Faded Pickguard!

[Stub Mandrel]

How's this for an extreme bit of fading, the two pictures are about 32 years apart, I was briefly reunited with the bass over the weekend. In contrast the wood seems to have become a nicer, darker colour.

[skankdelvar]

For a minute there I thought I was looking at a brown Paisley pickguard. Nice, I thought. Then realisation set in and the world was a slightly sadder place.

Good that you were re-united with your old bass, though 

[Cato]

What's going on at the 10th, 11th and 12th fret?

Is that just decoration or is it some sort of cunning playing/learning aid from Mr Mandrel's youth?

Edited October 21, 2019 by Cato

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Cato said:

What's going on at the 10th, 11th and 12th fret?

Is that just decoration or is it some sort of cunning playing/learning aid from Mr Mandrel's youth?

I gave it to my brother, it's been lent to various people, one of whom added the stickers; he died and it was recovered from his effects and no-one can bring themselves to peel them off.

At the time I just accepted the bass as it was. Playing it now, it has a ridiculously low action, teensy frets and wide but shallow neck, P rather than J width. The bridge is very hefty and decidedly superior to a Fender one. Only played it through a little Line 6 practice amp last weekend.

It does seem to be the original pickguard as some (not all) the marks seem to match up, it's also a very odd shape as the steel plate is asymmetrical so a jazz plate wouldn't fit. I bought it new in about 85?