Fender Custom Shop '63 P Bass Journeyman Relic, Rosewood Fretboard, Aged Daphne Blue

Player's Perspective

Some of the things that the Fender Custom Shop manage to do in terms of vintage recreations are nothing short of amazing. There are some instruments that leave their shop that are so damn good, they would be straight-up indistinguishable from the real deal if not for the signature "Fender Custom Shop" logo engraved on the neck plate and stamped on the back of the headstock. This perfectly-aged Journeyman Relic '63 P-Bass in a gorgeous Daphne Blue is most certainly one that fits that bill.

As far as looks are concerned, this one is as simple as it is beautiful - there aren't any flashy inlays, figured woods, or gaudy paint jobs - just a simple Fender custom color with a maple neck, rosewood fretboard and a tasteful tortoiseshell pickguard, relatively common on early '60s P-Basses. The beauty of this bass is in the subtleties - the dark aged clay inlays, finish checking and hardware patina are all simply sublime.

As far as playability goes, one thing you'll quickly notice is going to be the way the wonderful "Oval C" quartersawn maple neck feels. They've sanded it down to a point where it has both a nice worn-in look, as well as being silky smooth to move around on. It doesn't have any of that stickiness that glossy necks can sometimes experience. It really feels like the neck on a bass, finished in nitro, that has been played regularly for decades. Combined with the excellent fretwork, playing this bass is a true joy.

The hand-wound FCS '62 pickup is simply bass perfection. It's wound with just the right amount of output with all the dynamics, response, and low-mid punch you could want out of a P-Bass, and it's good enough to cover any genre. Although vintage in both voicing and general level of output, it doesn't sound plinky or weak by any means. 

You know you're getting a special instrument in your hands any time you pick up something built by Fender's Custom Shop team, and this bass is sure to not only meet but exceed your expectations!

Item Specifics

The Precision Bass had rightly earned an indispensable place in popular music by 1963, found in the hands of the world’s top players on many a stage and in many a studio. Largely unchanged throughout the early 1960s, the Precision Bass remained unchallenged even when Fender’s new Jazz Bass debuted in 1960. The Custom Shop ’63 Precision Bass features a two-piece select alder body with a Journeyman Relic lacquer finish. The quartersawn maple neck has a ’60s-style “oval C” profile, 7.25”-radius round-lam rosewood fingerboard and 20 medium jumbo (6150) frets. The Custom Shop hand-wound ’62 Precision Bass pickup is wound to spec and yields a proper vintage-correct low-end thump, with vintage wiring and master volume and tone controls. Other features include a four-ply brown shell pickguard, four-saddle vintage-style bridge, vintage-style tuning machines, bone nut, and disc string tree. Also includes deluxe hardshell case, strap,and certificate of authenticity.