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Post subject: 58 or 59? and general advice
Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 1:44 pm
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hi all... I am the proud new owner of a vintage pbass... I was wondering how to determine if it is considered a 58 or 59... here is what I know.
the neck has pencil written 12-58.
the body has pencil written 11-58 inside the pick up cavity.
the pots are code 137.847... which i believe mean 47th week of 58?
Obviously it is a late 1958 however... the serial number is 32xxx which according to all sources make it a 59.
It doesn't really matter because i love it and won't sell it. but the curiosity is killing me.
what I also would love to know is what to do to be true to this bass yet still play it... here are the issues.
1. the previous owner changed the pick ups. luckily he kept the originals.
My intention is to put the originals back in. Is this the wisest decision if I want to keep playing her? should I have them worked on?
2. the previous owner had 4 of the frets replaced. luckily he kept the originals. is there any way to restore the original frets and keep it playable?
3. the chrome pick up cover and bridge covers have some flaking and wear. is there some way to restore their brilliance without diminishing the value of the bass? should I just let them be?
Thanks for any help or opinions.I will add some pics as soon as I figure that out.





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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 1:51 pm
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 11:34 pm
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Quote:
the neck has pencil written 12-58.
the body has pencil written 11-58 inside the pick up cavity.
the pots are code 137.847... which i believe mean 47th week of 58?


I'm NO expert ..... but from what I have read and been told about dates, ..... I'm inclined to believe it's a early '59.

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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 12:59 pm
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Serial numbers are never really reliable to tell the year of a Fender bass. I've just been told, by a good authority (meaning MORE knowledge then me on these matters!)
that going by pot dates, etc ...... this bass would be a '58.

Soooo, I could be wrong with my '59 guess! :oops:

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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 2:09 pm
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Welcome to the forum. Thanks for posting the photos.

This should be a great player. Your desire to restore it to fully stock is the right way to go, at least so far as the electronics are concerned.

Fender model "YEARS" are not calendar years but run from July 1 through June 30th on fiscal years. Your model could more accurately be stated as a 1958/1959. While the serial scheme by and large ran on the calendar year the actual model specs were essentially the same for the entire model year. Any specification changes to standard production instruments or amps were usually made starting on or around July 1 when the new model year specs started. It is entirely possible your bass was turned out in December of 1958, but it is just as likely if not more likely that your bass was turned out in early 1959. So no matter whether it was boxed for shipping in December of 58, or even as late as June 30th of 59 the specs are the same. I'd call it a 58/59 model with a 59 serial. I think the serial makes it very likely it was assembled, set up and packed for shipping in 59. I had a 1981 Ford, but bought it in 1980 when the new models came out in October. I knew it was made in 1980, but it was an '81 model and I always called it an '81.

To address your issues in order here is my opinion and other forum members opinions may vary.

