Fender Precision Bass Special

1994 model, Made in Mexico
Sunburst finish on poplar body, with 51 P-Bass style 3 layer pickguard
P and J passive pickups
Active 2 band eq (bass, treble), pickup blend, volume
22 frets on rosewood fingerboard, and maple neck
Schaller designed tuners
Standard bridge

Came with the case for the price I paid.

This is like a vintage Precision on steroids. I can make it sound like the classic P, but with the active EQ, you can do a lot more. The output is hot enough for the hardest music, yet you can soften it for jazz gigs. It's that versatile. Classic Fender sound with a kick. The bridge pickup, while not perfect, sounds just like Jaco's kicking my butt. This bass sounds great downtuned as well.

There's nothing I don't like about this bass. It easily compares to American made Fenders costing much more, which makes them a great value in the used market. Who needs vintage, when you can have this baby? :)

The action was fine, but like my Yamaha BB300, was raised just enough to improve the sustain.

No noticeable flaws. I did change the battery from the heavy duty one it came with, to a Duracell 9v alkaline battery. That improved the output of the bass.

The finish here is excellent. I've managed to chip it only a little, and even then it's not so noticeable unless you look for it up close. The strap buttons were taken out for the Dunlop strap locks. I've only adjusted the truss rod twice, to reduce the buzzing to a minimum, as well as improve on the action.

My BB300 is the backup bass.

Never had to deal with Fender, or Veneman's for that matter.

Playing since 1990 or '91. If it were taken from my possession, I'd tell the guy to take a hike, or risk the wrath of having his head cut open by me swinging my BB300 to his head.

Seriously, I'd hate to lose this bass. I compared it to an Ibanez Soundgear, and the American made Jazz Bass of the time.

This P-bass was made in 1980 just after cbs took over if my memory serves me right.It is USA model so top quality as far as fender goes with the unusual 2 volumes and a tone the other volume is for the active pickups.The first fender bass to have this configuration.The neck is maple and the body is heavy man don,t know what,s it made out of but it weighs 2 or 3 times as much as a normal P-bass with gold hardware alround with the usual fender tuners.It has 20 rets and white pickups i suppose to make it different from the normal black pickups.It has big beefy bridge which is 8 times the normal P-bass size at the back normal size other wise.The scratch plate was white plastic which smashed into about 10 pieces when i stood on the cable.Note always put ur cord thru ur strap stops this happening.I replaced it with a brass plate which will never break.Apart from the gold hardware and active pickups ur looking at bog standard Precision bass which is no bad thing

Playing wise i don,t know if it,s me but this is one of the finest basses i have ever played and i have had them all.Gibson,Musicman,Rickenbackerand wal none of them have come close to this bass maybe it,s just my preference,when u crank up the sound the sheer bottom end is amazing with the active,s on it just throbs with a power thats hard to describe not like the usual P-bass sound at all bright and hard the active certinaly make a difference to the overall sound.But when u switch it off it seems to go back to pretending to be a normal P-bass if ur into hittin those pots and pans.The active control works very much like the normal volume control apart from one aspect it doesn,t really make much difference to the overall volume.It just seems to make it fat and warm but still with that edge if required try using a metal pick if ur fingers can handle it.If u start thrashing it hard it seems to overdrive but not that horrible tinny overdrive i mean a big mean overdrive overall it is very versatile.The only problem i could say is that it has a very wide neck so u need big hands to get round the 12 fret,but ur hands soon develop round it as it so sweet to play never had a bad moment with this bass at all

Great set up
Great finish
No Flaws

This bass has been thrown about bounced off of amps and it has only tiny scratch on the underside.Saying that the laquer did come off the neck a tiny little bit.And it did let me down once at a gig.I fixed it on the spot never had no trouble after that

Had this bass for 15 years never been near the shop never needed to

I have been playing for 18 years.I have a trace elliot 400 watt and 15" and 4*10 cabs.
Nothing
I would die if it was stolen and i definetly wound,t lose it
I love everything about this bass I hate nothing
My favourite feature is it,s sheer presence and sound
I have had most other brands of bass rickenbacker 4001 great action horrible sound musicman stingray close but no cigar gibson explorer not my scene wal custom nice but don,t know really but settled with this one as it suited my needs down to the ground.Overall i would give this bass 93/100 not perfect but not that far away for a 23 year old bass.The thing about it is now it is played in beautifully and u can,t buy that with all the money in the world.

