Fender Precision Bass

2007 MIM model, in a creamy white finish. 20 frets, one volume one tone knob. All the stock parts of a MIM Fender P-bass, and it's got just the one split coil pickup.

One thing I really like about it is the satin finish, but I'll address that in detail later.

It's simple, no frills, but still classy, and it screams "play the **** out of me" to which i oblige heartily

I guess I would dig having a bridge pickup on it for more variation in tone.

I suppose I play all sorts of things on bass (it's not my main instrument; guitar is), but I really love the style of King Crimson era John Wetton. He's just got this monster tone which is pounding, punchy, and crunchy as hell, but that's mostly due to his huge tube amps which broke up amazingly. The best description of his tone and playing style I remember seeing was "bruising funk". This bass delivers in spades. I've got this plugged into a Yorkville Stage 120B and I run it through an Ibanez TS-7 tubescreamer to get some nice drive on it (occasionally a dunlop wah also). I also prefer to play inbetween the pickup and the neck; it gives me a more punchy tone (I love the neck position on my strat as well... so go figure)

I learned from one of the guys at my local guitar shop that most of the more recent fender guitars to come out of mexico (2006 onward, i think) have higher output pickups, and it's noticeable here. When I crank the volume and/or tone knob, there is a noticeable leap in bite and crispness. Therefore I love cranking them both, but I tend to roll back on the tone about 1/4-3/4 depending on what i'm doing.

I can really coax a bunch of different tones out of this bass, although some people see P-basses as one-trick ponies. I think having a good amp helps in that regard (and so does a pedal or two), because the lack of frills on this bass does restrict your options somewhat. However, it delivers the sweetest trick possible for bass to deliver, so it gets full marks

I've heard some horror stories of mexican made fenders, but I've been lucky I guess; I've had only great experiences (I'm 3 for 3). The action is pretty low, although I'm considering lowering it just a smidgeon. The neck seems to be well bolted on, and i've yet to find any rough edges on either the frets, the bridge, or the rosewood fretboard itself.

As mentioned earlier, I really love the satin finish on the neck. It feels super smooth and I can glide my hand effortlessly. Occasionally when I'm playing a poly finished neck for a while and my hand gets sweaty, i find i may stick a little on the neck when moving. This problem does not exist on this neck; it's classy all the way.

I also raised the pickups slightly from the stock setting, but only under the E and G strings, as I felt they needed a little more mid rangy punch that the middle two strings get from the centre-tilted pickups

The only problem I've had so far was having to get the input jack replaced, but that was due to the fact that I have a ridiculous planet waves cable which is just slightly too large for some input jacks and has caused them to come loose. I actually had the same problem on two other guitars with this cable, so I guess i never learned from my mistakes. Point being, I don't hold the bass responsible for this; I mismanaged it

Apart from this problem, the bass has been perfect in every way. I would definitely gig (and have done so) without a backup

haven't contacted fender in regards to the bass yet, but i have in the past for other things, and they've been pretty helpful. i'll use that as my benchmark here

I've been playing for almost 7 years, but playing bass seriously for only a year or so. Honestly, I was looking for that big thumping P-bass tone and I found it in the natural place to look. It's a no frills ***-kicking machine which, with a couple small tweaks to pickup height, has some amazing tone. While some may call it blasphemy, I think I like it more than my buddy's '79 model; it just rings in a special way to my ear. Considering how much I paid for this thing, it's one of the best guitar purchases i've ever made

1975 (USA). Ash body. Clear nitro finish - I removed the ugly
thick flaking poly sunburst paint when I got it in the 80's. I don't
regret it, it looks and feels great as it is now. This is a very
heavy body.

Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. Poly coated, as usual with 70's
Fenders. I prefer a worn nitro coated neck. The neck is a bit more
narrow at the nut than the older Precision bass I have (a '66).

Bridge pickup added, tone control converted into volume for the bridge
pickup. It has Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder hot pickups (Basslines).
These are passive.

Stock bridge and tuners. The tuners are not that good quality (ears
get easily bent), but they are OK.

I got it with a '65 beige tolex case.

I play mostly rock, rarely jazz.

I use a SWR 350 W red face bass head, together with an Ampeg 1015 cab.

The sound is very colorful thanks to the bridge pickup, thin neck and
heavy body I think.

You can choose bassier sound by turning down the bridge pickup (and
vice versa). There's no tone control anymore.

I haven't recorded with this bass, but it works great live. The
sound of the bass is more audible compared to the stock Precision
thanks to the bridge pickup.

The polyurethane coating on 70's Fenders is not very nice.

This is a well proven work horse of course.

I have not had to change out any hardware.

The polyurethane coating does not wear out easily, but chips off ugly.

The strap buttons are stock, no strap locks. So you need to watch out.

I last adjusted the truss rod 15-20 years ago, don't remember.

I've used it frequently on gigs without a backup.

I got the bass used, out of warranty.

