1966 Fender Mustang Bass *First Year*
We are proud to offer this beautiful 1966 Fender Mustang Bass! This one is an excellent player, and is almost all original. A very cool example of a first production year model, and is bound to continue increasing in value. It has a ton of mojo, and certainly has some stories to tell!
The neck heel is stamped "17 SEP 66B" - and with the Mustang Bass's first catalog appearance being in July of '66 this one is certainly an early example. Both of the Stackpole pots date to the 31st week of '66, again in line with an early build date, with the pickups showing a hand written '66 date as well. The pigment of the original lacquer finish shows nicely, with checking throughout that gives an excellent "real deal relic" vibe. The 30" scale length rosewood fretboard shows nicely with the white dot markers. Original "egg" tuners are present, and harken back to those used on certain pre-CBS basses. The pearloid pickguard looks great with a bit of yellowing, and again has just the right "look" to evoke that vintage aesthetic appeal. The thumb rest has been moved from the bottom of the strings to the top, as was commonly done. The thumb rest itself appears to be the original unit, and some place holder screws have been applied where it was previously mounted.
This is a prime example for budding collectors, as these early offset basses have seen steady growth in value while still remaining accessible. While it is in "player grade" cosmetic conditon, it will remain desirable due to its originality while still being an instrument you'd actually want to use.
Cosmetically it shows finish checking throughout, including the body, neck, and headstock, as well as some scuffs on the top, wear to the finish in rub areas, and miscellaneous dings/marks on the body from 50+ years of play. The frets appear original and while they do show a bit of wear, still have plenty of life left considering the age of the bass, with no issues regarding playability. It is setup with nicely playable string height, and combined with the short scale length this one is really a joy to play, with a tone reminiscent of your favorite 60's psych group!
Includes original Victoria case, which does show cosmetic wear including scuffs, tears/rips to the tolex, etc however is in good structural shape with all latches functioning as they should, and the neck strap intact.
*Note: Please ask any questions before purchasing - Reverb limits the amount of pictures that can be uploaded, so feel free to ask for more and we can DM them. We try our hardest to depict vintage instruments as accurately as possible, however with an instrument that has seen decades of use, it is difficult to document every mark. We'd be more than happy to discuss this bass with you! This will be packed securely in a fresh box, as well as shipped with Reverb's Safe Shipping insurance.