Fender '51 P-Bass Reissue

Crafted in Japan. Not sure of the year, but it's one of the more recent re-issues. Full on 51' P detail. Can't believe it's not made in the U.S., the craftmanship on mine is outstanding. Solid as a rock maple neck-string thru body design. Butterscotch blonde finish. If you're reading this the you already know the specs of this fine instrument!

Here is where this bass shines. My band plays a cross of hard rock/punk and blues ( think AC/DC meets Social Distortion meets the Stones ). This bass handles them all with ease, and the warm rounded, deep Fender P tone that we have all come to know and love. I go straight into my SWR Super Redhead with an added Basson 1X15 cab and get the sound from hell! This bass also seems much louder than my other Fender P, and my Fender Jazz. The bass is great in both live and studio settings. Again, if you are reading this review, you probably know what you are looking for, but in case you don't: This bass is NOT for nu-metalers or jazzy fusion heads that need a ton of features. It is the perfect old school rawk and roll machine.

Great set-up and intonation when I bought it ( even with the two saddle bridge ), a few action adjustments by my tech made it even better. The stock pick-up sounds great to me, it's plenty loud enough to cut thtough my two guitarists blazing away. I'm a finger style player and my only complaint here is that there really was no good place to anchor my plucking hand thumb- Resolved that by having my tech add an old thumbrest, and problem solved.

This bass is a freaking tank! It has been out on numerous gigs and been played hard, and I mean real hard; it always stays in tune and the finish, while seeming thin, always withstands its nightly pounding. This bass will out live us all! And yes, I would use it without a back-up bass even though I don't have to.

Haven't had to deal with them, though I have heard that Fender can be a bit difficult to deal with. Too bad, cause they make the only basses that I'll play. Oh well, cross that bridge when I come to it.

Been playing 15 plus years. I own another Fender P, a Fender Jazz and an acoustic bass. if it were lost or stolen, first I'd try to find out who did and go beat their ass, and the I'd run NOT walk to the nearest music store and buy another immediately ( as a matter of fact, I'm thinking of getting another just to have as a back up! ). This bass is for simlpe straight up blusey hard rock. It is a no frills in your face rock tone machine. Do not bother with it if you are all about Korn/Metallica or anything heavier than AC/DC.

51 P Bass reissue, roughly 2 years old, made in Japan. Their craftmanship is really impressive. Beautiful grain, well matched, finish is spotless. Blond colored with black pickguard. Tuner are reverse kind and kind of sticky at first, they're getting smoother. Classic Tele bass vintage look. Really just a basic beautiful bass.

This bass is basic but it sounds bad to the bone with a few little adjustments. It has deep wooden tones, similar to the Sting bass but woodier, you can get some really nice hollow tones at times and the action is OK. Here's how to make it way better.

Buy a compensated 2 saddle brass bridge because the intonation may be OK with the original bridge but it's not perfect. Remember, this is a 2 saddle uncompensated bridge. Many have remarked here that the intonation is OK but I thought and new it could be made a lot better with a brass compensated bridge. Go here http://www.greggrogersguitars.com and get a replacement vintage Wilkinson bridge (Wilkenson 2 saddle Bass bridge, BB3355C ) for about $60. It is worth every penny. I've put a compensated 2 saddle brass bridge on a Tele recently so I have no doubts about this type of customization. It makes a huge difference going up the neck and being perfectly intonated, it really rings with the brass saddles which are not chrome plated. Don't worry that your altering the original bass because this bridge uses existing screw holes and looks like the original. The only other thing I did was adjust the pickup a little closer to the strings and MAGIC. This thing has the old school tone for many styles of music, finger or pick. It's really a classic setup made a little better with new technology and I couldn't be happier. This customization would probably do wonders on a Sting bass as well with the 2 saddle bridge.

The action was OK but I was able to dial in the action a lot better. No big deal, just get an Allen wrench set and go at it. Like I said I dialed in the pickups just a little closer to the strings to give the sounds a more focused tone. Perfect finish, I would buy a Japan Fender product any day and have in the past, most noticeably the Fender Sting Bass.

This bass feels solid and no doubt could take a beating, it's a P Bass, nuff said.

I've never dealt with them. I've mainly gone to the Fender Forums when I had issues. It's a great site.

I am mainly a guitar player whos been at it for about 20 odd years. I went through a Sting bass then finally realized these type basses were an even purer route to what I was after. Vintage sound, vintage looks. Doing the customization with the Wilkinson bridge is the secret to making this an amazing sounding bass. DO IT!! You won't be disappointed. Don't believe me? Just search around online and you'll soon discover that compensated bridges are way better than the originals, if the original is a 2 saddle type.

