Fender Precision Bass Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1959)
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Item #13687
Fender Precision Bass Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1959), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 36065, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck, original tweed hard shell case.
This early 1959 Fender Precision Bass is one of the coolest "Genuine Relic" examples we have had of what many hold to be the finest electric bass ever made. It shows a decent amount of cosmetic wear but no structural damage, repair or alteration, remaining completely original down to period LaBella strings. This bass appears to have been played a LOT when new, then put away for decades sleeping through the '70s and beyond to emerge in 2026 like a 4-string Rip Van Winkle.
The bass has a fabulous provenance played with the Merl Lindsay band, one of the premier American Western swing outfits from the 1930s to the mid-1960s. If mostly forgotten now Lindsay was popular in the southwest especially in Oklahoma; at one point their singer was a young Wanda Jackson. They cut some great records from the 1940s into the early '60s including some hot boogie sides that could be classed as proto rockabilly; this bass is likely heard on the last couple of them. This style of music was what Fender instruments were designed for, but it is now rare to find one actually played in the genre. Perhaps it was procured direct from the factory in 1959!
In mid-1957 Leo Fender's Precision bass had been re-designed with new features: gold anodized aluminum pickguard, split pickup, fully adjustable 4-saddle bridge and a larger "Strat style" headstock on the slimmer one-piece maple neck. The deep 3-color sunburst finish was added shortly after. These basses have been sought after since the beginnings of electric instrument collecting, generally regarded as some of the most desirable of all Fender basses and the apex of Precision Bass design.
This played-in but ALL original example dates to early/mid 1959. The neck is marked 3-59 on the heel; Fender suspended this dating soon after, to resume a year or so down the line. The bass was assembled not quite two years after this updated version went into production and only a few months before the model was altered with the new "slab" rosewood fingerboards that summer. Production for this Precision variant ran only that two-year span; these basses have never been common. The beautiful gold anodized metal pickguard would last into the late summer of 1959, then replaced by celluloid. The tendency of the metal to wear through was the reason Fender Sales insisted on the change but the "gold guard" has been a status symbol ever since!
The bass carries a lovely three-tone sunburst lacquer finish with plenty of red hue remaining; under the pickguard it is deeper still. The natural-finished neck has a round-backed but quite slim profile. The headstock is adorned with the old "Spaghetti" Fender logo decal. This is an absolute classic, as played by the great majority of the then-new electric bassists of the late 1950s heard on countless recordings. Even in the 1960s one of these old maple neck, gold guard basses was often considered a status symbol by the discerning bassist (Amusingly illustrated in the film "That Thing You Do"). This well-played bass has major Mojo and remains a superb piece of history, a wonderful instrument for any style of music and a prime example of the early glory days of Fender.
The original case is included, so battered as to be not really functional BUT with it is the best piece of "case candy" we have ever seen: a full-length beautifully tailored blue denim cover that encloses the whole case, stenciled MERL LINDSAY BAND in large letters on both sides. We can only imagine the adventures this set has seen!
Overall length is 46 in. (116.8 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This bass shows moderately heavy wear overall, especially to the back but no structural damage, repair or alteration remaining completely original. Many of these basses were played for decades and a large proportion of them have lost the original finish entirely; this one is worn but unaltered.
The lacquer has noticeable wear overall with a collection of dings, dents and scrapes over much of the instrument. The body edges are heavily dinged up, as is common. The largest wear area is heavy belt-buckling to the back; we'd bet the original owner had quite the cowboy belt buckle. Because of this, at some point he glued a large piece of foam to the back; this has been removed but some of the finish wear is residual from the glue involved. By contrast the face and pickguard are cleaner than many; there is armwear along the upper edge and a *deep* spot of finger-wear under the strings on outer edge of the lower cutaway. This is where Merl's bass player anchored their digits, playing with the thumb over the body end of the fingerboard, as Leo intended!
The neck has typical '59 linear checking on the fingerboard and headstock; the decal is very well preserved. some finish has been worn through to the wood on the back on the lower side and specific spots on the upper edge and spine; we can see this band played a lot in the keys of A and C! There is less lacquer loss to the fingerboard than many, mostly just at the upper end from plucking action. The headstock has a big cigarette (cigar?) burn below the E tuner and a dark smoked (?) spot on the back, otherwise is pretty clean with a well-preserved decal. The anodized pickguard only a few small wear spots and remains cleaner than most with a very attractive patina.
Internally the bass is all original, externally all the hardware is original including both chrome covers; the original foam is intact under the tailpiece bell. The original small-wire frets show some light wear but are quite playable; it has always had LaBella flatwound strings installed. The very slim maple neck is lovely and straight and plays effortlessly. This bass sounds fantastic with the now-seldom-found 60+ year old LaBella strings representing an extremely rare opportunity to appreciate EXACTLY how a Fender bass played and sounded when new. It is still an absolute killer, ready for stage or studio; you say you want the "True vintage" sound? This is IT, Baby! The original tweed hardshell case is included in relic shape with no latches remaining but that fantastic cover to hold it together; a modern foam case is provided as well. Overall Very Good + Condition.
