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Fender Releases New American Vintage Series Basses

Published 11 years ago on January 16, 2013

By Guitar Interactive Magazine

Fender Releases New American Vintage Series Basses-

Fender has announced four bass additions to its acclaimedAmerican Vintage series, all meticulously re-imagined to evoke theauthentic feel and sound of the original basses released betweenthe late 1950s and early 1970s.

Available in 3-Color Sunburst, White Blonde, and Black, theAmerican Vintage '58 Precision Bass® commemorates the first year inwhich the bass that started it all appeared in a 3-Color Sunburstfinish. That classic combination is now a longtime Fendertradition, and the '58 American Vintage Precision Bass brings youother authentic features, including a lightweight alder body (Ashon White Blonde model), thick "C"-shaped maple neck with 20vintage-style frets and black dot inlays, gold anodized aluminumpickguard with lacquer finish, and new American Vintage '58 splitsingle-coil pickup. Also includes lower-mounted finger rest,vintage-style bridge with threaded steel "barrel" saddles, flat-topknurled chrome control knobs, reverse tuners, mounted chrome pickupand bridge covers, and more.

The year 1963 marks an important moment in Precision Basshistory because that's when a comfortable new round-laminatedrosewood fingerboard first appeared on the bass that revolutionizedthe world of music. That's here on the new American Vintage '63Precision Bass, which evokes that year's model with other authenticfeatures, including a slightly wider "C"-shaped maple neck,clay-colored dot position inlays, three-ply mint green pickguard(four-ply tortoiseshell pickguard on 3-Color Sunburst model), newAmerican Vintage '63 split single-coil pickup, lower-mounted fingerrest, vintage-style bridge with threaded steel "barrel" saddles,flat-top knurled chrome control knobs, reverse tuners, chromepickup and bridge covers, auxiliary strap button on the back of theheadstock, and more. Available in 3-Color Sunburst, Olympic White,Faded Sonic Blue, and Frost Red.

The Jazz Bass acquired an even slimmer "C"-shaped maple neck in1964. That's what you'll find here on the American vintage '64 JazzBass®, which has other authentic features including around-laminated rosewood fingerboard with 20 vintage-style fretsand clay-colored dot inlays, three-ply white pickguard (four-plytortoiseshell pickguard on 3-Color Sunburst and Olympic Whitemodels), new American Vintage '64 Jazz Bass single-coil pickups,lower-mounted finger rest, vintage-style bridge with threaded steel"barrel" saddles, black plastic control knobs, reverse tuners,chrome pickup and "F"-stamped bridge covers with vintage-accuratepositioning, auxiliary strap button on the back of the headstock,and more. Available in 3-Color Sunburst, Olympic White, Lake PlacidBlue (with matching headstock), and Black.

Significant changes were afoot in 1974 for the Jazz Bass. Thebridge pickup had been moved about half an inch closer to thebridge only the year before, and 1974 saw the last of the four-boltnecks for quite a while. Further, the slim "C"-shaped maple neckwas re-sculpted with a meatier U-shaped profile (and acquired awalnut "skunk" stripe, white fingerboard binding and pearl blockinlays made their first appearance, and black pickguards replacedtheir longstanding tortoiseshell predecessors.

The American Vintage '74 Jazz Bass encompasses all of the aboveand is the sole member of the new American Vintage bass lineup tooffer a choice of maple and round-laminated rosewood fingerboards,each with white binding, pearl block inlays and 20 vintage-stylefrets. Other authentic features include a urethane-finished alderbody (ash on Natural-finish model), three-ply black/white/blackpickguard (three-play white/black/white on Black model). NewAmerican Vintage '74 Jazz Bass single-coil pickups, upper-mountedthumb rest, vintage-style bridge with single-groove steel "barrel"saddles, '70s-style "Fender"-stamped open-gear tuners, four-bolt"F"-stamped neck plate, chrome pickup and "F"-stamped bridge coverswith vintage-accurate positioning, and more. Available in 3-ColorSunburst, Olympic White, Black, and Natural.

Fender American Vintage '63 Precision Bass

 

Fender American Vintage '64 Jazz Bass

 

Fender American Vintage '74 Jazz Bass 


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