1968 Fender Precision Bass
The 1968 Precision Bass — split-coil era. The bass guitar that revolutionized popular music.
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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Specifications
| Body Wood | Alder (contoured body) or Ash |
| Neck Wood | Maple |
| Fingerboard | Brazilian Rosewood |
| Scale Length | 34.000" |
| Frets | 20 |
| Pickup Config | HH |
| Bridge | Four-saddle bridge |
| Tuners | F-stamped bass tuners |
| Finish Options | Sunburst, Blonde, Custom colors |
| Est. Production | 7,000 |
Pickups & Electronics
Split single-coil (hum-cancelling) pickup — the definitive P-Bass sound.
What Changed in 1968
CBS-era P-Bass. Still excellent instruments.
Collector's Notes
CBS-era P-Basses are excellent players at accessible prices. Natural ash with maple neck is a popular combination.
How to Authenticate a 1968 Fender Precision Bass
The 1968 Precision Bass is a CBS-era model. The P-Bass design was remarkably resistant to CBS-era changes — the split-coil pickup, four-saddle bridge, and basic construction continued unchanged. F-stamped tuners and the transition from Brazilian to Indian rosewood are the main differences from pre-CBS models. Serial numbers on the neck plate with F prefix (six digits). For 1968, numbers should match documented CBS-era ranges. Neck date stamps (now often ink-stamped rather than penciled) on the heel remain important. Potentiometer date codes (typically CTS or Stackpole pots with EIA source codes and date stamps like '304-6' + last two digits of year + week number) help verify the production date. F-stamped bass tuners. Pot codes corresponding to 1968. Serial number on neck plate with possible F prefix. Split-coil pickup. Four-saddle bridge. Check rosewood type if applicable — Brazilian rosewood persisted into the mid-to-late 1960s on P-Basses. Neck date stamp for verification. The finish should be nitrocellulose lacquer, though the transition to polyester was beginning at Fender. Nitro finishes check and wear naturally. Look for consistent aging — the finish should show wear at natural contact points (back of body, forearm area, behind the neck). Under UV/blacklight, original nitro fluoresces differently than poly finishes. Refinishes are detected by examining under the pickguard and in pickup cavities for color consistency. CBS-era P-Basses are heavily played instruments. Replaced pickups, tuners, and bridges are extremely common. Many have been refretted. Check for original split-coil pickups (correct bobbin color, winding, and lead wire type for the era). Filled tuner holes suggest replacement tuners. A refretted bass with original everything else is still quite valuable as a player. CBS-era P-Basses (1968) share similar specifications. The main transitions are tuners (Kluson to F-stamped) and rosewood type (Brazilian to Indian). The P-Bass design stability means year-to-year differences are subtle.