1990 Fender Precision Bass Guitar Made in Japan Review

Model of electric bass

Fender Precision Bass
Manufacturer	Fender
Menstruation	1951–present
Construction
Torso type	Solid
Neck joint	Bolt-on
Woods
Body	Alder Ash Poplar Basswood
Neck	Maple
Fretboard	Maple Rosewood Pau Ferro
Hardware
Span	Stock-still
Pickup(s)	Ane single-gyre (1951–1957, occasional reissues) Usually 1 two-piece split up-coil humbucker (1957–present) One split-coil humbucker and ane Jazz Bass single-gyre ("PJ" configuration) One split-coil humbucker and one humbucking Jazz Bass pickup (1995-2009)
Colors bachelor
Various 2- or 3-color sunbursts Shades of blonde Various shades of white, bluish, cherry, green, etc.

The Fender Precision Bass (often shortened to "P-Bass") is a model of electrical bass manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, iv-stringed musical instrument equipped with a unmarried split-coil humbucking pickup and a one-piece, 20-fret maple neck with rosewood or maple fingerboard.^[ane]

Its prototype, designed by Leo Fender in 1950, was brought to market in 1951.^[two] It was the beginning electric bass to earn widespread attention and use, remaining amidst the best-selling and almost-imitated electrical basses with considerable consequence on the sound of popular music.

Background [edit]

The double bass, as a very large instrument, is ofttimes regarded as physically cumbersome and difficult to transport compared with smaller instruments. It is likewise hard to hear in large bands or those that use amplified instruments, and it requires specialized skills to play that are distinct from those required to play the guitar.

The Precision Bass was designed to overcome these problems. The name "Precision" came from the use of frets to play in tune more than hands than on the fretless fingerboard of the double bass. The electric bass, nonetheless, lacks the distinctive audio-visual qualities of the double bass, offering a more solid, harder-edged sound with more sustain. After initial resistance from double-bass players, the electric bass guitar became increasingly ascendant and transformed the vanquish and rhythm of pop music from jump blues and swing to rhythm and dejection, stone, soul and funk.

Acceptance of the electric bass was initially slow, equally upright bassists looked at this new musical instrument with similar contempt, every bit guitar players did with its solid-body sibling, the Telecaster. It was vibraphonist/drummer Lionel Hampton's band that was among the kickoff to incorporate the new instrument, with subsequent assistance by the endorsement of Elvis Presley'southward bass-actor Bill Black, who was beginning to use a Precision Bass during the filming of Jailhouse Stone. It was reputed that Black became so frustrated over his initial inability to get used to playing information technology, he angrily threw it on the flooring. Fender also delivered an early Precision to Los Angeles session bassist and arranger Shifty Henry. Monk Montgomery became the second jazz player to popularize the "Fender Bass"; commencement, while playing with Lionel Hampton; and and then with his brother, guitarist Wes Montgomery. By 1954 bassists Henry and Montgomery were both actualization in Fender's advertising.^[three] By the end of the 1950's the "P-Bass" was finally gaining acceptance with both rock 'n roll and land bassists, too as guitarists who would double on the musical instrument; most notable, was Carol Kaye, a jazz guitarist, who as a bassist became all-time-known for her piece of work equally office of the consortium of L.A. session musicians known as The Wrecking Coiffure.

Blueprint alterations and variants [edit]

A Patent Sketch for The Original Fender Precision Bass Design

The original Precision Bass of 1951 shared several of its pattern features with the six-cord Telecaster guitar, the main difference being its double cutaway body. The 1954 release of the Stratocaster with its contoured edges for condolement, was inspired past the Precision bass,^[4] which in kind, also received the same style torso contours. In 1957 the headstock and pickguard were redesigned to resemble the Stratocaster, with a rounder neck heel replacing the original foursquare shape. A redesigned pickguard was made of a single layer of gold-anodized aluminium with 10 screw holes. At the same time the original unmarried-scroll pickup was replaced past the Precision dissever-coil design with staggered pole pieces, connected in a humbucking mode. However, Fender never emphasized this, every bit the Seth Lover patent on the humbucking pickup had not yet expired.