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This early 1959 Fender Precision Bass is one of the coolest "Genuine Relic" examples we have had of what many hold to be the finest electric bass ever made. It shows a decent amount of cosmetic wear but no structural damage, repair or alteration, remaining completely original down to period LaBella strings. This bass appears to have been played a LOT when new, then put away for decades sleeping through the '70s and beyond to emerge in 2026 like a 4-string Rip Van Winkle.
The bass has a fabulous provenance played with the Merl Lindsay band, one of the premier American Western swing outfits from the 1930s to the mid-1960s. If mostly forgotten now Lindsay was popular in the southwest especially in Oklahoma; at one point their singer was a young Wanda Jackson. They cut some great records from the 1940s into the early '60s including some hot boogie sides that could be classed as proto rockabilly; this bass is likely heard on the last couple of them. This style of music was what Fender instruments were designed for, but it is now rare to find one actually played in the genre. Perhaps it was procured direct from the factory in 1959!
In mid-1957 Leo Fender's Precision bass had been re-designed with new features: gold anodized aluminum pickguard, split pickup, fully adjustable 4-saddle bridge and a larger "Strat style" headstock on the slimmer one-piece maple neck. The deep 3-color sunburst finish was added shortly after. These basses have been sought after since the beginnings of electric instrument collecting, generally regarded as some of the most desirable of all Fender basses and the apex of Precision Bass design.
This played-in but ALL original example dates to early/mid 1959. The neck is marked 3-59 on the heel; Fender suspended this dating soon after, to resume a year or so down the line. The bass was assembled not quite two years after this updated version went into production and only a few months before the model was altered with the new "slab" rosewood fingerboards that summer. Production for this Precision variant ran only that two-year span; these basses have never been common. The beautiful gold anodized metal pickguard would last into the late summer of 1959, then replaced by celluloid. The tendency of the metal to wear through was the reason Fender Sales insisted on the change but the "gold guard" has been a status symbol ever since!
The bass carries a lovely three-tone sunburst lacquer finish with plenty of red hue remaining; under the pickguard it is deeper still. The natural-finished neck has a round-backed but quite slim profile. The headstock is adorned with the old "Spaghetti" Fender logo decal. This is an absolute classic, as played by the great majority of the then-new electric bassists of the late 1950s heard on countless recordings. Even in the 1960s one of these old maple neck, gold guard basses was often considered a status symbol by the discerning bassist (Amusingly illustrated in the film "That Thing You Do"). This well-played bass has major Mojo and remains a superb piece of history, a wonderful instrument for any style of music and a prime example of the early glory days of Fender.
The original case is included, so battered as to be not really functional BUT with it is the best piece of "case candy" we have ever seen: a full-length beautifully tailored blue denim cover that encloses the whole case, stenciled MERL LINDSAY BAND in large letters on both sides. We can only imagine the adventures this set has seen!
Overall length is 46 in. (116.8 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This bass shows moderately heavy wear overall, especially to the back but no structural damage, repair or alteration remaining completely original. Many of these basses were played for decades and a large proportion of them have lost the original finish entirely; this one is worn but unaltered.
The lacquer has noticeable wear overall with a collection of dings, dents and scrapes over much of the instrument. The body edges are heavily dinged up, as is common. The largest wear area is heavy belt-buckling to the back; we'd bet the original owner had quite the cowboy belt buckle. Because of this, at some point he glued a large piece of foam to the back; this has been removed but some of the finish wear is residual from the glue involved. By contrast the face and pickguard are cleaner than many; there is armwear along the upper edge and a *deep* spot of finger-wear under the strings on outer edge of the lower cutaway. This is where Merl's bass player anchored their digits, playing with the thumb over the body end of the fingerboard, as Leo intended!
The neck has typical '59 linear checking on the fingerboard and headstock; the decal is very well preserved. some finish has been worn through to the wood on the back on the lower side and specific spots on the upper edge and spine; we can see this band played a lot in the keys of A and C! There is less lacquer loss to the fingerboard than many, mostly just at the upper end from plucking action. The headstock has a big cigarette (cigar?) burn below the E tuner and a dark smoked (?) spot on the back, otherwise is pretty clean with a well-preserved decal. The anodized pickguard only a few small wear spots and remains cleaner than most with a very attractive patina.
Internally the bass is all original, externally all the hardware is original including both chrome covers; the original foam is intact under the tailpiece bell. The original small-wire frets show some light wear but are quite playable; it has always had LaBella flatwound strings installed. The very slim maple neck is lovely and straight and plays effortlessly. This bass sounds fantastic with the now-seldom-found 60+ year old LaBella strings representing an extremely rare opportunity to appreciate EXACTLY how a Fender bass played and sounded when new. It is still an absolute killer, ready for stage or studio; you say you want the "True vintage" sound? This is IT, Baby! The original tweed hardshell case is included in relic shape with no latches remaining but that fantastic cover to hold it together; a modern foam case is provided as well. Overall Very Good + Condition.
