Changing some parts on a 78 Fender P bass.

[Alanko]

When I joined the internets some 20 years ago, nobody would care if you did anything to a 1978 Fender. The consensus was that pre-CBS instruments were the gems, to be preserved in as-built condition if possible. Some early CBS-era instruments were also seen as good, but you had to hunt them out. Then the Overton window shifted. Stuff from the late '60s and early '70s suddenly had the potential to be good, on occasion. You had to find the one in ten that played as nicely as a hallowed pre-CBS gear.

 

Interesting that stuff from the peak wilderness years of Fender is now considered valuable enough to cause some pause before modding. Then again, London's Calling, Rocket to Russia, No more Heroes etc is all stock '70s P Basses...

[FugaziBomb]

5 hours ago, Alanko said:

When I joined the internets some 20 years ago, nobody would care if you did anything to a 1978 Fender. The consensus was that pre-CBS instruments were the gems, to be preserved in as-built condition if possible. Some early CBS-era instruments were also seen as good, but you had to hunt them out. Then the Overton window shifted. Stuff from the late '60s and early '70s suddenly had the potential to be good, on occasion. You had to find the one in ten that played as nicely as a hallowed pre-CBS gear.

 

Interesting that stuff from the peak wilderness years of Fender is now considered valuable enough to cause some pause before modding. Then again, London's Calling, Rocket to Russia, No more Heroes etc is all stock '70s P Basses...

The older things get, the more remarkable it becomes when they've managed to stay unspoiled.  I'd agree that 20 years ago, a 78 P Bass wouldn't be held in much regard, but that was 20 years ago.  Now it's nearly 50 years old and still has all it's original parts.  Regardless of if it's a gem or not, it still seems a little sad to start pulling parts off of it now after it's stayed intact for so long.  Changing the pickguard is especially egregious to me.  There are plenty of brand new P Basses that can be done to.

 

Ultimately, it's the OP's bass and he can do whatever he wants, but it'll just be one less instrument that stayed together and that's kinda sad to me.

[Mrbigstuff]

5 hours ago, FugaziBomb said:

The older things get, the more remarkable it becomes when they've managed to stay unspoiled.  I'd agree that 20 years ago, a 78 P Bass wouldn't be held in much regard, but that was 20 years ago.  Now it's nearly 50 years old and still has all it's original parts.  Regardless of if it's a gem or not, it still seems a little sad to start pulling parts off of it now after it's stayed intact for so long.  Changing the pickguard is especially egregious to me.  There are plenty of brand new P Basses that can be done to.

 

Ultimately, it's the OP's bass and he can do whatever he wants, but it'll just be one less instrument that stayed together and that's kinda sad to me.

If it was sold, market expectation is for it to be pulled apart for the pictures anyway? The OP has indicated he would keep all the original parts. Once back together, the prospective new buyer would know no difference.

[lemmywinks]

6 hours ago, FugaziBomb said:

 

 

... but it'll just be one less instrument that stayed together and that's kinda sad to me.

 

 

He's swapping the pickguard not routing for a J pickup, can just put the original parts back on. Looks like the bass is already missing the thumbrest and pickup/bridge covers so isn't 100% original.

[MNY]

24 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

 

 

He's swapping the pickguard not routing for a J pickup, can just put the original parts back on. Looks like the bass is already missing the thumbrest and pickup/bridge covers so isn't 100% original.

I have the thumb rest, in fact I removed it when I got the bass a few weeks ago. I have the bridge and pick up covers as well. I think that one of the earlier posters is spot on about the colour, which has more of a yellow tone to the burst than one of the 60’s basses and therefore the black pickguard seems to match better. I have decided that I will leave the bass as is, it sounded excellent when I played it yesterday. I will just need to have the wiring checked as I think there might be a loose connection somewhere which is causing an earth buzz.