This vintage 1966 Fender Precision Bass is really solid and ready to play. It is all original, with a newer ground wired added correctly. The bass has all the hallmarks of the era: excellent body contours, great feel, nice wide neck, amazing Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard, reverse tuners, beautiful tortoiseshell pickguard, both bridge and pickup covers and best of all- that big low end and incredible tone. This bass has a factory "ES" stamp near the pickup in the body. That stands for "Entered Special" and means that this bass was crafted and finished to the highest degree-typically used for trade shows or special VIP orders-including premier dealers and product representatives. Very cool!
This bass was made in mid-1966 at the original Fender factory in Fullerton California, U.S.A. The original owner purchased a Fender body guard that goes around the sides and back for protection. As you can see, the backside is ridiculously clean, and thanks to the owner's excellent care; the front is really nice also. There is a faint line shadow visible in some areas along the sides where the black finish is slightly less glossy-it is not real noticeable-see photo. Along with the body guard, the original owner ordered the Fender "belt strap" which required two small holes for the strap pins on the back. They are at a diagonal alignment, near the edges and can be easily filled-or just left alone-they don't effect any structural element at all, just a tiny cosmetic. Speaking of cosmetics: the finish color is very vibrant and just looks killer. The pickguard has no cracks and is in excellent condition. The covers display a slight patina but shine very reflective and look great. The pickups are very clean and in excellent condition. The neck slot is clean and has both employee inspection stamps and hand-written production approval indications. The neck stamp indicates a standard width, produced in July 1966.
The neck joint is clean and an excellent fitment. The neck itself is super smooth and perfectly straight. The clear finish on the back of the neck had checked considerably and the previous owner had the playing area portion sanded down to the wood for a very smooth feel. It looks nice and authentic-like real wear-but would look even better if it had a better blend near the headstock or if it were just played a bit. The neck profile is the typical P-bass Medium-C shape. The neck depth measures .830" deep at the 1st fret and .972" at the 12th fret. The back of the headstock retains the clear finish and you can see the line checking as well as feel it if you wish. The nut measures 1.73" wide for really nice string spacing. The tuners all function well and the bass retains tuning very well. The headstock and logo display excellent. The Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard is very clean. The frets have been polished and appear near-new condition and height-see photos. The action is low and very smooth. The string height measures .020" at the 1st fret and .075" at the 12th. A very nice relief indeed. It plays like butter up and down the fingerboard with no dead or weak spots anywhere.
The pickups have an excellent signal and measure 10.90 ohms. The original harness is in great condition and the potentiometers date to the 17th week of 1966. As noted earlier, the ground wire is a later piece installed correctly. The electronics all function smoothly and quietly with no issues. The Bass sounds amazing with the super rumbling low end and definition you want. It is the quintessential Precision Bass tone. The bridge is nice and clean and the saddles all function with no issues.
The bass has a good balance and is lots of fun to play. It just feels right.
The case looks like a 1965-era P-bass case, but I think it is a later production. The interior is brown. It functions nicely and is great for protection.
