Best Fender Precision Bass era?

[Skullheadrac]

Alright, i'm interested in expanding my knowledge of Fender Precision basses.
What are regarded as the best eras?
Are they similar to their Jazz Bass counter parts, where the 60's and 70's are different from each other both in specs and tone?
Would it be fair to differentiate them by decade/era like the jazz basses?
Any input is appreciated!

 

[luciens]

2021. The best quality Fenders you can buy are being made today. Fender QC is down right now, but if you get one without a QC issue, a new P or J is the best quality one you can get past or present.

I have 2 Fender Jacos and 2 Tony Franklins, 2020 models, and though I had QC issues with all 4, they're better made and sounding than any other Fender I've ever played or owned.

As for the very worst, I'd say the ones made in the 70's had the absolute worst quality of all, followed by everything they made from then until about 2005 or so (that's why the clone market got so huge with so many fine P and J copies). The pre-CBS basses were essentially hand-made, but they seemed to be a little better than what happened post-CBS. I've played a few pre-CBS Fenders and they varied from meh, to ok, to mediocre. But that was back when I was in high school (late 70's) and the "bad" pre-CBS Fenders hadn't all been culled and put through the band saw. Today's vintage basses are probably the remaining good ones.

But if you intend to buy a Fender as a player/gigging instrument, factory new is your best option, followed by used, made within the last 10 years or so.

L

 

[Skullheadrac]

What about tone wise? How would you compare the different eras tone wise? Generally speaking.

 

[luciens]

Me personally, I don't think there's any way to tell. The strings are the much bigger factor in tone than anything on the instrument followed by the electronics, so the history of the P and J tone is really the history of string and amp quality and availability.

Mostly what makes the early 60's P bass sound is early 60's strings and amps, not the bass itself. And so on through all the decades.

In fact that's the nice thing about a P or a J bass. You always know approximately what it's going to sound like, whether it's 60 minutes old or 60 years old.

That said, the best sounding P bass I've ever heard is my Tony Franklin, but that's mostly because it's fretless which gives it a very unique kind of sound. My Jaco Artist jazz bass with flats gives a very unique sound too, but I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it's best sounding jazz bass I've ever heard. But it's certainly the highest quality jazz bass I've ever held in my hands....

L

 

[luciens]

If you want the truly finest Fender bass ever made, consider a G&L L1000 or L2000 . The L2000 was Leo Fender's masterpiece, IMO. And an MIA G&L is essentially hand-made in the same way as the pre-CBS Fender basses were, with the exception of CNC machines doing the rough stuff. Everything else is done by hand on Fender avenue just like in the old days. The QC on the wood is modern too, which is the only other major difference I'd say.

L

 

[JimmyM]

Since everyone's tastes are different, and since everyone has different likes and dislikes, it's impossible to pick the perfect Precision for you. Like for me, pre-CBS 60's era basses sound great to me but I don't like the round fretboard radius. Likewise, I love the build quality overall of the current American Pro series but I dislike the pickups. So it's really not that easy to judge all of them by their eras.

 

[Bassclef46]

I don’t think this is something that can be answered unless you have experience with the p bass in every decade since the 50s.

 

[ZedLepp]

I have a preference for 80's MIJ's like the Boxers.
More pickguard-less basses please.

 

[Terry McGill]

What about tone wise? How would you compare the different eras tone wise? Generally speaking.

There's something about my 76 Precision that is just different.Id describe it as A Punchy beautiful Woody toned Monster.I love it so much I just bought another.. a 79 Precision last night.QC don't matter now if one breaks down I will play the other

 

[halcyo]

If you want the truly finest Fender bass ever made, consider a G&L L1000 or L2000 . The L2000 was Leo Fender's masterpiece, IMO. And an MIA G&L is essentially hand-made in the same way as the pre-CBS Fender basses were, with the exception of CNC machines doing the rough stuff. Everything else is done by hand on Fender avenue just like in the old days. The QC on the wood is modern too, which is the only other major difference I'd say.

L

Yep, I sound like a broken record on here sometimes, but G&L’s are probably the best overall Fenders, unless you’re trying to spend 5 figures for an original Pre-CBS instrument.

My L1000 was handmade in pretty much the exact same way (and on the same machinery!) as a pre-CBS Fender.

 

[cavemanbass]

My first bass, a 71 pbass bought in 76, looks feels and sounds amazing. I remember first time playing before I bought it, the fantastic tone, power, and presence. Still awesome all these years later. So I can’t agree with the ‘70s detractors.
Otoh my second bass is a G&L L2000 from 1982 - special order fretless new from the factory - and just never sounded great to me. Not a P style pickup so maybe that was the issue….
Different strokes / YMMV etc

 

[AGCurry]

Criteria? There are at least two (and undoubtedly more):

1. Which era(s) had great quality control? Or put another way, which era(s) produced the highest percentage of "duds?"

2. Which era(s) produced more of the instruments we like the best? Style, comfort, sound, etc.?

 

[J-Mags]

Criteria? There are at least two (and undoubtedly more):

1. Which era(s) had great quality control? Or put another way, which era(s) produced the highest percentage of "duds?"

2. Which era(s) produced more of the instruments we like the best? Style, comfort, sound, etc.?

Quality control has always been decent and never perfect. It was probably the weakest in the mid-late 70s, but that doesn't mean that there are more duds available from that era. Really bad instruments often are trashed or discarded over the decades, leaving the better examples to circulate. There are still lots of incredibly heavy 70s P-Basses out there, however.

