Fender Sting Precision Bass

2001 Sting, 2-tone sunburst over ash body, 20 fret maple fb neck. Single coil p-bass pup, 1-v 1-t. Simplicity at it's finest. Leo got it right the first time. Light and well balanced, can play for hours. The fit and finish on the bass is excellent. Frets were well done and needed no work, fret ends were smooth as a baby's bum. The reverse tuners were a little tight at first but loosened up with use. Neck pocket is nice and snug. Grain matching on body was done so well you have to look very hard to find the seam. With the two saddle bridge perfect intonation is not possible but with a low action is close enough for the drunken ear. The jack could stand to be a bit beefier but a right-angled cord eliminates loosening from bumping.

I play mostly blues and calssic rock and this bass is perfect. I have used it on many gogs with great satisfaction. The sc pup is hot. It has a big beefy sound and fills any room. I use a GK 400RB with either a WM 210 or a Peavey 410tx. The pup has a good growl to it when the vol is wide open. The tone control has a large sweep to it and can yield a punchy growl to a deep full sound. I use Dean Markeley flats with a low action and get a nice thuddy sound. I play fingerstyle and I tend to use the pup as a thumb rest and my only concern is that I'm afraid I may eventually damage the windings even though they have the thread covering.

The bass arrived in tune and ready to play out of the box, I was amazed. It was set up well and could have gone straight to a gig. I replaced the stock roundwounds with flats and adjusted the relief, action and intonation to personal taste. There were no noticeable flaws in the finish or hardware. The reverse tuners were stiff at first but loosened up after a while. I did have to tighten the screws holding the tuners but other than that this baby was ready to go. I know some people who have installed the bridge and pip covers but I like it just the way it is. This is a signature model, not a reissue. I would probably take them off anyway.

I have used this bass on several gigs and recently took it to a jam halfway up the east coast. This bass is completely dependable. The strings will go before any component goes. The finish is pretty tough and has taken a few bumps with nothing more than a little dent (ouch). I replace the strap buttons with lockers on everything so dropping is not a consideration. After the first couple of weeks of getting the relief and action right I haven't had to make any other adjustments. I use this bass regularly without backup.

Not for this instrument but past contact with Fender support has been fast and courteous. The customer support at Samash.com is also very fast and helpful.

I have been playing off and on for about 35 years. I have two passive Fender jazzes and one active. I have one other Fender p-bass and a G&L L-1000. I had my eye on the 50's p-bass for a long time but the vintage prices were way out of my range. When this model came out I jumped at getting one. If this one were stolen I would be heartbroken.. The Sting could easily become my number one. The weight and balance were a very nice surprise, so was the big full sound from the single-coil pup. I highly recommend this bass.

bassic reissue of the old mid 50's model ,made in japan.i had a 55 p/bass and the sting reissue is close but no cigar . the overglossy urethane finish is nice but lacquer would have been a better choice. single coil p/u w/ tone and volume controls.light weight alder 2 tone sunburst body and a nice maple neck. the tuners are JUNK.
no case or accessories included. i was surprised that fender ships this model w/o the bridge and p/u covers , which were the coolest looking ones they ever made.they also omitted the finger rest. WAKE UP FENDER !!!!!! do your reissues correctly

i play w/ a group that does r+b and soul oldies.i use different amps depending on the gig. at large venues/outdoor gigs i use an ampeg svt and w/ this bass and it is fat,punchy and clean.in bars i use either a (73)sunn model t + a 1/15 jbl cab or a (77) music man hd 130 w/ the jbl and both sound good.i use a ampeg b/15 around the house and for rehearsal (cool tone).
it is a little noisy around "bar lights".when you get close to your amp you get the single coil hum.i do not use any effects other than a dbx 166A compressor w/ the svt.
the bass has that old fender sound,perfect for this type gig.
nice "road" bass except for tuners and cheapo pots

the bass set up was o/k but i removed the light gauge roundwounds as soon as i brought it home and put on a set of thomastik jazz flatwounds.the pickup is great. fit and finish is good.the frets could have been dressed better.the bridge is the two strings on one saddle type so perfect intonation is impossible.

bass will be fine when a few minor issues are improved. ie frets dressed,tuners and pots replaced w/ better parts and a pro set up is done.urethane finish is durable but it will never get that funky died down finish like lacquer will but that is a personal taste,you may like a new look shine.i have used it on gigs w/o a backup.

no dealings w/ fender but i'm sure they would back up a new product for the warranty.

i'm 50 yrs old,been playing for 37 years and i bought this so i could leave my 58 p/bass and my 64 p/bass home when i'm on the road.if it was lost or stolen i wouldn't be upset,i'd get something else.i like the cool look and the (surprisingly) nice big tone. it's not thin sounding like a telecaster bass .i don't like the tuners although i can't really complain due to the resonable price .

Like the other's have said, it's pretty basic but very nice. I'm not crazy about the tuners as they don't seem that smooth. The tuners are my only real complaint. It's an absolute beauty with that old school vibe. I love it!

It sounds deep and clear, very nice. I've used other Precisions so I know the Precision sound and this thing has a great deep tone. This obviously would work well with many types of music.

I've had to adjust the string height and intonation probably because the person I bought it from adjusted it. No big deal. It's a beautiful bass with great grain. Fender of Japan definitely know how to make great basses. The workmanship is excellent. The action is great as well. I've found it easier to play than most Precision's I've played.

I'm using it mainly for studio work but I believe it's built like a tank.

Don't know because I've never dealt with Fender directly.

