Fender Precision Bass 1978

This is a sweet 1978 Fender Precision Bass, with an absolutely beautiful original neck but aftermarket pickups and a refinished body. The neck is made from gorgueous Bird's Eye Maple, and is in excellent condition with minimal fret wear. The serial number is missing from the headstock, but the stamp on the heel of the neck is present and indicates a 1978 date and still has the original QA label. The pots date to 1978, and we could see on the inside of the pickguard where the original serial number sticker was but had been removed. The body has a finish that is textured black paint, it almost somewhat resembles crocodile skin in a way. The holes in the body for the thumbrest and bridge cover are in the correct places and the holes have been painted over, so we have reason to believe that this is in fact the original body that has been refinished.

The pickups are Seymour Duncan APB-1 "Active EQ" pickups, which were Duncan's first generation of active bass pickups from the early 1980s. These are the first model of APB-1 pickups, as these pickups have raised black lettering whereas later issued models have printed white lettering. Three small "DIP" rocker switches on the corner of the pickup offer variations in tone. The first switch canges the resonance of the pickup coil, dropping it from  22KHz to 6.4KHz, which leads to a much more focused sound with emphasized attack. Each succeessive switch further drops the resonant peak, which allows different combinations to emphasize different frequencies, letting you emphasize lows, mids, or highs, with some variation in between. Additional photos of the original APB-1 spec sheet have been uploaded which demonstrate the effects of the switches. The pickups maintain a very traditional P-bass tone and attack, with a strongly defined midrange, but the switching system allows for increased customization. In this professional opinion, the tone never strays too far from what a P-bass should sound like,  with a very classic tone even with the modified response of the switching system.

The guitar shows normal wear and tear. Some of the finish is worn off on the lower horn, and the pickguard is somewhat warped in a couple spots. Overall, the guitar plays absolutely amazingly, and sounds fantastic. The neck is in very good condition, and has beautiful wood grain, and minimal fret wear. It may not be a looker, but it's a fantastic player.