Why are Precisions called Precisions?

[Gruvmunki]

Don't know if this has been mentioned before, but does any one know why precision basses came to be called precisions?

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I heard Leo Fender named it the Precision because it had frets, allowing intonation to be "precise."

 

[JansenW]

I heard Leo Fender named it the Precision because it had frets, allowing intonation to be "precise."

IIRC, that's correct.

Does that make a "fretless precision" an oxymoron?

 

[Josh Ryan]

It's like calling the bald guy "Curly" or the fat guy "Slim".

I kid... I had a great P bass once. I will have another.

 

[JansenW]

Is there such a thing as a "modern vintage" bass?

Edit: Or a "classic jazz"?

 

[tplyons]

IIRC, that's correct.

Does that make a "fretless precision" an oxymoron?

Yes.

 

[Turock]

IIRC, that's correct.

Does that make a "fretless precision" an oxymoron?

Actually, the fretted Precision is more of an oxymoron. You can be more precise on a fretless than you can on a fretted bass.

 

[Bassist4Life]

I heard Leo Fender named it the Precision because it had frets, allowing intonation to be "precise."

+1

I heard this too.

Joe

 

[Nick Ioannucci]

fretless precision=aproximation?

 

[Kickin'Fruit]

Actually, the fretted Precision is more of an oxymoron. You can be more precise on a fretless than you can on a fretted bass.

yeah but not as accurate.

 

[Turock]

yeah but not as accurate.

Let me get this straight; you are agreeing that you can be more precise, but not accurate. Well, allow me to clue you in on something: the definition of precise is accurate.
One can be more accurate on a fretless instrument than one could ever be on a fretted instrument.

 

[SuperDuck]

Because they're precisely what you need for kick-ass tone.

 

[Turock]

fretless precision=aproximation?

Actually, fretted = aproximation.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Can't you be "in the neighborhood" of the note you desire and be completely audibly off- and in fact if you're not used to a fretless, sound like a complete and total amateur? (not that it's ever happened to me or anything...)

With a fretted bass, pretty much wherever your finger lies between the frets is going to give you "essentially" the same note.

 

[Turock]

Can't you be "in the neighborhood" of the note you desire and be completely audibly off- and in fact if you're not used to a fretless, sound like a complete and total amateur? (not that it's ever happened to me or anything...)

Sure, you can. You can also be more precise.

With a fretted bass, pretty much wherever your finger lies between the frets is going to give you "essentially" the same note.

Yes, and if your intonation is not set correctly, or the fret is not exact, etc... then you are stuck with that "essentially the same" inaccurate note.

 

[lemur821]

Let me get this straight; you are agreeing that you can be more precise, but not accurate. Well, allow me to clue you in on something: the definition of precise is accurate.
One can be more accurate on a fretless instrument than one could ever be on a fretted instrument.

Well, not exactly. Accuracy is conformance to a standard (of pitches, in this case), and precision is how specific you are. A fretless could be more precise, since you could have finer gradiations of pitch under your fingers, but if you're shooting for 12 equally spaced notes, you might be less accurate. Of course, the terms apply more directly to measuring equipment than to instruments.

 

[drwhiteguy]

Let me get this straight; you are agreeing that you can be more precise, but not accurate. Well, allow me to clue you in on something: the definition of precise is accurate.
One can be more accurate on a fretless instrument than one could ever be on a fretted instrument.

didnt read through all the replies to see if this was adressed, but precise and accurate are two completely different words.

Precise means something is correct and true, accurate only implies very little to no difference among repeated trials, or in this case a finger position.

So by playing a note a little off every time (but the same way) is still being very accurate, but because it is wrong, it's still not precise.

EDIT: Did not realize this thread was so short for some reason, So I concur with lemur821, who worded it much more elegantly.

 

[Kickin'Fruit]

Let me get this straight; you are agreeing that you can be more precise, but not accurate. Well, allow me to clue you in on something: the definition of precise is accurate.
One can be more accurate on a fretless instrument than one could ever be on a fretted instrument.

Actually. they aren't the same thing. A square is always a rectangle but a rectangle is not always a square.

Precision is the ability to get close to the nominal value while Accuracy is how close you actually are.

Well, not exactly. Accuracy is conformance to a standard (of pitches, in this case), and precision is how specific you are. A fretless could be more precise, since you could have finer gradiations of pitch under your fingers, but if you're shooting for 12 equally spaced notes, you might be less accurate. Of course, the terms apply more directly to measuring equipment than to instruments.

Precisely.



Take for example the Dart Board. Someone who shoots consistently at the same point (robin hood splitting an arrow) is precise. However, unless he is in the bullseye, he is not accurate.

 

[Turock]

I don't know what dictionary you guys are using, but mine says:
Precise - accurate: (of ideas, images, representations, expressions) characterized by perfect conformity to fact or truth ; strictly correct; "a precise image"; "a precise measurement"

 

[drwhiteguy]

No offense to you or your dictionary, but it's definition isn't very scientific or "precise."

We are getting way off topic here.

Precisions are nice basses!