NBD - 74 Fender Precision Olympic White

Bridgehouse

https://youtu.be/WlT1gM04uHw

Right. Now I've got that out of my system...

This one was a real risk. Back in my old bass playing days, when I borrowed a mates Peavey T-45 (I think!) I always wanted 1. A bass of my own (!) and 2. A birth year (74) Precision in Olympic White, just like Dee Dee Ramone. Of course, it never happened. So when I started bass again, the ear-worm started again...

I put an ad on Basschat WTB for an early/mid 70's precision, and a guy over in Luxembourg contacted me to say he had a '76 Precision in Natural. Nice, I thought. I declined, telling him I wanted to hold out a bit longer for a '74. He replied - "I have a '74 as well. It's in Olympic White. Here's some pics.. Would you like this one instead?"

Sweet mother of... Olympic White was a custom order in '74. Now, I put my sensible trousers on, as 70's precisions can be, um, variable. They can be very heavy, have banana necks, and pickups that sound like mush. Lots of questions were sent back. Turns out he bought this one from Andy Baxter and it checked out as potentially a corker. 

It's well loved. Seriously well loved. I knew that the scratch plate was smacked up at the jack socket end, and the knobs were, um, trashed. No worries, so I ordered replacements, along with a set of strap locks and some new strings. This one is going to be a player - so it needs to be functional. Oh, I picked up a thumb rest as well as that had long gone. So it's loved, there's no pickup or bridge covers, and it's faded to custard in all the right places. 

He offered it at a price that I just couldn't turn down, and sent my cash into the paypal ether.... 

And it turned up today. Packaged like a nuclear warhead. The OHSC is somewhat screwed. But it's the original. I will be purchasing a Mono Bag for carrying it around. Here it is as taken out of the case - strings still loose and unwound:






After some fettling it now has:

- New 3 ply BWB Pickguard
- New Chrome Knobs
- New Straplocks
- New Thomastik Infield Flatwounds

And:





Does it do what it's supposed to?

You bet. Weight was advertised as 8lb 7oz. It's actually 8lb 3oz on my scales. Really light for a Precision - let alone a 70's one. Neck is straight as they come and after putting the low tension TI's on a quick truss rod tweak has given an action of 4/64ths right across the board with no buzz at all. Frankly I'm staggered by how low the action has gone with nary a murmur of a buzz. 

It's been plugged in for 10 mins and it thumps. Proper good old Precision thump. Vol and tone were a teensy scratchy but a dozen up and downs and it's gone. Serial number puts it (probably) bang in the middle of 74. Pots and Pups are early 74. 

I am, as they say, currently experiencing dog with two dicks syndrome.

fretmeister

Lovely!

lasermonkey

Lovely. I have a sunburst '74 Precision and it really is a great instrument. I hope you enjoy yours!

DLM

Most. Boss.

ICBM

That's very cool. It's interesting how certain instruments in certain colours are so iconic of a particular era! It's also in much better condition than I expected from your description, although that 70s Fender finish is made to withstand a nuclear attack as well...

Is the old black guard the original? '74 is very early for that, I thought they came in in '75, although I could be wrong - but even if it's not, it looks *much* better than a white one would. Put a bit of black tape on the body next to the truss rod nut, it will stop it looking like a Jap copy .

stickyfiddle

Nice!

guitarfishbay

Very cool

Bridgehouse

ICBM said:

That's very cool. It's interesting how certain instruments in certain colours are so iconic of a particular era! It's also in much better condition than I expected from your description, although that 70s Fender finish is made to withstand a nuclear attack as well...

Is the old black guard the original? '74 is very early for that, I thought they came in in '75, although I could be wrong - but even if it's not, it looks *much* better than a white one would. Put a bit of black tape on the body next to the truss rod nut, it will stop it looking like a Jap copy .

Black guard does look to be original. It's got a half-arsed attempt at a cut out for the truss rod, whereas the new one has it done properly, hence you can see some body

It's in better condition than I expected myself. Most intriguing is the weight - it really does feel light. Not what I expected for a 70s fender at all!!

lasermonkey

My '74 came with a black guard. I'm pretty sure I have seen at least one other that did too.

Bridgehouse

lasermonkey said:

My '74 came with a black guard. I'm pretty sure I have seen at least one other that did too.