I've been playing for about 25 years. I also have a '66 P, a '95
5-string J (rarely used), and a cheap Frankenstein fretless. Also
a Jasmine semi-acoustic.

I'm about to receive a beater '87 JB special any day now, which could
fill in for this bass in case I lose it I guess.

The bass sounds great, it is just a little heavy. I'd prefer nitro
coating before the polyurethane.

Made in february 1966 (USA). The body is alder, all paint has been
stripped. It used to be white, overpainted with red metallic from what
you can see in the neck pocket and pickup routes. Apparently Fender
had a lot of older white bodies in stock, that they re-painted
according to the changing fashion trend.

There is one volume control and one treble reduction control.

Neck is maple.
Fingerboard used to be rosewood, was replaced by ebony in the 70's -
it was fretless for about 10 years, but is now fretted. Jumbo frets.

Badass bass II bridge, stock split coil pickups (excellent).
It has those really solid riveted tuners.

The bass is really light, yet it has a deep solid sound.

I got it with the original beige tolex case.

I play mostly rock, rarely jazz.

I use a SWR 350 red face amplifier, and one large Ampeg 1015 cabinet.

The bass produces one great bass sound. You can roll off the treble if you like.

I haven't been to the studio much (one LP and a couple of demos).
I'd say it's great both live and in the studio, at least for the music
I play.

I sometimes use my other Fender P (a '75) because it has a bridge
pickup added, i.e. when I prefer to have more midrange.

I bought it used. It was flawless when I got it.

I've used it live lots of times. Never needed a backup.

The finish is mostly removed, from the neck by playing, body paint
removed by a previous owner (in the 70's).

I adjusted the truss rod 15 or 20 years ago, can't remember.

Usually only the G string needs tuning.

Strap buttons are the old kind (no strap locks), so you need to
watch out with them.

I once drove over the neck with my BMW (the bass was in a softcase)
No damage whatsoever.

It was out of warranty when I bought it.

I've been playing for about 25 years.

I also have a '75 P, a 5-string '95 J (don't use it much), and a cheap
(but pretty good) fretless Frankenstein P-bass. Also a semi-acoustic
Jasmine (by Takamine).

I would replace this bass by a similar one if I lost it.

I love the solidness of this bass, both sound and dependability.
I hate that It's becoming valuable, which means replacing it would
be difficult.

It could use a bridge pickup.

This review refers to an MIM model, probably made in the mid- to late 90s. I'm really not sure about the woods used, but we're basically talking about a no-frills workhorse. No pointless "make 'er sound like a jazz-bass" buttons or nonsense like that. If a 10 here means "tons of features," I'll give it a 3, and in this case, I'd rather own a 3 than a 10.

This bass doesn't have that growling tonal quality you'll often find with Jazz basses or Rickenbackers, but it's still a fantastic utility bass. I played it in a power-pop group, often through a cheap Ibanez TS5 overdrive pedal into a Crate combo amp with a 15" speaker. The result was a nice clean tone that was always prominent in the mix of the band, and a really nasty, punk-like tone with the fuzz on. I will describe the sound as 'warm leaning toward dark.' It's great for stage or studio - I had decent results with both, though given its lack of growl, I personally think it's better suited for gigging.

I enjoyed the action just as it came out of the box. It was a little high, but really didn't tend to hinder anything too much. And hey, if you don't like it, adjustments are no big deal. I have no qualms with the pickup, and the overall finish appeared flawless.

My band trucked this bass all over the country for the better part of two years and it never let me down once. The hardware is quite durable, the finish, as on all newer Fenders, seems impervious to wear and tear. The strap buttons never let me down. I might also note that this thing keeps excellent tune. Now and then in times of drunken stage jitters I wouldn't even remember to tune it before a gig, but it was usually right in tune from the night before. I don't really know of any bassists who bring more than one bass to a show. I never did, and I never needed to.

dunno

I'd love to own a Rick one day, but until I wind up with a grand to just drop on a bass, the MIM precision bass will be just fine. As I mentioned, it lacks the "growl" you tend to hear from the Who or Yes (favorite bass tones of mine) but the P-bass DOES sport the signature Motown sound - subtle, yet clear and prominent (James Jamerson laid down some of history's greatest basslines on one of these and NEVER changed the strings once!). It's a practically indestructible workhorse that'll do justice to your music while being thoroughly dependable and thoroughly affordable. This bass is perfect for any bassist, really, and furthermore, if looks matter to you, it's the most dignified-looking bass you can buy. No meticulous Amish woodwork or lame extra strings on this machine, just the basics. This thing comes especially recommended if you're a young bassist who might end up taking some twists and turns in your musical preferences and styles - you may never need to buy another bass as long as you live.

1983-87 production, made in Japan. Sunburst, rosewood fretboard, probably an alder body, but I'm not sure. I wanted to add some info here for people looking at the 80's Japanese-made basses. The quality of these instruments is excellent. It was very light and rang out nicely even when unplugged. The neck had a nice nitro-cellulose finish and was thin, but not too thin. Frets were the right size and installed well. It's hard to mess up a P-bass, but Fender did a good job with these.

