1959 FENDER PRECISION BASS

1959 Fender Precision Bass

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During the year the pots cavity route changed from a boomerang shape to adding curves. By mid year the one piece maple neck with skunk stripe began transitioning to a Brazilian rosewood slab fretboard. This caused the fret markers to transition from black dots to clay dots. By August the bridge saddles changed from fine thread to coarse thread and the bridgeplate corners became more rounded. Occasionally the serial number is located at the bottom of the neck plate instead of at the top. By late year the light brown tolex case with gold interior was introduced in addition to the brown tweed case with gold interior. A brown vinyl "Artistic Products" gigbag was also available.

Other 1959 Precision bass characteristics: spaghetti logo with no patent numbers applied on top of the finish, Kluson no-name riveted clover reverse tuners, usually a neck butt pencil date, fifth hole on neck butt for hanging while painting, no neck pocket paint stick, three tone sunburst finish, body nail holes (for painting/drying), 10 screw gold anodized aluminum pickguard or 13 screw tortoise shell/white/black/white pickguard with sheet metal ground shield underneath, 2 screw thumb rest under G string, black bobbin split pickups with flush pole pieces, ground shield under pickups, pickup cavity pencil date, chrome pickup cover and bridge cover with foam rubber string mute, flat top knobs, CTS or Stackpole potentiometers, white rectangular tone capacitor with blue stripe, Switchcraft input jack, cloth wiring, ground wire route underneath bridge.

Serial numbers were located at the top of the neck plate and ranged from roughly 027500 to 43100, although there are many overlapping exceptions. For more precise dating cross reference the serial number with the instrument's neck butt, body date and pot codes.