The Last Bass Outpost

So very nice and it appeals to me in several ways.

First, after playing rosewood boards much of my life, in the last five years I've become a huge fan of maple boards.

Second, gray bottom pickups. Aren't they lovely? So aggressive and with that fantastic mid-range the good Fender basses have in abundance. I'll bet your bass sounds great in the studio and has cut-through of the gods when playing live.

With the grays and the maple, be careful that bass doesn't bite you head off!!

George

uwe...for a Gibsonite, you've got a nice collection of other stuff.

At any rate, several comments:

(1) Is there a date penciled on the butt end of the neck? The body should also have a date, probably in the neck pocket. Looking at your group shot, with the bass in question some distance from the camera, it appears to me the straight-across cut of the tip end of the rosewood board above the nut indicates it was made after 1986.

(2) Original Fiesta Red finishes from American-made 1980s reissues are rare. From 1982-1984, Fender P-basses in Fiesta with rosewood boards (62 AVS reissues) are very rare.

(3) You may have already done this, but I've been very impressed with the necks coming out of MIM, so you may want to go out and put your hands on a few before making a final decision about using one as a replacement. I have a Classic 50s P and I love the cut and feel of the neck. It's my understanding that MIM necks begin life in the USA and are sent rough-cut to MIM for finishing.

George

Thanks for the nice greeting and I'm looking forward to contributing here.

I've always been a Fender guy, caring little for other makers, although there are a lot of great ones out there.

Number of strings isn't nearly as important as tone.

I've owned 33 Fender basses over the years, mostly Precisions but a few Jazz. Got rid of them for one reason or another but it was generally because I got tired of them or needed the money.

I currently own three Fenders and generally work with one.

Number one call: 1959 P-bass, all original, maple board, burst, the best Fender bass I've ever had in my hands.

1952 P-bass, serial number 0064, Tadeo Gomez 1/28/52 neck date, body refin in 1964 to factory specs, fiber pickguard custom made by Clive Brown of the UK, the person many consider to be the world's best early Fender restoration artist and the guy who helped restore several early 50s planks in John Entwistle's collection, harness original, pickup original, phenolic saddles original, knobs original.

MIM Classic 50s P-bass in Fiesta. Equipped with 1961 black bottoms, Fullerton-era tuners, pre-CBS bridge, gold guard sandpapered to look old and worn, great neck on this bass and it sounds terrific. My backup at most high-profile gigs.

GK-400RB, Ampeg cabs, and Ampeg B-100R practice amp.

George