The original pickup had a vintage-y tone that didn't fit my style (poppy-punk) so i installed a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder and it dramatically beefed up the sound. More output, more tone, more bite, more attack. I highly recommend this upgrade, or any similar upgrade.

I played this bass through an Ampeg SVT-350H, Ampeg 210, and Mesa 115 and it made the perfect rock rig, except for that the 350H wasn't quite loud enough and lacked real tube tone ("tube emulation" is a fictional term).

I bought it used, so I can't comment on this. But I will say that the paint is a little on the thin side. It chipped easily, and when it did, i could see that the finish wasn't very thick.

It's a P-bass. Throw it out of a moving car and it will stay in tune. Set the intonation once a year and you're fine.

No idea.

These basses hold their value well. Buy one to play out, keep it a few years, and sell it what you bought it for. It should not lose it's value as long as you take care of it. I sold mine only to change up my sound, but i think one day i will end up buying another one. I've been playing about 15 years and have owned a number of basses, and played dozens more, and this one belongs in everyone's collection. It's an affordable way to get the classic P-bass sound in a light-weight package. With the action set low you can do anything on this bass - pick quickly, slap, use your fingers, whatever. But like all P-basses, it has its limitations, namely in its one pickup and two knobs.

I own five 70's precision basses all made in the US. Just wanted to offer a few observations to explain what to look for if you are buying a 70's bass. All are 20 fret basses, body woods are alder, ash and mahogany. They all have the standard split pickup from Fender or Seymour Duncan. One has been modified with a SD vintage Jazz pickup for some extra pop.

Even if it may sound a bit flat or boring when playing in your bedroom, play it with a loud band and you'll see why the Precision is king. You'll have no trouble keeping up with a loud drummer, not because you play loud, but because there is so much bottom in the pickups. The Standard 70s pickups are normally great, I have no idea why people changed them back then. They go for 200 USD on Ebay these days. On one of the basses I have a SDuncan quarter pounder which is a great pickup, but not that different sound, just louder. The Fender reissue '62 pickup is actually a great sounding pickup, warm and woody, suits my 1970 very well. Why they have to wrap them in the shiny plastic pickup shields that makes it look like crappy Squier PUs, I'll never know. This bass also has a SD vintage Jazz bass pu near the bridge, but don't do this to your 70's bass. (I am talking about carving out a hole for the J pickup.) Get an already mutilated body or buy a newer Hot rodded bass instead.

The PJ setup actually sounds great when practicing, but out on a gig, I find myself turning off the J pickup to get the clean P sound.

Just remember that all P- basses have a dead spot at C# or D on the G string. It is just a quirk of the design, nothing you can do about it, play the D string if you want endless sustain. Marcus Miller loves his 77 Jazz bass with the same dead spot.

This is where the most changes are. The early 70s up to 73 are basically much the same as the 57. The body roting is minimal and the neck fits well. In 73 they started to carve a route between pickups and controls so they could put in the whole harness without soldering with the guitar in their lap. The bodies are still quite nice though, well curved and deep reliefs. In about 76, they changed again, and the bodies turned much more clumsy and heavy due to smaller reliefs and smaller edge radius. Not so nice to play in your sofa anymore. On stage it does not matter too much. The disaster came with the 79 body revision, where the arm relief is practically gone, and the neck pocket is so oversize they had to cover the gap with a foam strip.

The necks are more or less the same, may be a little fatter over the years. The 71 I have is fantastic. In 79 they started to route the neck from the back even on rosewood capped necks. This makes it easier to change the truss rod should the need arise.

These basses can fall off your car without needing a retune. Nothing beats the Fender design in simplicity and puttng the money where it is needed. My '73 Rickenbacker 4001 has a 50$ bridge and the cheapest tuners ever. The Fender has a 5$ bridge and military spec tuners. Guess which one plays the best.

Total Morons. Even in 1979 they were better than today.

I have playeed for about 30 years. I have a 1970 Sunburst with a 78 maple neck, PJ pickups. A 1971 Sunburst RW neck which is totally stock. A 1978 SB/RW which is stock. A 1976 mahogany body with a 1979 RW neck. A 1979 Natural stock fretless. I play through a 1978 Bassman 130 with a 4 x 12 trapezoid cabinet, one cool rig.

If they were all stolen I would sell the Rickenbacker and get a nice 1970-76.

1970 dense american Ash, 4 strings and a 20 fret hard rock maple neck. Single split P/U, bass-ic controls, tone and volume (who needs anything more?) White turned to vintage yellow, crazed and heavily worn. Absolute relic.

Throaty, punchy quintessential P bass sound that defined the genre. Works great with my 120 watt acoustic 140 and 150 amps, and a Peavey 210 cab. Rotosound round wounds, snappy or subsonic, this combination does it all. Badass bridge and steel nut. It can ring like the bells of Notre Dame!

