Fender Unveils Vintera III Bass Series with New Jazz, Precision & Bass VI Models
Fender has launched the Vintera III Series, the third iteration of its vintage-inspired lineup, which it says is reimagined from the ground up. That includes two new Jazz Bass models, one new Precision model, and a Bass VI, to boot.
“The Vintera III series introduces an all-new philosophy: a targeted focus on iconic moments in Fender history,” Fender writes. “This ‘greatest hits’ approach highlights some of the most celebrated specifications from the company’s golden eras, giving musicians access to some of the most revered tones ever produced.”
The Vintera III Early ’60s Jazz Bass features an alder body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard for a classic combination. Its vintage appeal is felt in the neck with an early ’60s “C” neck profile, a 7.25-inch fingerboard radius, and vintage-tall frets. A pair of vintage-style early ’60s single coil pickups “deliver all the punchy and articulate, warm and woody tone that made Fender® famous,” they add. The controls include stacked concentric knobs for volume and tone of each pickup. It comes in Olympic White, Sonic Blue, and Aztec Gold.
The Early ’70s Jazz model has the same basic build specs, though there’s an option of rosewood or maple fingerboards, depending on your finish. The neck has an early ’70s profile and sports binding and block inlays to match the era’s aesthetic. Similarly, the pickups are voiced after the early ’70s. Fender rounds out the retro look with Black, Candy Apple Red, or 3-Color Sunburst colorways.
Again, the Vintera III Late ’60s Precision recreates the P-bass of the day with period-correct pickups, hardware, and neck dimensions. It comes in Black, Firemist Gold, 3-Color Sunburst, and Lake Placid Blue.
The less common Bass VI is back with a Vintera III model that pays homage to its earliest days. The Bass VI, which was introduced in 1961, was used by artists like The Beatles, Jack Bruce of Cream, and Jet Harris of The Shadows. It blends the features of a bass and a guitar with six strings tuned an octave down from a standard guitar.
“The Vintera® III Early ‘60s Bass VI features an alder body and a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard for classic Fender tone that’s full of punch and clarity,” Fender writes. “The early ‘60s ‘C’-shape, 30-inch scale maple neck with 7.25-inch radius rosewood fingerboard and vintage-tall frets provides supreme comfort and outstanding feel.” It’s fitted with three vintage-style early ’60s single-coil pickups, each with an on/off switch. Other features include a floating tremolo, a mute, and vintage-style hardware.
Fender’s Vintera III basses carry street prices between $1,249 for the P-bass and $1,499 for the Bass VI.
Fender Vintera III Bass Photos:
Fender Vintera III Early ’60s Jazz Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Body: | Alder |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Neck Shape: | Early '60s ″C″ |
| Fingerboard: | Slab Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 7.25″ |
| Frets: | 20 Vintage Tall |
| Inlays: | Clay Dot |
| Pickups: | Vintage-Style Early '60s Single-Coil Jazz Bass |
| Electronics: | Passive with Stacked Concentric Controls |
| Bridge: | 4-Saddle Vintage-Style with Threaded Steel Saddles |
| Tuners: | Vintage Style Reverse |
| Finish: | Olympic White, Sonic Blue, and Aztec Gold |
| Price: | $1,349 |
| Case: | Deluxe Gig Bag Included |
| Orientation: | Right-Hand Only |
Fender Vintera III Early ’70s Jazz Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Body: | Alder |
| Neck: | Maple with Parchment Binding |
| Neck Shape: | Early '70s ″C″ |
| Fingerboard: | Round-Laminated Rosewood (Maple for Burst Finish) |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 7.25″ |
| Frets: | 20 Vintage Tall |
| Inlays: | Pearloid Block |
| Pickups: | Vintage-Style Early '70s Single-Coil Jazz Bass |
| Electronics: | Passive with V/V/T Knobs |
| Bridge: | 4-Saddle Vintage Style with Single-Groove Steel ″Barrel″ Saddles |
| Tuners: | Vintage Style Open-Back |
| Finish: | Black, Candy Apple Red, and 3-Color Sunburst |
| Price: | $1,499 |
| Case: | Deluxe Gig Bag Included |
| Orientation: | Right-Hand Only |
Fender Vintera III Late ’60s Precision Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Body: | Alder |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Neck Shape: | Late '60s ″C″ |
| Fingerboard: | Round-Laminated Rosewood (Black and Gold), Round-Laminated Maple (Burst or Blue) |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 7.25″ |
| Frets: | 20 Vintage Tall |
| Inlays: | Clay Dot |
| Pickups: | Vintage-Style Late '60s Split Single-Coil Precision Bass |
| Electronics: | Passive with Volume and Tone Knobs |
| Bridge: | 4-Saddle Vintage-Style with Threaded Steel Saddles |
| Tuners: | Vintage-Style ″Lollipop″ (Non Reverse) |
| Finish: | Black, Firemist Gold, 3-Color Sunburst, and Lake Placid Blue |
| Price: | $1,249 |
| Case: | Deluxe Gig Bag Included |
| Orientation: | Right-Hand Only |
Fender Vintera III Early ’60s Bass VI Specs:
| Scale: | 30″ |
| Body: | Alder |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Neck Shape: | Early '60s ″C″ |
| Fingerboard: | Round-Laminated Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 7.25″ |
| Frets: | 21 Vintage Tall |
| Inlays: | Clay Dot |
| Pickups: | Vintage-Style Early '60s Bass VI Single-Coil |
| Electronics: | Passive with 3 Pickup On/Off Switches, 1 Low Cut Switch, Master Volume, Master Tone |
| Bridge: | 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Adjustable with “Floating” Tremolo Tailpiece |
| Tuners: | Fender® Vintage-Style |
| Finish: | 3-Color Sunburst, Olympic White, Candy Apple Red |
| Price: | $1,499 |
| Case: | Deluxe Gig Bag Included |
| Orientation: | Right-Hand Only |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
