1952 Fender Precision Bass
The 1952 Precision Bass is the original electric bass — the instrument that made the modern rhythm section possible. Slab body, single-coil pickup, and butterscotch blonde finish define this historic first-year design.
Current Market Value
* Prices are estimates based on recent market data. Actual value depends on originality, condition, and provenance. Pricing methodology
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Recent Sales
Showing 4 verified sales for 1952 Fender Precision Bass. Reissues, replicas, and parts listings are filtered out.
Specifications
| Body Wood | Ash (slab body) |
| Neck Wood | Maple |
| Fingerboard | Maple (integral) |
| Scale Length | 34.000" |
| Frets | 20 |
| Pickup Config | S |
| Bridge | String-through-body with 4 individual bridges |
| Tuners | Kluson single-line (bass style) |
| Finish Options | Blonde |
Pickups & Electronics
Single large single-coil pickup — the original 'slab' body P-Bass design before the split-coil pickup. Simple and direct.
What Changed in 1952
First full production year of the world's first commercially successful electric bass. The slab body design, before the contoured body arrived in 1954. This is the original Fender bass.
Notable Examples
Early session players used the P-Bass throughout the 1950s. The instrument changed popular music's rhythm section permanently.
Collector's Notes
Slab-body P-Basses (1951-1953) are rarer than later contoured-body examples. The single-coil pickup is the most critical authenticity marker — replacement is common. These are extraordinary historical instruments.
How to Authenticate a 1952 Fender Precision Bass
Fender serial numbers from this era are on the bridge plate or neck plate. Numbers are typically four or five digits — cross-reference with known Fender serial tables. The neck date stamp (penciled on the heel, visible when the neck is removed) is the single most reliable dating method for Fender guitars. Body dates in the neck pocket or under the pickguard corroborate. Pot codes should read 304 (Stackpole) or 140 (CTS) followed by date codes from 1951-1952. Pots should predate the guitar by no more than 12-18 months. The finish should be nitrocellulose lacquer — under UV/blacklight, original nitro fluoresces differently than modern polyester or polyurethane. Nitro finishes check (develop fine cracks) and wear naturally. Refinished guitars often have a too-perfect look. One-piece maple neck with no separate fingerboard — verify this construction. Pre-CBS Fender (before January 1965 acquisition). Spaghetti logo on headstock. Cloth wiring throughout. Three-way switch (five-way not available until mid-1970s). Kluson tuners. Bass guitar — larger body and longer 34-inch scale. Single-coil pickup for early models. Check for replaced tuners (original Kluson single-line (bass style) should be present), refrets, body routing modifications, and any filled screw holes. Original custom color finishes are verified by examining color in pickup cavities and under the pickguard. Original case adds provenance value.