In 1959 a glued-on rosewood fingerboard featuring "clay"-way dot position markers replaced the i-piece maple cervix and remained standard until 1966/67, when the CBS-owned Fender companies began to offer a split up, laminated maple fingerboard capped on a maple neck. Rosewood fingerboards were and then made of a veneered, round-laminated piece of wood and pearloid dot markers replaced the "dirt"-fashion inlays introduced in 1959.

A patent sketch for the Fender Precision Bass

In 1960 the aluminum pickguard was replaced with a 13-spiral celluloid design having 3 or 4 layers of black, white, white pearloid or brown "tortoise-shell"). In that aforementioned year the newly designed Fender Jazz Bass was released.

The original Telecaster-derived design, with a few updates, was reintroduced in 1968 equally the Fender Telecaster Bass. Within a few years, however, it had evolved into a model distinctly unlike from the contemporary Precision Bass, alongside which it was marketed through 1979.^[v] Two artist-designed models use the Telecaster Bass body manner; the Mike Dirnt Precision Bass, using today's standard unmarried dissever-coil choice-upward, and the Sting Precision Bass, using a unmarried coil pick-upwards equally did the primeval blueprint.

1958 reissue Precision bass

Since 1969 the i-slice maple neck choice has been fitted to many Fender basses and the rosewood fretboard offered as an alternative. Some Precision Basses fabricated in the 1970s were too available with an unlined fretless rosewood, ebony or (usually) maple fingerboard, popularized past endorsees Sting and Tony Franklin. Fender briefly offered a fretless P Bass in the mid-1990s as a function of the first-generation American Standard line only dropped this variant at the end of the 20th century.

In 1968, The headstock graphic was changed to a new "waterslide" design. In 1977, the "Precision Bass" wordmark was inverse to a smaller, sans-serif pattern.

Active electronics models [edit]

From 1980 to 1984 various models of the Precision Bass were given new active pickups and a high-mass brass bridge. The Special (1980) featured a split-ringlet pickup with white covers, gold hardware, a two-band EQ and an active/passive toggle switch. The Elite (1983) had i (Elite I) or two (Aristocracy II) split-coil humbucking pickups, TBX tone circuit and a Schaller fine-tune bridge later used on the Plus Series models of the early on 1990s. Some models were available with solid walnut torso and stained ebony fretboard.

Precision Bass Lyte models were made in Japan and came to the market in late 1984. They had a smaller trunk shape and a modern C-shape maple cervix with 22 medium-colossal frets. They had an active P-J pickup configuration with a two band eq and pickup pan knob. They were produced until 1995.

The afterwards 1980s and 1990s saw the introduction of the Precision Plus and Deluxe Plus basses in 1989 and 1991, featuring Lace Sensor pickups, fine-tuner bridges, 22-fret necks and passive or active electronics on certain models. The express-edition Custom Shop 40th Anniversary model of 1991 was a luxurious version of the Precision Plus Palatial bass with aureate hardware, a quilted maple elevation with no pickguard, highly figured neck, 3 stacked knobs and an ebony fretboard with side dot position markers. Only 400 of this model were produced. Some P-Basses with J-style bridge pickups used the Jazz Bass control layout—2 volumes and tone—and a side-mount jack socket. Others had the front pickup book control moved forwards to go out room for a top-mounted jack socket. Other variants include dual stacked control knobs similar to that of an early 1960s Jazz Bass or a 3-mode pickup selector switch (every bit used on the Tony Franklin Signature and Plus Series P-Basses).

Model additions and proper noun changes [edit]

In 1983, Fender introduced the Standard Series with a new Bullet truss rod arrangement, updated die-bandage tuning machines, chrome hardware, white pickup covers and a unmarried-ply white pick guard. The Headstock graphics were changed to reflect a blend of new and vintage. The Fender logo remained underneath the cord guide but was changed to silver with a black outline. The "Precision Bass" wordmark was changed to a boldface font similar to the early 1960'south model but remained to the right of the Fender logo. From 1984 to 2000, this would be referred to as the American Standard Precision Bass. The most notable visual change was the return to blackness pickup covers. The model was revamped in 1995. In 1996, a special run of 500 instruments was sold equally the Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Precision Bass to celebrate the company's anniversary. This model had gold hardware and a "Fender 50" stamp on the cervix plate.^[vi]

In 1984, Fender introduced a lower price Standard Precision Bass model fabricated in Japan. The Standard model would be made in Japan until 1990 when Fender shifted operations to its new Mexican factory which produced the model from 1991 to 2018.