Action is superb - perfect balance and plenty of heft too. Feels like a real bass! Heavy wear, finish ranges from natural ash to white to almost amber color. Real cool.

This bass has exactly 1,976,272,122,856,981.8 miles on it and never needed servicing. It is indestructable.

Never dealt with them.

I have played since 1967. If it were stolen I would be obligated to murder whomever stole it. I could not really replace it . . . Probably I would buy a new Music Man Stingray, or a Peavey Cirrus with a maple neck.

1964 ORIGINAL Vintage Off White, later sanded down to natural finish.Rosewood finger board.Standard Fender P Bass.

What can I say, the Precision is the king of all basses, this is where it all started and in my opinion has not been surpassed!
Back in the 70's I played heavy rock/blues and this bass suited my needs for a bass with punch and tone, both a rich and full sound.
For live performances I used a Marshall 100w with 2x 4-12" cabinets and later a 200w Marshall top. I also used a Fender Bassman with an 18" reverse. This Precision bass was equally good for both studio and live performances. The only dislike I had was the neck nut width, a little on the broad side.

I bought this bass in 1969 from a store in Charing Cross Road, London, it was perfect from day 1 and after many years on the road it never let me down. Vintage Fenders are supreme, the new stuff and the re-issues do NOT come anywhere near an ORIGINAL Fender Precision.

It has all been said before, this bass will last forever, no issues whatsoever. I used it countless times without any back up - could not afford one in those days, a starving muzo!

Never dealt with Fender support so no comment.

I have played for more than 30 years, I also own a Rickenbacker 4003 Jetglo, black fittings, no trim from 85. I used to own a 69 Fender Jazz, Sunburst which was also superb and also a 72 Rickenbacker 4001 FireGlo.All my basses have something special about them.
If my Precision was stolen I would weep, then hunt down the thief and subject hin to slow torture! If I could afford it then I would buy a GENUINE vintage Fender P again. If I was to buy another bass it would be a Precision Special with a J pu and Jazz neck.

1985 STANDARD U.S. made precision bass. Four string fretted. It is Black with a white scratch plate. It has a maple neck.Passive single coil pick-up. Everything works well on this instrument.

I like to play a variety of music with this instrument and it serves me well from country to punk. I generally use a peavey mark 4 bass head through one or two EV TL 15 speakers. Have started to use some distortion types of effects in the punk band.It gives a very full sound through the frequencies so that it does not seem to get lost in the sound of the band. Great for studio and stage. Very quiet instrument.

The bass had a twisted neck when I bought it. I had that repaired and the pick-ups adjusted.

The bass has done about 500 gigs in a twenty year period and has never missed a beat. I use it without a back-up although I always carry spare strings. However I have never broken a string ever in twenty years.

Never needed to return it to the manufacturer.

As my one bass guitar I would not own another instrument. I have thought of buying a Jazz Bass or a Rickenbacker 4001 but neither of these instruments are as pretty as the precision.

2003 made in Mexico. Passive pickups with 1 volume 1 tone. Maple neck with a rosewood stripe and a rosewood fretboard. I was lucky enough to get one of the last Metallic Black finishes made.

Not too bright, not too warm, it's pretty mellow.

The bridge is trash. The E and G strings raise and lower themselves when they want to, even when I'm playing the E will lower itself and buzz past the 7th fret.

If it broke down at a gig it wouldn't be a big shock for me. The material and finish on the back of the neck is so weak it's already dinged and scratched up pretty badly. The strap buttons aren't bad but they aren't straplocks either. If you have gigs, you better have 2 backups for this one. Better yet, don't even make it your primary bass.

Never dealt with Fender, but I'm sure they wouldn't be much help.

When the bridge isn't freaking out it's a pretty good bass. I'm planning on replacing the bridge and putting straplocks on it. Sometimes the sound doesn't through the mix very well if you play fingerstyle.

First electric bass ever made in history. It's made in Mexico, a standard Precision bass not only for beginners but for most bassists. It has 20 frets, 4 strings, with passive electronics. I prefer passive, because I'm always paranoid the batteries will go dead during a gig if you use Active. Anyway, I love the finish (Midnight Wine), I think it's the best finish compared to Blue Agave and Metallic green. It makes it look expensive and rich. I bought this bass new at a local music shop. I've tried several basses before selecting this one and for $620CDN (with tax), no bass comes close.

I play mostly hard rock, worship, and anything inbetween. Obviously, these are two different styles of playing, but it covers a range of music styles. The only thing holding me back is my crappy amplifier I got which I will be switching soon. However, when I play this bass on better amplifiers, it really sounds awesome. You can get a warm sound and also a punk sound. I've played Blink182 to L'arc en ciel and it matches it nicely. I wouldn't say this is the best bass out there, but again, for the price, what more can you ask? In my opinion, it sounds better on stage than at home.

