Fender Precision Bass Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1964)
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Item # 11809
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Fender Precision Bass Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1964), made in Fullerton, California, serial # L33240, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This 1964 Precision bass is about as real as relics get, with a LOT of finish wear that is the product not of artificial ageing but gigging over the last six decades. Beneath this wear this is a truly lovely pre-CBS Precision, one of the lightest and handiest we have ever had with the look, feel, and sound that defines the classic 1960s Fender bass. The features particular to this period include a thin-lam rosewood fingerboard with clay dot inlay, "Transition" silver Fender logo decal, "L" serial number plate, tortoiseshell pattern nitrocellulose pickguard and Kluson bass tuners. The neck and body are finished with the thin Pre-CBS style lacquer in a blended sunburst finish just a bit mellower than the "target" bursts of 1965 and after.
The bass would have been assembled in fall 1964, just months before the CBS takeover. The neck heel is stamped 5 AUG64C, the pot dates are to the 22nd and the 26th weeks of that year. It has obviously seen a lot of use over nearly six decades but remains more original and in that way at least better preserved than many old Fender basses that have been stripped, modified or heavily rebuilt. It has the classic Precision sound with a bright midrange growl that warms up nicely when the tone knob is rolled off a bit. At 8.16 Lbs. (with both covers ON) this is extremely light for a Precision Bass from ANY era, with a superbly resonant sound even unplugged.
This is simply a great player's example of the world's premier electric bass, still ruler of the roost 55+ years on and ready for the next half-century of low end action. This era Precision Bass is an absolute classic, played by the majority of the great electric bassists of the 1960s and heard on literally thousands of recordings since then. This bass is a true relic, worn by decades of use, not with hammers and sandpaper. It remains a wonderful instrument for any style of music, an absolute joy to play and a prime example of the final; glory days of the Fullerton California Fender factory.
Overall length is 45 3/4 in. (116.2 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.)., 8.16 lbs.
This bass is very well-worn overall but remains in excellent playing condition with the original finish and hardware. The all-original sunburst lacquer finish has heavy play wear with numerous large and small dings, scrapes, chips and deeper wear spots. The face has deep worn areas above the strings from finger contact, and there are numerous rubs, dings and chips into the wood on the body edges. There are several large swaths of belt buckle rash on the back. A spot on the upper horn shows a couple of small filled holes and a pattern indicating a "Mono-Plak" nameplate was once mounted there.
The back of the neck is nicely worn down with the classic "old Fender" feel, with nearly all of the lacquer worn through. There is a large cigarette (or cigar!) burn area on the headstock edge. Oddly enough the original 3-color sunburst is still surprisingly bright, with very little fade despite probably having been played in the smoky bars of decades past; it must have never hung in a store window!). The parts have some wear and corrosion (especially the tuners and the volume knob) but everything works as intended. The pickup covers have some nicks in the surface and internally some of the solder joints have been redone, but all the components are original.
This bass has just been played a LOT; as they used to say "someone fed their family with this one". The original thin frets show some wear in the lower positions but are still fully playable; we would assume the bass has likely had flatwound strings on for most of its life as it does now. There is replaced foam under the tailpiece cover for the traditional muted period sound, easily removed if desired. The neck is excellent and the truss rod works fine, never over tightened; "bassically" This Fender took a lickin' and kept on tickin". It resides in the original late '64 "no-Logo" black Toles Fender case, ready the next century. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This 1964 Precision bass is about as real as relics get, with a LOT of finish wear that is the product not of artificial ageing but gigging over the last six decades. Beneath this wear this is a truly lovely pre-CBS Precision, one of the lightest and handiest we have ever had with the look, feel, and sound that defines the classic 1960s Fender bass. The features particular to this period include a thin-lam rosewood fingerboard with clay dot inlay, "Transition" silver Fender logo decal, "L" serial number plate, tortoiseshell pattern nitrocellulose pickguard and Kluson bass tuners. The neck and body are finished with the thin Pre-CBS style lacquer in a blended sunburst finish just a bit mellower than the "target" bursts of 1965 and after.
The bass would have been assembled in fall 1964, just months before the CBS takeover. The neck heel is stamped 5 AUG64C, the pot dates are to the 22nd and the 26th weeks of that year. It has obviously seen a lot of use over nearly six decades but remains more original and in that way at least better preserved than many old Fender basses that have been stripped, modified or heavily rebuilt. It has the classic Precision sound with a bright midrange growl that warms up nicely when the tone knob is rolled off a bit. At 8.16 Lbs. (with both covers ON) this is extremely light for a Precision Bass from ANY era, with a superbly resonant sound even unplugged.
This is simply a great player's example of the world's premier electric bass, still ruler of the roost 55+ years on and ready for the next half-century of low end action. This era Precision Bass is an absolute classic, played by the majority of the great electric bassists of the 1960s and heard on literally thousands of recordings since then. This bass is a true relic, worn by decades of use, not with hammers and sandpaper. It remains a wonderful instrument for any style of music, an absolute joy to play and a prime example of the final; glory days of the Fullerton California Fender factory.
Overall length is 45 3/4 in. (116.2 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.)., 8.16 lbs.
This bass is very well-worn overall but remains in excellent playing condition with the original finish and hardware. The all-original sunburst lacquer finish has heavy play wear with numerous large and small dings, scrapes, chips and deeper wear spots. The face has deep worn areas above the strings from finger contact, and there are numerous rubs, dings and chips into the wood on the body edges. There are several large swaths of belt buckle rash on the back. A spot on the upper horn shows a couple of small filled holes and a pattern indicating a "Mono-Plak" nameplate was once mounted there.
The back of the neck is nicely worn down with the classic "old Fender" feel, with nearly all of the lacquer worn through. There is a large cigarette (or cigar!) burn area on the headstock edge. Oddly enough the original 3-color sunburst is still surprisingly bright, with very little fade despite probably having been played in the smoky bars of decades past; it must have never hung in a store window!). The parts have some wear and corrosion (especially the tuners and the volume knob) but everything works as intended. The pickup covers have some nicks in the surface and internally some of the solder joints have been redone, but all the components are original.
This bass has just been played a LOT; as they used to say "someone fed their family with this one". The original thin frets show some wear in the lower positions but are still fully playable; we would assume the bass has likely had flatwound strings on for most of its life as it does now. There is replaced foam under the tailpiece cover for the traditional muted period sound, easily removed if desired. The neck is excellent and the truss rod works fine, never over tightened; "bassically" This Fender took a lickin' and kept on tickin". It resides in the original late '64 "no-Logo" black Toles Fender case, ready the next century. Overall Very Good + Condition.