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Post subject: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:24 am
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Could someone please tell me what years Precisions were made with hard 'V' necks and what years with soft 'V' necks, please?

Also, in, say, 1957 (or '58 or '59), would it have been usual (or possible) to opt for either?

I don't suppose anyone also knows when they stopped the routine use of 'V's and went onto the 'C'?

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 2:46 pm
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As I recall, the neck back shape was universal across the entire pre-CBS line. While you could special order a non-stock fingerboard radius the neck back shape was not an option. Model years ran July 1 through June 30th, on the fiscal year calendar.

1950 through 1955 model years (P-Bass 51-55) - U shape, which is a very thick version of today's C shape often called the "baseball bat."

1956 model year- V-neck debuts, the '56's are considered the "SOFT V."

1957 model year - V shaped back got more of a peak to it. Usually referred to as "HARD V" or "STRONG V" neck back shape.

1958 model year - They revisited the U shape but it was substantially slimmer so this is the mother year of the C shape which I call a "HARD C" neck back shape.

1959 through Leo Fender's departure - The "C" neck gets slimmer, perhaps in anticipation of the rosewood fingerboards which would start coming halfway through the '59 model year. There were thickness changes about every year through the end of the Pre-CBS era. They didn't always get slimmer either. 1962 necks feel meatier than the 61's to me.

So only two year models had V-shaped neck backs, 1956 and 1957. So far as I know you could not order a V-neck after that. However some reissues and Custom Shop basses have revisited the V shape which is very comfortable for players who play with their thumb up the side of the neck instead of near the center of the neck back.

The V-shape isn't as comfortable for players who use the more conventional thumb position near the center of the neck back. I find I unconsciously use both! When playing on the first 2 or 3 frets my thumb likes to go up the side of the neck instead of staying in back. That is a bad habit, but maybe it is too late to fix it.


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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 2:34 am
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Fantastic information, Brotherdave. Really interesting and informative stuff: many thanks.

So a '57 model year would have actually had a hard 'V' neck?

I had mistakenly thought that a '57 year had the soft 'V' profile, using the necks from 1956. I had heard that there were some hard-necked 'P's, but that they were incredibly rare.

Had I got this wrong, then, and should it be the hard 'V' profile with a 1 5/8" nut for a truly historically accurate '57?


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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 4:35 am
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REDLAWMAN wrote:
Fantastic information, Brotherdave. Really interesting and informative stuff: many thanks.

So a '57 model year would have actually had a hard 'V' neck?

I had mistakenly thought that a '57 year had the soft 'V' profile, using the necks from 1956. I had heard that there were some hard-necked 'P's, but that they were incredibly rare.

Had I got this wrong, then, and should it be the hard 'V' profile with a 1 5/8" nut for a truly historically accurate '57?


Yes, all stock '57's had a hard V. That is why the 58 basses were so popular. While there were lots of cosmetic changes in '57, the '58 is where it is at for lots of players. All 1957's were the "Hard V." They are only rare because the HARD V was only made one year. I would not call that vintage INCREDIBLY RARE but I would say it is now scarce.


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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 5:27 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
1950 through 1955 model years (P-Bass 51-55) - U shape, which is a very thick version of today's C shape often called the "baseball bat."



My CS 55 reissue has a soft V neck -- very comfortable -- but Dave I'm wondering if that's period correct? I would have expected the CS to get it right.


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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 5:36 pm
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mastermold's in da house, party can start!!

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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:15 am
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Mastermold wrote:
My CS 55 reissue has a soft V neck -- very comfortable -- but Dave I'm wondering if that's period correct? I would have expected the CS to get it right.


Depends. Were you original owner and did you order it that way? If not the original owner, then it was possibly ordered that way. 1955 Fenders still had the baseball bat, albeit slimmer but still, the U Shape neck. The 56 had the Soft V, the 57 Hard-V.

BUT here is something to consider! Surely there would have been 1956 PROTOTYPE necks made in 1955. Probably dozens or even more of the Telecaster 6-string guitar and P-Bass for people to try out. So another possibility is that the master builder was using one of those prototype necks which would have been dated like any other neck as a 1955 model. But I would think these necks and instruments would clearly ALSO have been marked PROTOTYPE. But maybe not. I do know that when CBS wanted to bring back the Telecaster Bass that the prototypes for that bass were a mish mash of spare parts from 1951 through 1956 basses. That could be the case as well with the 1955 CS Reissue and all they had to go by was the 1956 prototype necks made in 1955.

It is spooky that you have a V neck on a CS 55. I think the Custom Shop will make it however you tell them to. Maybe you got the CS 1955 PROTOTYPE for the 1956 model? Think of it that way...that makes it sound very scarce! I think it is delightful that you can afford to buy such an instrument and have been smart enough to KEEP IT. Yeah it is a Custom Shop 1956 PROTOTYPE! That's it!

I'm pretty sure about the years on Soft V and Hard V necks. 1956 and 1957 respectively. 1958 the "C" neck (which was really more of a modified "U" neck) appeared.

ANOTHER POINT to consider is that you could ORDER whichever neck tripped your trigger starting in 1958! But in 1955, you'd have NO option other than a U-shaped neck. July 1, 1956 was the debut of the production scale Soft-V.


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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:58 am
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PowerJazzBass wrote:
mastermold's in da house, party can start!!


LOL :lol:


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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:01 am
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Dave, to add to the confusion (or at least my confusion) I found a link to the spec sheet from the CS 55 reissues at Bass Central.

http://www.infographic.com/fender/detai ... =55PRelic1

The spec sheet says the neck is a "C" neck, but as you can see from the pics it's got a soft V up near the headstock, same as mine. So now I'm thinking what I thought was a soft V maybe isn't (i.e., that I don't know what a V neck is). :shock:


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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:25 pm
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I really wish Fender would put out a p or a j with a v neck. That would be ultimate. Hard V or soft V. I played a V neck P bass once and it was really easy on my hand and felt natural. I wonder why they never do that. The Mex Strat I have has a V neck. I think it's great.


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Post subject: Re: YEARS FOR HARD AND SOFT 'V' NECKS
Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2015 6:18 am
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Bumping and old thread.

That's very interesting... I specifically ordered my newest vintage blonde '55 Custom Shop P with a '57 'soft-v' neck, expecting to receive a pronounced (hard) 'V', given the year. I used to own another CS '55 (2 tone sunburst) with a hard V neck profile from fret 1 to ~ 14, and assumed it was a custom order ('57 neck profile), but the neck I received on my new blonde is just like a 'normal' CS '55, with a slight V from fret 1 to 4.

On the other hand, I also owned a gold '57 P (split pickup) that had a more pronounced V all throughout the neck VS this new '55 blonde I've received, but not as much as my previous 2 tone sunburst '55...

So my personal conclusion: I feel like the Custom Shop is doing anything, and do not respect the specs!


One a side note, it's not the first time that I'm disappointed with Custom Shop orders... I've ordered about 12+ basses from them, and I've received MANY (about the half) of them with defects or mistakes regarding the specs. At the moment, I'm waiting for a '66 Jazz, 2nd build. The first one arrived with wrong tuners, and was 9lbs 14oz (the heaviest Jazz I've had) while I paid for 'light weight' sorting.

I'm also waiting on my '59 CS that's also being rebuild regarding raised tongue + nitro finish problems and it's taking for ever (11 months waiting so far)...


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