Fender Precision question

[Baxlin]

There’s a ‘Fender Precision Bass PJ - Black - Made in Japan MIJ’ currently on eBay, but it doesn’t have the usual Fender ‘elephant ears’ machine heads/tuners.

The current bid is £11.50, so I’m wondering if something is amiss.....

The eBay item number is 254755345954, hope this link works

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1989-Fender-Precision-Bass-PJ-Black-Made-In-Japan-MIJ/254755345954?hash=item3b509a1622:g:zt4AAOSwFWRfkDzw

Edited October 21, 2020 by Baxlin

[AndyTravis]

Legit. The tuners aren’t though 😂

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

@AndyTravis would know better than, but there’s something about the shape and the decals on the headstock that looks wrong to me. 

[tony_m]

I'm no expert (I'm sure one will be along shortly!), but FWIW there's a similar instrument for sale in Australia on Reverb, and that has the same style tuners. 

 

https://reverb.com/item/7741620-1987-fender-japan-pj-455-precision-jazz-bass-special-mij-black-w-gigbag

[tony_m]

And another example here...

 

https://stringswitchnoise.com.au/fender-jazz-bass-special-p-j-vintage-white-1984-vintage/

[Steve Browning]

8 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

@AndyTravis would know better than, but there’s something about the shape and the decals on the headstock that looks wrong to me. 

Agreed. That decal, especially, looks very poor.

[tony_m]

2 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

Agreed. That decal, especially, looks very poor.

The decal looked odd to me too, but the other examples I've found (both in Australia) appear to have the same style decal / finish on the headstock...  🤔

[White Cloud]

Flea.

[AndyTravis]

22 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

@AndyTravis would know better than, but there’s something about the shape and the decals on the headstock that looks wrong to me. 

It is a model - I can’t remember the horrific letters and digits catalog number.

PJB-35 or something. Similar era to the power jazz etc (80’s/early 1990’s) but it’s had the machineheads changed.

Like a budget Duff.

 

 

[AndyTravis]

Correction - must be a really low end one, the one on reverb has the same “bronco” machineheads...

[Dood]

Yeah I remember these too. As above, same period as the Jazz Bass Special. I think I have some ole Japan catalogues somewhere (that I am sure are online too) that have these in. 

[AndyTravis]

2 minutes ago, Dood said:

Yeah I remember these too. As above, same period as the Jazz Bass Special. I think I have some ole Japan catalogues somewhere (that I am sure are online too) that have these in. 

Aren’t these 32” scale mate, or am I imagining this?

[Dood]

11 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Aren’t these 32” scale mate, or am I imagining this?

Good question! Sadly the catalogue links I had were all in Japanese so I am not sure, but in my mind I think there were 32" offerings - EDIT, the PJM65 was a medium scale and the PJR65 was a 34" scale - so, although not the same model as the one above, yes, it seems shorter scale models were available.

[Roger2611]

The tuners are exactly the same as those fitted to my mid-eighties Jap built Precision Lyte (allbeit mine are gold) I would say they are original to the bass

[LeftyJ]

Fender PJ455 seems accurate. Also, absolutely nothing wrong with the tuners. Those Gotoh's are great. 

[AndyTravis]

3 hours ago, Roger2611 said:

The tuners are exactly the same as those fitted to my mid-eighties Jap built Precision Lyte (allbeit mine are gold) I would say they are original to the bass

 

1 hour ago, LeftyJ said:

Fender PJ455 seems accurate. Also, absolutely nothing wrong with the tuners. Those Gotoh's are great. 

Ah yeah - now I’ve looked.

At a glance, look like those Bronco ones...