Fender Precision Bass Special

1979 or '80 Precision Special (USA) 4 string bass. Some of the pots date '78 and some date '79, but people have looked at the serial # and said it's an '80, so give or take a year. Maple neck, someone told me the body is Walnut.? I'm not sure, but it's been refinished at least once, because the dings on the body show gold, and even possibly a natural color below the gold. Now it's painted wine red/maroon on the body and headstock. Not sure if the head stock is the original, because the paint job is better there and the decal-ing is phenomenal if so (like either a pro or factory job) where as the body is more 'hack.'
I've read that these basses have Jazz bass-style necks on them (slimmer/contoured) as opposed to the beefy P bass necks. Active and passive toggle switch next the output jack, Brass hardware & tuners, White pickup covers, pickguard and battery cover (on reverse side.)Volume, Volume and tone pots. The bridge is a beefier version than the usual bent steel P bass bridges. It's more like Fender's answer to the Leo Quann Baddass bridge. Usual bolt-on neck. Brass "thumb" rest on the upper part of the pick guard. 20 frets.

The sound is spectacular. I've been playing a 'frankensteined' Mexi-P-bass for 10 + yrs. and when I A/B'ed the Special vs. my Mexi-Franki bass the Special blew it out of the water. The Special has a higher output, more crisp and defined lows and mids, and is just more 'punchier.' And, that was vs. a Mexi Pbass with Duncan 'hot' basslines pickups which sound very good. One thing that's over the top for me is the active circuitry. I don't really like the sound of it. It 'smoothes' out all the mids (when I switch on the active cut on my amp) which I (personally) don't like. I'm not here to accompany Kenny G. and I like a little attack now and then, and the passive suits this fine. I play in a 4 piece instrumental/prog combo, and the drummer noticed the tone and output right away (in a good way...)This bass just has that perfect P bass 'rock' sound.

The action is great-- the neck is smooth. This is the first guitar I've owned with a Maple neck, and I gotta say Fender does the Maple neck right. The Fender Special bridge gives this bass more sustain than the usual P bass bridge. I don't know why Fender doesn't use this bridge on all of them?? Like the other reviews said-- this bass is a heavy monster, though. I weighs considerably more than my other bass. Invest in a sheepskin-lined strap like I did. It's save your shoulders and back!

This thing is built like a brick....house. I haven't owned it very long, but it seems very durable. A great touring bass. Solid!

I actually called Fender because one of my tuners is not the original, and I wanted to replace it with the original. Well, after sitting on hold for a few minutes, I actually got a live person who was helpful enough to give me 2 contacts. One of the contacts found my tuner (which is rare in gold/brass finish I found out.)So, all in all, Fender gets a passing grade.

I've been playing bass 10 + yrs. but I'm more of a 'traditionalist' when it comes to equipment. I don't jump on the latest fads, and in the world of bass there's plenty of crappy new fads. I play the bass thru an Ampeg SVT w/ Eden 4-10''s. With the nice action of this bass I can get to where I want to go without killing my wrists like with the old Mexi-P-bass that I've played and struggled with the horribly high action for too long a time. I originally wanted a back-up bass to practice on at home, but when you start playing all the crap that's being made and sold for >$400 it makes you wonder if there'a anything that just solid, and sounds good still available. Well, I payed more, but this bass is it. I have never ever heard of these basses (other than the new ones which are really P bass Deluxe's-- not anything remotely like Specials) and I was a little hesitant when the selling $$ was $800, which seemed steep. But, now that have played it, I love the thing, and wonder what i've been doing all this time without it!

Fender Deluxe Active P Bass Special. Mexican import, 20 frets, 4 strings obviously, Jazz and P bass pickups, Active electronics, maple Jazz neck w/ rosewood fingerboard, Alder P bass body, chrome hardware, included gig bag. Nothing to complain about in this area.

I'm not quite sure about the sound because I've only ever played this bass through a crappy 20-watt amp that my previous bass nearly blew out, which automatically brings the sound quality down. Although I'm sure that if I had a better amp with a bit more wattage it would sound like a million bucks. Don't know exactly how I adjusted the controls on the guitar, but I tweaked them till it sounded good. But yeah, I'd say it currently sounds pretty darn good.

