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Fender Vintera '50s Precision Bass - Dakota Red

4-string Bass Guitar with Alder Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, and 1 Split Single-coil Pickup - Dakota Red
Rated 5/5 8 Item ID: PBassV50DR

Sorry, the Fender Vintera '50s Precision Bass - Dakota Red is no longer available. We've left this page up for reference only.
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Fender Vintera '50s Precision Bass - Dakota Red
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A Superb P Bass with Vintage Style to Spare

Electric bass aficionados everywhere revere the tone and playability of the vintage P Bass. The Fender Vintera ‘50s Precision Bass was tailor-made for these connoisseurs of the low-end elite — it delivers the style and sound of one of Fender’s classic eras. Its chunky, period-correct C-shaped neck gives you something to wrap your hand around, while its 7.25” radius maple fingerboard and 20 vintage-style frets serve up classic playing feel. Enjoy a wide range of vintage-tinged tonal stylings, thanks to a Tim Shaw-designed spilt single-coil pickup. You also get a 4-saddle vintage-style bridge with threaded steel saddles for reliable intonation, while vintage-style tuning machines ensure rock-solid tuning stability. An anodized aluminum pickguard, chrome hardware, and 4-bolt neck plate complete the picture. The Vintera ‘50s P Bass includes a vintage-tinted neck and vintage-inspired color.

Period-correct C-shaped neck serves up classic feel

Ask any player who has spent time with a vintage P Bass, and you’ll hear a string of descriptors ranging from deep and balanced to one of a kind. The Vintera ‘50s Precision Bass’s C-shaped neck gives you the same classic feel and includes a period-correct 7.25”-radius fingerboard with 20 vintage-style frets. This neck sits beautifully in your hand and boasts a touch and response dynamic that opens wide the doors of stylistic exploration.

Tim Shaw-designed pickup delivers classic P Bass tones

The Fender Vintera ‘50s Precision Bass comes armed with a Tim Shaw-designed split single-coil pickup. This pup boasts an Alnico V magnet, Formvar-coated wire, and staggered beveled pole pieces — everything you need to reproduce the fat low end, punchy midrange, and toothy treble that made the original P Bass so versatile. Jazz, funk, rock — this bass can cover it all with the kind of tonal styling that leaves you and your audience satisfied.

The Vintera Series — value-priced, vintage-styled Fenders

The Vintera Series offers Fender’s most popular models in a myriad of shapes and sizes. These instruments are ideal for players who dig vintage-style Fenders, but feel that American Original and Custom Shop guitars are out of their reach. Vintera Series instruments are available in both Vintage and Modified configurations: Vintage models span the ‘50s to the ‘70s, with period-correct specifications for each era, while Modified models look like vintage instruments, but include modern updates that contemporary guitarists will appreciate. All Vintera Series guitars and basses boast Tim Shaw-designed pickups and are available in a wide array of vintage-inspired colors. The guitarists here at Sweetwater have found the Vintera Series to be the perfect introduction to Fender’s iconic lineup of legendary instruments.

Fender Vintera '50s Precision Bass Features:

  • P Bass with vintage style, sound, and playability
  • Chunky period-correct C-shaped neck gives you something to wrap your hand around
  • 7.25”-radius maple fingerboard with 20 vintage-style frets supplies classic playing feel
  • Tim Shaw-designed split single-coil pickup kicks out a wide range of tonal stylings
  • 4-saddle vintage-style bridge with threaded steel saddles provides reliable intonation
  • Vintage-style tuning machines supply rock-solid tuning stability
  • Anodized aluminum pickguard, chrome hardware, and 4-bolt neck plate
  • Vintage-tinted neck and vintage-inspired color

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

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Tech Specs

  • Number of Strings: 4
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: Precision
  • Body Material: Alder
  • Body Finish: Gloss Polyester
  • Color: Dakota Red
  • Neck Shape: Vintage C
  • Radius: 7.25"
  • Fingerboard Material: Maple
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Black Dots
  • Number of Frets: 20
  • Scale Length: 34"
  • Nut Width: 1.75"
  • Nut Material: Synthetic Bone
  • Bridge/Tailpiece: 4-saddle American Vintage
  • Tuners: American Vintage Reverse Open-gear
  • Middle Pickup: Vintera Vintage-style '50s Split Single-coil
  • Controls: 1 x master volume, 1 x master tone
  • Strings: Fender NPS, .045-.105
  • Case Included: Gig Bag
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 0149612354

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Customer Reviews

Rated 5/5

Amazing Sound, Comfortable to Play

I had the Fender Vintera Precision Bass on my wish list for about a year, and I pulled the trigger and purchased one a few weeks ago. It arrived set up and ready to play right out of the box. I typically have it set up with a Keeley compression pedal, and Zoom BX Four multi-effects pedal out of a Fender Rumble 100 combo amp (all purchased from Sweetwater). What a great sound, and I can play this for hours. The neck is one of the smoothest I've ever played, very little neck dive (I use a leather strap), and light compared to other basses I've played. I would strongly recommend this.
Music background: Amateur - 3 year beginner.
Rated 5/5

Great playing and sounding bass

Can't say enough about how much I love this bass. And it arrived set up. It plays as good as it looks.
Music background: Educator, Recording Artist, Touring Professional
Rated 5/5

Quality Sound & Feel!

I'm a gigging musican and I also have a 50's American Vintage P-bass… I was interested in the specs for this Bass because it's very similar to my current bass… I was blown away by the playability, feel, and tone of this bass. The neck plays PERFECTLY… The tuners, pickups, and hardware are all high quality!! If your looking for a quality Fender Bass with a bit lower price point this is your bass!!
Music background: gigging musician
Rated 5/5

Steve Ullery

Where to begin? Amazing tone and feel, killer looks, excellent build quality. I have been a Jazz guy all my life (1979, 2009 fretless American, 2019 Aerodyne) but this one makes me think about what I was missing in the Precision world. Simplicity and great versatility. I put some D'Addario XL flat wounds on it and love the chumminess. I highly recommend this bass and Sweetwater's setup, next day delivery and amazing customer sevice!
Music background: Eastman School of Music, CCM, Dayton Philharmonic, Miami University
Rated 5/5

upgrade to full size

Being a full grown adult and having spent some time starting out on a Gretsch short scale , I decided to up grade. I love the rugged simplicity of this instrument. It's vintage style neck shape and 7.25 radius fretboard are fast and very forgiving so the short scale is stored away now and my future is P bass. The only change I have made is addition of a Hipshot chrome thumb rest ( was lost without a nice big humbucker thumb rest). Did not have to feel bad about drilling 1 hole in a MIM instrument using excellent instructions on the Fender web site. This is the only bass I found with these specifications and this great early P bass sound. Freddy Fender arrived very securely packaged and beautifully set up with La Bella 760FL ,was in tune (almost)and more attractive in person. Worth twice the price at least:) thank you Bryan Leo!
Music background: beginner

It’s impossible to imagine a world without Fender guitars, and if you’re like many of the guitarists at Sweetwater, then Fender not only made the first guitar you ever bought " they made the last one too! From building the first mass-produced solidbody electric guitars and basses in the 1950s to creating some of the most influential amplifier designs in history, it’s no wonder why Fender is one of the biggest names in the business. As one of the world’s largest Fender dealers, we have countless guitars, basses, amps, effects pedals, and accessories in stock and ready to ship, whenever you need them. We’re always getting our hands on their latest creations, and there’s nothing we love more than to tell our customers all about them! So, whether you’re looking for your first axe or a Custom Shop creation, make sure to give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.

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