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Post subject: Fender Precision Neck without Fingerboard Fret Markers?
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 10:42 am
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Have you ever seen a Fender Precision Bass neck without the large dot Fret Markers on the Fingerboard?

For some reason it just didn't look real to me. Maybe I am just overly sensitive because of people selling fakes. The first thing that stuck out was the lack of the white lined inspection sticker. The J. Torres stamped on the back looks to be in green? Also the circular inspection stamp on the back is different than others from that year. The "3981" number is a mystery to me too.

Then finally I realized there are no Fret Markers. It has no metal Frets but the slots have been filled.

What do you guys think it is?


Last edited by mikecain on Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Precision Neck without Fingerboard Fret Markers?
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:13 am
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Posting a couple of pics might help a lot.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Precision Neck without Fingerboard Fret Markers?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:36 am
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I figured out what the neck is as close as possible after asking the seller a few questions. Legit neck, original fretless fretboard that had fret slots cut into it and filled, then resprayed.

The side marker locations are the same as on a fretless. That indicates that the neck was originally fretless and didn't have the frets pulled or the fretboard planed to remove the fretmarkers.

The fretboard is thinner than the pictures made it look. I guess the camera angle helped make it look thicker. The grain on the fretboard is coarser on the lower half as you would expect on a Fender. The headstock is thicker than on some Fender Basses, I am guessing the neck is too. So possibly they used a thinner fretboard to keep the overall thickness of the neck within spec.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Precision Neck without Fingerboard Fret Markers?
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 5:13 pm
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It sounds fishy to me.
I wouldn't buy it if I couldn't touch it and look at the disassembled heel of the neck. But that's just my opinion.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Precision Neck without Fingerboard Fret Markers?
Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 12:21 am
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"It sounds fishy to me." I hear you but I am certain it is legit.

Looking at the heel of the neck can add more to the confusion than it helps sometimes. If you've noticed often the 1978 Fender Necks have the lined inspection sticker on them along with the round inspection stamp. And a name stamped on the neck. During certain years the end of the necks weren't dated. But that doesn't mean one of the builders who has been stamping dates on them for years still didn't do it on his necks when others didn't.

But some necks including some made in 1978, especially the necks with "J Torres" stamped on them are missing the inspection sticker. When you first encounter the necks without the sticker you start to wonder what exactly you are looking at. You wonder why the variation from the norm. Then they throw in a new round inspection stamp that varies from the more plain round stamp you've seen for years. Even if you have one highly skilled neck builder you would think his parts would still be inspected. Hmm, maybe he is so skilled that his necks didn't go through quite the same inspection process as the other builders.

What is even worse is when you see one of the "J Torres" necks that seems to be real but it has the wrong headstock decal on it. The problem is the decals can be replaced at a Authorized Fender guitar repair shop. Fender doesn't maintain a supply of the older decals so your decal can be replaced with a new type.

As the "J Torres" necks don't seem to use the inspection sticker that is one less problem for somebody trying to fake a vintage neck. Some vintage necks look almost identical but then other ones very so greatly in the grain of the wood that they can trip somebody up trying to identify what is real.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Precision Neck without Fingerboard Fret Markers?
Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 4:25 pm
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Torres name stamps were sometimes green. They switched from neck dates to neck codes. Does it have a neck code stamp?


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Post subject: Re: Fender Precision Neck without Fingerboard Fret Markers?
Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:31 pm
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http://s566.photobucket.com/albums/ss110/mikecain195545/?action=view&current=J_Torres.jpg


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Post subject: Re: Fender Precision Neck without Fingerboard Fret Markers?
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 9:22 am
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Its a rare neck but its not a fake,check out some picks of early Police vids(roxanne)Sting has a fretless with the same neck,rare but real.Hold on to it if you buy it.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Precision Neck without Fingerboard Fret Markers?
Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:43 pm
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mikecain wrote:


That photo has all legit hallmarks.


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