1. Check the impedance of the original pickup pair. The total impedance of the pair should be around 10,000 Ohms (10K) or in the ballpark of 5K per pickup side. Anything from a total of 8.5K up is probably still ok to use. If it reads outside this range I would consider rewinding it. If either side of the pickup pair reads ZERO then you have no choice. There are several services that specialize in rewinding with original spec 42 gauge Formvar wire using original winding techniques to the original impedance specs and even use the original style cloth covered interconnecting and lead wires. Rewinding a pickup at one of these restoration specialist shops costs about the same as a brand new one and even more in some cases. I would not rewind it unless it actually needs it. It may be just fine, which you will have a better idea about when you put it on a Ohm meter. For vintage correct rewinding contact Lindy Fralin or Curtis Novak through links on my website.
2. I do not know. It is impossible to know without actually showing the parts to a competent luthier. However, there is a reason these four frets were replaced in the first place. Probably they were so worn that they could not be leveled and still have enough fret height left to function well. I might not FRET over this so much. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
3. You are dealing with your basic automotive type chrome. Basically you want to clean it thoroughly, remove loose flakes, minimize discoloration in the pitted spots, polish and seal it. Here is what I would do.
A: Remove covers.
B: Hand clean with a soft cloth dipped in straight apple cider vinegar to remove loose flakes, oils and anything else. Clean both the top and bottom. Use an old toothbrush to brush away any obviously loose flakes of plating and concentrate on the dark pitted spots. Get it as clean as possible in this step and then promptly and thoroughly rinse in warm water to remove every bit of vinegar. Finish by drying with a hair dryer on low to medium heat and buff by hand with a clean soft cloth. Make sure it is completely dry.
C: Screw the completely dry covers onto a piece of scrap lumber to hold them in place.
D: Crumple up a piece of aluminum foil into a ball, DULL SIDE OUT so the dull side is always against the chrome and rub the foil ball over the entire chromed surface rotating the little ball of aluminum frequently so a clean aluminum surface is contacting the chrome. Again, pay special attention during this step to the pitted spots. You will need to use several of the little crumpled up aluminum balls per cover. Once you stop seeing improvement with the aluminum foil rub, stop rubbing. The aluminum foil rub minimizes visible pitting by removing darker corrosion from the pitted spots to reveal bare metal underneath the dark pitting which won't be as black. Some people might suggest using extra fine steel wool for this step but I think the crumpled foil works great and you probably already have some. It is much softer than steel wool and far less likely to damage the undamaged chrome or leave swirls or scratches than even extra fine steel wool. Be sure to keep the DULL side of the foil ball against the chrome and change sides of the crumpled ball frequently and do not reuse the same surface of the ball. Do not use any sort of power buffer.
D: When you are satisfied you can not remove anymore flaking or discoloration from the pitted spots then buff with a clean soft cloth and finish with any good low abrasion automotive chrome polish/sealer following the directions on the container. Some people might use car wax, but chrome polish/sealers are made specifically for metal and the resulting luster with them will be better and the protection longer lasting. You can find chrome polish/sealer products at most auto parts or motorcycle parts stores. If you have a neighbor or friend with a chromed out Harley motorcycle, just ask them what he uses. Odds are he has some great chrome polish sealer and will let you try some of his. You just need a dab or two of the polish/sealer per cover. No need to buy a whole bottle for just two covers, but a bottle would be a lifetime supply most likely.
E: Finish with a good buff with a clean soft cloth and let stand a day or two, then rebuff one more time. Remove covers from the scrap lumber and then buff the back side to remove any residue of the polish/sealer and then reinstall the covers. Some of the ingredients in the chrome polish/sealer won't get along well with the finish on the instrument body so make sure you get it all off of the back of the cover where the cover contacts the painted body surface.


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Post subject: wow! thanks
Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 9:48 pm
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that was some serious info and I thank you for your advice. I never knew there was a difference in sides to aluminum foil. I thought you were pulling my leg. but I checked t out and lo and behold I learned something new. The underside of reynolds wrap is duller than the top.
I will not fret the frets.
I have replaced the 1/4 pounders with the original pups they checked out fine on the meter. They sound great! The one weird thing was that the plastic pup covers were not the originals. They did not fit in the cavity or the pick guard. I guess the previous owner must have mixed up some of his gear. strange because he was meticulous about keeping everything with the bass. I have ordered some replacements from allparts to keep everything tight until I can track down some vintage ones. I had to use a new tone pot as the post on the original is broken. I am hoping to find someone who can repair it(if it is possible).
It is a great player! so light, easy, punchy and powerful. I love it.


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Post subject: looks like 58
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:16 am
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I have seen a 58 before , my cousin from Dallas used to own one in very good condition. I am not an expert but i hope that helps.


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Post subject: Re: wow! thanks
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 5:26 pm
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moothra wrote:
that was some serious info and I thank you for your advice. I never knew there was a difference in sides to aluminum foil. I thought you were pulling my leg. but I checked t out and lo and behold I learned something new. The underside of reynolds wrap is duller than the top.
I will not fret the frets.
I have replaced the 1/4 pounders with the original pups they checked out fine on the meter. They sound great! The one weird thing was that the plastic pup covers were not the originals. They did not fit in the cavity or the pick guard. I guess the previous owner must have mixed up some of his gear. strange because he was meticulous about keeping everything with the bass. I have ordered some replacements from allparts to keep everything tight until I can track down some vintage ones. I had to use a new tone pot as the post on the original is broken. I am hoping to find someone who can repair it(if it is possible).
It is a great player! so light, easy, punchy and powerful. I love it.


That is strange about the pup covers which would also make me wonder about the pups themselves.

Do let us know how the chrome comes out. I don't want you to think that they will look brand new, but I'm pretty sure it will look better. I used to restore MG automobiles. That was how I did the bumpers on them. Vinegar, aluminum foil and chrome polish/sealer. Always looked better.

That should be an incredible player and I'm sure you'll get frequent offers to buy it.


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Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:56 am
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moothra wrote:
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This bass has a heavily reliced Dark Chocolate 3-Colour Sunburst. It's effectively the original early 1959 P.

The Custom Shop offers an exact replica of your bass:

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