Available Colors
1951 Original
Introduced in 1951, the Fender Precision Bass is widely recognized as the first commercially successful electric bass guitar. Designed by Leo Fender, it transformed the role of the bass in modern music by replacing the bulky, hard-to-amplify upright bass with a compact, solid-body instrument that could be easily transported and reliably amplified. Its fretted neck allowed players to achieve accurate pitch—hence the name "Precision"—making it accessible to guitarists and ensuring consistent intonation. With its powerful pickup, solid-body construction, and 34-inch scale length, the Precision Bass established the fundamental design template for nearly all electric basses that followed. More than a technical innovation, it redefined how bass functioned in bands, shaping the sound of popular music from the 1950s onward.
Product Overview
- Production Years
- 1951 - 1963
- Status
- Discontinued
- Country of Origin
- 🇺🇸 USA
- Category
- Bass Guitar › Complete Instrument
Technical Specifications
- body
- Ash
- body Type
- Solid Body
- neck
- Maple
- neck Type
- Bolt-On
- fretboard
- Maple
- frets
- 20
- scale Length
- 34"
- strings
- 4
- pickup Configuration
- Single Coil - Precision Bass pickup (P)
- electronics
- Passive
- bridge
- Standard vintage steel bridge (four-saddle design)
- finish
- Gloss Nitrocellulose
- weight
- Approximately 8.5 lbs (3.8 kg)
History & Legacy
Leo Fender, already enjoying success with his Broadcaster (later renamed the Telecaster), recognized an opportunity to rethink the bass in the same way he had reimagined the electric guitar. Fender was not trying to replicate the sound or tradition of the upright bass. Instead, his architecture cast a new vision that did not exist before—a compact, practical low-end instrument designed for guitarists and modern music. The Precision Bass allowed players to achieve accurate pitch—hence the name "Precision"—making it accessible to guitarists and ensuring consistent intonation. While Fender initially produced only around 50 basses a year, the Precision Bass gained popularity quickly, especially as rock and roll emerged and small combos replaced big bands. Over time, Fender refined the design: in 1954, the body was contoured for comfort; in 1957, the split-coil humbucker pickup appeared, giving the P-Bass its iconic warmth and punch. The 1957 model is often regarded as a vintage gem. Eventually, it was joined by the Jazz Bass (1960), but the Precision Bass remained Fender's foundational electric bass instrument, setting a standard that influenced nearly every bass maker that came after. Frankly important notes to read-bass construction, elevating the role bass played in bands in a way previously not possible. It is a strong, clear signal with a punchier tone and an instrument that could be reliably and easily transported and amplified during the high energy changes of modern bands.