If It's Broke Fix It Because It Will Break Again and How to Pick a Guitar Color...

Have you ever got stuck on a author and just read every book he had ever written? Then one day you read something and thought to yourself, "he or she has written this idea before." Usually I took that as a signal that the writer was finished with what there was to say and that only the same old ground was left to cover. 

I have re-evaluated those thoughts and decided that really with any story there is always more to tell. Something always left to be opened up and examined. This was the case with my old Fender Precision bass guitar. The best I could establish is that the last time this guitar made a public appearance was 2015. I had not played in an electric band since then and mostly use my acoustic bass when back up acoustic guitar players. I set it on a stand and Cathy began working up new songs for an upcoming wedding. When it came time to join in I noticed the plug in jack had an intermittent connection.    

A quick check and the last time I blogged about this guitar was 2005. It's a 1983 model. That was told to me by a fellow who sold a 1963 Telecaster to an L.A. record producer for $25,000. It's safe to say he knows a good bit about Fender guitars. I'm a bit hazy about what year I got it as it was delivered by UPS and the guy stuck it in the backseat of a 1984 Rocket 88 I owned at the time because I was not at home. They call that NOS (new old stock) and 84-85 is a good area to ballpark my ownership. It's on about the third pickguard as I have played this guitar in churches, on flatbed trailers in the woods, at the VFW, and I think at your crawfish boil one time. Stuff gets broken with that kind of action.  

See the green and white wires? Like I say stuff gets broken and those wires had become shorter and crackly with a previous repairs. I spliced in to them and soldered everything back. Did not even loose a screw of all I took apart.  

Note the fading. My advice when buying Fender guitar is always buy a light color. They will age to a beautiful darker hue. It will help if you smoke and play a lot of places where BBQ or fried chicken is served. If it comes with the standard white pickguard replace with something you like better. With a light body finish almost anything will look good.   

Ok, so like a guitar to repair I have opened up this story again. Might not be much more to tell but I'd like to play in a greasy little band jamming on three chord Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins songs once more before I die. Which when you look at it like that would be another story that there is more of to tell.