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Post subject: help identifying an unknown P
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 8:39 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: Columbus, Ohio
Hey there fellas,

I normally don't venture into the land of Ps and Js on the forum, but I need some help IDing an old P Bass I recently picked up. I definitely know it's a MIM based on construction and quality, alas the original neck was replaced with a really nice Warmoth so I don't have a serial. the setup is somewhat similar to the active P Bass, which I know they made a MIM version at one point. This one has normal pickups though so I don't think it's one of those. Could this be a P Bass Special? Here are some pics -

Image

Image

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Chandler

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Post subject: Re: help identifying an unknown P
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:53 am
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The setup is passive: two volumes and a master tone.

Deluxe Actives had a master volume, a pickup balance and a 3-band active EQ (the middle knob is a stacked concentric pot for bass and middle).


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Post subject: Re: help identifying an unknown P
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 3:21 pm
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I think the body possibly started out as a Fender California Series Precision Bass Special. These were sort of like the more recent Highway One series. In both series the wood was cut in Corona, trucked to Ensenada to have the finish applied there, then trucked back to Corona, assembled, wired up, set up and shipped with a decal stating "Made in USA." The California Series were limited to the years of 1997 and 1998, had a CALIFORNIA SERIES decal on the front of the headstock similar to today's Deluxe Series decal and had a different serial from other full blown USA production that started with AMX for "America/Mexico." I bet if you date the pot codes on your body that they are not later than 98. I'm going by the P/J arrangement and that gold anodized pickguard on a passive P body which were unique traits of that model.

The popularity of these continues today because frankly, the California Series basses were really decent. Their continued fondness for them is why the cooperative manufacturing process between the two facilities was revived for the Highway One series. One other thing, although the necks were cut, fretted, etc in the USA, then shipped to Corona for finishing and came back to Corona...they have the 3/16ths hex key truss rod adjustment access on the headstock like a MIM instrument, but it was only finished in Mexico. So obviously the truss rod system was different from other USA production. This might be why they did a neck swap on it. The full blown USA truss rod system was better.

The Highway One Series came along in 2002 and ran much longer using the same production system lasting until late 2011. There was a major Highway One spec change in 2006. The Highway Ones are far more numerous, so I predict that the California Series basses actually have some collector potential down the line because there are far fewer of the California Series models.


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Post subject: Re: help identifying an unknown P
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:49 pm
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That description is everything I could ever want in a Precision Bass.


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Post subject: Re: help identifying an unknown P
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 8:46 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
The full blown USA truss rod system was better.


There are two types of truss rod systems used on USA-made basses: the BiFlex and the PosiFlex.

The BiFlex truss rod was used for nearly a decade before Fender made the switch to the much reliable graphite reinforced PosiFlex system in 1995.


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Post subject: Re: help identifying an unknown P
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 9:37 pm
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Cleared things up with Rob, mystery solved! It's one of the first generation MIM Deluxe P Bass Specials (made between '99 and '05)

Chromeface, there actually was another version of the deluxe made before they re spec'd it with Noiseless electronics. I didn't know myself til today lol.

Here are the specs -


Model Name: P Bass® Special
Model Number: 013-5700-(Color #) and 013-5702-(Color #)
Series: Deluxe Series
Body: Alder, (Precision Bass Body)
Neck: Maple Jazz Bass Neck, Modern “C” Shape,
(Satin Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard: Rosewood p/n 013-5700 or Maple p/n 013-5702, (9.5” Radius/241 mm)
No. of Frets: 20 Medium Jumbo Frets
Scale Length: 34” (864 mm)
Width @ Nut: 1.50” (38mm)
Hardware: Chrome
Machine Heads: Standard
Bridge: American Vintage Precision Bass
Pickguard: Gold Anodized Aluminum Precision Bass Pickguard
Pickups: 1 Standard Alnico Split Single-Coil Precision Bass Pickup (Mid),
1 Vintage Special Single-Coil Jazz Bass Pickup (Bridge)
Pickup Switching: N/A
Controls: Volume 1. (Neck Pickup),
Volume 2. (Bridge Pickup),
Master Tone
Colors: (306) Black,
(309) Candy Apple Red,
(332)* Brown Sunburst, *add $50.00,
(380) Arctic White,
(Polyester Finish)
Strings: Fender Super Bass 7250ML, NPS,
Gauges: (.045, .065, .080, .100),
p/n 073-7250-005
Unique Features: Side Mounted Jack,
US Electronic Components
Source: Mexico
Accessories: Deluxe Gig Bag
U.S. MSRP: $755.99 Includes Deluxe Gig Bag
INTRODUCED: 1/1999
DISCONTINUED: 1/2005
DISCONTINUED COLORS:
WRENCH SIZES: Truss Rod 3/16" pn# 0038467000
COMMENTS:
NOTICE: Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice

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Post subject: Re: help identifying an unknown P
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:18 am
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The Deluxe P-Bass Special became active in 2005.

Pickguard changed from gold anodized to beveled gold vinyl.


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Post subject: Re: help identifying an unknown P bass
Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2017 11:10 pm
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I just recently bought this exact same bass 2 days ago at a pawn shop where’s I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It has all stock on it and it had the best tone I have ever ever heard in a bass. This bass is a Mexican Fender Precision Bass Special and the pick guard on it is an aluminum pick guard that they made for a short amount of time. I am trying to find more information on this exact bass but am not having luck.


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