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WTB: pre CBS fender precision body
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After 20 years in storage, my brother wants to restore his mongrel precision. Neck is a very clean 62 with what looks like no major issues, except someone added a few extra frets (separate piece of wood) to get to 2 octaves, hacked the body to give access for this, added a jazz pick up and other general mucking around including some horrible off white paint job.
So maybe better to buy a body than restore the current one. Think most of the other parts are there or thereabouts, eg original split pickups. But has a badass bridge so we'll try and source a replica. I think restoring the body will be expensive, but want to see of if anyone has a pre CBS body for ok money?
Comments
IMO, the body could be refurbished by plugging the J pickup cavity and reinstating the cutaway area. An opaque Ducco custom colour paintjob would disguise the joins.
Buying an original body would be expensive and has a significant element of risk. Whatever you do, the bass will be a player, not collector instrument, with commensurate value, so I wouldn’t buy another body if it were mine.
As @funkfingers says, it’s a perfect opportunity/candidate for a custom colour restoration.
Judging by my AV '63 Precision, official Fender ones are a slightly fake shade of minty green but, at least, the edge bevel angle is correct.
It sounds sublime through my 57 bassman, and looks pretty neat. Good karma as the work was done in a shop above where my brother bought the mongrel bass - Roka's on Denmark Street - in around 1980. Will have one happy brother:
https://i.imgur.com/TF2FFKd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qsKoEKd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cTXkPXZ.jpg
I've a few parts taken off from the restoration - badass bridge, kent armstrong pickup, pots from late 70's / early 80's - I will list in parts now.
It seems that lurking under the nasty refinish and cutaway pieces was what might now be a rare £15k bass if someone hadn't hacked it in the late 70's.....the original body and (greenish) scratch plate (now all rather damaged) mean it may have originally been a rather rare daphne blue custom colour 62 precision bass. But the original body and scratch plate are a mess, the neck shaved etc.
I couldn't find anyone to do the restoration of the body...might be worth looking into that. Bravewood wouldn't, Scott at SC Relics said it was too messy (and he has a different focus now) and Rexter guitars said they would reply and then didn't. But even if we did restore it, what would it be worth? A repaired mangled body an a shaved neck? Or I could have sourced a pre CBS body - cheapest one on Ebay was £1k plus import and it would need a refin...
Anyway, here is the bass pre its new body (and new pots and bridge).
https://i.imgur.com/WjcJSM3.jpg
• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Goldeneraguitars
Golden Era seem to have done a great job with the new body. Very convincing, so far as the pictures show.
Whoever did the hack job on the original body deserves to have the same done. It makes you quite sad to see that kind of butchery. I'm glad you put the after photos up first.
Great job all round. I hope your brother is pleased.
https://i.imgur.com/0hyl2op.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uhLQwSr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IfJbCN7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/t1nzvgG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wX5PKzL.jpg
• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Goldeneraguitars