The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Fender Basses => Topic started by: Muzikman7 on January 12, 2008, 08:25:22 AM

Title: My Fenders
Post by: Muzikman7 on January 12, 2008, 08:25:22 AM
I'm primarily a Fender bass player though I have a Thunderbird A '76 Explorer & a '79 Firebird. I thought I show some of my Fenders.(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff133/muzikman7/TonytheTele2-1.jpg)  My '68
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: Barklessdog on January 12, 2008, 10:07:13 AM
Wow, nice bass. I always liked the early preciisions
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: drbassman on January 12, 2008, 10:35:33 AM
Well, I probably won't have a chance to visit here much, but I do have one Fender that I restored a year or so ago.............

It's a neat old bass that was abused and had a p-bass pup installed be a previous butcher.  It's back to normal now and sounds pretty darn good.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/drbassman/Telecaster%20Bass/72Telebassfront.jpg)
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: godofthunder on January 12, 2008, 11:39:10 AM
 Would you belive I had a factory CAR one ? I paid like 125  for it. Wish I still had it. As always Bill thats a beauty.
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: gweimer on January 12, 2008, 11:53:47 AM
I've rejoined, sort of, the Fender world with my latest project bass.
Mahogany body
Lollar pickup
Hipshot tuners
Novax fanfret neck
...and Bettie Page

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/gweimer/basses/PC300227.jpg)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/gweimer/basses/PC300228.jpg)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/gweimer/basses/PC300232.jpg)
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: drbassman on January 12, 2008, 12:49:53 PM
Would you belive I had a factory CAR one ? I paid like for it. Wish I still had it. As always Bill thats a beauty.

A factory CAR?  That must have looked really cool.  I've thought about selling mine, but on to buy a vintage Gibson!!!  If the right TB comes along, you never know...........
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: Muzikman7 on January 12, 2008, 03:44:14 PM
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff133/muzikman7/Tonys71.jpg) Here's my '71 with an A neck my first new out of the box Fender, paid $189.
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: SKATE RAT on January 13, 2008, 06:23:50 AM
nice P's there,here's mine 1975 Fender Precision...her name is Dolores and i've had her since 1993.
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x120/yrofrat/basses003-1.jpg)
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: eb2 on January 15, 2008, 09:05:41 AM
By an odd and unfortunate twist of fate, I have more Fenders than Gibsons.  In fact, I had zero Gibsons until recently, with all my favorites having been swiped.  I had my Fenders with me, and I am now up to 6 or more, depending on what pieces I have lying around.  At any rate, I love my 69 Tele bass most of all, and for old school rock and roll charm you can't beat it.  Plus I like the beefy neck.  I have kept it for going on 30 years now.  Ain't it funny how time slips away?

I am terrible at pic taking, just never do it for whatever reason.  I have had dozens of beast over the years that I have no pics of.  Here is one that I did take, although it is an ancient beat up polaroid.  You get the idea.  My very early production 62 Fender Bass VI.  It was a hum-dinger.


Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: SKATE RAT on January 15, 2008, 07:56:39 PM
dude,did someone break into your house? how did your basses get swiped? this terrifies me.
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: eb2 on January 15, 2008, 10:45:08 PM
It is a long story that I went into on one of my pit posts in the past.  The short version is I was working out of the country, so I left them with a relative in a place that I thought was safe and I got hit.  I had taken my Fenders with me, as they tend to be things you can always get parts and strings for where ever you are.  So as luck would have it, they are still with me.

But you should not really be terrified of it.  That is something I did figure out and adjust to.  Sh!t happens.  When you buy vintage stuff, and build an either extensive or modest collection, enjoy it.  None of us can keep everything forever, and in a way yapping about them on line is healthier in the long run.  That is my 2 cents worth of bass philosophy for the day.
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: Dave W on January 16, 2008, 12:05:29 AM
Well said. It's great having stuff and enjoying it (and yapping about it online) and you wouldn't want to lose your possessions, but there's more to life than that.
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: Muzikman7 on January 16, 2008, 10:32:11 AM
I've played in the area a number of years and a lot of people know my basses, so I'm not too concerned about theft. I've taken pictures of everything and on the back I have serial numbers and a brief description of each bass.
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: eb2 on January 16, 2008, 12:40:09 PM
a lot of people know my basses, so I'm not too concerned about theft. I've taken pictures of everything and on the back I have serial numbers and a brief description of each bass

Not being terrified is good, but I think that is a stretch of faith.  Doing all that AND insuring them will cover your loss, if that ever happens.  I appreciate that a walk-in vintage instrument will probably get the radar going off if you are well-known in your area.  But I strongly advise insurance.  It is the only way to get some compensation if something happens, especially theft.  In every shady part of the world there are guys who let it be known that they buy guitars - that is reality today.  They love vintage Fenders, and they know how to swap parts, especially neck plates, and make things disappear from a police report perspective.  And there are lots of well-heeled buyers who are happy to not ask questions.  So chances are that if your instrument gets snagged it probably will not go to a used/vintage dealer, but it may be getting dragged to pawn shops in your area, and an honest pawnbroker (think about that) will call a cop.  Or they will go hang somewhere and ask who buys music stuff, and get an answer.  But the reality is it will be several states or countries away from you within days, and probably transformed.

