BUILDER PROFILE
ON THE DOWN LOW WITH FENDER | Doug Doppler
The Fender Precision bass was released in October of 1951 , forever changing the way the world saw and heard the bass guitar . Although Paul Tutmarc ’ s Audiovox Model 736 Electric Bass Fiddle was the first horizontally played electric bass , it was Fender that brough electric bass to the masses . While there are a number of noteworthy manufacturers on the bass space , no one has had the continued impacted that Fender has . Rather than doing a traditional ‘ round up ’ of Fender basses , we wanted to get their take on what connects these instruments to Fender ’ s illustrious past as well as get their take on what makes these new instruments so special . So , without further ado , it is our pleasure to introduce Joey Brasler VP , Product Management , Fender Electric Guitars , Basses , and Amps . engineering side of things , how do you balance staying true to the legacy while simultaneously carving out room to innovate ?
[ Joey Brasler ] The Fender Jazz and Precision Basses are such a strong foundation to build on – we can offer major benefits to players by creating key design changes that address how today ’ s bassists are making their music and what innovations we can create to get them there . Whether vintage , modern , or more offbeat ( Gold Foil , for instance ), we ’ re always using the Jazz and Precision basses as platforms and “ coloring within the lines ,” as we say . Pickup voicing , Noiseless™ pickups , on-board active EQs , neck shapes , various fingerboard radii , improved comfort contours on the neck heel and body and much more – in different combinations – can all provide a fresh , creative playing experience without sacrificing the identity of the original designs . basses speak to you most and why ?
[ Joey ] Well – frets . Those solved some challenges back in 1951 , didn ’ t they ? The splitcoil noiseless Precision Bass pickup introduced in 1957 . Dual pickups with blend controls on the Jazz Bass in 1960 , which allowed for nearly infinite tonal options . And the Bass V , which was the very first 5-string electric bass , introduced in 1965 . The deeper you dig into the innovative spirit that contributed to the early designs – well , it compels our Product Development team to come up with more and more ways to serve musicians everywhere .
[ WM ] As part of this feature , I ’ m reviewing the American Vintage II 1960 Precision Bass , American Professional II Jazz Bass Fretless , and the Gold Foil Jazz Bass . What are some of the standout features on these instruments for you ?
[ WM ] Be it the P-Bass or the Jazz Bass , Fender set the standard for electric bass . On the
[ WM ] Which innovations of the early Fender [ Joey ] For the American Vintage II Series ,
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