The American Palatial Precision Bass was added to the revamped lineup in 1995. It had an Ash Body (offered until 2006), 18-volt preamp with three-Ring Active EQ and an added Humbucker in the span position.

The American Series Precision Bass was introduced in 2000 and discontinued in 2008. From 2003 the Due south-1 switching system immune the pickup coils to be switched from series to parallel, offering a wider tonal range, just this was discontinued in 2008 with the second generation of American Standard Series instruments. 2011 models carry a special "Fender 60" bluecoat on the back of the body to gloat the company's 60th Anniversary.

In 2002, Fender added a new lower-cost American passive model serial known as the Highway One. At that place were 2 iterations of this line - known as Highway 1 and Highway One. Highway 1 featured 60's spaghetti logo, and a nut side truss rod adjustment port. They were painted with thin nitro lacquer. In 2006, it was updated with a BadAss II bridge with grooved saddles and a Greasebucket tone circuit. The Highway I Precision Bass featured '70s styling and sparse satin nitro lacquer end. The series remained available until it was discontinued in 2011. ^[7]

The American Standard, American Palatial (featuring a J-way humbucking pickup in the bridge position and an active three-band EQ with an 18V power supply), Highway Ane and American Vintage series models were manufactured in Corona, California.

Following the success of the Aerodyne Jazz Bass, Fender briefly produced the Japanese-made Aerodyne Classic Precision Bass from 2006-2008. This model retained the bones shape of the classic Precision only had dramatically thinner contours. It had a basswood torso with figured maple top and foam binding, Precision and Single-coil Jazz pickup combination and matching finish headstock.^[eight]

In December 5, 2008, the American Standard Precision Bass was updated with CBS era-style decals, a 3-ply parchment pickguard and a tinted maple cervix with rosewood or maple fingerboard. Other features included a high-mass vintage bridge, Hipshot lightweight staggered tuning machine and a render to the knurled chrome flat-top control knobs. Models produced before 2003 came for a period with aged white Stratocaster command knobs.

As of March 23, 2010, all American Deluxe Precision Basses came with an N3 stacked-coil Jazz Bass pickup in the bridge position, a 21-fret tinted maple neck with chemical compound rosewood or maple fingerboard with white or black pearloid dot markers, an active/passive toggle switch, a high-mass vintage bridge, Hipshot lightweight vintage tuners, a stealth retainer bar for the A cord and a assuming CBS-era headstock decal. As of March 23, 2012 the American Standard Precision Bass (except the v-cord version) came with a Custom Store lx'south P-Bass split-coil humbucking pickup. The 2012 colour nautical chart listed 3-Colour Sunburst, Olympic White, Blackness, Candy Cola, Jade Pearl Metal, Charcoal Frost Metallic as available finishes during that flow. As of April 19, 2012 the American Standard Precision Basses are loaded with the Custom Store '60s Precision Bass separate single-coil option-ups, a xx-fret graphite-reinforced maple neck with compound rosewood or maple fingerboard with white or blackness pearloid dot markers and a high-mass vintage bridge. It exist bought equally a 4 or 5 string bass. and were once again fabricated available in 2011; the 2004 color chart listed Anile Cherry Sunburst, Butterscotch Blonde and Tobacco Sunburst as bachelor finishes during that period.

The Road Worn Serial 50s P-Bass (introduced in 2009) features a distressed alder torso with nitrocellulose lacquer finish, a i-ply gold anodized pickguard, a synthetic bone nut, American Vintage hardware, a divide-coil humbucking pickup and a i-piece maple neck/fingerboard with 20 vintage frets.

Fender offered the Made-in-Mexico Blacktop Series from 2013–2014. Like Nearly of the other instruments in this series, the Blacktop Precision Bass was given high-output humbuckers. Information technology too had a Hi-Mass Bridge, Vintage Jazz Bass Style Knobs (Volume, Book, Tone) and a C-shape neck with ix.5" Radius. ^[9]

In May 2016, Fender brought dorsum the American Aristocracy Precision Bass to replace the American Deluxe series.^[ten] The new model featured a Precision cervix pickup combined with a 4th-generation Jazz noiseless pickup, 18-volt active circuit with 3-band EQ, passive bypass switch, Posiflex graphite support rods in the neck which. The 21-fret cervix profile was a modernistic "C" shape at the genuine bone nut, and changed forth the length of the cervix to a modernistic "D"-shaped profile at the updated neck heel, with a compound radius of 9.v -xiv".^[11] Fender produced this bass until 2019.

