'96 Fender Precision A/E
'96 Fender Precision A/E |
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Fender made this unusual bass for only a couple of years in 96/97. Built in Japan, the instrument has a body of gorgeous mahogany - routed so as to be semi hollow - topped with spruce to give a very "acoustic" appearance - which is emphasized by the fixed acoustic guitar style bridge (which conceals a piezo transducer) and a single f-hole (similar to Fender's Thinline Telecaster). The top is bound, though not the f-hole. The fretless, unlined neck is a standard Precision shape and width. Active electronics allow a wide range of sound by blending the outputs of a traditional split-coil P-Bass pickup and the under-bridge piezo pickup (A/E stands for Acoustic/Electric). With a little effort, this thing can sound *exactly* like a real stand-up bass. You'd be amazed! Far from being the home of the cheap knockoffs it once was, by the 90's Japanese guitar production was top notch, rivaling the best US manufacturers. Cheaper production had already moved on to Korea and then to Indonesia and elsewhere. Even in the 60's when quality was spotty, the Japanese were known for their weird and (sometimes) wonderful guitar designs. In the 90's, while American Fender designers were busy reviving the past, it was left to the Japanese to innovate - as shown in this example.
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Cool Features: - Pretty much everything about it! - Check out that neckplate - The funky acoustic-style bridge - String-through body design - Unique body construction - That acoustic bass sound!
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