Fender American Ultra Precision Bass - Arctic Pearl with Maple Fingerboard Reviews

I'm one month in on owning my first ultra model. Here's my review…
The Ultra Precision plays very well and sounds excellent. Great variation between passive and active modes. The included case and strap locking system is a nice touch too.

When I received my bass, two of the springs on the bridge were creating a very loud buzz and the action was very high. Took some time to adjust the neck relief, adjusted the intonation and springs, and it now plays as expected. I was a bit surprised that the spring buzz wasn't caught at the 55 point inspection, but maybe it's not something that is checked for? It wasn't hard to fix, but for the price, I was slightly disappointed that it slipped through the cracks of the QC team at fender (and SW) as it was very noticeable, even at the slightest strum. I've actually never experienced this with any of my instruments, but it was an easy fix that required me to take off the spring, then set it back in its place on the bridge.

Regardless of the QC concern, the Ultra Precision has earned 5 stars in my books as it's just flat out amazing to play.

Once set up properly, this thing is playing like butter and feels/sounds as I expected. The neck is very comfortable and easy to play for long sessions, the pickups sound very nice (and they're truly noiseless), and the color looks great! If you're looking for a bass and can't decide between a precision or jazz bass, GET THIS! You won't be disappointed.

This bass feels and plays great. I have no concerns recommending this to others.

I have been playing a Peavey T-40 since 1982.

MY wife bought me the Fender American Ultra Precision Bass for our 40th wedding anniversary.

Been playing the bass for the last few weeks and I love this bass.

Much easier to play and has a great range of tones.

Beautiful looking bass with a great sound, can't ask for much more.

Thanks you Fender.

I've been playing bass for 35 years and have had some very high end basses. I will say first, I have NEVER been a big fan of Fender due to hit and miss quality even on the MIA's. The few I've owned I've sold rather quickly. This bass is on a completely different level than any other fender I've owned or played.

First and foremost the neck - the sick satin finish and rounded edges, along with the modern D profile makes this, for me, the sweetest most buttery neck I've ever played. It's just incredible. The fretwork quality is flawless, and the roasted maple is just beautiful.

My initial impression of the preamp / pickups are a 10/10. Dead silent and I can honestly say I'm getting the tone I've been searching for my entire life. I guess I should have been playing precision's all these years and not messing around with all the boutiques? Ugh. I've read previous fender noiseless PUPs were not great but I believe these are revamped and I can't imagine anyone being disappointed in these pickups or preamp. You must hear this bass to truly understand amd appreciate.

The overall build quality is completely perfect. I'm extremely picky and even the tiniest flaw drive me crazy. I was fortunate to find this bass locally and inspect every minute detail. Just absolutely flawless.

The finish - again, especially with the Arctic Pearl, pictures do no justice. Never been a fan of "white" basses but this is far from boring white. The metallic flake is subtle but so gorgeous. I can't imagine this specific color under stage lights. Again flawless.

I could go on and on. This bass is dang pricey for a Fender but they knocked it way out of the park on this one. If you are on the fence and are unable try one out first, I have no problem whatsoever recommending you just order it. IMO this is easily Fender's best design and build quality I've ever seen. It's a bass for a lifetime, no question.

Awesome Bass Fast Neck, Electronics Far Exceeded My Expectations. Anytime I hear Noiseless Pickups This Message Flashes In My Brain Less Range of Tone. Not The Case, Great Punch, Smooth Midrange, Crisp Highs and Complete Control All from the Bass. Was Effortless to Dial in my Tone for the Studio and My Live Rig Has Incredible Punch. The D Shape Neck Is Very Fast and Silky Smooth. One of My Favorite Bass's now in my Collection. I had the Guy's From Sweetwater set the bass up as my Tech went to Florida and I don't think He plans on Returning. It was Worth it the Bass was Perfect out of the Case Action Intonation PERFECT Special Thanks To My Sales Rep Todd Kitchen. As Always SweetWater The Top In Customer Service and Top Of The Line Equipment.

The Ultra Precision is a very pro piece of kit. The tonal variations are immense, so if you can't find a workable sound with this bass you won't find it with anything. Compared with a 60s Vibe Squire, which has a sound that's easy to dial into that vintage Motown sound, this one takes a little work since it's quite modern. But you can find it. The bass really shines when you switch on active mode and start shaping the tone controls.

The neck is amazing - so slick and fast. The satin finish is gorgeous. Overall this is a highly versatile bass with a huge range of sounds that is a pleasure to play. If you are looking for that old-style sound, this may not be the one for you. It looks like a precision but the bridge pickup makes this a quite different instrument.

I have bought a lot of gear from sweetwater, but I rarely take the time to write a review. Walking into this purchase, I didn't know exactly what to expect. I have played a Jazz 5 for quite some time now along with my thunderbird 4 string. Getting more into jazz and funk recently, I decided to add this P bass to my lineup as my first truly pro quality bass guitar. This PJ does not disappoint. The weight, the finish, the feel of the neck, the tonal palette of the active preamp. Everything about this bass is fantastic. I literally cannot stop playing it. I feel that this bass, if you needed one bass to do it all, this would be the one.

I normally never write reviews on products but I just had to with this bass.
About me, I've played bass 25+ years and am a hardcore weekend warrior! :)

First, the D shape neck was a little different for me, it didn't feel bad, just different as I have mostly played C shapes, but after a few hours it really grew on me. It is a very fast neck, you don't have to stretch as much to get up and down the neck.

Secondly, they really improved their active EQ. I have an active from the last series and it was a little too 'hot' for what it did and therefor I found myself getting better tone from the passive mode when playing. This new EQ in this thing is so good. It don't bust out too much gain and the sound is very natural. I can dial in lots of different tones without losing the flavor of the P Bass or if the J Bass tightness if so desired (Hello Jaco, lol). With both pickups equal its a very solid, cut through sound, sounds great in the mix.

Thirdly, when I changed out to my gauge strings to set it low to my style it was very easy. That bridge is set just right for the neck width and I got a great sound with the neck flat and action low with no buzz. Also, I noticed it has a lot more sustain with the strings not going through the body like the last series. It can hold harmonics forever.

Lastly, it looks great. There are glitter flecks you can't really see in photos and the deep wood maple color of the neck really stands out, it almost looks aged on mine.

Love it.

Although I’ve played a fender American deluxe V jazz bass exclusively for the past 7 years, I had the desire to branch out and purchase a P bass. I was hesitant to purchase a P/J, because I was worried that either the P or J sound would leave something to be desired. But thankfully i was very wrong about that. This bass is extremely easy to dial in for a plethora of sounds after playing it for a few hours. Anything from a passive bridge pickup sound to a passive and thumpy Jamerson sound, active Marcus Miller tone(at least with the maple fingerboard/arctic pearl), and even playing straight ahead jazz. The stock strings actually sounded amazing from the get go and when I slapped on a new set of DR hi beams they left something to be desired(read:sustain, thump, warmth) and were definitely not as versatile. I finally settled on Elixir nickel plated steel roundwounds which give me the versatility along with the feel of coated strings that I love.

Where I felt this bass really shined was in the mix. Dont get me wrong, it sounds great on its own. But it really comes alive when recorded and, again, the ability to dial in such a variety of sounds without changing strings or even touching the EQ makes this a players bass.

Ultimately, if you’re thinking of getting this bass and have any of my hesitations just do yourself a favor and get this bass.