1970 Fender Precision Bass

The early 1970s P-Bass — excellent player instruments at accessible vintage prices. Natural ash body with maple fingerboard models from this era have a strong following. The CBS-era pickups are still fundamentally the same great P-Bass sound.

Current Market Value

Excellent
$4,500$9,000
Very Good
$3,000$4,500
Good
$1,900$3,000
Fair
$950$1,900

* Prices are estimates based on recent market data. Actual value depends on originality, condition, and provenance. Pricing methodology

Specifications

Body WoodAsh (natural finish) or Alder
Neck WoodMaple
FingerboardMaple (maple fingerboard option reintroduced) or Indian Rosewood
Scale Length34.000"
Frets20
Pickup ConfigHH
BridgeFour-saddle bridge
TunersF-stamped Kluson
Finish OptionsSunburst, Natural, Black, Custom colors
Est. Production7,000

Pickups & Electronics

Split single-coil pickup. CBS-era pickups but still fundamentally excellent. Maple fingerboard returned.

What Changed in 1970

Maple fingerboard reintroduced after players' requests. Natural finish on ash body models became increasingly popular. CBS-era but still excellent basses — the P-Bass design is resilient to era changes.

Collector's Notes

Natural ash body + maple fingerboard combination from 1970-1972 is increasingly collected. These represent excellent value — all the P-Bass tone at a fraction of pre-CBS prices.