In 1968, Fender introduced the Telecaster Bass as a means to reissue the original Precision Bass double-cutaway uncontoured slab body from 1951. Originally, this model sported a single-coil pickup, but in 1971, Fender rigged the Telecaster Bass with a specially-designed CuNiFe humbucker. It's essentially the bass version of the Wide Range humbucker, and it's positioned at the end of the neck for bold, powerful tone. Deep, deep pockets on this one!
This 1974 Fender Telecaster Bass was owned and used professionally by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. The bridge cover has been lost, and the jack cup has been updated to a modern tele backplate with screws. The bridge, tuners, pickguard, nut, knobs, etc. all appear to be original, as does all of the electronic components. Both pots date to 1974, and the pickup also has a 1974 date code. It has been played and enjoyed, so it shows some scuffs and signs of use (see photos). The small strip of pickguard that runs between the neck and pickup cracked off at some point and is missing. The strap button on the bass cutaway has been repositioned so that the bass balances a little differently on a strap. That's the way Rateliff had it rigged, so we didn't want to change a thing!
The setup on this 1974 Telecaster Bass is really nice. Playable, but you still have plenty of room to dig in. The humbucker is really powerful—big, wooly, and fat. The volume gives plenty of room to tame the output, and because it's essentially a neck-position-only bass, the tone cut gets pretty dark pretty fast. When it comes to the classic Fender bass sound, this Tele bass may go even darker, deeper, and heavier than the iconic '50s P bass. This one will be certain to shake the windows and rattle the doors!
This 1974 Fender Telecaster Bass has a lot of vibe and mojo, but it's also a hard-working, road-tested tool that will deliver night after night. It includes a '90s Fender molded plastic case that is a little worn. As is typical of these cases, it's missing a few of the metal bumpers, some latches feel a little janky, and the handle has been reinforced with good-ole black duct tape. But it's still plenty to protect the bass and get you around town!