Fender expands their American Vintage Series Basses with four new models, evoking the vintage look, feel and sound of basses from the late ’50s to the early ’70s.
These bass guitars are re-imagined versions of select vintage Fender instruments, made available to modern bassists.
Bassists who prefer vintage and traditional Fender P Bass and J Bass styles are in for a treat with these four new instruments. There are two new models to choose from for each style, and each one featuring distinct variations that will cater to various playing styles and preferences.
Starting off the four new models is the American Vintage ’58 Precision Bass, based on the design of the original P Basses made in the late ’50s. Following that is the American Vintage ’63 Precision Bass, a variation that features round-laminated rosewood fingerboards. The J Bazz style is represented by the new American vintage ’64 Jazz Bass, featuring a slimmer C-shaped neck. Last but not the least is the American Vintage ’74 Jazz Bass, mimicking the design changes implemented in the mid ’70s, it features a meatier U-shape neck profile.
Fender provided some details for each of the new bass guitars:
American Vintage ’58 Precision Bass
Available in 3-Color Sunburst, White Blonde, and Black, the American Vintage ’58 Precision Bass commemorates the first year in which the bass that started it all appeared in a 3-Color Sunburst finish. That classic combination is now a longtime Fender tradition, and the ’58 American Vintage Precision Bass brings you other authentic features, including a lightweight alder body (Ash on White Blonde model), thick “C”-shaped maple neck with 20 vintage-style frets and black dot inlays, gold anodized aluminum pickguard with lacquer finish, and new American Vintage ’58 split single-coil pickup. Also includes lower-mounted finger rest, vintage-style bridge with threaded steel “barrel” saddles, flat-top knurled chrome control knobs, reverse tuners, mounted chrome pickup and bridge covers, and more.
American Vintage ’63 Precision Bass
The year 1963 marks an important moment in Precision Bass history because that’s when a comfortable new round-laminated rosewood fingerboard first appeared on the bass that revolutionized the world of music. That’s here on the new American Vintage ’63 Precision Bass, which evokes that year’s model with other authentic features, including a slightly wider “C”-shaped maple neck, clay-colored dot position inlays, three-ply mint green pickguard (four-ply tortoiseshell pickguard on 3-Color Sunburst model), new American Vintage ’63 split single-coil pickup, lower-mounted finger rest, vintage-style bridge with threaded steel “barrel” saddles, flat-top knurled chrome control knobs, reverse tuners, chrome pickup and bridge covers, auxiliary strap button on the back of the headstock, and more. Available in 3-Color Sunburst, Olympic White, Faded Sonic Blue, and Frost Red.
American Vintage ’64 Jazz Bass
The Jazz Bass acquired an even slimmer “C”-shaped maple neck in 1964. That’s what you’ll find here on the American vintage ’64 Jazz Bass, which has other authentic features including a round-laminated rosewood fingerboard with 20 vintage-style frets and clay-colored dot inlays, three-ply white pickguard (four-ply tortoiseshell pickguard on 3-Color Sunburst and Olympic White models), new American Vintage ’64 Jazz Bass single-coil pickups, lower-mounted finger rest, vintage-style bridge with threaded steel “barrel” saddles, black plastic control knobs, reverse tuners, chrome pickup and “F”-stamped bridge covers with vintage-accurate positioning, auxiliary strap button on the back of the headstock, and more. Available in 3-Color Sunburst, Olympic White, Lake Placid Blue (with matching headstock), and Black.
Significant changes were afoot in 1974 for the Jazz Bass. The bridge pickup had been moved about half an inch closer to the bridge only the year before, and 1974 saw the last of the four-bolt necks for quite a while. Further, the slim “C”-shaped maple neck was re-sculpted with a meatier U-shaped profile (and acquired a walnut “skunk” stripe, white fingerboard binding and pearl block inlays made their first appearance, and black pickguards replaced their longstanding tortoiseshell predecessors.
American Vintage ’74 Jazz Bass
The American Vintage ’74 Jazz Bass encompasses all of the above and is the sole member of the new American Vintage bass lineup to offer a choice of maple and round-laminated rosewood fingerboards, each with white binding, pearl block inlays and 20 vintage-style frets. Other authentic features include a urethane-finished alder body (ash on Natural-finish model), three-ply black/white/black pickguard (three-play white/black/white on Black model). New American Vintage ’74 Jazz Bass single-coil pickups, upper-mounted thumb rest, vintage-style bridge with single-groove steel “barrel” saddles, ‘70s-style “Fender”-stamped open-gear tuners, four-bolt “F”-stamped neck plate, chrome pickup and “F”-stamped bridge covers with vintage-accurate positioning, and more. Available in 3-Color Sunburst, Olympic White, Black, and Natural.
For more information, and complete specifications, you can head over to Fender.
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THE NEW HIGH DOLLAR FENDER BASSES ARE FABULOUS , BUT THE AVERAGE BASS PLAYER WHO IS OUT THERE PLAYING CLUBS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD ONE . WHAT A SHAME INDEED .
FABULOUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wish I could afford one .