Fender should build a 60's "slab" body Precision ala J.A.E.

[godofthunder]

 This picture ans explanation makes sense.

I posted the question on another forum and got an answer. There is book about these basses: 'Fender Bass For Britain -The History of the 1966 Slab-Bodied Precision Bass' written by Barry Matthews.The thingy that I mistook for a switch is actually the second jack socket.

[eb2]

Here we go. Just need a time machine.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/resources/article/Fender-Custom-Shop-1966-Slab-Body-P-Bass/m712216

[John Schoen]

A time machine and $4.000. 
I am thinking about building one myself.  A Warmoth '51 body in Mary Kay white routed for a split pickup could be a good start.

[godofthunder]

Well looks like they did build it   4k?  Geeze Id be hard pressed to pay that for a Tbird. Sure looks cool though.

[Lightyear]

OY!  Anybody that wants a body I'll knock one out for a bargain at just $2K! 

Seriously, less than $40 for wood a couple of hours of work and you have the body.  Find a nice neck and drop in a Thunderbucker, or pickup of your choosing, and you are done.

[eb2]

This has been batted around on other forums quite a bit, but it is obviously easier and cheaper to build one yourself. I suppose at some point, maybe last year, the fact that the custom shop edition from a few years ago is just as rare as the originals then they will be worth more than $4 G's.  But it is relatively easy to get the slab body, even pre-finished, from Warmoth or Edenhaus among others.  The neck is the only oddity as it was a maple cap with a 60s profile. In other words, a Roger Waters bass neck, which is available daily on ebay for $350-400.  That is about what a copy neck would cost.  Swap the nut and put a 64-68 decal with a tad of refinning, and there you go. Edenhaus will make one. Hardware is off the shelf 60s reissue, and pickguard is 70s black.  Or you could order a Fender custom shop one off for the price of a good used car, and pay them for technically doing less work than they do on any 62 ri bass.  I have been planning to do one for 15 years, but they are so easy to do that I keep putting it off.  I have had the decal for years!

[lowend1]

Independent coil contols?

Nah. Model One hidden under the pickguard.

[JazzBassTbird]

What's the third knob for?

Entwistle was asked that a few years back and said he couldn't remember. Maybe he didn't want to say?

Re Frankenstein being made from a slab P Bass neck and electronics, yes, that's correct.

Mid '60s P-Basses tend to have that aggressive growly Live At Leeds sound as opposed to the more hi-fi tone more typical of late '50s-early '60s P-basses (maple neck/spit PU and slab 'board with black bobbin PUs). The maple cap neck likely brought that aggressive tone out even more. The ash body of the slab body would probably have done so even more...

[Pekka]

Black and Maple from Whos's Next?

He says he used the Frankenstein on "Won't Get Fooled Again" but many of the songs on that album sound like Thunderbird to me. For example:

[jumbodbassman]

tough to call.  that could a pbass too..  very one pickup midrangey sound to me and where he hits the strings is more of his sound than any pickups he used.      his live sound is something else however as you can cleary here what amps  and bass he is using on any live recordings 

[Pekka]

tough to call.  that could a pbass too..  very one pickup midrangey sound to me and where he hits the strings is more of his sound than any pickups he used.      his live sound is something else however as you can cleary here what amps  and bass he is using on any live recordings 

Here's a P bass:


Compared to that "Going Mobile" is definitely a Thunderbird. Here's "Sea And Sand" isolated which is a T-Bird or a Fenderbird (most likely the latter):

[slinkp]

tough to call.  that could a pbass too..  very one pickup midrangey sound to me and where he hits the strings is more of his sound than any pickups he used.      his live sound is something else however as you can cleary here what amps  and bass he is using on any live recordings 

I have to disagree with you about Goin' Mobile... I'm with Pekka, that doesn't sound anything like a single-pickup sound to me.  Based on the tone and the attack I'd say thunderbird IV with both pups on.  The final mix has a lot of the treble rolled off, but I hear a similar character on some other songs like Bargain and Love Ain't for Keeping.

Won't Get Fooled Again though, not sure, it sounds different to me, but it's hard for me to guess from the final mix which is very bassy. That and Baba O'Riley are from a different session at a different studio, and I haven't heard an isolated bass track of the album version.  Could be a P-bass, I really can't say.

[slinkp]

Won't Get Fooled Again though, not sure, it sounds different to me, but it's hard for me to guess from the final mix which is very bassy. That and Baba O'Riley are from a different session at a different studio, and I haven't heard an isolated bass track of the album version.  Could be a P-bass, I really can't say.

A bit of googling later I've changed my mind, this sounds rather T-birdish to me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFGTrOhy9RA

And THIS is a P bass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aAbED59mhI&list=PLD69137AC2749CD87

[Pekka]

I think Entwistle changed to Thunderbirds when the Who tried to record at the Record Plant NY March 1971 or when they started again at Olympic studios UK. The Young Vic recording from April 26th featured on "Who's Next" 2CD Deluxe is definitely a Thunderbird but still with the Hiwatt rig. The liners have a pic of John playing a Precision but the picture is erroneously dated (and corrected on the book "Anywhere Anyhow Anywhere") and is really from late 1970 Young Vic rehearsal.

[slinkp]

Also, there are Young Vic pics with a non-reverse T-bird which pre-date the UK Who's Next sessions.


Hard to be sure without having been there, but I'm inclined to say that Entwistle's memory was wrong.