1996 Fender Precision Bass '70 Vintage Reissue PB70-70US Olympic White, Japan MIJ

Up for sale, a 1996 Fender Precision Bass '70 vintage reissue model PB70-70US in 100% original condition and in perfect working order. One of the very first examples of the PB70-70US model produced by Fender Japan (the bass would first appear in the catalog in '97), this bass is also one of the very last from this era to feature the "Made in Japan" designation. This discontinued model is rarely seen outside its country of origin, and the quality construction of Fender Japan's instruments provide stiff competition for Fender's vintage-centric USA reissue instrument lines (arguably in large part why they weren't offered in the USA).The bass features a factory installed Fender American Standard split coil P Bass pickup, along with a few select vintage touches including a block logo on the headstock and black pickguard. One welcome deviation from vintage spec is a thick slab rosewood fretboard (as opposed to a thinner veneer board seen on actual vintage examples). Tonally, this bass delivers the goods, and acoustically the alder body is quite resonant. There's a strong fundamental thump to the tone, and the roundwound strings provide plenty of top end articulation. The bass weighs 9lbs 1oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with fresh 45-100 roundwound strings, comfortable action and spot-on intonation.The maple neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve with lightly rolled fretboard edges and moderate shoulder at the nut, gaining a hair more substance as you travel up the fretboard, measuring .795" deep at the 1st fret and .925" at the 12th. The slab rosewood fretboard is a jet black, tight-grained cut of this tonewood with a vintage-spec 7 1/4" radius, and the original medium jumbo fretwire has its full factory height and well-rounded crowns, showing virtually no wear. The bass plays cleanly up the 34" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nut measures 1 9/16" in width, and on the headstock, the clover button tuners turn smoothly and hold pitch reliably. At the heel of the neck, the "Made in Japan" script text and N-prefix six digit serial number are present.All of the electronics work as they should, with the American Standard pickup wired to the stock Fender Japan wiring harness. The chrome plating on the original bridge and knurled knobs is bright and clean, with light patina on the tuning machines. The Olympic White gloss finish is notably yellowed, with tan lines from two previously removed stickers on top at the bass-side waist and between the pickguard and bridge. There are just a few dings on the body perimeter, and the back of the instrument is extremely clean, free of buckle rash. The ambered gloss finish on the neck profile is flawless.