Super rare late 60's Maple Cap Precision on the 'Bay

[Hornisse]

http://cgi.ebay.com/FENDER-PRECISION-BASS-1969-VINTAGE-LOW-RESERVE-/230567332892?pt=Guitar&hash=item35aee24c1c

Wish I could afford it!  Will probably go north of 2k.

[Lightyear]

What's on the back of the body!?  Looks like some kind of strap assembly screwed in

[rahock]

That's a nice bass. An old buddy of mine had a 69 just like that.It was identical to my 70 , but I think his finish was laquer and mine is poly. Everything in sound and feel was the same.
Rick

[leftybass]

Dude, that was owned by the guy in Metropolis!

[Hornisse]

Looks like they've updated the auction.  It is an August '68 bass.  Already north of 2k so probably closer to 3k now....

[Dave W]

I'm not surprised. Won't any late 60s P in decent shape go for over 2K?

[Hornisse]

True Dave.  I need to get up to date with my vintage Fenders!  I remember a blonde maple cap P bass at a pawn shop here in Austin back around 1986.  Everyone was into the Ibanez/Kramer/Pointy Guitars phase so you could have the Fender for $300.  You don't see many maple cap necks, at least on the basses. 

[cheyenne]

I hate to sound like an idiot here, but what exactly is a maple cap precision?

[Dave W]

It has a separate maple fretboard instead of the typical (for Fender) one-piece maple neck.

[Hornisse]

You are correct Dave!  When they stopped offering the one piece maple necks around 1959 you could still order a maple fingerboard instead of rosewood.  The pre CBS ones are very rare but you see the CBS examples every so often.  Especially from around the late 1960's early 70's era.  Fender eventually went back to the one piece maple necks around late 1970 or so. 

[ilan]

Jimi's Woodstock Strat was a maple cap.

[Hornisse]

Albert Collins Tele was a Maple Cap as well.