1968 Fender Paisley Tele Bass and Oliver Powerflex with Drew Hart // SOUND CHECK

Welcome to the Retrofret garage – BASS STUDIO, Drew Hart! Drew tries out the always iconic 1968 Pink Paisley Fender Tele Bass through the Oliver Powerflex Model P-502. This infamous and fabulous looking bass was one of CBS/Fender’s most whimsical ideas in the summer of 1968: putting pink paisley or blue floral wallpaper on Telecasters to catch the “Groovy“ 1960’s vibe at its late-decade high. The slab-bodied Tele shape worked well (the contoured Strat proved impractical!) and the instruments were released in mid-1968, The Bass does not suffer any loss of function under this colorful livery. “Paisley Red pulsates with every beat and swirls in a blinding carousel of colors and forms“ claimed Fender’s promotional materials, and who are we to argue. Unfortunately these were not big sellers; the basses were made in smaller quantities than the guitar version, and all were out of production by 1969. This is simply one of the coolest if more eccentric amplifiers o