1968 FENDER PRECISION BASS
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During the year Fender changed their headstock decal to the larger "C" logo, which was applied under the finish for the first time. A small ® mark first appeared on the logo in 1968. However, some basses still had the previous transition logo. Fender also introduced plastic coated electrical wiring and began phasing out cloth wiring. Fender introduced a non threaded bridge with a singular string slot on each saddle and began phasing out the threaded saddle bridge.
Other 1968 Precision bass characteristics: Fender name imprinted non-reverse clover (or occasionally oval) tuners with no ® mark and no rivet, strapholder on headstock back, curved rosewood fretboard, pearloid dot fret markers, medium jumbo fret wire, neck butt date ink stamps etc., fifth hole on neck butt for hanging while painting, F Series neck plate, neck pocket paint stick etc., tortoise shell/white/black/white vinyl pickguard or white/black/white vinyl pickguard on custom colors, ground shield under pickguard, thumb rest under G string, grey bobbin pickups (often hand dated) but we've seen the occasional factory mismatched one grey bobbin with one black bobbin, ground shield under pickups, chrome pickup cover and bridge cover with foam rubber string mute, flat top knobs, CTS potentiometers (often with overstocked 1966 codes), round yellow tone capacitor, ground wire route underneath bridge, black tolex case with silver plastic logo and orange interior, literature.
Serial numbers ranged from roughly 213000 to 252000 although there are many overlapping exceptions. For more precise dating cross reference the serial number with the instrument's neck butt, pickup and pot codes.