204 – 170819 ZT- Precision Telecaster Bass-4 – Zachary Handcrafted Guitars | Bass| Pedals | Strings

Inspiration

This bass was inspired by a recent Zachary guitar in the same Butterscotch Series; 202-060619 (look it up). This bass hypothetically comes from the same era of Fender history. This again is an instrument which did not exist but very well could have been and should have been. Had Leo Fender the vision at the time to create a short scale bass, this might have been it, or something similar to it. I am not saying Fender should have created a short scale bass in 1951. The creation of any bass guitar was monumental enough as a first production bass.

As you can see, this bass has all the characteristic features of a Telecaster guitar, specifically the "Blackguard" Telecaster, the first four years of Fender production. It has the slab Ash body, with no comfort contouring. It has the black fiber pickguard, in fact its the rounded Fender prototype pickguard shape, which was used on all Fender prototypes prior to the actual production and then abandoned. It has the same style bridge as the first incarnation of the Precision bass (except for compensated saddle). As you can see, this instrument actually has guitar tuners (not bass tuners), which most likely Leo would have used if he did make a short scale bass at the time, since they had a hard time finding bass tuners and bass strings in 1951, as the bass guitar was a brand new instrument, never seen before. This instrument also has the same style Tele Bass pickups and the same shape control plate, overlaid on the pickguard. As I am implying, this instrument had to be period correct, at least in appearance and feel.
A short scale bass of that period in time, just after the Telecaster was released, there would have been an even closer association with and less of a departure from the Telecaster guitar, as was the case in later years.

I know Leo Fender would have loved the Zachary headstock for its simplicity and unmatched strength and practicality of design. It would have given this frugal and simplicity loving man even more opportunity for efficiency and functionality, on all his guitars and on a short scale bass.

The neck is wide and thick, as were the first Precision basses, in order to approximate the feel of upright basses, which were the traditional basses used at the time for all music. The slab body thickness is identical to that of vintage Broadcaster/Telecaster guitar and made of the same Ash wood. The pickups are the same design as found on the first generation Precision bass, however I wanted this instrument to offer two pickups (instead of just one) for the tonal versatility. Since this bass has a much narrower string spread at the bridge, compared to standard long scale Precision basses, I angled the bridge pickup for the pole-pieces to line up with the strings. For the neck pickup however, I needed to fabricate, completely from scratch, an original-design Tele-bass pickup but with much narrower pole piece spread and to also have it match the bridge pickup in output. I can do this since I make my own custom hand-wound pickups for unique applications.

The controls are interesting also and historically inspired. I fabricated a custom control plate from an existing Telecaster plate, to achieve the look of the original first generation Precision bass. However I had to include a 3-way pickup selector switch. I used a Telecaster switch of course. Everything must be correct. Since the one potentiometer hole on the control plate could not accommodate separate Volume and Tone controls, I used a stacked pot with original Fender stacked knobs. I also had to overlay the control plate on the pickguard by cutting out the pickguard for the control plate, just how the original first-generation bass was done. This was all done without jigs; a lot of work, all done by hand and eye. This can only be done if one LOVES one's work and is driven by nothing else but passion. One has to actually be a guitar builder. Again, to review for many what is a guitar builder. A guitar builder is one who builds guitars by hand. What is a guitar player? Its anyone who plays guitar by hand. This should not be hard to comprehend but it seems to be missed by so many for some strange reason and very rarely found in the guitar industry.

Since the string spacing is much narrower at the bridge, I had to make the bridge plate from scratch. I started with a piece of Stainless Steel plate and had it bent. After that it involved a lot of measuring, plotting, drilling and polishing. All by hand and eye. Accuracy without CNC computers. Can you imagine that? I must be a deviant of some kind in today's society. I harken back to what MEN were capable of, not long ago. I hope they don't arrests me or take me to a mental institution for spending literally days making a bridge plate by hand and eye. This is not what to do if business success is the goal.

All three instruments, the Champ Amp 180519, the 202-060619 ZT guitar and this 204-170819 bass, were sprayed with translucent Butterscotch Nitrocellulose Lacquer paint. The real stuff. NOT the plastic coating Gibson and Fender uses now, about which they lie and call it "Nitro Lacquer". The unknowledgeable actually believe it. If you ever have the chance, simply feel a vintage instrument with real Nitro Lacquer and compare it to a new instrument with what they claim is "Nitro Lacquer". If you are even half conscious you will instantly catch the liars who are deceiving you so mercilessly. But of course, many love to be deceived.

Finally the instrument had to be reliced to make it look historically authentic. Relicing is also a difficult, time consuming and artistic process, its related to painting pictures and fine art. I use my past watercolor art experience for antiquing. Every single part must be reliced to match the whole theme. This means the metal hardware, plastic parts and the wood in terms of texture and color. Correct overall hue and color has to be achieved. This is where my paining experience comes in. Art is a combination of texture and hue.

So here you go, a Fender short scale bass, which could have existed and should have existed.
As you may be able to imagine, this was a big project, as they all are. When you take a moment to really consider what it takes to make something like this by hand and eye. Two methods which need NOT be utilized in today's computerized manufacturing, devoid of human contact. In fact the goal of current manufacturing is specifically to eliminate the human factor, the human touch, unless absolutely necessary. Human skill and competence has truly been made undesirable. It sure looks like a bleak future for the human.