Yeah, there's nothing to suggest it's not original. It's certainly been on a long while, and it's knackered in all the right place

gusman2x

That is so, so nice. It really makes me wan to be a bass player (more than I already want).

Bridgehouse

gusman2x said:

That is so, so nice. It really makes me wan to be a bass player (more than I already want).

You should definitely try it! There's some really really good basses for very little money about - I've seen decent ones go on eBay for around £100 or so recently. And it's a whole heap of fun...

PVO_Dave

Very cool  

Strat_a_tat_tat

Very nice.

gusman2x

Bridgehouse said:

gusman2x said:

That is so, so nice. It really makes me wan to be a bass player (more than I already want).

You should definitely try it! There's some really really good basses for very little money about - I've seen decent ones go on eBay for around £100 or so recently. And it's a whole heap of fun...

Dude, I have 2 basses (3 if you count a squier vi) lol. I really enjoy just thumping away, and I've learnt a fair few "classic" basslines. But I just don't know how I'd get on improvising/playing along with a guitarist and drummer. I guess I need to actually sit down and play along to some jam tracks, and get my walking on. I can obviously hit the root notes fine, so I should maybe just join/form a pop punk band. That would probably be a lot of fun actually.

Bridgehouse

gusman2x said:

Bridgehouse said:

gusman2x said:

That is so, so nice. It really makes me wan to be a bass player (more than I already want).

You should definitely try it! There's some really really good basses for very little money about - I've seen decent ones go on eBay for around £100 or so recently. And it's a whole heap of fun...

Dude, I have 2 basses (3 if you count a squier vi) lol. I really enjoy just thumping away, and I've learnt a fair few "classic" basslines. But I just don't know how I'd get on improvising/playing along with a guitarist and drummer. I guess I need to actually sit down and play along to some jam tracks, and get my walking on. I can obviously hit the root notes fine, so I should maybe just join/form a pop punk band. That would probably be a lot of fun actually.

I'm doing something similar - I have my helix set up as an audio interface so I'm balancing a jam track against my bass output.

I'm working through a load of stuff - pub classics, rock staples, jam tracks, playalongs etc and it's really helping. Funnily enough I'm finding McCartneys Beatles bass lines are really handy for learning complimentary bass lines in a variety of keys.. 

Next stage is to find some live musicians who would tolerate an average bass player having a thump along with them..

JezWynd

Congrats on your new bass, turned out well.

I wish you'd stop using that wallpaper in your shots. It gives me horrendous flashbacks of my first marriage. 

For challenging bass practice for home play, check out Bach for Bass, it's quite demanding (for me) but very worthwhile as it takes you out of the r n r comfort zone and introduces some cool melodies and licks. It's reignited my love of bass.

Bridgehouse

JezWynd said:

Congrats on your new bass, turned out well.

I wish you'd stop using that wallpaper in your shots. It gives me horrendous flashbacks of my first marriage. 

For challenging bass practice for home play, check out Bach for Bass, it's quite demanding (for me) but very worthwhile as it takes you out of the r n r comfort zone and introduces some cool melodies and licks. It's reignited my love of bass.

Good call - I'll look that one up

As for the wallpaper - the missus is obsessed - believe me, the location I'm using is the least offensive... She gets whatever wallpaper she wants, and I buy guitars with no questions asked...

JezWynd

Bridgehouse said:

JezWynd said:

Congrats on your new bass, turned out well.

I wish you'd stop using that wallpaper in your shots. It gives me horrendous flashbacks of my first marriage. 

For challenging bass practice for home play, check out Bach for Bass, it's quite demanding (for me) but very worthwhile as it takes you out of the r n r comfort zone and introduces some cool melodies and licks. It's reignited my love of bass.

Good call - I'll look that one up

As for the wallpaper - the missus is obsessed - believe me, the location I'm using is the least offensive... She gets whatever wallpaper she wants, and I buy guitars with no questions asked...

The first house we bought came with that wallpaper - and matching curtains and ceiling lampshade, in shades of purple! All it needed was a shelf full of Carlos Castaneda to be an acid nightmare.

Andy Baxter always seems to have excellent gear, looks like you scored a diamond.

UnclePsychosis

Oh man. Dream bass right there.

Bridgehouse

Thanks guys - certainly seems to be a good 'un. 

I was really struggling with the whole YOB thing, specially as so much '74 production was, well, frankly a bit naff. 

However, this one sounds right, plays right, feels right and looks right. I'm happy.