60 Years On the Precision Bass Guitar is still a Dominant Force

Hobbies Articles | October 26, 2012

Leo Fender is easily best known for his contribution to 6 string electric guitars. His best invention and contribution to music however is often overlooked. The Fender Precision Bass, or Fender P-Bass as it is known, is one of the greatest electric bass guitars ever created. Since its introduction to the world over 50 years ago it has only gone from strength to strength...

When people think of Fender guitars, the conversation usually revolves around the 6 string classics such as the Stratocaster and the Telecaster. That is quite natural, given that they are the companys best known guitar, but its also unfortunate. That is because Fenders greatest contribution is arguably as the inventor of the electric bass guitar. Yes, although guitars like the Strat revolutionised the market, the sounds and the players for the next 50 years and more, there were at least recognisable forebears to them in the shape of electro acoustic and semi acoustic guitars. When it comes to the electric bass, the immediate precedent was the very acoustic, very bulky, very expensive upright double bass. For Leo Fender to have envisioned that transition is quite something.

The extraordinary achievements of the Fender Company during the 1950s are drawn into sharper focus in a 12 month period of 1950 and 1951 when they launched the Stratocasters predecessor, the Broadcaster, and the�Precision Bass, two instruments that would define the shape of bands and they music they made for the next 60 years. If anyone doubts this, they just need to take a look at electric guitars before 1950, and remember that electric basses did not exist at that time, and look at the shape, electronics and visuals of similar guitars in 2012. They will note how incredibly similar they are, despite the 60 years of progress between.

What makes the Fender Precision Bass so special is not just that it was the very first instrument of its type, but that it was conceived, designed and launched by Fender in 1951 and has been the instrument against which all newer bass guitars are measured for over 60 years. There can be no doubt that Leo Fender managed to get pretty much everything right at the first attempt, otherwise�bass design�would have moved on substantially by now and the Precision Bass would be regarded as a vintage instrument.As it is, the only major innovations to have emerged and become successful during that time are headless basses and active electronics that boost, rather than cut, tone.

One of the aspects of the Fender Precision that I still find fascinating is that, despite many small changes to most parts of the Precision over the years, changes that could have left bass players with a quite different instrument in 2012, it remains essentially the same instrument it was 60 years ago. To be honest, you play a Precision bass from just about any period in its development and, compared with any other manufacturers basses, it would exhibit the same playing characteristics and sound profile as it always has.

Fenders Precision Bass has been subject to many minor version introductions and special editions. Indeed, there are currently more than 10 Precision models available under the Fender and Fender Squier brands and each of these has varying colour options. Probably the most significant changes occurred in 1957 and 1990. In 1957, the Precision Bass became the archetypal bass guitar of the next 30 years as it gained a wider headstock, 4 bridge saddles instead of 2, a two piece pickup and the controls were moved from body mounted to scratchplate mounted. Then, in 1990, despite the classic model still being available, Fender introduced the Precision Plus as a means of countering developments by other bass guitar manufacturers. The Plus sported deeper cutaways, an increase from 20 frets to 22 frets, a fine tuning bridge and, most importantly, the addition of a Jazz Bass pickup at the bridge position.

Today, that process of gentle innovation and change continues as the current Fender Precision Bass lineup includes guitars at several price points from professional to beginner and, alongside the usual plethora of Artist and special editions, the brand new 2012 version of the Fender�American Standard Precision Bass�that, for the first time, features proper Fender Custom Shop 60s split coil pickups. This guitar is hardly standard anyway, as it also features a graphite reinforced neck and graphite truss rods. I guess that is why the Precision remains the default choice of bass guitar for many players.