean that in a good way!

For some reason I thought they became rounder at some point in the 70's. Looking at the above pics I posted so, is it safe to conclude that this isn't a genuine 1964 pickup cover?

[bh2]

No it aint... I managed to get a vintage squared off one for my Squier from allparts... about 20 notes.

[pobrien_ie]

[quote name='bh2' timestamp='1372858146' post='2130767']
No it aint... I managed to get a vintage squared off one for my Squier from allparts... about 20 notes.


[/quote]

Yeah that's exactly what I wanted. I think the ones I've ordered since from a 63/58 reissue should do the job too.

Thanks for that. I'll just get abck on to the seller and see how I get on. Cheers

[chris_b]

[s]I'm not sure what you mean by "squared" edges, but[/s] my 68 cover isn't as round as the one in your photo.

The bit covering the strings has a flatter profile.



ps I get it now!!

Edited July 3, 2013 by chris_b

[bh2]

Here's the linkie for the allparts plate...

http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/guitar-bass-parts/bridges-parts-tailpieces/bridge-parts/metal-bridge-pickup-covers/pickup-cover-for-p-bass-p-3084.html

Bob.

[4-string-thing]

[quote name='MrFingers' timestamp='1372846652' post='2130542']
Vintage Fenders have the square covers, the first ReIssues (1981 I guess) had the round ones.
[/quote]
My 77 has the original and it's curved.

[pobrien_ie]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1372867323' post='2130948']
[s]I'm not sure what you mean by "squared" edges, but[/s] my 68 cover isn't as round as the one in your photo.

The bit covering the strings has a flatter profile.



ps I get it now!!
[/quote]

A saw a few similar threads on TB and lot's of people posted pics of single coild P Basses, so I wasn't sure how clear I was being. I'm just being too pedantic about things anyway.

[quote name='bh2' timestamp='1372867621' post='2130952']
Here's the linkie for the allparts plate...

[url="http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/guitar-bass-parts/bridges-parts-tailpieces/bridge-parts/metal-bridge-pickup-covers/pickup-cover-for-p-bass-p-3084.html"]http://www.allparts....ass-p-3084.html[/url]

Bob.
[/quote]

Great, thanks for that. will sue for future reference. It looks great on your bass.

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1372876546' post='2131092']
My 77 has the original and it's curved.
[/quote]

Thanks. That makes me think I might have been right about them becoming more curved at the edges in the '70's. Of course with Fender there's no real way to back this up.


As an update, I contacted the seller about my concerns. For some reason ebay automatically opened this as a dispute, even though I just wanted to see what they had to say. The seller will except a refund, but ebay say I must pay the return postage and incur the customs fees. It seems a bit unfair when the pickup cover is clearly not as advertised. I'm starting see what all the anti ebay sentiment is about. c'est la vie

[bh2]

Yes... I think the squared off covers (60s) were rounded off in the seventies sometime... documentation is hard to find on this though.

I have the rounded covers on my 2002 P bass.

Edited July 4, 2013 by bh2

[ikay]

Vintage style square covers area available here - [url="http://www.grguitars.com/parts_5bass.htm"]http://www.grguitars.com/parts_5bass.htm[/url]

[attachment=138261:Vintage P pickup cover.jpg]

[pobrien_ie]

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1372924557' post='2131587']
Vintage style square covers area available here - [url="http://www.grguitars.com/parts_5bass.htm"]http://www.grguitars...parts_5bass.htm[/url]

[attachment=138261:Vintage P pickup cover.jpg]
[/quote]

In my long search for the vintage correct cover I actually bought this exact cover from the same company. Unfortunately, it's not a Fender product and is therefore a little too wide. It's not as moldable as the Fender ones so when you bend it to fit the holes it goes up in middle and looks a bit too high off the strings.

I bought two sets of pickup covers and bridge covers (58 AVRI and 63 AVRI) from the Stratosphere on ebay, and I from what I can see from the pictures they look to be the most vintage correct reissues I've seen.

[mickster]

[quote name='bh2' timestamp='1372922797' post='2131574']
Yes... I think the squared off covers (60s) were rounded off in the seventies sometime... documentation is hard to find on this though.

I have the rounded covers on my 2002 P bass.
[/quote]

My 1973 precision has the squared off cover, so looks like we're narrowing down the change to mid-late 1970s.

[q_of_doom]

Hiya. My 2cents.

Attached is a pic of my '64P when i bought it. It has since been restored to 3-colour Sunburst and refretted. All was original except for the paint job, so it should give you an idea of the covers. If need be I can get some better shots when I get home tonight if this doesn't answer your question.

I hope it helps.

[pobrien_ie]

[quote name='mickster' timestamp='1373367355' post='2136661']
My 1973 precision has the squared off cover, so looks like we're narrowing down the change to mid-late 1970s.
[/quote]

Thanks for confirming. I thought they may have been phased out int he mid 60's and that there might have been a transition period. You've proven that not to be the case.

[quote name='q_of_doom' timestamp='1373898190' post='2142816']
Hiya. My 2cents.

Attached is a pic of my '64P when i bought it. It has since been restored to 3-colour Sunburst and refretted. All was original except for the paint job, so it should give you an idea of the covers. If need be I can get some better shots when I get home tonight if this doesn't answer your question.

I hope it helps.
[/quote]

Hi. Thanks for posting the pic. That's bass really is lovely looking? Is that the original blonde/black tolex case too?

I've since received the '63 reissue pickup cover, and it looks a lot closer to your one than the one I bought that purported to be from 1964. I've returned that one, although the seller at no point conceeded that they had incorrectly advertised it.

[q_of_doom]

Whoops. Only just saw this now. Yep, that's the original case. Glad you got sorted.