Set up relatively well. Had to tune it when I got it. I prefer the action as high as I can make it go, so I had to adjust that to my liking, but that's just because I like the action really high. The precision pickups look like they could use adjusting, but the screws I have to turn are really tightly in there and I broke one of my little screwdrivers trying to turn it. I dunno, that might just be with my individual bass. I don't know what makes "good" staying in tune, but I would say that mine doesn't stay in tune very well.
I got the black finish. I've noticed (and heard from other reviewers) that fingerprints, dust, and smudge marks show up more on black finishes than on other colors, but despite this I don't regret getting the black one at all.

So far this bass has taken some minor bumps (usually the headstock hitting the ceiling when I'm carrying it into another room) and it's taken it all pretty well. I don't know much about finishes, but I would expect that it will last for a long time. Yeah, I would definitely use this in a gig without a backup.

Never had to deal with them, and hopefully I'll never have to.

Overall, this is a great bass. I think it'll still be playing nicely long after I'm gone. I'm glad I took my friend's advice and got a Fender.
I've been playing bass for a year, and the only other bass I've ever owned is a Fender P Bass that was sitting in my band teacher's closet for ten years, that she loaned to me. This new bass is a massive improvement to the one I used to play. I've had it for about four months now.
Without a doubt I would buy this one again if mine were lost or stolen, this bass is my baby.
I looked into at least a dozen other basses before getting this, including the Schecter Scorpion, Squier MB4, and a couple of the Fender Jazz basses. I might have bought a jazz bass except that I prefer the shape of the P bass's body.

This is a review for a new, Mexican-made Deluxe Series Active Precision Bass Special. It's got an alder body and a maple neck with rosewood fretboard. Scale is standard for a p-bass. This is a bass with passive pickups and an active,3-band EQ. This one has a black finish(looks like what Fender calls Montego Black)with a gold vinyl pickguard for that vintage look of the anodized pickguards. It has what I believe is a scaled-down p-bass body(looks sleek). The bridge is an American Vintage. Sort of generic tuners that work fine. Came with a gig-bag(nothing to write home about).

First of all,for the money,this bass is killer. The workmanship is very clean and the playability is very good. Does is equal a higher-end american-made bass? No,but it's very good. Good enough to gig with and I just used for a pro tools recording last night and it sounded really fat and good. I doubt that the preamp is the same as the american deluxe basses,but it could be. Fairly quiet,definitely usable. Since I'm used to a higher end american bass qwith a maple board this bass is darker to my ear. Gets the standard j and p sounds with the ability to EQ some.

Very good factory set-up. I tweaked it to taste. No flaws in the finish(surprising). I thought the slot for the E string could have been cut lower but good overall.

I bought this to be a bass that I could gig with so my nice bass didn't get all gig-worn. Not sure about the finish but it looks like it will last to me. I would not be surprised if the pots were cheaper thasn the american basses. I would use it without a backup mainly because I don;t want to bring 2 basses to a gig.

My guess is that dealing with a big company like fender could be frustrating but have not dealt with them.

Been playing for over 25 years. I really like the quality/price ratio of this bass. Before this,I would not touch a Mexican bass and don't favor imports in general. But I am surprised. It looks cool,sound good and plays reasonably well for a pretty amazing price.

Fender Precision Special 1980, USA. Lake placid blue becoming slightly grey/green with age. Maple neck, brass hardware, white pickguard & pick-up. Couple of dings. Very good looking in it's own way. Came with a flight case.

I play rock & blues on it. Through a SWR350 Redface & a Celestion 4x10 or a Fender 15" The sound is deep & clear, there is big sustain & it rings out like a bell. Superior to my old '73 Jazz. It has a similar sound to a Stingray, although is more subtle,(in the best kind of way) If you can pull off the rif, this bass will connect with your artistic intention.

I should add, that an SWR350 needs to be set correctly & this takes time. You will know when it's right.

I bought it second or third hand in 2006. The set-up & the neck are perfect for my needs. The action is nice & low. The bass was dirty when it arrived. New strings (Dean Markely Blue lights)& a careful cleaning. Looks the part with a polished brass thumb-rest (which is located above the strings).

The bridge seems bigger than a standard Precision, all of the hardware is of high quaility. The bass is heavy, too. I've had to tighten the input housing, as the signal was lost when I first got it.
Can't comment on dependability, as I haven't had it long.

