Happy Jack Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 (edited) OK, here we have a bass with some history, perhaps even a chequered past. Basschat lifers may possibly remember the original story when I bought it many years ago. This was once a standard, all-original Fender Precision. By 'once' I mean 1984, if the serial number is anything to go by. When I saw it, it was hanging in the window of Wunjo's Bass in Denmark Street. Yes, it was that long ago that Wunjo's weren't in a dingy basement at the time. It had been carved about to add that '54 P-style single coil in entirely the wrong position, it had no pick-guard and the body was pretty ... erm ... distressed, the electrics were in a state, and there was a worrying stain on the back of the neck. It was so bizarre that I actually went into the shop to sneer at the thing. So Tom brought it out of the window, plugged it in, and passed it to me. Within a couple of minutes I had completely changed my mind. Despite looking like a complete dog, it actually played and sounded like les coulis du chien. The S/D humbucker was as majestic as you'd expect, and that huge single-coil added loads of rasp to the sound if required. Playing this bass through any solid-state amp instantly makes that amp sound like an all-valve jobbie. And so I bought it. Well you do, don't you? I was playing at the time in a gritty 3-piece and this bass just worked. So I took it to me old mate Andy Gibson and he came up with a pick-guard which seemed to match the look & feel of the bass, then he sorted out the wiring for me and installed a ToneStyler circuit & knob (that funny black thing). It has a bunch of detente settings, and a noticeably different sound to each 'click', way better than a standard tone knob. I think there may be capacitors involved. And that would have been the end of the story had the band not broken up, several years passed, and then I bought a bass with an even grittier tone than this is capable of. This bass has now been sitting in a hard case for three years and it seems like an awful waste of a veyr playable instrument. I should stress: This is a bass that is best played before you dismiss it. I don't mean 'first to see will buy', but I do mean that playing is believing. The bass is in Harrow (NW London) and I'm happy to meet anywhere within sensible driving or tube distance. It really is priced to sell (this is maybe half of what any other 1980s Fender Precision would cost) which makes it, effectively, a budget instrument so I'm also OK with sending it by courier. Assume about £20 for P&P. I'll have to check, but I may be able to dig out a cheap'n'cheerful gigbag for this bass. Edited February 5, 2020 by Happy Jack 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 That looks bloody lovely Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Is it a proper 43/44mm Precision neck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted February 2, 2020 Author Share Posted February 2, 2020 Using a plastic ruler (like the true pro that I am) I'd have said 45mm, but I guess it's a 44mm. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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