Is this 76 P legit? (fender experts needed)

[Nibody]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Precision-Bass-Guitar-1976/333896192565?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D38c1cc6046ed43e698cba3ed2104631a%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D164698252869%26itm%3D333896192565%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DFender&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A6169f613-761f-11eb-b883-ee04ed023591|parentrq%3Ad0d3b5761770a9cd5d1a82eaffc8b152|iid%3A1

I got some further pictures of the pickups and pots from the seller - doesnt look right to me. Obviously the neck has been replaced as he has said, but to me they look more like a MIJ "lawsuit" copy. I could be way south of the mark.

[Reggaebass]

Here’s a bit of info from vintage bass world 

[Beedster]

Run away quickly  

[Reggaebass]

I mainly look at jazzes but aren’t the pots normally dated on the P’s

[Nibody]

33 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Here’s a bit of info from vintage bass world 

Yeh - was interested to see the back of the pickups to see if they were grey backs, but didnt get that picture. It just seems off to me - bridge looks far to shiney, those pots are not CTS as far as I can see... used to own a 76 before I knew crap about fenders and the internet wasnt a huge thing.

[Nibody]

3 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

I mainly look at jazzes but aren’t the pots normally dated on the P’s

As far as I know CTS's with very distinct date codes on them

 

[Nibody]

looks to my non expert eyes like the tuners and scratchplate are genuine.. not too sure about the body and electronics though

 

[Reggaebass]

1 minute ago, Nibody said:

As far as I know CTS's with very distinct date codes on them

 

Yeah that’s what I thought , it all looks a bit wrong to me 🙂

[Nibody]

34 minutes ago, Beedster said:

Run away quickly  

booked a taxi... sod running

 

[Bassassin]

Bitsa, with a couple of Fender-stamped bits.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

The tuners, neckplate and pickguard are right but I would expect a '76 Fender to have solid shaft pots and a ceramic disc capacitor. The blurb states that the neck isn't original. Can't tell from the pics whether the body, bridge or pickup are genuine.

 

[police squad]

those pots look like the ones on  my '73, which I replaced in 1991 with ESP parts

[Nibody]

3 hours ago, police squad said:

those pots look like the ones on  my '73, which I replaced in 1991 with ESP parts

I'd imagine yours were closer to these https://reverb.com/au/item/5724953-fender-cts-1973-pots-cap-precision-bass-wiring-harness

[Nibody]

5 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The tuners, neckplate and pickguard are right but I would expect a '76 Fender to have solid shaft pots and a ceramic disc capacitor. The blurb states that the neck isn't original. Can't tell from the pics whether the body, bridge or pickup are genuine.

 

Neckplate looks very "new" compared to the rest of the bass - they (F logo ones) can be picked up from ebay for peanuts. I know 76 was a transition from serial number on neckplate to headstock. I think someone is going to get stung quite badly at £400 (providing it doesnt go higher that is!)

 

[Shepster8316]

Just my penny’s worth having owned a few 76-79 Precisions. The pots look all wrong and the cap certainly is wrong. Plus, the caps in 76 were soldered to the tone pot only (up up about 74 the caps were soldered between the vol and tone pots). 

It would be nice to see the back of those pickups too 😀

Edited February 24, 2021 by Shepster8316
Add info

[Reggaebass]

38 minutes ago, Shepster8316 said:

Just my penny’s worth having owned a few 76-79 Precisions.

I remember your 78 precision Shepster, it was really nice and it had the jazz profile neck, I was too slow buying that 🙂

[ash]

It’s a bitsa - as others have said. It’s got some Fender parts but from different eras. The machineheads are early to mid 70s. The serial sticker on the rear of the scratchplate is later 70s and possibly it’s been stuck on a none Fender scratchplate. The neck plate has the black plastic gasket so possibly legit but copies are easy enough to buy online. The pickups would be best identified by looking at the bobbins underneath. The pots are nothing like my 70s bass - here’s a pic. It’s all very vague. The thumbrest has the brown colour of some 70s era rests.The neck is as he says a replacement. 

[Nibody]

7 hours ago, ash said:

It’s a bitsa - as others have said. It’s got some Fender parts but from different eras. The machineheads are early to mid 70s. The serial sticker on the rear of the scratchplate is later 70s and possibly it’s been stuck on a none Fender scratchplate. The neck plate has the black plastic gasket so possibly legit but copies are easy enough to buy online. The pickups would be best identified by looking at the bobbins underneath. The pots are nothing like my 70s bass - here’s a pic. It’s all very vague. The thumbrest has the brown colour of some 70s era rests.The neck is as he says a replacement. 

went through the extra pics he sent and found this - it does actually look (if you look closely) from what you can see that isnt obscured by the shielding that it does have grey bobbin pickups - but you cant see any markings as they are obscured by the shielding

[Beedster]

45 minutes ago, Nibody said:

went through the extra pics he sent and found this - it does actually look (if you look closely) from what you can see that isnt obscured by the shielding that it does have grey bobbin pickups - but you cant see any markings as they are obscured by the shielding

I think you’re clutching at straws. Also worth asking why the seller would send you such an ambiguous picture assuming you requested one of the underside of the PUPs?

[police squad]

14 hours ago, Nibody said:

I'd imagine yours were closer to these https://reverb.com/au/item/5724953-fender-cts-1973-pots-cap-precision-bass-wiring-harness

I've no idea to be honest. I was going into the studio and decided to check the electronics under the scratchplate. The pots weren't soldered very well (if at all) so I just replaced them and kept the ceramic capacitor. I threw them out, whatever they were. No one wanted P basses back then (1990). In hindsight, obviously, I would have kept them. (I'm sure they were knackered though, I don't often throw things out)

[Nibody]

1 hour ago, Beedster said:

I think you’re clutching at straws. Also worth asking why the seller would send you such an ambiguous picture assuming you requested one of the underside of the PUPs?

I don't intend to buy it - I was tempted at the very start as I had an early 76 that I sold for peanuts to pay the rent in the late 90's and have always regretted letting go.. not due to its percieved value but because it was my "the one"... at the time I knew sod all about P basses and the internet wasnt what it is today with resources for valueing and checking things. I just needed to keep a roof over my head and it was all I had to selll. I think this is a good exercise in investifgation, and drawing on the vast knowledge of the basschat community a learning experience possibly for those with less know-how.

 

[Reggaebass]

I don’t know if you’ve seen it  Nibody, and if you like vintage fenders there’s some good reading here 🙂

 

[Nibody]

22 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

I don’t know if you’ve seen it  Nibody, and if you like vintage fenders there’s some good reading here 🙂

 

no I hadn't.. thanks buddy. will mooch through that thread with a coffee later

[Reggaebass]

It’s up to £571 with 11 minutes to go 

[ash]

It went for nearly £900! Amazing. I wouldn’t have paid £300 for it.