Had to do it/rare bass?

dogooder

dogooder

Well-known member
Had to post this pic of a friend of mine with what I would think is a rare bass guitar for y'alljimmy.jpgs players.
 
Is that a factory stock pickguard? I don't think I've ever seen one like that, although there are lots of people who make custom pickguards. Fender has had 2 or 3 different guards over the years.

It looks like some screw holes that were filled, maybe refinished?

I love the sound of a P-bass, but I like a Jazz neck better. I don't have big hands, so the Jazz is easier for me to play.
 
TalismanRich said:
Is that a factory stock pickguard? I don't think I've ever seen one like that, although there are lots of people who make custom pickguards. Fender has had 2 or 3 different guards over the years.

It looks like some screw holes that were filled, maybe refinished?

I love the sound of a P-bass, but I like a Jazz neck better. I don't have big hands, so the Jazz is easier for me to play.
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I don't know the history of it. I didn't see any marks on the neck where there used to be frets.
 
TalismanRich said:
Half fretted, weird pickguard. That's definitely one of a kind.
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So is he. Best bass player and guitarist I ever worked with and a damn good singer also. In "Trail of Tears" hes says, "Jerry, that middle solo really needs a harmony" I said okay, when we get back next week I should have it done, unless you want to do it. Less than half an hour later. Starts at 0:44
 
It's common, just modified. Someone took a fretless, added some frets to a part of the neck, and changed the pick guard.

It's cool because it's something the player did for a reason. That looks to be a '69 neck so it would have been the first year Fender offered a fretless bass.
 
noah330 said:
It's common, just modified. Someone took a fretless, added some frets to a part of the neck, and changed the pick guard.

It's cool because it's something the player did for a reason. That looks to be a '69 neck so it would have been the first year Fender offered a fretless bass.
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I would have to ask him. He was head tech for Spector Bass Guitars until Korg bought them out about two years ago. He had access to all kinds of stuff. New York Blues Hall of Fame guitarist, always getting free guitars and other promos lol. Toured with "The Band" when Rick Danko was in jail for whatever, as the bass player when he is primarily a guitar player. Played with a pretty impressive list. Also has built a few studios, Applehead in Woodstock, and did various engineering projects. We are friends, I will get around to asking him. What was he doing with me? I lived in the area, we met, he liked what I wrote. If not for him my youtube channel wouldn't exist. He is the best musician I have ever stood next to, a humble man. His kids are fairly well known and very good musicians. When he speaks, I listen.
 
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dogooder said:
I would have to ask him. He was head tech for Spector Bass Guitars until Korg bought them out about two years ago. He had access to all kinds of stuff. New York Blues Hall of Fame guitarist, always getting free guitars and other promos lol. Toured with "The Band" when Rick Danko was in jail for whatever, as the bass player when he is primarily a guitar player. Played with a pretty impressive list. Also has built a few studios, Applehead in Woodstock, and did various engineering projects. We are friends, I will get around to asking him. What was he doing with me? I lived in the area, we met, he liked what I wrote. If not for him my youtube channel wouldn't exist. He is the best musician I have ever stood next to, a humble man. His kids are fairly well known and very good musicians. When he speaks, I listen.
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I thought Kramer owned Spector in the 80s until some Russian conglomerate bought them then it went to Stuart Spector again.
 
noah330 said:
That would be cool to know. I have one of the guitars Spector made. They're kind of neat.
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I have messaged him, we will wait and see if we get an answer. We are now separated by about 900 miles and I can't ask him directly. He sold me an old Super Reverb for 300! I think he was having mercy on me for playing through the classic thirty.
 
noah330 said:
That would be cool to know. I have one of the guitars Spector made. They're kind of neat.
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Here is Stu's reply, straight from the horses mouth.
"Hi Jerry I sold Spector to Kramer in December 85. Kramer went bankrupt in 89 and I chased them through the courts until 94? , when I managed to buy the trademark back. I sold it 4 years ago to Korg. I now have a workshop with my beloved 15k Fadal 4020 where I’m making acoustic guitars and basses. There are a lot more details to the story that I should right up. All the best to ya buddy."
 
Me and a buddy helped him out getting his CNC mill and Matercam software up and running together along with basic programming strategies and set ups. about 16 years ago? He used to come to a lot of my gigs with the original band. It didn't hurt that his head tech was the bass player lol. He didn't play a Spector bass by the way.
 
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