I've tried other brands, such as Musicman, but I wasn't willing to spend $1000 on that. Because I am on a tight budget, I chose a bass that fit me perfectly. However, when I brought it home, I found a few scratches. I couldn't see it at the music store, because the lgihts were so dim. From far away, you can't notice it, but if you're playing it, you can see some wood chipped. This is clearly not Fender's fault.

I've played live and it hasn't failed yet. My previous bass had loose strap buttons, because I wear the bass very low and I tilt it several times. I'm not a stationary bass player and often times my guitarist wants us to move around. For the Fender, the strap buttons are tightly screwed.

1961 Precision Bass,
Bartolini pickups(original pickups wereonly half original)
Reverse tuning pegs, why did everyone including Fender change?
Light as a feather, never pulls on your neck ,just sits there comfortably.
Seldom needs tuning, I do use Rotosound strings and D'Addario rounds etc, but started out 30 years ago with flats, may go back.
Ampeg SVT 4 pro purchased recently,hope I got a lucky one that won't let me down.
2 Eden 2x10 XTS cabinets.
Play blues,few gigs,but look forward to taking the P-Bass out.
Did play it 30 years ago 6 nites a week as a pro musician and it never let me down, no warped necks or anything, solid.
Replaced pickups not quite the same as originals were but they are not offensive, not overly bright or boomy, more neutral.
The finish was scratched up sunburst with toroise pick guard,
it has been au natural ala Denny Gerrard(Rember the Paupers?)for 30 years.
I have had Gibson EB3, Rick 4001, different newer Fenders and Sting ray basses, only the P-Bass was the Keeper.
In short it was not my first bass but will be my last.

Never a problem

1989 Japanese P-Bass. I bought it used in '92. Stock pick-ups, heads and knobs. Finished neck with rosewood fingerboard. Basically, bare-bones features, but who needs more than that?

This is the best sounding bass I've ever played. I get positive comments about the tone from other players, sound guys and techs. Records like a dream, even with out eq-ing. I set the tone for high end and let my Trace pull out the lows. The result is smooth and warm with clear punchy highs when I need them and bar rattling lows. The action is kept low and that really speeds up my playing. The neck and bridge have to be adjust from time to time, but doesn't every bass?

The finish has held up well. With the exception of a few drummer related gouges (the first night I played it) the bass looks new. The knobs are chromed and starting to crack. Its 16 years old, so its okay.

The Jack need to be tightened to the pick-guard pretty regularly, but it might just be the new clear lucite pick-guard I put on.

Never needed it. Use local guys!

I've been playing since '89, from classic rock, metal to free-form improv jam rock. This bass has been with me through most of it. My sound has evolved, but stayed steady for the last 7 years. The classic design of the P-Bass didn't always go with the music, but the sound did. Low end holds it together, and a strong bass sound can fit in with any genre. I also own a 2003 OLP MM5, a $200 5 string that plays like an expensive bass.

1963 P-Bass, U.S.A.
Standard frets, 4 strings
Volume, tone
Olympic white with rosewood slab board and clay dots, tortoise shell pickguard. Pickup cover, bridge ashtray, and all else original except for a respray years ago of the same original color.
Standard P-Bass C neck, stamped 5 OCT 63
For 1963, these were all the features you'd need :-)

The sound of this bass is what all others have been trying to imitate for years. Typical P-Bass thump, yet notes are clear and well defined. It probably doesn't hurt that my strings of choice are Rotosound Swing Bass 66 mediums. The tone can go from the clearness above to that Noel Redding mud with a turn of the tone knob and by playing with your thumb. Haven't gigged with it, but if I did it would never leave my sight.

It's currently at my local vintage pro guitar shop getting set up. High action may have been good for James Jamerson, but not for me. It wasn't bad, but I felt it could be better. Will reserve comment until I get it back. It's interesting to note that although the action was higher than I liked, it still didn't prevent me from being able to play some of the faster riffs that I have created. Of course, there was no fret buzz at all.

This bass has lasted this long, and it feels bullet proof. I would use this bass to gig without a backup and not have to think twice. I had a Steinberger XL-2DB before the Fender, and this Fender feels every bit as durable. Undoubtedtly, this is the reason that pre-CBS Fenders are still highly desirable today.

Never used it. Warranty? We don't need no stinkin' warranty!

I've been playing for 27 years and have the '63 Fender, a 1979 Mighty Mite bass in Koa with brass and gold hardware and P/J EMG pickups (1986 passives), and a 1955 Sting Reissue bass, which will shortly be getting the same pickup he uses in his--Basslines stacked single coil humbucker. I have had the Steinberger, a Paul Reed Smith with maple top in wine, and a 3/4 scale Ventura was my first bass (sheesh). An Ampeg BA-115 rounds out the three basses nicely, but I'm looking for another bass with a 2 octave neck for my solos :-) If you're a Fender fan and find a pre-CBS P Bass for a good price, just buy it.

