This guitar is a commission sale. If you have a high-end or vintage guitar you are interested in selling please contact us.
Here for sale we have a Fender Precision Bass in Black finish. The Fender Precision bass was launched in 1951, and despite how ubiquitous it is today, actually took a few years to catch on. Electric bass guitars were a new concept at the time, and Leo Fender had to travel to jazz clubs & concert halls to promote his new instrument face to face with musicians. Several design modifications were made throughout the '50s before a major revision in '57. The headstock was changed to resemble the Stratocaster rather than the Telecaster it had originally, and the pickguard was also changed to echo the design of the Strat. The iconic split single-coil pickup was added and the bridge was changed to a top-loading design with four steel saddles. Aside from offering Rosewood fingerboard & different pickup options in the following years, the P Bass' design has remained largely unchanged since 1957, and has gone down in history as the first commercially successful bass guitar design, with an immeasurable impact in the world of music.
Made in the USA in 1978, this bass comes from the height of Fender's CBS era. Whilst CBS made several small design tweaks to Fender's instruments, the P Bass remained largely unchanged save for the use of a polyurethane finish. It is clear that this particular example has stood the test of time, and has been well played & enjoyed throughout its 47 year life. Naturally, a bolt-on construction is employed and comprises an Alder body, Maple neck and 20 fret Maple fingerboard. Chrome hardware is fitted including a top-loading bridge & split-post open-geared tuning machines. A split single-coil pickup is installed and wired to master volume & tone controls.
The Maple neck plays very well, with a profile which might be described as a smooth and even 'C' shape, perhaps slightly thicker than you might find on Fender's modern offerings. Paired with the 7.25" fingerboard radius, this bass has a genuinely vintage specification. Along with the finish wear from the years of playing this bass has seen, the instrument feels very inspiring in the hands. Certainly, this bass has a 'mojo' to it which is often imitated on modern instruments but never equalled.
The split single-coil pickup installed in this guitar delivers fantastic fundamental bass tone right away, just as we expect from the Precision Bass. Deep, rumbling lows will fill out your mix, whilst punchy mids and a sparkly top end will ensure that you have plenty of snap and attack to provide a lively and percussive performance. pushing your bass playing forward in the mix to create more urgency in the sound. The controls keep things simple; not intruding on the playing experience but still offering ample opportunities for tone shaping. Rolling the tone control down darkens the sound nicely, allowing you to blend more easily into the mix for a more mellow, quite jazzy tone. A well-loved bass that has worked hard throughout it's life but still has plenty to give.
This guitar is a commission sale. If you have a high-end or vintage guitar you are interested in selling please contact us.
Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide.
Fender Precision Bass Black 1978 Vintage Electric Bass Guitar
Brand- Fender
Model- Precision Bass
Finish- Black
Year- 1978
Made In- USA
Body- Alder
Neck- Maple
Fingerboard- Maple
Fingerboard Radius- 7.25"
Frets- 20
Scale Length- 34"
Nut Width- 1.638"
Pickups- Fender Split Single-Coil
Controls- Master Volume, Master Tone
Our ID: 1211025145570
Weight: 9.45lbs
Serial: S861617
Aesthetic Condition:
Headstock: Overall faIr condition, all aspects of the headstock demonstrate chipping, scratching and indentation of the finish, revealing the wood beneath. This is most notable to the rear top edge at the treble side where a section of finish has chipped away revealing the wood. A similar section of finish chipping is present at the treble side rear behind the nut where the instrument would make contact with a hanger. We recommend closely inspecting the photographs for a more detailed understanding of the cosmetic condition of this instrument.
Neck: Overall faIr condition, all aspects of the neck & fingerboard demonstrate chipping, scratching and indentation of the finish, on frequent occasions revealing the wood beneath. This is most notable to the early register of the fingerboard where several sections of finish have chipped away, particularly at the bass side of frets 3 & 5 where large sections of wood are exposed. The surrounding wood has discolored notably from the original colour. The treble side fingerboard edge demonstrates wear through the finish revealing the wood beneath along the entire register. We recommend closely inspecting the photographs for a more detailed understanding of the cosmetic condition of this instrument.
Body: Overall faIr condition, all aspects of the body demonstrate chipping, scratching and indentation of the finish, revealing the wood beneath. This is most notable to the bass side of the front face lower bout where a notable section of finish has worn away. The finish has clouded across the front face and sides. We recommend closely inspecting the photographs for a more detailed understanding of the cosmetic condition of this instrument.
Condition of Frets:
The frets demonstrate notable signs of use, with indentation in the early register and flattening of the crowns throughout. There is a small amount of material remaining for future fret work.
Current Set Up:
Truss Rod: Fully functional. Truss rod tool (flathead driver) not included.
Hardware: Fully functional with moderate signs of use, most notably oxidation of the saddles and bridge plate. A small section of the pickguard has broken off near the jack socket.
Structural: No concerns or issues to note.
Height of the string from the 12th Fret-2.25mm - Bass 2.75mm
Please be aware that the action on a guitar may move slightly in transit and this measurement is the current height.
Strings on Guitar - 45-100
Although this bass demonstrates notable cosmetic wear, it is entirely functional and structurally sound, demonstrating the signs of an instrument that has been well played over the last 47 years..
Electrics:
Fully functional.
Case & Accessories:
No case is provided with this guitar.
Truss rod tool not included.