Made in the U.S.A. in 1980. Four string. This was the first active precision bass ever made and has all gold (brass) hardware. I believe they made these models along with a gold strat from 1978 to 1981. Yellowed Olympic White finish. Active/passive pickups with a vol, treble boost, bass boost. I bought this with original tweed case and instruction booklet. Has a switch on bass to go from active to passive.

When i bought this the person had put the orginal electronics and pickguard in the case and made this bass passive, installing a new pickguard with the two knobs - vol and tone. I have not hooked up the active electronics yet but as a passive bass it has good low end and plenty of highs as long as you have some fresh strings. Has good punch, sounds like a precision to me. I dont like the weight to it, it is a heavy bass. I play alot of blues and rock and roll and does very well and never gets lost in the mix.

The music store didn't have it set up and the gold brass bridge height adjusters were all gummed up and rusty. Ive spent weeks trying to lubricate and make those move again. Also the bass was dirty, but at least i got a better deal because of that. The bass looks like it has been played alot and is just a good bar-room axe to do the job. It has faded from white to a yellow creme due to the nitro cellulose lacquer. Quite a bit of belt buckle wear on the back. I can still smell the smoke smell when i open the case...(ahhhh).

This bass fell off of its stand during a gig one night and stayed in tune! Cool. I am not worried much about the finish, it has a few scratches and blemishes, but it has spent its life in the bar. Like most fenders, this is reliable. I never have to adjust the truss rod, and use this without a backup, but i always carry extra strings.

I have not tried to contact support, havent had to. I dont even think fender remembers these hard to find old active basses.

My favorite thing about this bass is the sound, it is thumpy and solid and everyone like its vibe. I just dont like the weight, but at least I am a big guy and can carry it around. This is my first american fender and I used to play a Fender mexi-jazz bass that sounded to me like nasaly, uninspired, high mids, Ka Ka. If u buy a mexi fender please replace the pickups, enough said. I've been playing for 15 years and have played alot of crap, but i like this sound.

Like below{very very nice}

it is an active bass-the sound reminds me a bit of a music man but with a p-bass punch.well i play it 3 years and it is my only bass=why???? because it gives me every tone i need.i play in two bands, in a hard rock band and in a prog rock band.great value.this is 100% professional bass.

solid as a rock.

THE BEST BASS I EVER HAD.

Made around 1996----------------Same features as below:3 tone sunburst with 51 p-bass style pickguard.MIM.1 vol,i tone,3 way pickup selector,active/passive control.ACTIVE.1 split coil and 1 active single coil at the bridge.it all looks like and old 51 p-bass{like sting is playing on}but with active pickups and modern headstock{thinner and smaller than a normal precission bass}THIS bass was made straight with the PRODIGY BASSES and JAZZ BASS SPECIAL-if you saw one of them you can see narrower headstock and much thinner necks.

TILL NOW I CAN GET ALMOUST ANY SOUND IN THE WORLD I CAN IMAGINE.THE GUY BELOW SAID THET THIS IS AN UNIVERSAL BASS_-_-HE IS RIGHT BECAUSE IT IS GREAT FOR ANY STYLE OF MUSIC==============IT CAN EVEN PRETEND A FRETLESS!!!WITH A BIT OF TONE KNOBLING I CNA PLAY JAZZ,FUNKY,METAL,POP,GRUNGE AND BLUES ROCK{IF YOU SWITH THE PICKUPS ON P/J AND SET A BIT OF WARM TONE YOU CAN GET THE jack bruce SOUND-REALLY}.....I WAS PLAYING IT LIVE AND IT WAS SOUNDING VERY GOOD.IN STUDIO TOO.I WOULD LIKE IT TO HAVE A HUMBUCKER AT THE BRIDGE BUT WITH THE SINGLE COIL IT IS OK TOO.

NOTHING WAS WRONG----WHEN I BOUGHT IT IT WAS SMELLING AND LOOKING LIKE NEW-YOU CAN SEE REAL WOOD UNDER SUNBURST.ONLY THE FRETS WERE A BIT TOO HIGH BUT THAT WA NO PROBLEM FOR ME.