1975 p-bass, natural (which has crazed/aged to a mellow butterscotch colour), all original hardware & case, maple one-piece neck A-WIDTH!!! 1-1/2" at nut, so basically the same sort of feel as the jazz neck.
9 for this rating, even though it's not covered in knobs or detuners, simply because this combination of "features" is time-tested & has more real endorsements than any other guitar.

it makes "that" noise. with the low action that I prefer, there's a familiar growl along with the genuine precision thud. I was delighted to note that this is still the case with the narrower neck. my girlfriend has a '69 sunburst p-bass with the same A-width.

I play through a 1972 orange or120 (the non-overdrive version) & an ashdown 4x10 w/ horn.

these 70s fenders were variable to the extreme in build-quality- I have a late 73 p-bass that's a total dog. persevere- if you find a good one, it will stay that way & become an heirloom. the cbs period is rightly regarded with some suspicion, but some absolute beauties escaped all the same, & they are all out there still plugging away (read the other reviews of the post-cbs fenders on this site) & appreciating in value.
this one is a peach.

it's 30 next year. I wish I'd been this attractive when I was 30. the 70s polyurethane is like bullet-proof glass, & appears to be gradually going opaque. to reiterate, if you find a good 70s fender, it will stay good. the bad ones are the ones that were bad in the first place & have been fiddled with some more in a vain attampt to improve them. keep trying til you find one like this.

fender? you're kidding me. find a decent local luthier. this can only be done by talking to other guitarists, especially folks who've used their instruments a lot & have had to have major surgery done (like refrets & so forth). I've got a guy who I trust. he took the lacquer off the back of the neck of my '74 4001 & transformed it. but factory-type support? forget it.

I have 16 basses, 5 guitars & 20-some keyboards, including moogs, mellotron.... the other basses are all decent- rickenbacker, ibanez (musicians fretted & fretless), other fenders (a 71 jazz defretted, a 78 jazz/p hybrid, a 73 p-bass, a reissue VI) but there's something compelling about this 75 p.
it is an heirloom. if it got nicked, I would become patrick bateman.

Not a lot of features on a Precision bass. One big fat pickup, slab body, big neck. I'm using jazz basses a lot. This Precision bass feels almost like a five string Musicman bass. Some may find it manly, but I think it's just too course. Fair enough...it's based on the first bass ever made. No very versatile though. Made for simple music.

Sound is fat, thick, big, you name it. There's only one sound though. Good enough for a night full of straigh forward rock or blues. Hell, James Jamerson used one. Put some distortion in it (Big Muff or something) and you got a sleazy funk machine. Okay...not so with the Mexican made basses, they sound thin to me. Often muddy too. You need a good amp to compensate. Bottom line: one sound, nut not mine.

Good enough for a Fender. Mexican basses are well made.

Detunes a bit when playing long and hard. Tune after 3 or 4 songs. Pull the strings hard enough and you might break the neck. The neck wood is thick and heavy. The neck joint is weak. Using a pick is easier on the bass. Personally I think the playability of this bass is total cack. I can't play anything fast on this bass. Not even with a pick. Not a bad thing if you are a cool, laid back bobo, but I'm not. At least not a whole evening...And a backup is required. Maybe even two.

Did anyone really call Fender while living outside the US? I think not. Go back to your dealer if it breaks.

This bass is okay if you play one syle and one syle only. Rock, blues or funk. This bass was not made for fusion, metal, anything fast or anything considerate. Sound is weak, unless using a good amp with a lot of EQ tweaking. Playability is bad (for me) because of the big neck and for not staying in tune long enough.

Bottom line (again): buy it for $200 or less. Then you might have some value. Anything more than that is just wasted money.

Better find another decent brand. Try an OLP bass for instance. Or a Peavey. Warwick Rockbass maybe? Why? If you want tobuy a mexican Precision, you are not looking for a quality bass. Better buy an alternative.

1978 Fender Precision Bass. Fretted. Sunburst. Volume and Tone controls. Fender case in rough shape. Needed some screws and tape to keep it together. But keeping it in service.

Suits my style just fine. Contemporay Worship. Right now I use an SWR Combo, but I'm looking into a Fender either 200 or 400 watts combo. Not noisy with my current amp. This is a simple Bass. I like simple rigs. Too many knobs and you can lose the setup you like real easy, and too hard to get it back. Sound is warm with good low end thump.

I set it up myself. Tweaked the truss rod and put on new set of D'addario Chromes Flatwounds, adjusted the intonation, real easy with the Badass bridge installed. A recommended upgrade. Pickup was fine. Finish is rough in spots, 26 year old ax, been played.

78 P Basses have always been reliable, need I say more?

No need..........

Started playing the day after watching the 1st Beatles appearance on Ed Sullivan. They can still rock my world........amazing talent. It's the only Guitar I own. I can play many instruments but got rid of everything but this old Bass. Compared it to Washburn, Ric and Ernie Ball. I like the way the neck feels in my hand. Once you pick it up it's hard to put down.

