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Post subject: 59 or not a 59
Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:55 pm
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Hi All,
I am new to this Forum. Back in the Early 80's I purchased a P-Bass from a local music store that was there on consignment. It had been refinished and was done very poorly. I take it home and decide to refinish it. I take the neck off the body and written on the body in pencil is Aug 59'. I am very happy at this point but I ask my self, Why would some one do this to such a classic? What I am wondering is Is it really a 59? I ask this question because I have another P Bass which weighs a bit more. I want to know is there a difference in body thickness from the 59's to a P bass made in the 90's or 2000's (The neck was refinished, not by me) So I do not have the S/N. Also the 59 came with a rosewood neck if that is any help. Thanks in advance


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Post subject: Re: 59 or not a 59
Posted: Sun May 13, 2018 11:40 am
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Location: SoCal, US
Impossible to tell from the information provided without some detailed pictures.
There's a lot that could have happened in the last 60 years, particularly in the 70s when there was really not a whole lot of value seen in older guitars. They were plentiful, everyone had one in their closet or garage, and many were damaged or destroyed by kids wanting to be the next Townsend or Hendrix. Though bass players weren't known for smashing guitars, they were not immune from mix and matching parts and garage paint jobs.

With the poor refinish, even if it is the original body, there is very little "vintage" value left.
There absolutely were differences in weight over various years, both from wood type used, Alder or Ash, and the body cut/route. Some of the 70s bodies felt "thicker" because the edge radius was sharper, and they tended to not sand as deeply on the body contours.

If the date only appears in one place and is written in pencil, I would suspect that it is not genuine. Fender would generally use a stamp on both the body and the neck, in addition to a pencil mark with the builder's/inspector's name. The neck would have been stamped on the heel by the truss rod adjuster.

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