ROCK SOLID---I AM PLAYING ON IT WITHOUT BACKUP.

IT IS MY ONLY BASS-WIT THIS ONE I DO NOT NEED ANYTHING ELSE-I HAVE BEEN PLAYING.YOU NOW,I AM PLAYING 7 YEARS ON BASS AND ALMOST 6 YEARS ON P-BASS SPECIAL SO I WOULD LIKE TOO HAVE A RICKENBACKER,MUSIC MAN OR SOMETHING ELSE TOO{BUT MONEY IS MONEY}BUT FOR THE VALUE AND THE SOUND OF THE BASS I THINK I WILL PLAY ON IT NEXT 6 YEARS.I KNOW THEY ARE NOT PRODUCING THIS ONES BUT IF YOU WILL SEE ONE OF THEM GO AHEAD FOR IT.

FENDER PRECISION BASS SPECIAL. introduced:1994 out of production:1997 MADE IN MEXICO 22 frets mahogany neck ACTIVE 1 passive/active switch,1 volume,1 tone,1 pickup selector. thin neck active p/j pickups 3 tone sunburst finish with black tele pickguard. fender tuners

IT IS the MOST UNIVESAL INSTRUMENT I HAVE BEEN PLAYING ON.SOUNDS GOOD FOR EVERYTHING......FROM JAZZ TO PUNK...FROM GRUNGE TO POP............ACTIVE ELECTRONIC WORKS GREAT. it has nice warm sound on p pickp setting , a punchy humbucker sound on p/j setting , and treblish sliding pastorius sound on single coil. i play hard rock and alternative and it is great.the sound is beautifull.

it was ok.

ROCK SOLID.you can throw it to the wall and it will be sstill in tune. if you wanna make the who or nirvana stuff on this dont do it.the bass will last everything.

THE BEST INSTRUMENT I HAVE BEEN PLAYING ON IN MY CAREER.I PLAY 6 YEARS.i own epiphone power bass,music man{also great},jazz bass 1975,but this is my treasure.i was searching 2 years for this one.if it would be stolen i would search for another one. it looks like a vintage reissue of old 50's basses with active pickups. BUY BUY BUY if you will find one.

i bought this bass at utah, contacted the guys from here (chile), and paid with credit card.... a friend picked it up.... made in mexico, 22 jumbo frets... 4 strings, sunburst with black pickguard, 4 controls (volume, pan, treble, bass), active circuitry, p and j bass... same as above... enough controls and features for me, the only thing i missed are body thru strings.... and the corresponding strong bridge...

i play lots of different styles, from latin rock; soda stereo, and classics like pink floyd..... pearl jam... nirvana..... guns n roses...... lots as i said.... beatles.... rolling stones.... versatile, different tones and settings.... active cisrcuitry gave me that clear low end response, which i was looking for, because of the poor low one of my old passive egmond bass...i still miss some crisp sound on the first and second strings....... the third one is perfect in my opinion...... new string sets hepls a lot.... great sound after all....

set up always need the touch of the master..... you! only tha player, the owner, can give the bass the perfect setting.... properly setted, tuned, it's 100% reliable...pickups perfect... finish: almost perfect, except for a small detail in the wood, under that thick and brilliant finish anyway....controls tend to loosen with time, and it's a little difficult on stage to see where the controls are..... numbers? i dont think so..... but that small black mark it's not enough when it's dark outside...

of course it works! i've seen some players on tv and concerts here in chile..... i know, maybe it's not a lot of money, but it's 100 per cent reliable....hardware: schaller type tuners, works well, altough i'm not sure if are original schallers.... no difference anyway,.... i miss, as i said before, a strong bridge..... now im thinking about getting a new one....and maybe making that 4 holes through the body.... my bass may be so afraid of that..... i have made some upgrades on my mexican strat, and it's great now, so i recommend a lot to do some changes if you think it will be better, and you have the skills! strap buttons: need some safe system... heavy instrument, so it's worth it...

here in chile: fender it's three, four guys, very careful, and they work saying always the truth. they won't try to sell you anything.... never needed help with this bass, but each time i have been there to get amps, replacement parts for the strat, or even to see the new stuff, they have done well their work... one time i went with my strat to compare it because of the noiseless new pickups, and i got a free adjustment in 5 minutes! good support.

overall: 9 and a half? 10? if you don't have the money for an american, get this one and put it against the other one: it will do the job perfectly.... great sound, beatiful instrument, the pickguard seems a little old fashioned, remembers the esquire bass... great fender tone ... little bucks... i know, maybe some day i'll get an american, a warwick too.... but i wont sell this one...

