Suspicious 'Vintage' Fender P-Bass

[Humph]

I saw this ad yesterday on my local Gumtree, and decided to look into it. He sent through a picture of the neck date stamp (which he's now put up publicly). However, when I pushed him on the pot dates and pickups, he claimed it was sold. That would be fair enough, but I was a bit skeptical, so I emailed him through the website again. Since I would have seemed like a new buyer he replied and said it was available, although has mysteriously gone silent again once I asked about the pickups and pots. Seems like a scam right?

http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/vintage-1970-s-fender-precision-bass-guitar/1108775968

[gary mac]

Yeah it's a wrong 'un

[gary mac]

Just been for another look. It's not a 71 neck, infact I'd be surprised if it is a Fender neck at all.

Control knobs are not right.

I suspect the body is not Fender.


Scamming git. Hopefully no one will fall for it.

[Marc S]

Sadly, this sort of thing seems to be on the increase....
Doesn't look quite "right" to me
The body doesn't look like a Fender

Hope no-one gets ripped off

[EliasMooseblaster]

I can't even claim to be any kind of expert eye on such a matter, but if we apply a bit of common sense: there's no way that "no smoking" sticker has been on that bass for more than a couple of years...and what kind of philistine puts a naff sticker like that on an original '70s Fender?

[itsmedunc]

Nothing looks like it's from a Fender to me. I should imagine the no smoking sticker is a fake too...

[lou24d53]

The body looks like it's been made from the remnants from one of the old woodworking benches in my old high school.

Edited April 8, 2015 by lou24d53

[Roger2611]

The bridge is wrong, the truss rod is wrong the seller is wrong...nuff said!

[ambient]

Why do people post photos of basses from strange angles all the time, never straight on ?

Guys do it on here sometimes.

[karlfer]

A '71 http://basschat.co.uk/topic/255555-price-drop-1971-fender-precision-olympic-white-plenty-of-mojo/page__p__2736978__hl__1971%20fender__fromsearch__1#entry2736978

Spot the differences!

[itsmedunc]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1428515383' post='2742064']
A '71 [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/255555-price-drop-1971-fender-precision-olympic-white-plenty-of-mojo/page__p__2736978__hl__1971%20fender__fromsearch__1#entry2736978"]http://basschat.co.u..._1#entry2736978[/url]

Spot the differences!
[/quote]

Ah Ha! A real 71 doesn't have a no smoking sticker on it then!

[geoff90guitar]

Agree with you all. The only thing I can relate to a Fender is how the body wood is joined (generally in three pieces side by side) but probably various are made like this.

[tauzero]

I'm still no Fender expert, but I would have expected to see a big crosshead adjuster at the end of the neck where he's proudly showing the neck date stamp. And they didn't hold those great big chrome ashtrays on with suction cups, either.

[Urban Bassman]

I've just used the the Report button on The ad to alert Gumtree that this is a fake. Hopefully they'll remove the ad and stop some innocent and less well informed buyer from getting ripped off.

[Humph]

I thought as much! I report it as well, but I doubt that Gumtree will care. It's a pity you can't comment on adverts there. Thanks for the extra detective work guys!

[cloudburst]

I'm in Northern Ireland just now and this seller is only a couple of miles from me.
Not sure if there would be anything to be gained by paying him a visit?

CB

[Humph]

I doubt it, unless you think he'll see the error of his ways? Haha

[bassbiscuits]

As the owner of a genuine one, i can tell you straight off what's wrong:

logo
truss rod
machine heads
skunk stripe
bridge
pickups
knobs
body contours
quality of neck stamp (usually a much murkier faded greeny/blue coded number)

in short, its fake.