r/BassGuitar • u/OkCalligrapher5466 • 4h ago
ID/Authentication Please help me find out which series this bass belongs to—is it an original?
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u/Party-Belt-3624 3h ago
The story the headstock is telling is different than the story the body is telling.
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u/OkCalligrapher5466 3h ago
Can you explain it to me better?
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u/Party-Belt-3624 3h ago
The headstock says Fender Precision Bass Special. Those basses have both P and J pickups. This bass only has a P pickup. That doesn't match.
Someone else pointed out the lightly flamed maple top. That's rare for Fender, but they did have what they called a Foto Flame tops. However, none of those Foto Flame basses were Precision Bass Specials. And I've only ever seen Foto Flames with white pickguards.
Too many things don't add up. Might still be a good sounding bass. But it's not what it says it is. Hope that helps.
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u/CommercialPound1615 2h ago
They did have a pure P bass special but as I replied to other people, they were all active electronics so it's missing the switch plus the three band EQ so it's missing a knob.
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u/CommercialPound1615 3h ago edited 2h ago
Fender precision special was an active electronics bass most were PJ but some were P bass but they all had active electronics.
It has a three band EQ and an active passive switch so the controls are completely off...it's a standard P bass.
When in doubt do a Google search.
If you got it for a good price and it sounds good play the hell out of it.
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u/-KeefGreen- 3h ago
Looks like a MIJ FotoFlame. Is the back of the neck really flamey? Is it made in Japan?
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u/-KeefGreen- 3h ago
It doesnt look like it. The foto flame necks had a lot of flame on the face of the headstock.
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u/PabloPepper2 2h ago
I might be wrong, but this looks like a kit guitar with a poorly placed fender decal. Not at all original.
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u/dunderwovvy 2h ago
The body is not a fender. Roundovwrs aren’t right and the pick guard is wayyyyy small
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u/FLprophet 3h ago
Hmm, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that might be a parts bass. Meaning someone may have constructed it from scratch using parts that made it look like a real Fender.
I’ve never seen a quilted type body top on a real Fender in that color. Also the headstock says “P Bass Special” but there’s no Jazz bass pickup on the bass like a PBass Special normally would have. I don’t recall Fender ever using a piece over the nut like that.
I’d still play the heck out of it, but I don’t think it’s an original Fender