Fender American Professional II Precision Bass - Miami Blue with Maple Fingerboard Reviews

I've almost always played jazz basses or variations of them. I decided I wanted to add a Precision bass as an alternative. After playing a number of them at a local shop, I found that I really liked the American Pro II more than the other options available, but the shop didn't have the color I wanted. I called my sales engineer, Nick Church, and he got me setup with the Miami Blue bass I'd picked out (thank you Nick!) back in May (I've been playing it six months now).

So, about this bass… As others have mentioned, the color is beautiful and it is practically impossible to capture in a photograph. It is in the range between green and blue where the light you're in will make it look very green or very blue. The fit, finish, and feel of this bass are all great. For the feel/playability, the neck is definitely thicker and wider than my jazz styled bass (currently a Lakland Skyline DJ-4), but not so thick as to be uncomfortable. It feels familiar enough to quickly switch between the DJ-4 and the Precision without messing up my playing, while feeling different enough to inspire different ideas. I've also been used to playing a natural finished neck with just an oil/wax finish on it since the late 80's. While the "Super-Natural" finish on the Precision feels different, it doesn't feel bad or throw me off when quickly moving up or down the neck. I think Fender did a great job with developing a finish that protects the neck while still giving it a nice, fast feel. The tuning machines, bridge, and other hardware are high quality and work with the graphite stiffened neck to make a very solid and stable feel.

Moving on to the tone, I have not felt the need to replace the pickup (something I almost always do on my basses). It has a nice warmth and growl with zero noise. With headphones on and nothing else playing, I can hear the difference in the E/A half and the D/G half of the pickup, but through an amp or with drums the differences help the bass sound more balanced across the whole range. Over-all, I'm very impressed with this bass. As someone who modifies everything to suit my needs/wants, it impresses me that Fender's choices on this bass have resulted in the only thing I've changed are the strings. I've found that the Precision has quickly become my go-to bass for playing Sunday morning worship service, as the tone works so well with music.

I'm a long time guitar player, but this is my first "real bass" and it was worth every penny. The quality, sound, and playability are on a completely different level. I've got quite a few MIM Fenders that I love, but this is something special.

The satin neck with the rounded fretboard makes playing so easy and comfortable. Even though it's brand new, it has a broken in feel that just makes you want to play. The sound quality is top notch and all the electronics are dead silent with no interference or hum. It also came in perfect condition and set up perfectly.

The color is incredibly difficult to photograph and probably has a more teal-tone in person, but it's spectacular. The pick guard is also slightly aged/off white (it's tough to tell in photos, but it really does look great).

All in all this bass has rekindled an excitement for music in me that I haven't felt in a long time.

Pictures don't do the Miami Blue justice. It's just beautiful, with of hint of green/teal. Impossible to photograph, try as you might. Get Sweetwater to set it up for you. I got them to install Elixirs and it's low and fast, strung through the body. What a beast! Growling low end and articulate highs. The combination of features in this line up are the new standard.

As everyone else has said this Miami Blue color is stunning. Mine has a very yellow tint on the fretboard which make it even more gorgeous. The action was a little higher than I prefer, but some simple adjustments took care of that. I like the sound of the pickups and I don't see any need to upgrade them. The tuners, and the high mass bridge are very solid. The neck is very comfortable, but not so large that it would be cumbersome to play. Fender has done a great job with this one. I would say that if you only plan on having one Precision bass this one should definitely be considered. They are more money, but in the end I think they are worth it. I have always preferred Fender basses and I own several different models, but the American Pro II basses are my favorites.

I recently purchased a Fender Professional II Precision Bass. It is my third bass, I own a Rickenbacker 4003 model and an Ibanez SBD3 Signature bass.
I am completely satisfied with my new Fender bass. It is so very easy to play, the tone is perfect, the neck is silky smooth. I am a solid Rickenbacker bassist, but this Fender is giving my Rick a run for its money. I am a satisfied Fender customer.