Fender Precision Bass Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1962), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 83915, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown tolex hard shell case.
While not technically near mint, this late 1962 Precision bass is really about as clean as it usually gets now 60+ years along if the instrument has been used at all. It shows some very light finish wear but appears to have seen only limited service over the last six decades plus. This is truly a very lovely fully pre-CBS Precision, one of the lighter and handier we have had with the look, feel, and sound that defines the classic 1960s Fender bass.
Features particular to this period include the then newly adopted medium-thin-lam dark rosewood fingerboard with clay dot inlay, "Transition" silver Fender logo decal, late pre-"L" serial number plate, tortoiseshell pattern nitrocellulose pickguard and "backwards" winding Kluson bass tuners. The neck and body are finished with the thin Pre-CBS style lacquer, the body in a beautifully blended sunburst finish with a mellower color mix than the "target" bursts of 1965 and after. The neck pocket is still finished over fully as '50s ones were, as it was done just before the "paint stick" made its appearance in the next few months.
The bass would have been assembled around the end of 1962/beginning of 1963, three years before the CBS takeover. The neck heel is stamped 5 NOV62C, the visible pot date is to the 37th week of that year. It has obviously seen not much use over six decades and remains completely original and far better preserved than most period Fender basses.
This is simply an exceptional example of the world's premier electric bass, still ruler of the roost 60+ years on and ready for the next half-century of low end action. It has the classic Precision sound with a bright midrange growl that warms up nicely when the tone knob is rolled off a bit. At just under 9 Lbs. (with both covers ON) this is fairly light for a Precision Bass with a superbly resonant sound even unplugged. This era's Precision Bass is an absolute classic, played by the majority of the great electric bassists of the 1960s and '70s heard on literally thousands of recordings since then. This bass remains a wonderful instrument for any style of music, an absolute joy to play and a prime example of glory days of the Fullerton, California Fender factory.
Overall length is 45 3/4 in. (116.2 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.)., 8.92 lbs.
This is a very clean and all original bass, one of the nicest from this period we have had. There is virtually no fade and only some very light wear to the all original nitro finish on body. This is some light scuffing with very small chips and dings some of which have been discreetly touched up, as is usual mostly to the edges. The back has some light belt buckle scratching into but not through the finish.
The clear neck finish is very clean with only light wear along the treble side edge, there is one small "classic" cigarette burn to the headstock face behind the low E tuner. The Fender logo decal is practically perfect. The hardware is all original and complete including the (hardened) foam under the bridge cover. The pickguard has far less shrinkage than most, with no popped or cracked corners. The chrome pickup cover and the plastic finger rest are still intact, as are all the original screws. The hardened foam is still present under the bridge cover, so if it is to be left in place the bass is better played with the cover dismounted.
The neck is nice and straight and the original small-wire frets show very little wear; There has been a light pull-and plane to true just the high end of the fingerboard, the original frets were preserved. This bass likely had flatwound strings on since the beginning as indeed it still does now. This is a superb early '60's Precision, now well over 60 years old and not really showing it at all, ready for many more decades of bottom end goodness. The bass still lives in the original red-lined brown Tolex Fender HSC, also cleaner than most. Overall Excellent Condition.