Best bass I've played in 23 years. I was looking for a two band EQ Stingray but I'm glad I chose this instead. The Stingrays seem to have a more modern & aggressive tone to them. The Precision Special has a slightly more subtle & timeless sound. Other basses I've used include a Yamaha RBX300 (very light & fast neck, OK sound, great value) & 1973 Fender Jazz (I was never satisfied with the neck or bridge pickup)

I bought this bass in 2002 used,I had just started to hear of the fabled "JAPANESE" Fenders that were supposed to be "better" than the American made ones.
This model is the jazz bass special 4 string(which is the same as the p-bass special or the p-j bass)it came with a replacement Dimarzio P-pickup and the stock J pickup in the bridge position.
It does'nt have the painted black neck un-like most of the basses of this series,its dark rosewood fret-board is a very dark reddish black color and its frets are perfectly seated.
The body is a heavy basswood weighing close to 13 lbs & finished in a dark silverish green pewter(one of the least common colors produced)and is still in almost perfect condition for it being 20 years old.
The all black hardware leaves a bit to be desired, in the bridge department it was a flimsy "vintage" style,while the tuners were still in good shape and functionally sound.
It came stock with a 3 way selector switch that allows you to solo either the p-pickup alone,the jazz alone or both together, which I find to be quite useful,the person whom originally owned it(i am the 2nd owner)wired the pick-ups in an alomost reverse polarity through the switch giving the bass a very UNIQUE sound,and in my opinion the best sounding p-bass I have ever heard.

Being a blues/mowtown/classic rock influenced bassist I have found this bass to be a complete package,having the ability to select the pick-ups with a switch allows for an exact sound.
The bass has a very broad range of tonal ability from bluesy rock to the flatwound sound of the mowtown sound and as high as the slap attack of the funk era and it really shines in the dirty grungy rock styles of modern music and in my opinion is the only bass needed to get the sound of the 70's british invasion rock like ZEP & B/SABBATH to name a few,roll off the tone knob and you get a great jazz sound perfect for walking bass lines.
I always use Compressor strings by Smith or GHS compression wounds on all my p-basses,they are perfect for Fenders in both sound and tension allowing for perfect set-up all the time.
Its electronics are all new except for the j-pickup so original performance is unknown but if its like the rest of the basses quality i'm sure they worked fine.
These japanese Fenders are'nt famous for their quality electronics but the rest of the bass makes up for it by far!!

Its finish is a very thick durable paint that has held up for 20 plus years,allowing not but one small ding through the paint into the wood.
The fret work is near perfect,even though I have leveled the frets and polished them myself I can still see how well they were initially seated and dressed at the factory, for every one was seated at the exact same depth and requiered no filler in the fret slots to adjust their height.
The back of the neck which is usually painted black on this model, is aged to a very dark honey like finish that has protected the neck perfectly while still allowing the natural drying and curing of the wood.
The hardware was all replaced by me,I added 70's re-issue tuners(the fender logo type found all the 70's fender basses)which were a direct replacement,I then added a bad-ass bridge to replace the flimsy stock one.
One thing I like about these Japnese models are the 3 piece tone/volume knobs,the are the top-hat type with a rubber grip ring around it with the plastic top cap with the big F on them(which are usually long gone or missing one or two).
The graphite nut is perfectly cut and coupled with the "micro-tilt" neck adjuster(located at the back of the bass in the neck cover)makes for a UNBELIEVABLE playing bass,with dead low action and near perfect intonation.
This is one of,if not the best playing/sounding Fender basses(and most other brands/models ETC.)I have ever played,owned,heard or seen and I can say this with complete confidence due to the fact I am a licensed Fender bass repairman/bass tech for many local music stores and major music chain's and have come across 1000's of basses !

This bass is like a tank,I will often go 2-3 weeks without playing and it will ALWAYS be in tune or damn near close to it,and the neck only moves when there's extreme heat or cold, and that only happens 1 or 2 X's a year and 1/2 a turn on the truss will end that non-sense.
I put strap locks on due to its heavy weight and cannot afford to replace this bass should something bad happen to it.
I sold off all my basses but 3 of them, and would be completly OK if no back-up bass was avalible should I lose this one.

