The electronica-jazz band Rendezvous has earned quite a following in the world of underground music. Now that their debut album is being mixed by David Bascombe (renowned London producer who has collaborated with Verve, Natalie Imbruglia, Kylie Minogue, Suede, and many more music greats), Rendezvous is about to go mainstream with a bang.

As chance would have it, Rendezvous’ bass guitarist, Itai Simon, is the proud owner of a 1966 vintage Fender Precision bass guitar. Before anyone got the skinny on his precious vintage find, we scored an exclusive interview with Simon and found out all about his priceless Fender.

Q: How did you end up with your vintage Fender bass guitar?

Simon: Oh, I can tell that story over and over again! Finding my vintage Fender bass guitar was like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow…

Back in 1999, I was already playing bass guitar but haven’t quite settled on any bass guitar yet. I owned a handful of bass guitars back then: a vintage 1978 Fender Music Master Bass, a Rickenbacker Bass, and a Hofner Bass. Just like many other musicians, I haven’t quite found my “partner” just yet.

A lot of my friends have been on the lookout for original vintage Fender bass guitars back then, especially the guitars made in the sixties. These guitars are quite special; unfortunately, they are also very rare. People who own them would never want to sell their vintage Fender guitars, not even for a fortune!

I was 19 when I found my vintage Fender bass guitar. Back then, I was playing bass for an Israeli rock band named Utopia. Our band was recording an album for Helicon Records, a rather bigwig record label. We were also busy touring the country, with a couple of our tracks playing in Israeli radio stations at the time.

One fateful night during band practice, our friend Herzl Raz called. He was probably the best luthier (string instrument “repairman”) in Israel. He asked us to come immediately to his shop without giving us any more details. Mystified and curious as to why we were being summoned, we drove off in the night and headed to his shop.

It was then that we found out what got him excited. He has been approached by a religious young man whose grandfather, a well-respected rabbi, has just passed away. Apparently, the son found a few “old guitars” in his dead grandfather’s attic. Rabbis weren’t supposed to be rock musicians, so he wanted to dispose of the guitars as quickly and as quietly as possible

We took a peek at the old guitars and found out they were so much more than just dusty, old instruments forgotten by an old man. The guitars were actually 100% original vintage guitars in perfect condition, unused for about thirty years! There was a Fender Stratocaster from 1964 and another from 1965. There was also a Fender P Bass guitar from 1954, a truly rare find which I didn’t take but should have! Lastly, I laid my eyes on a Fender Precision Bass guitar from 1966, which I took home with me that night.

Between the 1954 Fender P bass guitar and the 1966 Fender Precision bass guitar, I initially couldn’t quite decide which one I would purchase. Looking back, I now realize I should simply have taken both.

Still, I knew I found my match after I played the vintage Fender Precision bass guitar. It was my true match, the instrument that complements me perfectly. It’s sad that many musicians never find their instrument. Looking back, I’m really glad that I’ve found mine!
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