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'64 Precision

Beedster

By Beedster,
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Beedster Grand Master

Beedster

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[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='677185' date='Dec 7 2009, 08:59 PM']Exciting news Chris!!! Have you sold your house to finance it I wonder...[/quote]

Hey mate, long time. Didn't sell the house but will be selling pretty much all my other basses! Been playing it all night and have now probably had too many beers to relate the whole story, but will do in the morning.

C

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Beedster Grand Master

Beedster

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Well, as for pics. how's this for starters?







I've been playing bass since the late '70s, and pretty much ever since I became aware of the significance of '65 in Fender history, and the idea that what went before was considered just that bit better, I'd wanted a pre-CBS Precision, specifically a June '64 (I doubt anyone here has a long enough memory to verify this - it was early 2005 after all - but my first post on the old BC site was "Wanted. June 1964 Precision". A few guys replied along the lines of 'you'll be lucky', and that was about it). However, I've been keeping an eye open for a June '64 for sometime now, even though I knew if I found one I doubt I'd be able to afford it anyway.

To cut a long story short, a few things kinda happened at the same time recently, and although I really don't want to go into details, I found myself in the position to buy what is essentially my dream bass. So I started looking with a little more interest and one thing became clear; there ain't a lot of June '64 Precisions out there. OK, I hadn't seen one in over 20 years of casual looking which isn't surprising, but 5 years of more focused searching and a few months of exploring every lead had similarly resulted in a blank. In the last few months I saw about 20 May '64s, an equal number of October and November '64's, and one or two from January that year. A lot of these had bad refins, substantial mods, or were in very poor condition, too poor to justify using the money in question (does that make sense?).

I played the bass above about 4 weeks ago (I'd originally seen it when I was in V&R with Happy Jack and my guitarist a few weeks back). I had no intention of buying it at the time because it was well over twice my budget. It was however a sweet bass with just the tone and feel I'd always imagined a pre-CBS would have. Despite the fact I couldn't afford it, I asked for details but the guys at V&R didn't have any, hence my mini-rant in an earlier post. Move forwards a few weeks and I've played more and more basses and haven't liked any (well, I liked one but it was really hard to verify whether it was actually a 64, the neck was Nov '64, the pots '65 and the serial number very high L-series, suggesting it might not only have been a '65 but possibly technically a CBS), so I went back to V&R to see whether this baby was as good as I remembered, and it was, it just felt so good compared to all the others, and the tone seemed even better than the first time I'd played it. The guys at V&R still didn't have the details I was after, so I asked them to take it apart and photo the important bits.

I got back from London that night, had a couple of beers with a few mates and got back to my place around midnight. I opened my emails and there was a mail from V&R, and guess what......







So, I'm now looking at THE dream bass, not only the best player, best sounding and, arguably best looking, but the bloody thing's from June '64, the first June '64 I've seen, ever!!! I'm not gonna go into the finances of this, suffice to say that the price tag on this bass has been mentioned elsewhere on this forum, and simply thinking about it put me in a world of pain. I had a budget of less than half what this bass was listed for, and on that basis it was a no-goer. Flip side however is that I had, for a number of reasons - the most important of which relates to the source of the money in the first place - set my heart on finding THE bass, and THE bass in my head and my heart was a June '64 Precision.

I called V&R the next day and arranged to meet Chris to take it apart again, I wanted to get real close to the thing to make sure it was what I hoped it was. And it was. Chris was patient enough to pretty much dismantle the whole thing in my presence, allowing me to take pics and inspect every component, and providing some useful info re pre-CBS Fenders.

To cut a long story short, it's now mine. Although I was fortunate to be given what was a substantial sum of money to buy the bass in the first place, I've paid over half the cost of this myself and I'm likely going to have to sell my three current basses as a result to pay the mortgage! Do I regret that. Not for a second. This bass is simply stunning, stunning to look at, stunning to play, and stunning to listen to, even in my hands. This bass, for a number of reasons that go so far beyond tone, feel, value, and vintage, is the one, not just because it is, but - and I'm sure you'll get this - because it has to be.

I've gotta thank one particular BCer who I think I'll leave nameless but who has helped me throughout the process and to whom I'm very grateful (there's a bottle of JD on its way dude). I'd also like to thank the other BCers who I've either pestered with PMs and emails over the last few months, who've been to look at basses for me, or who've replied to my questions in various threads. I'd also like to apologise to those of you who I talked into contemplating selling your old Fenders only for me to pull out! I should apologise to V&R also, as I was pretty negative about them initially, but they were extremely professional when we started getting stuck into this whole thing and I now consider myself a pretty satisfied customer.

Worst thing is I've gotta get used to frets again :)

Edited by Beedster
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OldGit Mentor

OldGit

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Awwwwwwwwww!
Fabulous. That's a great story Chris.
You'll not regret it.

So ... More pictures pease. This reminds me of the Patek Phillipe watch advert strapline:

"You never actually own a [s]Patek Phillipe[/s] June '64 Precision, you merely look after it for the next generation ..."

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Hutton Experienced

Hutton

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I'm so happy this went well for you Chris. When I saw the bass in V&R it looked absolutely fantastic. I loved the colour and the fact that it still looked as if it had many more years of playing still in it. Unfortunately when I heard the price it was just way out of my league. I really am content with my 62 reissue and my 83. However, a pre-CBS would be the Holy Grail. Enjoy the bass man - you deserve it.

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The Bass Doc Rising Star

The Bass Doc

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[quote name='Buzz' post='678252' date='Dec 8 2009, 06:15 PM']"I've been asked to source a '64 Precision.....", why the coverup at the start?[/quote]

He was asking himself.

I often talk to myself, but I rarely get any sense.

Whadya mean any sense?

Just what I said.

Well that's the last time I let you come on Basschat if that's the thanks I get.

Get knotted.

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