Very simple setup ...no wonder, it's a '51 re-issue !
But why change when simple does it ?

It certainly has some kind of typical P-Bass tone, but not quite so. There is more brightness and the sound seems more convincing when trying it in the shop: it even works fine for slapping (I thought a P-bass would not really be suitable for slapping)! However, it is somewhat too bright when cranking up the amp: I guess I'll have to wait for the strings to settle down a bit, as I think the change to flatwounds would be a step too much. An easy fix is adjusting the tone button to 1/3 or so: this will approach the P-Bass tone but kinda still missing that particular testosteron-driven tone so typical of Fender Precisions (just listen to Stranglers' early recordings to find out, or Pink Floyd's 1? song in the Meddle album), some kind of bouncy rubberyness enveloping the woody rawness of the sound. That one I have to admit I am still missing, but hey - let's reconsider after having waited for the strings to run-in, or maybe change them for rotosounds or so...

The bass was well tuned in the shop, action a bit too low (fret-buzz).
OK after adjusting the bridge a bit.

Wait and see ! ...but it sure feels solid !

Wait and see too...

I really like this bass, but I need to het to know it better. Thank You Jean-Jacques Burnel for contributing making the P-bass a monument !

Made 2003(?) in Japan.
Ash body
One-piece maple neck/fretboard
Single-coil pickup
34" scale
Vintage frets
Original 2-saddle bridge
4 string
Passive
Old P style body
String-thru
No accessories
Volume and tone controls, tele style

My style is roots "anything" from hillbilly to jazz standards to rock.
I play through a Musicman HD 130 head and some variety of Peavey 1 "18" enclosure.
It is not annoyingly noisy. In fact, noise wasn't really a concern.
From the factory, with factory strings, I'm afraid it sounded kind of metalic and unexpressive.
Out of the box, it was much brighter than I liked, and that put a scare in me.
At the outset, I would recommend stringing this instrument w/ flatwounds. Why Fender hasn't picked up on a string idea is beyond me, but flatwounds make all the difference. For 25 bucks, I have a winner, w/ GHS flats.
W/ Flats, it is just about what I expected from a "vintage" knockoff.
Stock, "5". W/ flatwounds, "9".

Very nice, if minimal, basics.

Compared to cheaper basses which I own (Peavey T-40 and OLP), this bass, frankly, doesn't seem that sturdy. I think I could count on it, but time will tell.

I guess Fender is probably OK.

I am a professional pianist, doubling on bass, and learning guitar. I've been a pro piano player for almost 30 years.
I own a TON of gear (way too much to list here).
I like this bass very much (since the flatwounds), but I must confess that I think it is obscenely overpriced for what it offers. Almost any bass for half of the price can do what it does, and more, but one is essentially paying for style here. I'm Ok w/ that, but for what it does, it should be priced considerably lower.

2003 Model made in Japan (Fender is doing a GREAT job with their overseas productions lately). Very simple 2 pot configuration (volume and tone), 1 single coil passive pickup, maple neck (beautiful!), ash body, butterscotch blonde finish (a CLASSIC!), string-thru body, vintage reverse tuners, fat (but not too fat) maple neck, jumbo frets. No accessories were included with it (not even a gig bag!) which is the only reason why I'm giving the features an 8.

This bass will suit your style perfectly if you play blues, classic rock or straight ahead rock. Funk players - go with something else!I use it through my Ampeg rig (350 watt head & 410 Classic Cab, and a cheapie rackmount effects processer for ultra bass and delay), and it wails! The single coil pickup blew me away (I was a bit skeptical about the 1 pickup config, but it KICKS!). It has a FAT, punchy sound and the lows will definately cut through any screaming guitarist. The sound shaping is somewhat limited (with only the single tone knob) but if you play a bass like this, chances are you don't get too extreme with the bottom end anyway. I haven't used it in the studio, but on stage it holds more than its own. It just rings fat and clear. I love the "classic" bass sound, and this bass produces it (think Donald "Duck" Dunn).

Surprisingly, the factory set-up was decent (I have had other Fenders where I took it straight from the store to my techie for a $100 set-up) but I like a closer action than most bass players so I took it in anyway ($15 action adjustment). The pickup was perfect and I don't feel the need to replace it with something more "modern" anytime soon. The finish was absolutely perfect, flawless! It looks incredible (magazine pics WILL NOT do it justice). It is also nicely balanced. The neck it a good handful, but not at all like the ironing board on the Sting bass.

