Up for sale, a 1973 Fender Competition Mustang Bass in excellent condition and in perfect working order, 100% original save for a replacement nut. Featuring a Competition Burgundy finish, this particular color is essentially Lake Placid Blue with a Sonic Blue racing stripe, originally having a very faint purple-ish burst on the body edges. This is a notably late example, crafted in the final year of Competition Mustang Bass production, sporting a three-ply white pickguard (supplanting the white pearloid guards seen on previous examples).

The bass has a rich, round acoustic voice with smooth sustain and a touch of growl in the top end. There's a certain pluck and punch unique to this bass that's particularly appealing and sits well in a mix, filling out the low end nicely. Offering more upper midrange focus than a P, this Mustang Bass has surprising oomph and woody cut. Weighing 7lbs 12oz, this Mustang Bass has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 45-100 roundwound strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

• Wood: Maple
• Shape: Deep U, measuring .870” 1st fret, .990” 12th fret
• Fretboard: Rosewood, 7 1/4” radius, dot inlay
• Frets: Slender, no wear
• Scale Length: 30”
• Nut: 1 9/16”, bone (replacement)
• Tuners: Clover buttons
• Serialization: Six-digit stamp on “F” neck plate
• Factory Markings: 1973 date stamp on neck heel, “paint stick” finish marking in pocket

Body Specs:

• Pickups: Gray bobbin split-coil x1 (1973 date stamps on bobbins)
• Controls: Volume, Tone
• Harness: CTS pots date to the 29th and 43rd weeks of 1973
• Hardware: Bridge with barrel saddles, control plate
• Plastics: Three-ply white pickguard, finger rest, pointer knobs

The gloss Competition Burgundy finish exhibits very subtle greening of the clear coat, and cosmetic wear includes a few small finish chips, light buckle worming central to the back, and some additional minor marks consistent with decades of careful usage. The smooth gloss on the neck profile is flawless save for two shallow chips behind fret 2, smoothed out by subsequent play.

A vintage Fender black tolex hardshell case is included.