I bought this bass used so I cannot speak on this exact model,BUT I can say a few words on Fender as a whole.
2 years ago while working my construction job I bought a 60's Jazz re-issue bass from G.Center,This was the second bass purchased after returning the original G.Lee j-bass which had a bad neck and was deemed "un-repairable" by a Fender guitar tech.
So after set-up I realized that this bass had a bad neck also,BUT at this time I was laid off from work and was working at this G.Center at the time(the same one who sold me the bum basses)the manager who is now my boss allowed me to return the bass becausde this bass was also deemed "un-repairable" by the same bass tech.
My boss had me call Fender to get a return authorization number,after I did this I would get a store credit for a new bass of my choice.
The area represenitive treated me like CRAP ! he told me I did'nt know my basses,there's nothing wrong w/it, ETC....,he basically called me a liar whos' trying to cheat them.
I was so pissed off not only for the bass but for the fact I always tried sell my customer's fender parts,guitars/basses/amps ETC... and the company I try my best to sell products made by WAS CALLING ME A SCUMBAG LIAR CHEAT !.
I then had the fender repairman call this joker up and explain who I was and how much buisness I made for them and that I kinew my basses and how I should be the one pissed off and not the one to be pissed on,and to give me any bass within 200.00$ above my original purchase,the Fender rep called me back and appologized and I proceeded to tell him off and then never sold another Fender bass to any customer again.
So get this,the new one I bought developed neck problems,Fender gave me 1.0 hr repair time to get the new one neck radiused,it still is'nt right but much better than it was at first and it was an american made jazz bass that had a crappy fret-board installation.
So I will never buy a new bass,I will wait till they are at least 10 years old so the wood is all done drying out and curing,if the neck is good,it will stay that way so no new basses for me,ONLY USED JAPANESE ONES.

Over-all its the best bass I own, and I have a few really good axes I collected over the years,my 82 Japanese Squier(made with american parts)and my self made american Jazz bass comprised of a H.W.1 Alder body stripped and oiled,and the neck is a maple on maple p-bass model,bad-ass bridge and mexican pick-ups that are better than the stock american ones it cam with.
I swear by these Japanese Fenders,They put ours to shame like it or not.

2004 model alder body, candy apple red finish P/J pickups maple fretboard Jazz neck and the sorriest bridge you've ever seen

Thin and lifeless pots crapped out and had to be replaced

bridge saddles were bottomed out and action was still high as hell. Tech had to install shim in the neck pocket (2 business cards cut 1/4 inch in width) to allow proper pitch in neck so the saddles would be of use. Neck also had to be pulle toward the lower cutaway as the neck was misaligned over the fretoard and pickups. This left a 3 business card gap at the upper cutaway one it was properly aligned ......but the finish was nice

I special ordered this bass and was committed to it once it got to the store. I istalled a BadassII bridge and a set of P/J EMG's and gave it to my daughter to learn on

support hell they need quality control

Been playing 24 years. I own an early 90's G&L L 2000. A '76 4001 Rickenbacker a 70's something Gibson RD Artist Mid 80's USA BC Rich Eagle, neck thru and a Mid 80's USA Mockingbird. Switched to 5 and 6 string bass a while back and now own an Ibanez SR505, SR506 and SR905, all 2004 year models. I have 2 rigs. An Ampeg setup with an SVT 4 Pro, Sonic maximizer DBX compressor running thru an Ampeg 4X10" and Ampeg 15" cabs. I also have an SWR setup that consists of a Bass 350 head and SWR Goliath II cab. I use a Yamaha NE-1 Parametric thru both rigs and a Boss CEB chorus pedal

2004 Deluxe Precision Bass Special


Gold Anodized pickguard

Rosewood or Maple fingerboard - Jazz Bass Neck - Precision Bass Body

20 Medium Jumbo Frets

Pickups: American P-Bass (neck), Vintage Noiseless J-Bass (bridge)

18-Volt Power Supply

3-Band Active EQ


Made in Mexico

truly fancy upgrades!

The 2004 Deluxe P-Bass Special has a new, stylish look and fancy upgraded electronics! With features such as a 18V-power supply and a powerful 3-band active EQ (same as the American Deluxe model), this classic P-Bass boasts an American Series split-coil pickup and a dual-coil ceramic Vintage-Noiseless J-Bass pickup with nickel-plated pole pieces.

The Deluxe P-Bass Special is indeed a well-made instrument, but the new active circuitry combined with the American Deluxe P/J pickups makes this a bass that can cut any gig. Construction-wise, you'll find the same features of the older original: P-Bass poplar body, J-Bass maple neck, gold anodized pickguard, etc.