A 2001 indonesian made bass (lefty) with a "galactic purple" finish.I bought this because i wanted a Precision model and i don't have the cash for a real fender.(very expensive in the Netherlands).still..this is a good bass,except maybe for the construction faults.

the sound on itself is fine. it's got a full rich sound.one can use this bass for all kinds of music thanks to the extra J pick up.the tone didn't work though,so I returned it to the shop after just 1 day..D'oh! they fixed it and it's fine now..nice fenderish sound

when I bought this bass,the neck needed a little adjusting,the action was way too high,the picks were loose and the tone didn't work.just spend an hour or so to fix all this and that's it: a playable bass is born :)finish is ok,great in purple.

it looks pretty solid to me,but I have my doubts about the hardware though.only time will tell...

no experience with customer support yet

i've been playing bass for 20 years now and had many basses.currently I own 2.the other one is a Yamaha RBX260.That one was made with more eye for detail.i'm kinda happy with this Squier ,but if it got stolen I think i'd save money for a real Fender instead.Squier makes fine basses,they just need to spend a little more time on detail..but then again;its cheap

This is a black on black Mexican made 1994 Precision Bass Special (4 string). The most obvious difference between this and a standard P-Bass is the down-sized solid flat top poplar body. It has active elctronics with four controls disguised as two using stack knobs: volume, bass, treble, pan between neck and bridge pickups. It has a p-bass pickup in the neck position and a jazz bass pickup at the bridge. The bridge is not stock, I replaced it with a Bad-Ass Bass bridge, thus improving the sound. The neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard, 22 jumbo frets and Schaller tuners. I have also put a set of Dunlop Strap-Locks on because then I don't drop it. The only problem with it is that the back panel has to be removed to change the battery.

This bass sounds absolutely beautiful. It has a very rich warm tone when played finger style, and it has a very powerful sound when I play it through the Ampeg SVTIII. I use it to play rock bass with funk under-/over-tones. The bass responds best to finger and slap style playing offering the best tone there. The sound of the pick actually hitting the strings comes through a little too much overshadowing the warm tone when I use a pick. The variety of tones possible is really dependent on the amp. The SVTIII gives good variety.

The action was high when I bought it new, but it is easily adjustable and I have set it very low which is perfect for my playing style. The intonation needed to be adjusted also, but that is routine maintainence that should be done every time the strings are changed. The pickups are placed perfectly, and the bass is virtually flawless beyond the chips and dings that it has acquired in the the last six years and the little things that need to be adjusted occasionally. The only thing I didn't like about it was the bridge, which I replaced anyway. Now it is truly a fantastic instrument.

This bass will easily withstand live applications, and it has in fact. I have only had one mishap, my strap fell off. Now I have strap locks. The hardware is as good as new after six years, and the only place where paint has come off at all are the aforementioned dings. This bass is more dependable than I am. The neck and truss-rod has never needed to be adjusted. I have used this instrument on stage numerous times without a backup.

This was my first bass, and at this point my only bass. It is my absolute favorite instrument to play. It is not the top of the line most expensive instrument out there, but I don't think I settled for something lesser. I have never had a problem with this bass in the six years I've been playing. It is reliable, it sounds awesome, and it looks pretty cool too. When I bought it, I also tried MusicMan, Ibanez, Washburn, and other Fenders. I knocked the socks off Ibanez and Washburn, and sounded better than the other Fenders. The only one that equaled it was the MusicMan Sterling at three times the cost. I would recommend this bass to anyone who is just starting out, or anyone who cannot afford a MusicMan. I would easily have paid over $1000 for this bass if I had that kind of money when I bought it.