Fender Custom Shop ‘59 Re-issue Closet Classic Precision Bass Review

Hi there!

Today we are looking at my Fender 1959 re-issue Precision Bass that is a real peach. It is finished in Vintage Blonde nitrocellulose lacquer over an ash body, and it was built by the Fender Custom Shop. It is a Closet Classic, so it has a very light relic treatment. This would be model 015-2100-807 in Fenderland.

The quarter-sawn maple neck has a comfortable C profile and a 1 ¾-inch nut width. It has a 7.25-inch radius to the fretboard, and there are 20 vintage-style frets seated into it. The truss rod adjusts at the heel, so the anodized pickguard has to be removed to adjust it.

The hardware is faithful to the original. This Precision Bass has nickel/chrome hardware with vintage-type reverse tuners and the bridge has threaded saddles just like the original.

The electronics are simple with volume and tone controls wired to a Vintage ’59 split single coil pickup. There is no extra noise and the pickup is punchy with good output.

As far as the appearance of this Precision Bass, it has been factory reliced, so there are a few nicks some lacquer checking and wear. But it was tastefully worn and not over the top, as some their later relics are.

Overall, it is very well made. The frets are well done and the action is very low and playable, which is a great complement to the C neck profile. A bonus is that it is not terribly heavy, coming in at 9 pounds 1 ounce (according to my scale).

p>This bass looks and sounds authentic, and I appreciate the trouble the guys at the Custom Shop went through to recreate this bass. And these basses did not come cheap. This Fender Custom Shop ’59 Precision Bass Closet Classic had a list price of $3696 back in 2008 when this one was built.

There is really no so thing as a keeper in my collection, but this one gets very close.

Mahalo!