Back in '97 I picked up what was purported to be a late-sixties Ventures bass. My friend had acquired it a few years prior, I believe at a guitar show in Niagara Falls, and threw it in as a sweetener on an amp swap. Given the sad state of the instrument, I've never ascribed any collector value to it. Over the years she's served as a solid backup, and strung with flats she's been my go to for a vintage sort of sound. Now that I have some free time, I'm planning on doing a bit of restoration, but am wondering what exactly I have my hands on here.
Aside from the obvious issues (finish, tuners, pickups) the neck attachment is particularly curious. I've never seen a Ventures bass with a three bolt neck, just a few Celebrities. I think what I may have on my hands is a parts instrument, perhaps constructed from factory remainders. Any ideas or opinions will be appreciated!
Here's the ugly details, thumbs will open in the same window:
The Ventures logo is a decal, on top of the lacquer. The lettering seems a bit too thick, anyway.
Top holes are plugged, but the bottom is still there. Unfortunately, the peg holes appear to be expanded.
Crummy refin is peeling & there's no clearcoat. I can see what appears to be a brownish stain in some exposed spots.
The German carve looks correct to me, also the knobs, bridge and tailpiece appear to be the real deal. The PUP rings are supposedly original, with EMG select guitar humbuckers dropped in. The rings are slightly too big for the PUPs, which actually don't sound all that bad.
Now this is a serious WTF. I can make out 7 80 ?904 , there appears to be a 4 stamped between the 4th and 5th numbers, and another upside down (!) 4 between the 5th and 6th.
Neck stamp appears to read NOV 15 19?7. Could be a 6 or an 8... I've never seen another stamp, so I'm not sure if this looks legit at all. Not sure what the extraneous holes are for, they don't seem to be placed properly for a four bolt attachment, and they seem a little small anyway.