I first heard of pulling Fender neck plates and pots from Jaguars/Coronados/Duosonics/etc, and fixing Strats, Teles, Jazzes with them, about 20 years ago from a pawnbroker.  Food for thought, but again I talk too much on the down side.  More pics! 
Title: My Ffffff ... bbbbbasses from "that other brand" ...
Post by: uwe on January 17, 2008, 05:45:37 PM
You'll treat this posting discreetly, right?  :-[ :-[ :-[

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/uwehornung/DCP_0053.jpg)
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: godofthunder on January 17, 2008, 06:22:01 PM
OH MY GOD !  Say it ain't so. Seriously the Music Man has to go. Nothing wrong with a Fender.......................................took me over 30 years to say that but if the worked for Entwhistle and Jamerson there must be something to them. Here's my '74. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/74pbass003.jpg) As usual Uwe nice basses!
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: uwe on January 18, 2008, 09:08:49 AM
Actually, all my Fenders sound great whether its the MIM sixties Jazz reissue in lilac, the Sting (I love that singlecoil sound, it's so sweet and pure with a pick) or the eighties RI of a 62 P in fiesta (?) red (I never know whether that is fiesta or some kind of orange). Unfortunately, the trussrod on the 62 P Bass RI just broke - it was always kind of stubborn and it had more work to do than usual due to a warp in the neck (possibly the fact that I had it strung with D'Addario chromes in 110 gauge didn't help either).

Of course I will let it get repaired, but I'm thinking of putting on a fretless board - that bass sounds so nice it be great as a fretless. Would you Fenderistas consider that a damnation-worthy sacrilege? I'm not planning on selling it ever.

Uwe
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: eb2 on January 18, 2008, 02:06:31 PM
If there was sacrilege involved, they wouldn't un-screw.  Put a fretless on there, fix the trussrod, keep it in a box for later.

If I were to find a bag of million dollar bills, my Fender collection would be very large.  I still need a Coronado and a Mustang.    And a Bass V.

The 80s Fiesta red looks kind of like Campbell's Tomato soup.  That what you have there. 
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: gweimer on January 19, 2008, 05:12:51 PM
I took the Bettie Page out last week-end, and got a chance to hear how it sounded.  The Lollar pickup has a very nice angry growl to it.  I could feel the thump on that 35" scale E, and got a few comments on the sound.
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: Muzikman7 on January 20, 2008, 10:08:42 AM
a lot of people know my basses, so I'm not too concerned about theft. I've taken pictures of everything and on the back I have serial numbers and a brief description of each bass

Not being terrified is good, but I think that is a stretch of faith.  Doing all that AND insuring them will cover your loss, if that ever happens.  I appreciate that a walk-in vintage instrument will probably get the radar going off if you are well-known in your area.  But I strongly advise insurance.  It is the only way to get some compensation if something happens, especially theft.  In every shady part of the world there are guys who let it be known that they buy guitars - that is reality today.  They love vintage Fenders, and they know how to swap parts, especially neck plates, and make things disappear from a police report perspective.  And there are lots of well-heeled buyers who are happy to not ask questions.  So chances are that if your instrument gets snagged it probably will not go to a used/vintage dealer, but it may be getting dragged to pawn shops in your area, and an honest pawnbroker (think about that) will call a cop.  Or they will go hang somewhere and ask who buys music stuff, and get an answer.  But the reality is it will be several states or countries away from you within days, and probably transformed.

I first heard of pulling Fender neck plates and pots from Jaguars/Coronados/Duosonics/etc, and fixing Strats, Teles, Jazzes with them, about 20 years ago from a pawnbroker.  Food for thought, but again I talk too much on the down side.  More pics! 
                                                                                                 I guess I should have added insurance to my statement, along with insurance I have photos & serial numbers
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: Muzikman7 on January 20, 2008, 10:12:04 AM
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff133/muzikman7/Tonyplays782.jpg) My '78
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: pamlicojack on January 26, 2008, 08:48:48 PM
My '78 Root Beer P with DiMarzios, Grover tuners and a Badass II...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/pamlicojack/mvc-024s.jpg)

My '81 J.  Stock except for the tort guard and strings...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/pamlicojack/IMG_0018.jpg)
Title: Re: My Fenders
Post by: Bart! on January 30, 2008, 01:59:44 AM
Hm, pink/orange-ish tomatosoup, it doesn`t sound too inviting...
A fretless neck would be great.