Fender Custom Shop Unveils 2021 Prestige Series Basses
The Fender Custom Shop has unveiled their 2021 Masterbuilt Prestige Collection, featuring one-of-a-kind instruments crafted by their roster of master builders. This year the series includes two basses: a Custom ’60s P Bass Special built by Jason Smith and a Custom ’62 Precision Bass made by Dennis Galuszka.
Smith’s build was inspired by the 70th anniversary of the Precision Bass. (This year also marks Fender’s 75th Anniversary.) The bass is called a celebration of “both the Precision Bass and old western ghost towns.”
“The design of this P Bass was to have an early P Bass vibe with modern playability and weathered old western appearance. Featuring a rustic, reclaimed, roasted pine body with nail and bolt holes, the wood has lived a life as an old grain elevator in Minnesota before becoming an instrument,” the company states. “The tooled leather hand-painted pickguard gives the instrument a look of elegance paired with the weathered body. The instrument features a Josefina hand-wound PJ pickup set, slightly over-wound for higher output and deeper bass tone.”
Galuszka channeled his inner horror buff, utilizing the imagery of a dead tree that spans the canvas of the bass. “ Featuring artwork by Pyrography artist, Madeline Hanlin, an otherwise tried and true vintage P-Bass, this bass is form meets function, appealing to anyone who needs that classic P-Bass tone and wants to do it with some serious style,” Fender writes.
It has an alder body and maple neck, which also feature the tree motif.
Each model is the only one of its kind. The Jason Smith Custom ’60s P Bass Special will be available for $9,400 and the Dennis Galuszka Custom ’62 Precision Bass will have a price of $16,150.
Fender Custom Shop Jason Smith Custom ’60s P Bass Special Specs:
Scale: | 34″ |
Body: | Reclaimed Roasted Pine |
Neck: | 1-piece Flat Sawn Maple |
Neck Profile: | 1960 P-Bass Oval “C” Back Shape |
Fingerboard: | Maple |
Fingerboard Radius: | 9.5″ |
Frets: | 20 Medium Jumbo |
Pickup: | Josefina Hand-Wound Vintage Jazz Bass and ’62 Precision Bass |
Wiring: | Vintage Concentric |
Pickguard: | Hand-Painted Tooled Leather |
Finish: | Relic Sandblasted |
Fender Custom Shop Dennis Galuszka Custom ’62 Precision Bass Specs:
Scale: | 34″ |
Body: | 2-Piece Select Alder with Custom Wood Burning Artwork |
Neck: | 1-piece Quartersawn Maple |
Neck Profile: | 1960 Oval “C” |
Nut: | Bone |
Fretboard: | Maple |
Fretboard Radius: | 7.25″ |
Frets: | 20 Vintage-Style |
Pickup: | Josefina Hand-Wound ’62 Prcision Bass |
Bridge: | Vintage-Style |
Wiring: | Vintage Style |
Finish: | NOS Satin Finish |
Ugly ugly ugly.
$9000 to $16000? Sure, I’ll buy two! Come on Fender, get your head out of your ass!