Focus On: Fender Bass Guitars

Fender Precision Bass

Fender manufactured the first mass produced electric bass guitar back in the 1950s. At the time, the traditional double bass was finding itself lost in the noise of big bands it was large, cumbersome and difficult to transport. Although there had been odd models of bass guitar previously, Fenders first bass introduced frets in contrast to the double bass which was fretless. This enabled bassists to fret notes accurately and with precision hence the name of the Fender bass, the Fender Precision.

In 1951 the very first Fender Precision bass was little more than an extension of the Telecaster model of guitar and indeed was nick-named the Telecaster bass, sharing several design features with the Telecaster 6 string guitar. However, in 1953, modifications were made to the body shape contoured edges were added for comfort. A more significant re-styling occurred in 1957 when elements of the design were re-worked so that, with a newly re-shaped head stock and scratch plate, it resembled the newly released Fender Stratocaster.

Essentially, the Precision bass uses either Ash or Alder on the double cut-away solid body, with a 1 piece 20 fret Maple neck that provides the choice of either Rosewood or Maple as the preferred fret board. It is equipped with a single split coil hum-bucking pick-up and a single tone and additional rotary volume control. Early models had a chrome bridge pick-up cover where bassists of the day could rest their hand. This is in addition to a wooden thumb rest located on the scratch plate. As other fingering techniques evolved, however, these were subsequently removed on older versions of the precision.

Fender Jazz Bass

The second model of Bass guitar released by Fender in 1960 was known as the "Jazz Bass" and was considered by many to be a deluxe model in comparison to the earlier Precision model. Marketed originally as a stable mate to the Fender Jazz master guitar, the designers at Fender suggested that the narrower and more rounded neck profile would appeal to jazz bass players. The sound of the Jazz bass also differed from the Precision in that it had a more prominent mid-range tone and the two single coil pick-ups generally provided a brighter tone. The intention was to try and convince traditional upright players to switch to the electric bass guitar.

The Fender Jazz bass again used Ash or Alder for the body and, likewise, the neck was predominantly Maple with either a Rosewood or Maple fret board. The pick-ups were managed via two rotary volume controls and a single rotary tone control. In 1965 CBS bought the Fender companies and went about making some cosmetic changes to the Jazz bass. Firstly, it received bound Rosewood fret boards and Pearloid dot fret markers, along with oval shaped tuning keys on the machine heads.

From 1967 onwards, Fender offered the Jazz bass with the option of a Pearloid block fret board inlay, along with a Maple fret board for those who preferred this alternative. Other changes that followed in the 1970s were a 3 bolt neck joint, in contrast to the usual 4 bolts. This was reverted back to 4 bolts in 1983 though, along with the dot position markers.

Fender Bass Guitars Today

Today, although much of the original design shape and some of the original features remain, both the Precision and Jazz bass guitars have evolved significantly since their launch in the 1950s and 1960s. Modern technology and manufacturing processes ensure that quality levels are kept to the highest standards.

Lace sensor pick-ups, Schaller fine tuning bridges and active electronics have enhanced the performance and sound of both models. High end models may also include active pre-amp circuitry. There are also scaled down and entry-level versions of both the Precision and Jazz bass models from Fenders subsidiary partner, Squier. This allows even more musicians to experience the style and performance of Fender bass guitars.

Perhaps the highest compliment we can pay Leo Fender
and his team of designers is that essentially 60-70%
of the original design and features are still in place
today even on the most contemporary Fender
models. Care, thought and planning went into
designing both the Precision and Jazz bass
models and it was most certainly a case of
getting it right first time.