Fender Classic ‘50s Precision

Real P-Bass thump without the price tag – I purchased my p-bass to fix a problem....I was using an old Ibanez black eagle which has a Mahogany body and weighs a ton,causing shoulder problems. My plan was to buy a lighter bass but not to sacrifice sustain or bite and I wanted the p-bass thump from those passive single coils. After doing quite a bit of research I settled on the 50s Classic and picked one up very cheaply from a friend who said it had some problems....noisy pots, worn nut and was badly in need of setting up. All normal 'problems'.

It got 2 weeks of dedicated fixing and it is like new.

First up, this bass is beautifully made and looks retro-great. The sunburst Alder body gives great sustain and it has a maple neck, which has a softer response and more subtle tone IMHO. Gold anodised pickguard topped it off for me.

The classic comes with the vintage look hardware and standard split coil. I also play a Stingray with active p/ups so the difference in output and tone is very obvious and requires some amp tweaking between guitars. The standard p neck is wider and fatter than a Jazz but you get used to it fast. My only quibble would be the nut which is either plastic or fake bone, so it will be replaced before it breaks down.

Fender basses are almost always well-balanced and don't tend to be head-heavy so it sits nicely on your hip and the deep cutout adds to that. It also has the usual nitrocellulose exterior which cracks and ages beautifully as the guitar does, unlike my Stingray which seems to break down in small pieces and flake off at will (it is 24 years old though).

I run the Classic tuned to low C and push it hard through an old SVT...it LOVES IT. It is the vintage sound I always wanted and you can't replicate it with cheap guitars and rubbish amps.

The Classic 50s gives you everything you would expect from a vintage precision but without the hefty price tag. I can't fault it and would buy another without thinking...or telling the wife. Everything. Solid. Mid-weight, Beautiful tone. Sweet neck. Great price (even if I had bought it new)