I'm not 100% certain that this newly upgraded P-Bas guitar is equipped with straplocks. Maybe the 2004 Deluxe Active Jazzes are straplock-ready equipped like the Deluxe Dimension/Zone 4 and 5-strings, so I suppose that the Deluxe Precision Special has straplock buttons, too.

No opinion!

It's an absolutely stunning bass, designed explicitly with the serious gigging bassist in mind. The Deluxe P-Bass Special looks gorgeous with the new 3-band active EQ and the American Deluxe P/J pickups. However, this Mexican Deluxe bass could be fancier with a special-design humbucking pickup in the bridge, like the American Deluxe version: Special-Design Humbucking Bass pickups had more power, more punch and more growl. By contrast, the Deluxe Dimension and Zone Basses are fitted with a 9-volt power supply and American Deluxe pickups with Lace Sensor-style solid covers. However, the Deluxe P-Bass Special is much versatile: it has the same 18V power supply as the Deluxe Active Jazzes, the Vintage Noiseless bass pickups give to this instrument even greater tonal flexibility. The P body is a little smaller and lighter, the J neck slimmer and faster, and the combined give you that much more to play with!

abuot 1994 made, mexican, fretted, 4 strings, black on black, p/j pickups, active electronics, bold-on, small body with like '51 fenders picguard, maple neck also like '51 fender head

I play with SWR workingnan 15 and it sounds great with this fender and DR strings. to play rock and blues no need nothing else

action is perfect - make by luthite, no need to change

ok

I play over 20 years I never buy new and hi end basses because I don't belive in prices they cost - always too much for me, better find 10 or 20 years old in good condition and give it to luthitier.If you find one of this fender you can buy it because you get fender sound and what you do with this sound it depend on your hands

Alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, vintage style bridge, standard tuners, gold pickguard, 20 medium jumbo frets, PJ pickup configuration, jazz bass neck, volume volume and tone control layout, passive electronics and deluxe gig bag complete the package.

Great with the standard Fender pickups, but even better with a set of DiMarzio's. I tossed in a DiMarzio PJ set and holly crap what a difference. More umph all the way around. The standard pickups sounded pretty darn good, but I had these laying around and well it upped the anti in all areas. Fat warm, loud, quiet, I love them. These pickups retain the Fender siound but take it to a new level.

This bass is very well put together. I'd say for those who dump on Mexican made Fenders, they should try one out before they spend a few hundred more on a American made one. The fit and finish are excellent and so is the wood quality. The factory set-up was a little off, but that's typical stuff and not really something that concerns me. I always tweak them to my liking anyway, so again nothing to loose sleep over. Truly these basses are great deals in that they give you that old school Fender sound and feel. The best part about these basses are that they are easily upgraded as they're many manufacturers that have upgraded Fender style parts. Basically you can buy this bass and soup it up in any way you like. Always a plus with a Fender product.

Rock solid!!. Hey it's a passive instrument that's built really well so what can go wrong?. I love old school fat passive tones and I'd take a good ol' fashioned passive system any day over a crappy cardboardy active system. Passive systems rule and the bass playing word will slowly go back to what's best, you'll see!!.

Never had to use Fender for repair issues as of yet, but they answer my emails quickly so they get a 10 thus far.

Old school Fender vibe with the advantage of a PJ pickup configuration. Upgrades out the ying yang if that's what you desire. What more could you want?. Great bass, great tones, great construction, great aftermarket support and products, killer bass!!.

1980 Fender p-Bass special

This bass has 2 volumes (one for active circuit), one tone and n active/passive switch.
White pickups, Large durable strap locks and gold hardware.

A very versatile sound, possibly not for funk as much as rock or blues, though if you add rotosound flatwound strings it begins to get awefully jazzy...

Nice lake placid blue finish on body and head. All adjustments in good working order. Pickups good hight but the metal rusts easily.

Very, very reliable, You could drop this as I have an it would still be in tune. The only problem would be the pickguard as it is very easily broken and cracked. Replace it if you gig regularly befor you break it as it is quite a rare form of pickguard and for resale you want to still have it.

N/A

This is a versatile brilliant sounding bass. Very sturdy- perhaps a bit heavy but an essential part of any discerning bass players rig. Perfect for rock and pop particularly but will work for anything that needs a real punch.