Fender Precision Bass Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1963)
LOADING IMAGES
Fender Precision Bass Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1963), made in Fullerton, California, serial # L22541, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original blond tolex hard shell case.
IF you REALLY want to feel and hear what playing a Fender Bass was all about in 1964, this is as close as most mortals will get in 2025! While not near absolutely mint, really this late 1963 Precision bass is about as clean as it usually gets now 60+ years on if the instrument has been used at all. This bass shows some very light finish wear but appears to have seen very little actual use over the last six decades. It is truly an exceptionally lovely 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. AND It is still equipped with an original set of the now "Holy Grail" 1960s La Bella flatwound strings, which have likely been on since new.
Features particular to this period include a thin-lam dark rosewood fingerboard with clay dot inlay, "Transition" silver Fender logo decal, early "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 blended sunburst finish with just a bit mellower color mix than the "target" bursts of 1965 and after.
The bass would have been assembled in fall 1963, just over a year before the CBS takeover. The neck heel is stamped 5 SEP63C, the visible pot date is to the 29th 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. The only alteration is a small 1960s pinstriping decal added to the pickguard, which could easily be removed but we think adds character and makes this bass even cooler.
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 under 8 1/2 Lbs. (with both covers ON) this is quite light for a Precision Bass from ANY era, 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.)., 8.44 lbs.
This is a very clean and original bass, one of the nicest from this period we have had in a while. There is virtually no fade and only some very light wear to the all original nitro finish on body, just small chips and dings some of which have been discreetly touched up. The largest is case rub wear no the lower body horn. The back has some light belt buckle scratching into the finish. The clear neck finish is very clean with only minimal wear, there is one tiny nick in the "F" of the Fender logo decal. The hardware is all original and complete down to the screws, including the (hardened) foam under the bridge cover. The chrome pickup cover and the plastic finger rest are still intact, as are all the original screws. A bit of the chrome has flaked off the tone knob.
The neck is nice and straight and the original small-wire frets show very little wear; this bass likely had La Bella flatwound strings on since the beginning as indeed it still does now. The small added detailing decal on the pickguard under the strings is the only alteration. This is a superb playing early '60's Precision, now just over 60 years old and ready for many more decades of bottom end goodness. To find these period LaBella strings intact and in this clean state is exceptionally rare today, and they give this bass the classic flatwound thump and bark. The strings are quite heavy gauge and have a higher tension than nearly all modern strings, giving a very different feel. The bass still lives in the original red-lined blonde Tolex Fender HSC, also cleaner than most. Overall Excellent + Condition.
IF you REALLY want to feel and hear what playing a Fender Bass was all about in 1964, this is as close as most mortals will get in 2025! While not near absolutely mint, really this late 1963 Precision bass is about as clean as it usually gets now 60+ years on if the instrument has been used at all. This bass shows some very light finish wear but appears to have seen very little actual use over the last six decades. It is truly an exceptionally lovely 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. AND It is still equipped with an original set of the now "Holy Grail" 1960s La Bella flatwound strings, which have likely been on since new.
Features particular to this period include a thin-lam dark rosewood fingerboard with clay dot inlay, "Transition" silver Fender logo decal, early "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 blended sunburst finish with just a bit mellower color mix than the "target" bursts of 1965 and after.
The bass would have been assembled in fall 1963, just over a year before the CBS takeover. The neck heel is stamped 5 SEP63C, the visible pot date is to the 29th 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. The only alteration is a small 1960s pinstriping decal added to the pickguard, which could easily be removed but we think adds character and makes this bass even cooler.
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 under 8 1/2 Lbs. (with both covers ON) this is quite light for a Precision Bass from ANY era, 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.)., 8.44 lbs.
This is a very clean and original bass, one of the nicest from this period we have had in a while. There is virtually no fade and only some very light wear to the all original nitro finish on body, just small chips and dings some of which have been discreetly touched up. The largest is case rub wear no the lower body horn. The back has some light belt buckle scratching into the finish. The clear neck finish is very clean with only minimal wear, there is one tiny nick in the "F" of the Fender logo decal. The hardware is all original and complete down to the screws, including the (hardened) foam under the bridge cover. The chrome pickup cover and the plastic finger rest are still intact, as are all the original screws. A bit of the chrome has flaked off the tone knob.
The neck is nice and straight and the original small-wire frets show very little wear; this bass likely had La Bella flatwound strings on since the beginning as indeed it still does now. The small added detailing decal on the pickguard under the strings is the only alteration. This is a superb playing early '60's Precision, now just over 60 years old and ready for many more decades of bottom end goodness. To find these period LaBella strings intact and in this clean state is exceptionally rare today, and they give this bass the classic flatwound thump and bark. The strings are quite heavy gauge and have a higher tension than nearly all modern strings, giving a very different feel. The bass still lives in the original red-lined blonde Tolex Fender HSC, also cleaner than most. Overall Excellent + Condition.