Although I have had it for only a short period of time, it seems extremely durable. No comment on the reliability yet (I'll let you know after our frequent summer gigs).

Haven't had to deal with them (although I have heard nightmare stories).

I have been playing bass for eight years solid now (I'm a reformed guitarist) and I LOVE Fender basses (I own 3). This bass is now splitting equal time with my old reliable (American Deluxe Jazz). The only thing I wish it had was the vintage hardware extras (The chrome saddle and pickup covers, but I might get this one retro-fitted), but it is an extrtemely cool, fat sounding, classic bass. I would definately buy another if this one were stolen or broken beyond repair (heck...I'm thinking of getting the 2 tone sunburst model). The only thing that takes some getting used to (for me anyway) is the thumb position (I play fingerstyle, and I usually rest my thumb on the lip of the pickup, but you can't on this. It felt a little odd at first, but I adapted quite well). The best feature, other than the performance of the pickup is the classic sharp look. It SCREAMS vintage! I also wish Fender would have thrown in a case or even a gig bag, but what are you gonna do (try talking your local dealer into throwing one in...it worked for me).
Here's a cool tip...If you like the sound of the old R&B tunes (Motown, soul, etc.) try stringing it with a set of flatwounds. The sound will slap your face off!! This bass is very well made (for the overseas products), and very affordable. If you like to rock you won't regret having this bass.

I guess this bass was made in '03 in Japan. It is a 4 string and has 20 frets. It just has a volume controll and a tone controll. It has a single coil pick-up with passive electronics. I'm not for sure of the wood used in this bass. It does have the classic p-bass slab body with string-thru body bridge. It has vintage reverse tuners on a big fat neck.

I play Western Swing, Country, and Classic Rock. This bass is perfect for those types of music. It has a rich "wooden" sound. My brother stated taht it sounds like a bass is supposed to.

This bass came set up good from the factory. There is a slight frett buzz when you climb high on the neck, but it doesn't transfer to the amp. Everything else is perfect. Really nice craftmanship.

Yes this bass is like a tank. Very solid. I like having a backup bass at gigs, but I would feel comfortable using this bass without one.

I really haven't had to deal with the company. I hope that I don't have to.

I've been playing for almost 30 years. I was in a band that played in Willie Nelson's 4th of July picnic in '99 in front of 20 thousand people. I have a '55 Kay Upright bass, a '99 Conklin MEU bass, and a '01 Danelectro Longhorn bass. It has that long lost friend feel to it. I grew in to it the moment I first strapped it on. I would buy this bass again if it were lost or stolen. I bought this bass becuase of it's retro styling. I love the slab body and the Tele' headstock. I also have always been a big fan of the single coil pick-up. I feel that this basses over-all quality by far exceeds it's price. You can always tell the quality of work by the tools you use. This is a quality tool. Buy it. Buy 2.

I've had a 51 reissue for almost a year and it's perfect for me. I like power trio style blues rock like ZZ TOP. Fills in the bottom end real nice. True, not much range but true to it's original fat sound.

I would like to have had all the parts to it. Like pickup cover and finger rest. And a big F on the back plate. I also have a problem with the nut. Any one else? Rate 9

i have a Fender Bassman 100 watt amp. Good for jaming and giggin. I wish it were Louder. It could be the 51.

This bass was made in 2002. It is the new 51 reissue made in Japan. It has a slab p-bass style ash body, no arm or belly cuts. It is Butterscotch Blonde. 20 fret maple neck/fretboard with Telecaster style headstock. 1 single coil pickup like a Strat except has only 4 polepieces. It has a 2 saddle string thru body bridge, reverse nickle tuners.

This bass has that vintage Fender vibe. It may not have tons of features, but this is a reissue of the first electric solid-body bass. It is true to the original, which is why I am giving it a 10.

This bass will not suit all styles of music, but it does suit my styles. I play classic rock and country. It works just fine for both. Metal, Grunge, New-Wave players stay away. You won't like this basses tones.

The single coil pickup packs some punch, and is incredibly quiet for a single coil. It doesn't have the split pickup p-bass tone, it is much more punchy and the notes are better defined.

I play it through a Peavey BAM 2x10. I use as little chorus or flange depending on the song. It gets the Sting/Police early era sound perfectly.