In Jan 2017, Fender retired its American Standard line to be replaced by the American Professional Series. The Precision Bass was updated with new 5-Modern pickups, upgraded tuners that featured increased sustain and improve tuning stability, Narrow-Tall frets and a '63 P Bass contour neck. ^[12] Fender ceased production of this model in 2020.

On June 19, 2018, Fender announced that it would be upgrading the build quality of its Made in Mexico Standard Series past replacing it with the Player Series instruments. The Histrion Precision Bass received new Alnico V pickups, modern C-shaped cervix with a contemporary 9.5" fingerboard radius, constructed os nut, new Fender standard open up-gear tuners and a choice of Pau Ferro or Maple fretboards. ^[13]

Fender updated the Aristocracy Series on Nov 5, 2019 when it announced the arrival of the American Ultra Precision Bass.^{[14] [15]} The Ultra retained similar features to the Elite Series model just at present had updated torso contouring and sculpted neck heel, Modern "D" Neck Profile with a chemical compound radius of 10"-14", new Ultra Noiseless pickups and a redesigned active/passive preamp. New finishes offered were Aged Natural, Mochaburst and Ultraburst with rosewood fretboard and Arctic Pearl with maple fretboard.^[16]

In October 2020 Fender introduced the American Professional person II Precision Bass. Updates included a V-Modern II pickup which had varying amounts of Alnico in each pickup pole for a more than balanced sound, new sculpted neck heel (similar to those seen previously on the Aristocracy models), Super-Natural neck finish, Posiflex graphite rods for added neck stability and tapered-shaft turning machines. Fender as well added new finishes were also added to the lineup: Dark Night, Mercury, Miami Blueish and Mystic Surf Light-green. Finishes that remained in the lineup were 3-Colour Sunburst, Blackness and Olympic White.^[17]

Squier models [edit]

Fender initially revived the Squier sub-brand to produce lower-toll guitars and basses in 1982. The first model the brand produced was the JV Series which was made in Japan. This after became known as the Squier Traditional P-Bass and was retired in 1996.

The electric current bones model is the Affinity Precision Bass. This model was introduced in 1996 and was made in China. In more contempo years, the Analogousness Precision Bass PJ (named for its Precision-Jazz pickup configuration) was added to the lineup. The wordmark on the headstock graphic refers to this model as a Squier P-Bass.

Squier introduced the Vintage-Modified Serial in 2007 to slot between the Affinity Series and the Made-In-Mexico Fenders. The Squier Vintage-Modified Precision Bass Had a Duncan Designed™ PB101 Split Single-Curlicue Pickup and belatedly-70'southward fashion headstock graphics. The Squier Vintage-Modified Precision Bass PJ was added in 2013 with Fender-designed Dissever Single-Ringlet Precision and Single-curl Jazz Pickups.

2020 saw the introduction of the showtime-ever Fender-produced Brusk Scale Precision. The Squier Mini Precision Bass has a 28.6" (726mm) Scale with 9.5" Radius and 1.5" Nut Width. Like to the previously introduced Mini-Strat, the trunk remains faithful to the shape and contours of its full-size counterpart but is scaled downwards to correctly match with the neck.^[xviii]

5-String variants [edit]

Fender made an American Deluxe 5-string model with a carve up-whorl neck pickup, a humbucking bridge pickup and a 3-ring active EQ between 1998 and 2007. In 2008, Fender start produced a passive American Standard Precision Bass V with a unmarried passive split-coil Precision pickup (iii poles toward the cervix, 2 poles toward the bridge) and single book/tone. In would remain in the same configuration when Fender transitioned to the American Professional Precision Bass Five model in 2017 and the American Professional II Precision Bass Five in 2020. Squier too produced a Standard version sporting two J-Bass pickups with alnico magnets. The company has also built a Korean-fabricated Squier ProTone Precision V with dual humbuckers and gold hardware in the mid-1990s. In the mid 2010's, Squier produced the Vintage Modified Precision Bass 5 with the basic passive P bass single pickup and single book/tone.