Made 1978 in USA. Standard number of frets, 4 stringed. 1 volume & 1 tone pot for standard PBass pickup. Pickups currently active EMG (9V), replaced a set of Fender replacement pickups. Body - black painted alder (I think) maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, high gloss finish on body & back of neck. Stock bridge & tuners, brass nut. I have also used this bass with a Fender Jazz Bass neck (made between '68 & '73 - 4 bolt, block inlays with bindings). I purchased a bridge cover from Musician's Friend which I use. Black Metal pickguard (aluminum?). The green date on the bottom of the P neck wore off, but the serial number starts with S76.

In addition to the above mentioned features, here is some of the history. The original pickups to this bass were wired along with circuitry to give this bass filters (high and low), and to make it active (18V). There is a hole cut into the side (below the output jack) so that an external power supply could be used. The pickguard (not original, but purchased like that) was modified to accomodate said adjustments. There is also a battery cavity in the back, with a plastic cover. Electronics were replaced with gray-colored pickups (Fender?). I replaced those pickups after 10 years of use with EMGs this past April (2004).

My main music style is jazz & fingerstyle funk, so this bass fits it perfectly. I use it with a vintage Ampeg B-15 Portaflex & a new Ampeg BA-115. Quiet on all settings (the BA-115 hisses on its own!). The sound of this bass is great with the EMG pickups. It is bright, due to the brass nut. It makes the standard P-bass sounds. I play with the tone & volume all the way up. I have only played this bass live. If you want to hear soundclips of my band featuring this bass, contact me at the email address listed below & I will send the link to my band's website (so that I am not promoting our band in this review board). It isnt the best sounding bass, but it gets the job done.

Action - Because of the poor pickups, I used to have EXTREMELY high action, but have the action at a reasonable height with the EMGs. I had to shim the neck with pieces of credit card when I used the old fender jazz neck. I adjust the pickups to be as high as possible but not to affect my fingers when playing.

Fit - the P-neck fits reasonably well in the neck pocket - there is some overhang of the body, but it doesnt move so there is no problem.

Finish - Good and Bad. Fender switched to the high gloss poly(urethane??) coating in order to save money (lower production time compared with the nitro lacquer). On one hand, the finish protects the back of the neck and the body VERY well. On the other hand, the back of the neck tends to be a little sticky because of the high gloss. I played this bass in an extremely humid environment & the finish on the body turned a milky white color so that the bass looked like a dull gray. I tried to wipe this off & ended up scratching the bass quite heavily. The gray went away when I took it home, but the scratches did not (obviously). I do not want the finish of my bass to be hygroscopic! I wish I could wear the finish on the neck down to the bare wood. I am considering having a local luthier sand the high gloss coating off of the neck. I treat the rosewood on the fingerboard with copious amounts of Old English oil. It feels beautiful under my fingers.

This bass has withstood live playing by me for the past 11 years. This includes 4 years at college (moving back & forth) as well as a solid rehearsal and gigging schedule with my band. The hardware will last for many many more years. I only treat it with several drops of 3in1 oil. The tuners are fantastic. There is definitely a difference in the quality of the tuners then & the tuners on the brand new tuners. The gear ratios are different & so is the feel. Saving money, Fender? The finish is excellent, to a fault. I wish it would wear off. The strap buttons are very solid & I have not needed to mess with them in 11 years. I adjust the truss rod once or twice a year. I have used this bass for 11 years without a backup.

I am not a fan of the Fender company for customer support. They do not have much information regarding older basses (or necks, for that matter!). Everything I have learned about Fender basses has come from external sources and books (Klaus Blasquitz's The Fender Bass). The warranty has long expired. I do not (and would not) look to Fender for any help with this bass.

Fender could learn a lot from the customer support at Spector. They are fantastic & super-helpful.

I have been playing for 11 years. I also own a 2002 (or 2003) Spector Q5 5 string and a German plywood upright from the 1940s. I played this bass through HS, and my dad gave it to me for HS graduation. It is more important for sentimental reasons. If it were lost or stolen, I would be extremely upset, and I would immediately try to find it/ purchase another. I would much rather have a pre-CBS PBass, though. I love the feel, sound, & look of a PBass, and the history I have with this bass. My only real complaint is the EXTREMELY tough finish. I do not feel that I am able to purchase something like this new off the shelf. I wish it had the original hardware, such as the pickguard, pickups, and covers, and a nitro finish, but I am very happy with what I have. When I am able to get a pre-CBS Fender PBass, I will retire this to the closet, but I will never sell it.

78 P Bass. Black. Black pickguard. Maple neck. Some chips in finish, but who cares. Totally awesome bass. Features? Only what you need.

Deep rich sound. Perfect for rock playing, espeically with a pick. I loved it through my SVT Classic and 8x10 and 4x10. Even sounds good with no amp at all.

