1970 FENDER PRECISION BASS
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Fender offers options such as choosing either a one piece maple neck with skunk stripe, a rosewood fretboard or a fretless neck. Natural finish was introduced. There was now an extra body hole in the neck pocket for hanging while painting. Late in the year ink stamps of employee names began to appear in the neck pocket, along with other inspection stamps and neck pocket paint stick mark. The ground wire route underneath the bridge was now larger and oval.
Other 1970 Precision bass characteristics: Large "C" logo including four individual patent numbers and an ® mark applied under the finish, Fender name imprinted non-reverse clover tuners with no rivet and either with or without an ® mark, pearloid or black plastic dot fret markers, medium jumbo fret wire, usually neck butt date ink stamps etc., fifth hole on neck butt for hanging while painting, F Series neck plate, tortoise shell/white/black/white vinyl pickguard or white/black/white vinyl pickguard on custom colors, metal foil ground shielding on pickguard horn underside, thumb rest under G string, date ink stamped grey bobbin pickups, ground shield under pickups, chrome pickup cover and bridge cover, flat top knobs, Stackpole or CTS potentiometers (often with overstocked 1966 codes), round yellow tone capacitor, plastic or occasionally cloth wiring, non-threaded single groove bridge saddles (often with longer G string intonation screw), input jack, black Tolex case with silver plastic fishtail logo and orange interior.
Serial numbers ranged from roughly 277000 to 300000 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.