This one just arrived from Japan. I ordered it over three months ago from Sam Ash. It has a maple neck, volume and tone control, sunburst finish.

It sounds great, through my Acoustic 360, traynor YBA, and Kustom bass amps. The sound is full and balanced. It kicks butt no matter what style you use (slapping, pick, etc.)

It was setup and inspected by J. Gonzales from Fender. Thanks Mr Gonzales, it was ready to play right out of the box. The action is great the neck feels better than some of the more expensive basses I own.
It is very quite no hum, or harsh tones. The strings are good (they work well with this bass)but I will probably replace them with the brand I am use to using.

I gigged with it the same night I unpacked it with no backup. The fit, finish, and hardware are first rate. Its the best $599.00 I have ever spent.

Have not had to deal with them yet.

You have to get one of these. They are worth the wait, this is my fourth Fender bass and I love it. I won't be playing my Ken Smith, or Rick basses for awhile. Its a keeper!

Features? There arn't any really! This is simplicity at its best. One volume, one tone, one single coil pick up, 4 strings, 20 frets, a body and a neck. Lovely!

This thing is powerful, and deep. Before I bought the Sting bass I was playing an early eighties Tokai Jazz (which, as anyone who has ever played one knows, is a fantastic instrument). The jazz is great for slappy funkier stuff, but I was also after that early Chuck Rainey sound (listen to Peg by Steely Dan or Donald Fagen's Green Flower Street to hear it). I played it in the shop and it took all of three minutes to decide I must to have it. Not so much a funk bass, but if you're after a wonderfully smooth, powerful low end, this is the one for you!

The bass hadn't been set up by the shop, and off the wall felt pretty good. I brought the action down slightly and it feels great!

I have only had this bass for a couple of months, and only gigged it a few times. But judging by the feel of it the sting would take to being dropped off stages better than most!

Haven't had to deal with Customer Support.

If you're after a bass that is as simple and effective as it gets, has a big, warm sound and feels the same, then this could be the one for you. Fifty years on from the original Precision and still nothing produces that sound better! I doubt I'll ever sell this bass, it has too much of a unique sound. Not really a funk bass, and not a bass if you have small hands. This thing's pretty chunky, and you can tell that by plugging it in. Fantastic sound, fantastic feel. What more can I say?

This is a 2001 limited edition recreation of Sting's 1954 Precision Bass. It's part of a vanishing herd made by Fender Japan, which produces instruments of comparable or better quality, frankly, than some of the US pieces. It's in two-color (dark) sunburst, with the old-style (white) P-Bass pickguard that covers both horns. It has the old-style single-coil pickup instead of the split PU we've come to know in P-Basses since 1957. The two-piece ash body is lightweight. The maple neck with maple board is old-school, too -- almost ball-bat shaped, but still comfortable enough to play if you have fairly big hands. The headstock is Telecaster-style instead of the post-'57 Strat-style, and the tuners wind backwards. The pearloid inlay at the 12th fret bearing Sting's signature is the only non-vintage touch.

It's got a big, bottomy Precision Bass sound, but isn't muddy. It's great for the down-in-the-groove, old-school soul music I play -- look to your laurels, Duck Dunn! -- but may not be the ticket for a soloing bassist.

Very nice, low action. I ordered this as a "blemished" model (at a nice savings) from Musician's Friend, but the only flaws were a tiny spot where the finish wasn't applied near the jackplate and a slightly wobbly tone knob, which could be cheaply fixed but works fine as is. Otherwise, the quality of finish, materials and workmanship seem very high.

It's lightweight, but seems to be built like a tank. I anticipate it'll outlast me.

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I've been playing since the late '60s and have a few other basses, including other Fenders. The Sting is certainly a nice addition to my little collection. I love the old-school vibe, the weight, the playability and the tune. The only potential drawback is the historically correct but less-than-optimal two-saddle bridge, which doesn't allow you to intonate strings separately (only in pairs). The intonation is fine now, though, and I hope it won't be a problem.

This bass was made in Japan in 2001. It has the typical '50's Precision neck, but it's contoured differently than a '51 Precision. It's made to 1954 Precision bass standards. It's got a sunburst finished contoured body, with a single coil pickup, one volume and one tone control. As simple as it gets. The strings go through the body. The tuners are backwards like all the '50's Precision models by Fender. I purchased a separate genuine Fender tweed case for it. The bass is gorgeous to look at and comfortable to play. It's the lightest bass I own, and I own two dozen of them. This is a limited run bass, and I'm glad that I have one. I'd rate it a 10, but it really doesn't have many features.

I can get any sound out of this bass that I can get out of other exotic models like Alembic and Warwick, or whatever. I use it with a Hartke 2115 200W combo amp. Perfect for any kind of music.

I purchased this piece from Musician's Friend. I had to wait a month and a half for it (well worth it). It was perfectly set up right out of the box. I've received custom exotic basses that required tweaking. Perfect finish, perfect everything. I just put a strap on it and started playing. I've never been able to do that with any other bass.

This bass is simple in every way. It's perfect for me. It should last forever. Everything is solid. I would use it at a gig with no backup.

Don't think I'll ever need customer support, but I'm giving them a 10 because they have an on line guarentee application. This saved me putting postage on a card!

I've been playing for 36 years. I own Alembic, Hofner, other Fenders, Rick Turners, Warwick, Gibson, Tobias, and Kramer basses. If this bass were lost or stolen I'd try like hell to replace it, but it was a limited run so it would be hard to replace. I love everything about it. Perfect in everyway.