1957-58 Fender catalog

[Dave W]

Here

A guy at the TDPRI scanned this to share. Click to view it fullscreen. You can download a zip file with a pdf if you want.

I like the way the Precision Bass is described as having a slender neck. I never heard of Nappy Lamare, whose photo is on that page. Looked him up, he may not have been a bassist. But he could strike a mean pose.

[the mojo hobo]

The precision probably did have a slender neck compared to a double bass, but I doubt it was slender compared to a Hofner.

Holy Cow! The only page with prices shows $18.00 for a set of bass strings. In todays dollars that would be twice more than T.I.s or Pyramids.

[dadagoboi]

The precision probably did have a slender neck compared to a double bass, but I doubt it was slender compared to a Hofner.

Holy Cow! The only page with prices shows $18.00 for a set of bass strings. In todays dollars that would be twice more than T.I.s or Pyramids.

$147 in 2012 money.  I'll never forget paying $30+ for a set of Rotosounds in the early 70s when my half of the rent on a 2 bedroom apartment was $25.

[nofi]

on the other hand a set of tape wound labellas were only 8 bucks in the early seventies.

[Spiritbass]

That's cool. Thanks for sharing, Dave! One of my uncles accompanied Speed West on bass when they were in the Army. Now I know what Speedy used to look like.   

[Dave W]

That's cool. Thanks for sharing, Dave! One of my uncles accompanied Speed West on bass when they were in the Army. Now I know what Speedy used to look like.   

I also noticed that steel guitarist Herb Remington is shown in the artists page toward the end (page 30-31). Herb is still around, still performing - he's in his mid-80s - and building non-pedal steels at his shop in Houston. I'm guessing most of the other artists are no longer with us.

$147 in 2012 money.  I'll never forget paying $30+ for a set of Rotosounds in the early 70s when my half of the rent on a 2 bedroom apartment was $25.

Same with guitar strings. $2.50 in 1957 = 20.45 today. You can buy 5-6 sets of name brand strings for that today.

on the other hand a set of tape wound labellas were only 8 bucks in the early seventies.

LaBellas were cheap back then. You could buy them at many drugstores. They were a step up from Black Diamonds.

[ilan]

The bass in the pics has a pre-57 single bolt wooden tug bar, and what looks like fiber bridge saddles.

In bass strings, a high C is offered. As the Bass V was issued only 8 years later, my guess is that Leo wanted to offer a ADGC tuning, sort of halfway to baritone.

[Highlander]

Here
... I never heard of Nappy Lamare, whose photo is on that page. Looked him up, he may not have been a bassist...

A little digging found a reference to a hand injury where he switched to bass for some time...

Nice item... downloaded, ta...

I vaguely remember paying £7 or £8 for Rotos back in the 70's; maybe less...

[Dave W]

The bass in the pics has a pre-57 single bolt wooden tug bar, and what looks like fiber bridge saddles.
....

Could it be a prototype, or were some early 57s actually issued that way?

[Rob]

Could it be a prototype, or were some early 57s actually issued that way?

I have met two people that knew Leo and claim that he he NEVER threw anything out that could be used.  Makes sense in the odd serials and components.