If you have a particular look, weight preference, neck width preference, finish preference, etc., it's probably better to follow those parameters rather than looking for one from a certain era.

 

[ToddB1963]

Quality control has always been decent and never perfect. It was probably the weakest in the mid-late 70s, but that doesn't mean that there are more duds available from that era. Really bad instruments often are trashed or discarded over the decades, leaving the better examples to circulate. There are still lots of incredibly heavy 70s P-Basses out there, however.

If you have a particular look, weight preference, neck width preference, finish preference, etc., it's probably better to follow those parameters rather than looking for one from a certain era.

True. The best Fender bass I ever played was a '75 Precision. Better than my '59 custom shop P, and that's saying something because the CS is a great bass.

 

[J-Mags]

But if you intend to buy a Fender as a player/gigging instrument, factory new is your best option, followed by used, made within the last 10 years or so.

I'd disagree with that, not because the quality control was better, but if you get an instrument that's a few years old and sounds, looks, and plays amazing right now, it will probably continue to perform.

 

[SJan3]

2021. The best quality Fenders you can buy are being made today. Fender QC is down right now, but if you get one without a QC issue, a new P or J is the best quality one you can get past or present.

I have 2 Fender Jacos and 2 Tony Franklins, 2020 models, and though I had QC issues with all 4, they're better made and sounding than any other Fender I've ever played or owned.

As for the very worst, I'd say the ones made in the 70's had the absolute worst quality of all, followed by everything they made from then until about 2005 or so (that's why the clone market got so huge with so many fine P and J copies). The pre-CBS basses were essentially hand-made, but they seemed to be a little better than what happened post-CBS. I've played a few pre-CBS Fenders and they varied from meh, to ok, to mediocre. But that was back when I was in high school (late 70's) and the "bad" pre-CBS Fenders hadn't all been culled and put through the band saw. Today's vintage basses are probably the remaining good ones.

But if you intend to buy a Fender as a player/gigging instrument, factory new is your best option, followed by used, made within the last 10 years or so.

L

Well, IMHO, 1995 was the year Fender turned into the wind and revisited their Precision and Jazz basses. They put their focus on making a better neck adding graphite rods and revisiting neck shape after polling a control group of pros. They also went with a thru the body bridge with threaded saddles for more flexible adjustment. I had a '95 and it was excellent.
Should have kept it. I currently have an '04 and I'll never sell it. Plays and sounds great!
So, I'd not dismiss anything 1995 and on.
If course there are still good and bad examples. That's Fender, so try before you buy if you can.

 

[klejst]

All personal preference. However, of all the Fender P's I have owned and played I always found myself coming back to my 90's basses, especially my #1 - my 1998 MIM Fender P Standard.

 

[Old Fart]

I have an '04, generally not considered great, that I like very much. I'd agree the Tony Franklin is a special bass. And I would agree that Fender is making very good basses these days. Very good. And I would agree that whether it is 1959 or 2022, some basses, made next to each other on the same day, are more special than others.

And finally, I would point out that standard Fenders are not trying to compete with CS or Sadowsky. Fender is the McDonalds of the industry and this is THE position to be in. In every market there is a "cost leader" and a plethora of "differentiation" competitors. Burger King has their own schtick. Pizza Hut. Taco Bell. They cannot compete with McDonalds on the platform of cost/benefit. Only one maker can produce a broad variety of basses, decent, playable quality, for under $300. If the others could, then they would. In any market this is the position to be in if you want to make money and control the market. And one of the effects of being the "cost leader" in a market is that you can also make a broader range of better $800-$1800 basses than the other guys.

So yeah, go ahead and turn your nose up at Fenders because you think they do not meet your standard, but notice who is dominating the market.

 

[dave hope]

Personally, having played 50s-70s P-basses extensively.
The 50s necks were a little to beefy for me (many like it). But if all I did was pedal 16th notes, the neck would be fine.
My favorite P-basses were made is early 60s (QC varies).
It was approximately at the same time they first offered the early 60s, custom colors
There are probably some Fender historians who can tell me “why, what and when” they did it. But all I know as a player back then. A few of those early 60s necks were a lot friendlier for my medium sized hands.

 

[J-Mags]

Personally, having played 50s-70s P-basses extensively.
The 50s necks were a little to beefy for me (many like it). But if all I did was pedal 16th notes, the neck would be fine.
My favorite P-basses were made is early 60s (QC varies).
It was approximately at the same time they first offered the early 60s, custom colors
There are probably some Fender historians who can tell me “why, what and when” they did it. But all I know as a player back then. A few of those early 60s necks were a lot friendlier for my medium sized hands.

There was a lot more variation from neck to neck on individual models back then. Now it's CNC for the most part, so you either like the shape of a given model or you don't.