Fender Telecaster Bass - what is this logo?!

[sambecker1]

Dear Basschatters,

I have just seen this bass and the logo on the headstock looks familiar but can't work out hwere I've seen it before! Any clues from anyone on age and model? The body doesn't look original and the neck has had one of the tuners changed but any help with identification would be amazing!

All the best,

Sam

[Doctor J]

Whatever it is, a Fender it is not.

[AndyTravis]

29 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

Whatever it is, a Fender it is not.

Yeah…sort a close but no benson and hedges…

 

What did Roy Walker used to say on Catchphrase; “it’s good, but nowhere near”.

 

 

[Linus27]

32 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Yeah…sort a close but no benson and hedges…

 

What did Roy Walker used to say on Catchphrase; “it’s good, but nowhere near”.

 

 

" it's good but it's not right" 😁

[AndyTravis]

9 minutes ago, Linus27 said:

" it's good but it's not right" 😁

Hahah. Oh aye 

[Jono Bolton]

I'd take a punt that the neck is from a Fender Bullet Bass. The three tuners that match look correct for that model.

 

[Pea Turgh]

Good spot!  I’d let the playability vs price dictate whether or not it’s a worthy purchase.  Who cares who made it if it’s a good player?!

[sambecker1]

Thanks so much for all the responses folks!

[AndyTravis]

1 hour ago, Jono Bolton said:

I'd take a punt that the neck is from a Fender Bullet Bass. The three tuners that match look correct for that model.

 

yeah - that entered my head after…the one where fender got their own headstock shape wrong…😵‍💫

[Burns-bass]

13 hours ago, Pea Turgh said:

Good spot!  I’d let the playability vs price dictate whether or not it’s a worthy purchase.  Who cares who made it if it’s a good player?!

Because one would assume the seller is attempting to pass this off as a vintage Fender and charge a fortune.

The body is a Harley Benton that’s been crudely drilled. You can tell by the bridge, so it’s worth £30 at most.

 

I’d guess the neck is the same that has been reshaped and a knock-off neck plate has been added.

 

The case is likely to be worth more than the bass.

 

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, Burns-bass said:

Because one would assume the seller is attempting to pass this off as a vintage Fender and charge a fortune.

The body is a Harley Benton that’s been crudely drilled. You can tell by the bridge, so it’s worth £30 at most.

 

 

The case is likely to be worth more than the bass.

 

 

i think the previous poster is right and this is a Bullet Bass neck.

[LeftyJ]

Looks like it! The short-lived USA Bullet Bass, before they moved production to Japan - the Japanese versions have Gotoh GB-1 tuners I think. The maple skunk stripe is a match too. 

[Jono Bolton]

1 hour ago, Burns-bass said:

Because one would assume the seller is attempting to pass this off as a vintage Fender and charge a fortune.

The body is a Harley Benton that’s been crudely drilled. You can tell by the bridge, so it’s worth £30 at most.

 

I’d guess the neck is the same that has been reshaped and a knock-off neck plate has been added.

 

The case is likely to be worth more than the bass.

 

I'm not sure its a Harley Benton body, the pickup looks too near to the bridge when it should be further forward, just below the waist of the bass. The pickguard and control plate are somewhat similar to an HB, but not quite. I'd have guessed it was an old Japanese/far Eastern copy, but it could be anything really. If the neck works and is decent nick it could be worth a few quid on its own, but the rest is a mess. I'd be interested to know what the seller's asking for. Presumably enough to buy himself some new socks.

Edited February 5, 2024 by Jono Bolton

[asingardenof]

18 hours ago, Linus27 said:

" it's good but it's not right" 😁

My favourite was "it's so close... to being a million miles away from correct"

[Burns-bass]

47 minutes ago, Jono Bolton said:

I'm not sure its a Harley Benton body, the pickup looks too near to the bridge when it should be further forward, just below the waist of the bass. The pickguard and control plate are somewhat similar to an HB, but not quite. I'd have guessed it was an old Japanese/far Eastern copy, but it could be anything really. If the neck works and is decent nick it could be worth a few quid on its own, but the rest is a mess. I'd be interested to know what the seller's asking for. Presumably enough to buy himself some new socks.

 

The bridge is deffo a HB. The holes in the bridge to accommodate through-body stringing are so crude they've been done by an amateur with no chamfering. The metal plate on the back, rather than an embedded collet, tells you that. 

 

Whatever it is, it should be burned as a sacrifice to appease the bass gods.

 

No money should ever be paid for this bass.

[JazzyJ]

£375 on fb marketplace. I also remarked on  the socks.

[Jono Bolton]

2 minutes ago, JazzyJ said:

£375 on fb marketplace. I also remarked on  the socks.

Way too much if he can't guarantee the provenance of the parts. The neck might be worth £100 or so given the condition 

[Grahambythesea]

If it is being passed off as a real Fender, then perhaps Trading Standards should be advised as I think it would be an offence.

[LukeFRC]

2 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

If it is being passed off as a real Fender, then perhaps Trading Standards should be advised as I think it would be an offence.

On a private advert on fb marketplace?

[meterman]

Just seen this, and it does look like either a 1981 USA Fender Bullet bass neck or a slightly later (83-84) Japanese Squier Bullet bass neck to me.

 

I’ve owned examples of both in the past and the necks are really nice. Can you ask the seller for a couple of neck heel pics?

 

Prices of Bullet basses have gone nuts in the last year or two. I’d be tempted to buy it for the neck alone anyway if it was definitely a Bullet neck and had no truss rod issues 👍