Is this 1974 Fender Precision genuine?

[BassAgent]

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I'm looking for a '70s Precision and someone sent me this. Somehow it feels wrong. The tuners don't have a Fender logo, the neck/body connection looks off and I don't think Fender still put a strap button on the back of the headstock in '74... The only non-original part the seller will admit is a refin. [/font][/color]
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Text in Dutch, by the way.[/font][/color][color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]
[url="http://www.2dehands.be/muziek/muziekinstrumenten/basgitaar/1974-fender-precision-bass-fiesta-250880070.html"]1974 Fender Precision Bass Fiesta Red - Te koop | 2dehands.be[/url][/font][/color]

[discreet]

Fender also started using Schaller tuners in the mid to late 70s and the shape of the backplates is correct for Schaller. Everything else (apart from the body colour, which you know about) looks fine to me. Someone could easily have fitted a headstock button later. The electrics look right, the logo is right... and the neck/body joins were notoriously crap at that time - my 76 is all over the place, but it sounds great, so... I don't care.

Edit: I think that tug-bar should be a thumbrest and be fitted on the bass side, too. Not sure if that moved during 73 or 74, but being Fender no changes have strict time associations, pretty much everything was transitional.

Edited August 26, 2015 by discreet

[Highfox]

Looks ok to me as well.
I have a 73 with the tugbar on the treble side, it also has a strap button on the headstock. I bought it used so someone may of added that on as well.

Edit, mines a 73.

Edited August 26, 2015 by Highfox

[Sibob]

74 is very late for the thumb rest to be on the treble side I think, although always possible with Fender as mentioned earlier.
You could ask for photos of the body without the scratch plate on, if there are screw holes on the bass side, then someone has added the treble side thumb rest and the scratch plate might be unoriginal.
That said, entirely possible that if this mod was done during the refin, that it was filled in etc, so won't be visible/obvious.

Or it might be original and just a late example of treble side........welcome to vintage Fenders

Si

[discreet]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1440606304' post='2852371']
...if there are screw holes on the bass side, then someone has added the treble side thumb rest and the scratch plate might be unoriginal.
[/quote]

Looking again it seems there are screw holes in the guard for a bass-side rest - one of the holes is now being used as a guard retaining screw hole. If the rest was fitted both those holes would be in use. Check out the rest position on my 76:

Edited August 26, 2015 by discreet

[Sibob]

Ah very true, I saw one, but failed to spot that the second was technically the scratch plate edge screw
So yes, looks like someone has added the treble side.
This only really means that from an 'originality' point of view, there are some extra screw holes in the body and scratch plate.......do you care?.....probably not.

Si

[discreet]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1440608266' post='2852395']
...from an 'originality' point of view, there are some extra screw holes in the body and scratch plate... do you care? ...probably not.
[/quote]

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest if it's otherwise a good 'un. The OP's M may V, of course.

[BassAgent]

Nah, that doesn't bother me at all. I do have some other options though, so might be checking those out first.