Monday, June 04, 2007
Up, Down, Top, Bottom, Strange, Charm
We introduced the notion of "matching" particles and anti-particles recently with regards to basses. The whole concept as it relates to basses is a fuzzy concept and not a particularly good analogy. But we'll still run with it. The title of this post refers to the six types of Quarks. I understand the naming convention for the first four, but the last two are delicious in a strangely charming way. Or should that maybe be charmingly strange? Ok....
The two Precisions here are both "Made in Japan". You'll get opinions from all parts of the spectrum when it comes to non-USA made Fender basses. Personally, I like them a lot. I would be hard pressed to distinguish them apart sonically from the American-made ones, and I find their fit and finish, as they say, better than usual, way above average even. These are both late 80s models that I acquired in 2001.
The black one was an eBay find that's had very little done to it. The first thing I did was put an 'F' logo neckplate on it (my standard upgrade), and I got both chrome covers for it, but only installed the bridge one. The pickguard was a standard white one which I replaced with a used one (again from eBay). The end where the jack goes was broken off, and I repaired it with a small piece of tortoise-shell pickguard I have left from my 71 'P'.
The white one is supposedly (near as I can tell) a 1962 reissue complete with the small bare Fender logo on the headstock. A local guitarist was "thinning his herd" and I scored this one along with a nice tweed hard-shell case. Again, I did my usual neckplate and cover upgrades, and in addition, I replaced the black pickup covers with some white ones, just for that different look. The machine tuners have been replaced with sort-of period correct ones. Let me explain...
I later found an slightly beat-up early/mid 70s maple-fretboard, fretless Fender Precision neck (on eBay). When I got it, I discovered to my delight that it had been fitted with reproduction "vintage" reverse tuners. [More on this neck later.] (The complete story of the "Great Tuner Swap" was documented in the entry for the Anti-Blink.) I installed these tuners on the '62 RI. I was able to leace the ferrules in the headstock since the tuner posts were essentially the same size as the originals. However getting them properly seated involved a job with the drill press (which has since more than paid for itself).
I very carefully routed out "divots" in the back of the headstock so that the backing plate would seat properly. To explain: the staples that hold the gear onto the backing plate have tangs that are not flush and stick out. This was later resolved in later years. Making a small hollow in the headstock allows the plate to sit flat against the wood. When I first got the fretless 'P' neck, the backing plates were bent from having been installed without this modification. I was actually happy that whoever had put them on had not done that to the 70s neck. Better to do it to a less vintage MIJ!!!
The necks on both of these are slightly wider than what's called a 'B' neck (1.62" wide at the nut). They also weigh almost the same. I've been tempted to swap the necks on these two to make them even more *anti* than they are, but they both play and sound so nice that I resist the temptation. I have a "Law" (much like Murphy's): "No system exists that cannot be improved to the point where it ceases to function." Or put another way, "Any system can be improved to the point of uselessness."
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The two Precisions here are both "Made in Japan". You'll get opinions from all parts of the spectrum when it comes to non-USA made Fender basses. Personally, I like them a lot. I would be hard pressed to distinguish them apart sonically from the American-made ones, and I find their fit and finish, as they say, better than usual, way above average even. These are both late 80s models that I acquired in 2001.
The black one was an eBay find that's had very little done to it. The first thing I did was put an 'F' logo neckplate on it (my standard upgrade), and I got both chrome covers for it, but only installed the bridge one. The pickguard was a standard white one which I replaced with a used one (again from eBay). The end where the jack goes was broken off, and I repaired it with a small piece of tortoise-shell pickguard I have left from my 71 'P'.
The white one is supposedly (near as I can tell) a 1962 reissue complete with the small bare Fender logo on the headstock. A local guitarist was "thinning his herd" and I scored this one along with a nice tweed hard-shell case. Again, I did my usual neckplate and cover upgrades, and in addition, I replaced the black pickup covers with some white ones, just for that different look. The machine tuners have been replaced with sort-of period correct ones. Let me explain...
I later found an slightly beat-up early/mid 70s maple-fretboard, fretless Fender Precision neck (on eBay). When I got it, I discovered to my delight that it had been fitted with reproduction "vintage" reverse tuners. [More on this neck later.] (The complete story of the "Great Tuner Swap" was documented in the entry for the Anti-Blink.) I installed these tuners on the '62 RI. I was able to leace the ferrules in the headstock since the tuner posts were essentially the same size as the originals. However getting them properly seated involved a job with the drill press (which has since more than paid for itself).
I very carefully routed out "divots" in the back of the headstock so that the backing plate would seat properly. To explain: the staples that hold the gear onto the backing plate have tangs that are not flush and stick out. This was later resolved in later years. Making a small hollow in the headstock allows the plate to sit flat against the wood. When I first got the fretless 'P' neck, the backing plates were bent from having been installed without this modification. I was actually happy that whoever had put them on had not done that to the 70s neck. Better to do it to a less vintage MIJ!!!
The necks on both of these are slightly wider than what's called a 'B' neck (1.62" wide at the nut). They also weigh almost the same. I've been tempted to swap the necks on these two to make them even more *anti* than they are, but they both play and sound so nice that I resist the temptation. I have a "Law" (much like Murphy's): "No system exists that cannot be improved to the point where it ceases to function." Or put another way, "Any system can be improved to the point of uselessness."
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