Gear Review: The Fender Precision Bass Guitar (Mexican Version)

I bought my first Fender Precision bass guitar back in the 1980's and I loved it. It was an early 70's model and I bought it used for $325 out of the classified ads, a good score even back then. It was easy to play, had a great rock sound, was solid and durable, and it looked killer on stage. I also bought a couple other cheaper basses that looked cool but sounded wimpy and trebly compared to my Fender Precision. My P bass served me well for a few years, until I unfortunately fell onto hard times and hocked it... big mistake.

Nowadays, I am a guitar player, but I do quite a bit of home recording and was in need of a quality bass for my studio. I got tired of borrowing bass guitars from my friends to record with, so I decided it was time to purchase myself a new four-string jet machine. What I really wanted was another 70's issue Fender Precision bass, but those things sell used now for well over a grand a piece and I wasn't quite ready to spend that much money for an instrument I figured I would only use for occasional recording. But I did know I wanted a P bass, as it IS the sexiest bass in the land (that's why it is the most copied body style among the no-name basses) and has a fine reputation as a bass that works well with any style of music.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the Fender Precision Standard bass selling for $300 brand new at Guitar Center (note: this was back in 2002, they now go for $600). I tried one out and compared it to the more expensive American Fender P bass (which nowadays sell for $1400). The cheaper Standard version is made in Mexico, while the American is made in the good old USA, and the differences are apparent. The American Precision was definitely the better bass of the two: it was easier to play and had superior pick-ups, an had a much more rock-solid sound, with better sounding lows and a sturdier feel. Still, the Standard was good enough for my needs at the time, and as I was a poor man back then it fit my budget. I bought one new for $275 (after some wheeling and dealing) and took it home.

I've owned this bass now for seven years and have used it quite a bit for recording and I'm happy to report that it does stay in tune, it hasn't fallen apart on me, and it does sound decent enough for the price. However, my main complaint with this bass is that it is not the easiest bass to play... the neck is slim and the action has to be set high or I get plenty of fret buzz when playing my blitzkrieg style with a pick. The neck does appear to be slightly bowed, but I have not been able to adjust it at all with an allen wrench which adds to my belief that perhaps the construction of these made-in-Mexico versions is not too good. In fact, the playability issue makes it not so fun to play anymore, and I just recently bought myself a no-name $200 Fender P-style bass that has much better action and a wider neck which makes it easier and more fun to jam on, although the SOUND of the Fender was still superior.

All in all, the Fender Precision Standard bass is perhaps a decent enough bass for beginners and it may be adequate enough for playing live on stage as it does have the Fender Precision name, the sexy looks, and the sound and tone are half-way decent, but as I said, the playability is not great and I myself would NOT buy another one of these -- not for $600 anyway! In fact, I don't really consider the made-in-Mexico Standard to be a "real" Fender P. bass anymore, and if I was to seriously play bass live in a band I would definitely spend the extra money and get either the American version or a used 70's or 80's model Precision bass instead.