Artists [edit]

There are many artists known for using the Precision Bass. A few of the more notable artists include: James Jamerson,^[19] Peter Cetera,^[xx] Donald "Duck" Dunn,^{[21] [22]} Pino Palladino,^[23] Steve Harris,^[24] Mike Dirnt,^[25] Tony Franklin,^[26] Duff McKagan,^[27] Sting,^[28] Michael Steele, John Club,^[29] Dee Dee Ramone, Roger Waters,^[30] Dallon Weekes, Dusty Loma, Ballad Kaye, Geezer Butler, Markus Grosskopf, Robert Trujillo, Waylon Jennings, Jason Newsted, John Paul Jones, John Cale,^[31] Randy Meisner, Roger Glover, Tom Hamilton, Mark Hoppus, Roy Estrada, Kenny Gradney, Aimee Mann, David Brown, Frank Bello, Jeff Ament, Andy Bell, John Deacon, Tony Stevens, Cliff Williams, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, Gildo Masini, Timothy B. Schmit, Colin Greenwood,^[32] Jean Millington,^[33] Adam Clayton, Sid Vicious and Paul Simonon.

See also [edit]

• Fender Telecaster Bass
• Squier '51

References [edit]

1. ^ "Shop Fender | Electric Guitars, Acoustics, Bass, Amps & More". shop.fender.com . Retrieved 2018-08-13 .
2. ^ Wheeler, Tom, American Guitars: An Illustrated History, interview with Leo Fender, Harper Perennial, NY 1992
3. ^ "Fender Fine Instruments are the Choice of These Outstanding Artists." International Musician, October 1954. (dorsum cover)
4. ^ "VINTAGE BASS Earth". Retrieved 2016-12-03 .
5. ^ "VINTAGE BASS Globe". Retrieved 2016-12-xv .
6. ^ "Legedary Lows: History of the Fender Precision Bass".
7. ^ "Highway One Precision Bass".
8. ^ "Aerodyne Classic Precision Bass".
9. ^ "Blacktop Precision Bass".
10. ^ "American Elite Series". 24 May 2016.
11. ^ "American Elite Bass".
12. ^ "American Professional Serial".
13. ^ "American Professional person Ii Precision Bass".
14. ^ "AMERICAN ULTRA PRECISION BASS®".
15. ^ "American Ultra Series".
16. ^ "American Ultra Precision Bass".
17. ^ "American Professional person II Precision Bass".
18. ^ "Squier Mini Precision Bass".
19. ^ "James Jamerson - Bassist". Archived from the original on December 12, 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-30 .
20. ^ Administrator. "Peter Cetera'southward Bass Gear Rig and Equipment – Chicago". uberproaudio.com. Archived from the original on September ix, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
21. ^ "Fender Duck Dunn Bass Guitar". Retrieved 2015-05-thirteen .
22. ^ "Donald "Duck" Dunn "Duck's" Gaggle: The Basses of Donald Dunn". Retrieved 2015-05-thirteen .
23. ^ "Pino Palladino P bass". Fender.com . Retrieved xiv September 2015.
24. ^ "Fender Steve Harris Precision Bass Signature". Retrieved 2014-07-04 .
25. ^ "MIKE DIRNT ROAD WORN® PRECISION BASS®". Fender . Retrieved 16 April 2017.
26. ^ "Fender Tony Franklin Precision Bass Signature". Retrieved 2014-07-04 .
27. ^ "Fender Duff McKagan Precision Bass Signature". Retrieved 2014-07-04 .
28. ^ "Sting talks Fender P-Basses, technique and jamming Jaco Pastorius | MusicRadar".
29. ^ "Bass Player".
30. ^ "Fender Roger Waters Precision Bass Signature". Retrieved 2014-07-04 .
31. ^ "John Cale - Equipment: Fender Precision Bass".
32. ^ "Colin Greenwood Equipment". Archived from the original on 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2018-09-ten .
33. ^ Johnson, Kathleen (2017-05-30). "Fanny's June Millington". Vintage Guitar® magazine . Retrieved 2019-04-16 .

Literature [edit]

• Peter Bertges. The Fender Reference. Bomots, Saarbrücken. 2007. ISBN 978-iii-939316-38-i.
• Martin Kelly, Terry Foster, Paul Kelly. Fender: The Gilded Age 1946–1970. London & New York: Cassell. 2010. ISBN 1-84403-666-9.

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Precision_Bass

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