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
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.