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NBD: 1973 Fender Precision ash/maple


JapanAxe
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I have recently been following fretless basses in the BC Marketplace, particularly 70s Precisions, but having realised how bad my fretless playing is, I had a bit of a re-think. Some nice relic Jazzes on the Bass Gear website caught my eye, including a couple of stack-knob early 60s replicas, so I fore-warned Barrie (Molan of this parish) and took a trip down to Twyford this afternoon. I took my Streamliner and Midget for ease of comparison with what I already have.

After a welcome cuppa I started working through the possibles in my mental list. I tend to know quite quickly if an instrument is not going to suit me, so after a couple of hours I had tried and put back 8-10 instruments; nothing wrong with them you understand, just not for me. My favourite to that point was a one-off replica of Herbie Flowers '59 stack-knob Jazz (see [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/117779-herbie-flowers-jazz-bass-replica/page__hl__herbie"]original build diary[/url]), fitted with flats. I quite liked the control layout, and the sounds were closer to what I was searching for, but it wasn't saying 'take me I'm yours'.

When offered a try of the one other flats-loaded fretted bass in the shop, I thought it rude to refuse, so I found myself holding the '73 Precision pictured below. Consider this: I reckon not to like woody-looking finishes and maple fretboards, I thought my Precision itch was already being scratched my my Sandberg, and I wasn't even [i]looking[/i] for a P. But when I started playing this one, I just kept on playing, knocking out on-the-spot bass lines, and enjoying the range of the passive tone control and its wonderful sweet spot. Unsurprisingly, it came home with me. Playing it at home only served to confirm I had made the right decision, as I played along with iTunes set to shuffle and routed through my studio speakers.

Thanks Barrie, Vic and Phil for putting up with 3 hours of my noodlings! I am one happy bunny.

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[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1396471659' post='2414159']
I have recently been following fretless basses in the BC Marketplace, particularly 70s Precisions, but having realised how bad my fretless playing is, I had a bit of a re-think. Some nice relic Jazzes on the Bass Gear website caught my eye, including a couple of stack-knob early 60s replicas, so I fore-warned Barrie (Molan of this parish) and took a trip down to Twyford this afternoon. I took my Streamliner and Midget for ease of comparison with what I already have.

After a welcome cuppa I started working through the possibles in my mental list. I tend to know quite quickly if an instrument is not going to suit me, so after a couple of hours I had tried and put back 8-10 instruments; nothing wrong with them you understand, just not for me. My favourite to that point was a one-off replica of Herbie Flowers '59 stack-knob Jazz (see [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/117779-herbie-flowers-jazz-bass-replica/page__hl__herbie"]original build diary[/url]), fitted with flats. I quite liked the control layout, and the sounds were closer to what I was searching for, but it wasn't saying 'take me I'm yours'.

When offered a try of the one other flats-loaded fretted bass in the shop, I thought it rude to refuse, so I found myself holding the '73 Precision pictured below. Consider this: I reckon not to like woody-looking finishes and maple fretboards, I thought my Precision itch was already being scratched my my Sandberg, and I wasn't even [i]looking[/i] for a P. But when I started playing this one, I just kept on playing, knocking out on-the-spot bass lines, and enjoying the range of the passive tone control and its wonderful sweet spot. Unsurprisingly, it came home with me. Playing it at home only served to confirm I had made the right decision, as I played along with iTunes set to shuffle and routed through my studio speakers.

Thanks Barrie, Vic and Phil for putting up with 3 hours of my noodlings! I am one happy bunny.


[/quote]

Lovely!

Time to update the signature? :-)

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[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1396472309' post='2414181']
Lovely!

Time to update the signature? :-)
[/quote]

Just done it! Inevitably a sale will follow (1 in = 1 out), but can't be more specific for fear of infringing forum rules!

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[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1396473051' post='2414197']
Great looking bass. There just something about the ash/maple combination, sounds really nice.
[/quote]
Yes it is plenty bright enough with flats, authoritative in the mids and lows, and even in volume both across the strings and up and down the fretboard.

Btw this is the second time I have gone out shopping for a Jazz and come back with a Precision or version thereof. I may as well just leave Jazzes to them as loves 'em!

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[quote name='theyellowcar' timestamp='1396509016' post='2414351']
This. Looks in pretty good condition given it's age!
[/quote]
There are some dark marks and dingson the neck, but nothing that affects playability. In fact the playability is nigh on perfect!

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Beautiful bass, Graeme . Enjoy it.

Ash/maple/white plate is one of my favourite combinations, and [i]screams[/i] early 1970's. Over the years, I have loads of Precisions from this era and if you get a good one then in their own way they are just as good and just as desirable as pre-CBS basses, in my opinion.

I can tell just by looking at it that that this bass is going to have an aggressive sound and be a bit of a hooligan. Great stuff!

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[quote name='police squad' timestamp='1396534037' post='2414780']
can't beat that colour combo, but it's needs a black guard :P

[/quote]
There's a typo there - you typed black but actually intended to type "tort"

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This is such a great bass. It's been the P bass of first choice for testing new equipment in the showroom for quite a while and I know at least two very senior pro players who've also picked this ahead of anything else to demo stuff :)

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[quote name='molan' timestamp='1396559490' post='2415199']
This is such a great bass. It's been the P bass of first choice for testing new equipment in the showroom for quite a while and I know at least two very senior pro players who've also picked this ahead of anything else to demo stuff :)
[/quote]

Good job you've still got some Precisions left in stock Barrie!

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1396559829' post='2415208']
Beauty, I love the headstock colour too. Great score.
[/quote]

I think it's stained like the body, but in that pic it almost looks like a solid colour.

Edited by JapanAxe
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[quote name='molan' timestamp='1396609553' post='2415616']
Just remembered this - a little basic demo from Vic & Jim:

[media]http://youtu.be/aP8iLSRzeTU[/media]
[/quote]

Aha! Different strings? It currently has D'Addario flatwounds on (no need to change them!), but I guess those were rounds?

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