The Fender Precision bass is an iconic instrument – the oldest solid-body bass guitar in the world. Its legacy is unparalleled, and nowadays it remains a staple in the Fender line-up.
With more choice than ever before, it can be difficult to choose the best Precision bass for your needs. In this guide, we’ll explore the main features and differences between models to help you make your decision!
The Precision bass is widely perceived to be the first mass-produced electric bass guitar. It was introduced in 1951 and has been in production ever since (in various forms).
The P bass utilises a thick body and a chunky neck profile. Even new models hark back to mid-20th century designs because they tick all the boxes for retro style. The most prominent change made early on in its life was the ‘slab’ body being updated to feature more contours.
This is the bass you want for full-on power. The hum-cancelling split coil pickup provides a huge, full range tone that sits in a mix extremely well for a lot of styles of music. Saying that, it’s not really a versatile instrument. It does a good job for an old school, boomy sound but it doesn’t really cut it for super modern tones. It’s kind of a one-trick-pony, but it’s a great one nonetheless. Using a plectrum with this bass is ideal to get grunt out of the sound.
The Player II Series is Fender’s affordable line-up. This Mexican-made range features a broad selection, including plenty of finishes, alnico-powered pickups and various configurations including 5-string and left-handed options.
Built with the ‘new kind of player’ in mind, the Player II series takes everything that was successful from the original series and revamps the rest with an assortment of contemporary and vintage-inspired upgrades. From rolled fingerboard edges, the return of rosewood fingerboards, upgraded pickups, vintage-styled tuners and an array of vintage-inspired colours the new Fender Player II has something for everyone.
Bringing together classic Fender design and player-centric features, the Player Plus range delivers incredible playability and unmistakeable Fender style. Check out the full Fender Player Plus Precision range below!
The Vintera II Series is directly inspired by Fender’s most iconic classic designs. For the Precision Bass, these are plucked right out of the '50s‘& '60s with period-accurate specs to match. Check out the range below!
This is Fender’s most affordable US-made range. With upgraded hardware, circuitry and pickups, the Performer range is built with the stage in mind. Sturdy, reliable instruments that can take whatever you throw at them and deliver night after night. Check out the range below!
Built to original specifications, and recreated to deliver iconic Fender bass tone inspired by models from the '50s, '60s & '70s. Check out the range below!
The second iteration of the American Professional, but fitted with a more ergonomic neck, while still retaining a traditional feel. Check out the range below!
It’s in the name; the cream of the crop. While not necessarily faithful to the original Precision Bass blueprint, the Ultra's opt for precision and versatility instead. An 18V preamp offers chest-thumping tone, with 4th Gen Noiseless pickups and a hybrid neck profile to boot. Check out the range below!
Squier are known for reproducing some of Fender’s most popular models for the budget/beginner market. In recent years, they’ve taken bolder steps in tweaking these classic designs. Their range spans vintage-style models to their cutting-edge Contemporary Series.
Aside from being one of the longest-in-production instruments of our time, the Precision bass has been brandished by countless players throughout the years, with noteable players such as James Jamerson, Steve Harris, Jaco Pastorius, Pino Palladino, Duff McKagan, Nate Mendel & Phil Lynott!
There you have it - the Fender Precision bass range broken down into edible chunks. You should be feeling a little more informed about your decision - which one will you choose? If you've got any questions about our Fender Precision bass selection, please don't hesitate to contact us. In the meantime, happy shopping!