I bought this in pieces off Ebay. Had is professionally set up and it is awesome. Stays in tune. Perfectly balanced. No complaints. Nice action on the neck. The paint is worn and chipped in some places, which I feel is ok for a 78 and it also makes it look credible.

I would depend on this guitar without hesitation. Built like a brick house.

Never needed it.

I love this bass. Almost bought a Rickenbacker. Glad I went with the American made P Bass. No need to ever buy another bass. Well, a Jazz might be cool, just to see how they differ.

20 fret 4 string 2003 mexican p-bass 1 volume 1 tone one split coil passive pickup im not sure what the body is made of but the neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard

this bass works with almost any style it sounds gret with effects its never noisy

i bought it used the action was all messed up the pick up was way to high and the truss rod needed adjustment the original own had no clue what they were doing but after about an hour of work it was back to normal

this bass like many fenders is a tank itll whithstand live playing ive banged it around alittle and it never dented or scrched the finish the star buttons wouldnt due i highly recomend straplocks if you plan to be in a band or play live

i would give this an average rating because theres been problems that i shouldnt have to deal with like i always have to tighten the knobs theres alot of rattlling evan after the action has been raised stuff like that nothin seriouse it still sounds great

2003 fender p bass mexican made 20 frets 1 volume 1 tone knob regular split coil pickup im not sure what the body is made of but the neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard has all the fetures you would expect from a standerd p bass made by any company

it suits almost every type of music besides jazz im running on a hartke b90 its never noisy except for a little buzz when playing on extreme xolume full fat p bass sound

when i got the bass it was used the person before me to own it screwed up everything i had to adjust the intonation the action pickup hieght and i evan had to take the plastic cover off the pickboard the person never toke it off but it was easy to set it up it toke like a half hour tops veary user friendly bass

this is a tank of a bass i dropped it on to the hardwood floor didnt evan nic the paint the stap buttons werent that great but my strap was falling apart so i had to go out and buy strap locks and a new strap i couldnt see ever having to bring more then extra strings and an amp to a gig with this bass extremly reliabile

ive been playing about 2 years ive owned ibanezs yamahas and a squier and this is the most solid relibile bass ive ever played i love it its definatly one of those basses that youll have for 10+years

it was made in 2001, mexico
20 huge frets with 4 strings
theres a Volume and a tone
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active electronics
redwood neck
midnight wine finish
precision
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fat neck
Case

it fits Punk, Rock and christian music
im using a Yamaha 30XJB witch is really big for 30 watts
It sounds great
Its great i love it

i like when i put it realliy loud and my and can take it so it sounds distorted and i like muteing it cuz it sounds cool

Its well set upi havint seen any problems so far

Ya its amazingly good i mean FENDER.

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Ive only been playing this bass for a week and im stuned by its performance and it sounds so gfood that i would have payed an extra 200$ for it.

Fender Precision Bass, made June 1965. Serial number begins with an "L". All original. I have owned this instrument since Dec. 1974. Color is Olympic White, however it has aged into into a light banana yellow. I'm wondering if any others have experienced a similar change in color over time. The main feature of this instrument the awesome sound. And thats far more important than lots of other features to me.

The sound is the REAL DEAL. Powerful, deep, fat, warm, growls when you want it to. My 1965 Fender P-Bass has noticably better tone than any other bass guitars I've owned, including 1964 Fender Jazz Bass, 1951 Fender, 1965 Epiphone Rivoli, 1968 Gibson EB2, 1968 Danelectro Longhorn. The best amp matchup I've found for the 1965 P-BASS is a 1968 Marshall Super Bass head (100W), thru Marshall 4x12" bottoms, or for louder a Sunn 2000S (2x15") bottom, or for softer (clubs)a 1961 Gibson 1x15". In studio I go direct to the mixer with no amp.
I've used it rock, funk, pop, jazz, country, bluegrass and more. The same strings have been on my bass since 1976 - Flatwound heavy gauge Gibsons, which were the heaviest gauge I could find. I also play string bass (upright acoustic bass), and I think Fender designed the Precision Bass to duplicate the power and tone of the upright.

The 1965 Fender Precision is a relatively heavy instrument with a very wide neck. The neck on these early Fenders is one of the most difficult to play in my experience, including Fenders which were made later. But the mass of the instrument probably contributes to the great sound, so its worth it to me. It has on it the heaviest gauge flatwound stings I could find, set at medium height. However, due to the big strings the neck bows lightly even after full truss rod tension, which creates some notes to be slightly out of intonation. This is a trade-off for the great sound.

My 1965 Precision bass is all original. This is a testament to the incredible ruggedness of the instrument. Nothing has broken in 39 years, including the time when I forgot that I had left it behind my car after a gig, and partially ran over it. The case was crushed, but the bass was unscathed! (Don't try this youself. Ha!)

I have never needed a repair.