1973 FENDER TELECASTER BASS
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During 1973 the thumb rest began to move above the E string. However, many 1973 basses still had the thumb rest located under the G string.
Other 1973 Telecaster bass characteristics: Small logo including one patent number and ® mark applied under the finish, Fender name imprinted non-reverse clover tuners with an ® mark and no rivet, bullet shaped truss rod adjustment at headstock, solid maple neck with skunk stripe, black plastic dot fret markers, medium jumbo fret wire, neck butt date etc. ink stamps, extra hole on neck butt for hanging while painting, 3 bolt F Series neck plate with tilt adjust, non-contoured slab body, neck pocket paint stick etc., extra body holes in neck pocket for hanging while painting, humbucker pickup (often ink date stamped), black/white/black or white/black/white vinyl pickguard with the volume and tone controls mounted directly onto it, metal foil ground shielding on pickguard horn underside, chrome bridge cover, flat top knobs, CTS potentiometers (one metal shaft and one plastic shaft), blue drop tone capacitor, metal foil ground shielding in pots cavity, plastic wiring, input jack cup, small slightly raised string grommets on body back, two saddle metal bridge, oval ground wire route underneath bridge, black tolex case with silver plastic logo.
Serial numbers ranged from roughly 352000 to 520000 although there are many overlapping exceptions. For more precise dating, cross reference the serial number with the instrument's neck butt stamp, pickup stamp and potentiometer codes.