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Post subject: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precision.
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 12:34 pm
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I picked this bass up in a trade for a tattoo and need a little help with verifying all the parts are original.

The serial number on the neck plate is 388119

From the neck stamp 0103 3443. I gather this means 01=Precision 03=Maple 34=34th week 4-1974 3=Wednesday ?

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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 12:55 pm
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I gotta be honest with you, Man. At a glance, and I'm not an expert, but I don't see anything that stands out as not authentic. The pots seem a bit "clean", not in terms of their soldering, but just in terms of their overall appearance. However, that means nothing. CBS basses are notorious for a wide date range. I'd say the easiest way to narrow it down would be to date the pots, neck, body, and pups and take the newest date. Other than that, it seems like a pretty fine bass, to me. I forget when the change happened from threaded to slotted saddles, but I assume it's around that time. Maybe earlier in the 70's or just after the CBS buy out. Beautiful, enjoy!

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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:05 pm
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KOP back in action on the Forums? How ya been?

OP, I agree with KOP about how clean it looks, unless previous owner cleaned it. Maybe it was partially restored? Or he just decided to clean it.

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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:27 pm
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PowerJazzBass wrote:
KOP back in action on the Forums? How ya been?

OP, I agree with KOP about how clean it looks, unless previous owner cleaned it. Maybe it was partially restored? Or he just decided to clean it.



Yep I'm back and doing good. How've you been?

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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:40 pm
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Been good, just recently coming back and replying again. Just like old times. Nice to see you around here again for sure.

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'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:53 pm
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Looks all original to me. I have a '76 Precision with white neck and natural finish body that I ordered (lefty). Yours looks identical.

That P of yours is filthy! My God at the grunge on the neck, and the bridge and machine heads are attrocious!

I hope you gave the tattoo with a crusty rust pitted needle.

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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:56 pm
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linnin wrote:

I hope you gave the tattoo with a crusty rust pitted needle.


I actually LOL'd on this one... :lol: :lol: :lol:

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'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
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'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:33 pm
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The pots look not original-- it has the right length extra long saddle screw. My 74 has the same "1-7" numbers on the pickups. They came with black pickguards as far as I know in 74 and I'm pretty sure my serial starts with 594-- Yours might be older than 74. I have the "Torres" stamp in the pocket and nothing on the heel. Back then the basses were all hodge podge and all over the board with parts from here and there and from this year and that year--plus Quality control was lacking on stuff like the width of the pocket being too wide and other stuff- I've noticed the neck pocket width thing a few times on 70's P basses. My 72 Jazz has that same Natural stamp in the PU cavity.


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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 6:38 am
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PowerJazzBass wrote:
Been good, just recently coming back and replying again. Just like old times. Nice to see you around here again for sure.



Cool, I just started coming back myself. Good to see a familiar face. It's good to be back.

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2012 Fender American Vintage 57 Precision Bass RI
2014 Fender Super Bassman and Bassman 100T/410 Neo


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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:13 pm
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Solder is not factory original and likely the pots have been replaced. The cap looks correct. If you check the pot codes they likely will newer than the rest of the instrument. Everything else looks correct. I concur with your neck code decoding. The pot swap would mean a markdown from Collector Class to Player Class but still a nice instrument. On a 73/74/75 that isn't all that much of a markdown anyway. Ones that are obviously used a lot like this one was are usually the ones that play and sound good. If you run across one that didn't get used a lot, there often is a good reason for that.


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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:45 pm
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Thanks for all the info everybody.

While this isn't the first vintage bass I've owned, I don't think I've ever had one so dirty. Does anybody have any advice for what to use when cleaning off 30+ years of gunk. I certainly don't want to damage the bass more than it already has been.

Also, any idea on value? On Ebay they seem to sell for $1200-$1600. Seem about right?


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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:37 pm
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Mineral Spirits- i.e. Binford Charcoal lighter fluid. Don't soak a rag-- get some on it and clean the goop up. Use a lint free soft rag that won't scratch your bass.The Min Spir will leave a little residue so after scrubbing the gack off then use a clean (non-scratching type) rag-. I've used it exclusively for ever but you may not because "lighter fluid" sounds scarey but it won't hurt your bass. It will remove oils and grime and crud that grubby bass players leave on their guitars. WHY? I do not know. I can't stand a filthy bass. After the spirits you can use your favorite polish NOT wax. Sorry if you knew that but I've seen guys take Pledge and just spray it right on the guitar and go to town.


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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:09 pm
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The bass looks great. The serial number is a bit low for 1974 I would guess that it is really a '72 with a swapped neck which sometimes happened in music stores when somebody wanted a maple fingerboard instead of Rosewood.

Clean up can be done with Windex, if you want to avoid the flammable factor.

I love to look of the tortoise shell guard on a Natural body.


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Post subject: Re: Help dating and making sure all parts match on 74 Precis
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:27 pm
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Windex? Okay. Maybe on chrome but on paint? Not me. For that matter when cleaning a nitro finish one should never use any kind of solvent and that would include mineral spirits. I forgot to mention that in my last post. I guess that nullifies my post for cleaning a 72 P bass. Sorry. It can be used on the chrome stuff- bridge and tuners etc.


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