You won't be able to dial in multitudes of different tones with this bass, but then again, that isn't why you buy this bass.

This bass was constructed very well. All the frets were dressed and seated properly. The action is nice and low with no fret buzz. The neck body joint is nice and tight and there is no noticable side to side movement.

My only complaint is that Fender should have included the bridge and pickup ashtrays. It would have been a nice addition.

It seems very durible. I only had to adjust the truss rod during initial setup. The neck hasn't moved since.

The Japanese have constructed a nice solid bass.

Never dealt with them

I've been playing for over 20 years. I have always wanted one of these. If it were stolen, I would definately buy another one. At $599.00, this bass is a great value. Very good construction, vintage vibe. As I said before, the ashtrays would be a nice touch.

Mid 90's Japanese '51 P-Bass reissue. Tobacco sunburst, white pickguard and maple neck.

I was initially interested in the '51 primarily for it's looks - a couple of the bands I play in have 50's and 60's overtones so I wanted something that looked "authentic". I've played it a lot since and my only complaint was that at live shows it lacked punch on the E and G strings. I replaced the stock pickup with a Seymour Duncan BassLines pickup which cured that problem nicely. At first I was concerned about intonation because of the paired bridge saddles, but it hasn't really been a problem. The only complaint I have now is the all-too-familiar single coil hum but as long as I keep my hands on the strings it's not too bad. The two systems I use are a Fender BXR 400 or a Gallien Krueger 400 RB, through either a BXR 410 or EV 15. All in all, I like this bass a lot. Very solid, lots of sustain and just good all around sound. My much-cherished, customized Aria Jazz Bass copy was stolen recently, so the '51 P-Bass has now become my main weapon and it's doing great

No flaws, good quality all-around.

Built like a tank and very durable. A little action and intonation adjustment, and the new pickup and it was ready to go. Oh yeah, the original input jack used to come loose all the time, so I replaced it with a Stewart MacDonald Electrosocket - now I feel like I've got a bass that won't ever let me down at a show.

25 years on bass, many years of piano and violin before that, but I switched to bass hoping to get chicks, lol. Still have a piano, several guitars, and lots of cheapo basses that I wish I'd never bought, lol. If it was lost or stolen, I'd definitely try to replace it.

Mid 90's Japanese 51-P Bass re-issue. Butterscotch Yellow w/ Black Pickguard. Maple Neck. Single coil Pick-up. Original Tweed case

Strung with flat-wounds, it's great for Rockabilly. Which I play often. For this style of music, it's the only electric bass that is
really authentic since it's a re-issue of the only bass around in the 50's, and it was the bass used by Gene Vincent & Jerry Lee Lewis's bass players.

Deep warm bass.
Especially when used with an old tube amp like a Fender Bassman 135.
Not very versatile though, can sound muddy in certain rooms. (Concrete ex-disco's are the worst)

Maple Neck is fast + Comfortable.
Hardware is sturdy
looks awesome

Had the exact same problem as other user. String caught under edge of pick-up at gig, ripping pick-up right out of body, rendering the bass useless. Had to replace with Seymour Duncan Single coil tele bass p/u, which sounds even better. Can not rock too hard because of this.

I rarely rely on any bass without back-up.

Replaced strap buttons with Dunlop.

Cloth Material on outside of tweed case is not holding up too well. Tolex case would have been better.

Used independent repair shop

Been playing 31 years
Other gear I Own:

Sunburst 74 Precision w/ Rosewood Neck
Maple 72 Precision with Rosewood Neck
Maple 75 Jazz Bass re-issue (Japanese)
Cherry Red 1968 Gibson EB2
Mid 90's Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass (Black)
2000 Dan Electro Longhorn Bass (Blackburst)
2000 Dan Electro Baritone Guitar (Black)
Tobbaccoburst Custom P-Bass (non-Fender) W/ Rosewood Tele Style Neck
1983 Fender Catalina Acoustic Guitar (Black)
2000 Dan Electro U2 Copperburst
GK 400RB
1970's Fender Bassman 135 w/ 2-15 Cab
1970's Traynor Bass Amp w/ 1-18 & 2-8's in original reflex Traynor Cab

Love the Looks of the 51 Re-issue
It's great for Rockabilly & Country Western, even some Blues & Rock N Roll, but it is limited compared to a later P-bass or Jazz Bass.

Non contoured body can be cumbersome & uncomfortable. Bass is heavy. Neck is Huge. Not for the novice.

Would buy again if lost or stolen, if I could find it. They're getting rare.