What is it?
If the iconic Fender Telecaster truly has a bass guitar equivalent, it's the Fender Precision Bass. Both can trace their roots back to the pre-rock n’ roll age, and both became industry standards for their versatility and ingenious design.
The Precision, though, didn't stay unaltered in the way that the Tele (mostly) did. Around 1957, its simple single-coil pickup and huge pickguard made way for the famed split-coil and smaller 'gurad we've become so accustomed to. The rest, of course, is history.
However, in 1968 Fender decided that its earlier P-bass design bore revisiting; the company now views this as its first ever reissue. The name had to change, though. The revamped Precision Bass had settled into world domination by that point, and Fender didn't want to confuse matters. Lo and behold, the Telecaster Bass was born.
Maybe that original Precision design was cursed, though, because come 1971 the Telecaster Bass would morph into something else entirely. The body remained similar, but the scratchplate changed, again, and there was a whole new pickup design – a bass version of Fender's first humbucker, the esteemed Wide Range designed by Seth Lover.
This was, unusually, butted up against the neck, for a different sound to any other Fender bass. Perhaps it can be viewed as a bass counterpart to the Wide Range-equipped Telecaster Deluxe and Custom models - there are aesthetic parallels, as well as the related pickup designs.
This ‘70s revamp lasted until the end of the decade and was recently reissued by Fender - but now Squier are in on the act too, introducing the model to a lower price bracket.
It's a bit of a niche candidate for a reissue, perhaps, as this isn't one of Fender's most-loved vintage models, but it certainly offers something different, and with a potent ‘70s aura about it.
Specs
- Price: $474/£449/€499
- Made: China
- Type: Four-string electric bass
- Body: Poplar
- Neck: Maple, C profile
- Fingerboard: Maple
- Scale length: 34" (864mm)
- Nut/width: Bone, 41.3mm
- Frets: 20, narrow/tall
- Bridge: 4-saddle vintage-style, slotted barrel saddles
- Tuners: Vintage-style
- String spacing at bridge: 19mm
- Electrics: 1x Fender-designed Wide Range humbucker, 1x Volume, 1x Tone
- Weight: 7.2lb/3.26kg
- Options: N/A
- Left-handed: N/A
- Finishes: Vintage White (as reviewed), Mocha - gloss polyurethane
- Case: N/A
- Contact: Fender
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
Lifting this Vintage White example out of the box, it's an aesthetic delight – the colour a creamy off-white, with a glossy, tinted maple neck and fretboard.
With its comfortable weight, excellent neck fit and perfect fretwork, quality might well exceed that of many CBS Fender originals. And for an even more era-specific look, it can be had in an oh-so-’70s transparent Mocha with a black scratchplate.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★☆
New strings often do some heavy lifting for the unplugged sound of a bass, but the medium-weight poplar body evidently has a nice resonance to it.
The simple electronics encourage you to just get on and play
It's also a supremely comfortable bass to play, set up nicely straight from the box. Some players may be opposed to the degree of gloss on the back of the friendly, shallow C-profile neck, but there's always wire wool or fine sandpaper for that.
If there's any ergonomic gripe to be had, it could be the lack of thumb support for fingerstyle playing closer to the bridge.
Pick-style players may feel unusually liberated by the lack of any bridge or middle pickups in their way, though, and the simple electronics encourage you to just get on and play.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★☆
Sonically, it has a single pickup and two controls, just like a P-bass, but due to that Wide Range humbucker and its unusual placement, it sounds pretty much nothing like one.
You don't exactly have a wealth of different tones at your disposal; you'd better like deep, booming lows and chewy, growling low mids, as there's not much else on offer. Even with an overdriven signal, digging in with a pick, it's difficult to coax much brightness from the Telecaster Bass, and what little there is might solely be down to the fresh strings.
However, if you bear that in mind and lay back into warmer, more subdued sounds (a vintage-inspired Ampeg emulation provided great results), the Telecaster Bass reveals its strengths – its big, rich, room-filling voice that works a treat for older soul, blues and funk. It's not out of place in a more modern indie rock setting either, providing an even, powerful foundation that fills out the low end of a mix beautifully.
Verdict
This new offering from Squier mightn't be to all tastes - it's not a modern-sounding bass, and it's never going to trouble a Precision or Jazz in the versatility stakes.
It won't do it all – but it offers a wonderful playing experience
Its speciality, though, is providing fat, rich, vintage-tinged low-end in spades, which ought to earn it an audition given its competitive price tag. It's also a well-built, great-looking bass that's immensely likable. Keep an eye out for the Telecaster Bass – maybe we'll see it hit more stages in the coming years.
Guitar World verdict: Squier has taken a lesser-spotted old Fender model and created a worthy reissue, an ideal gateway drug for those looking to explore new sounds. It won't do it all – but it offers a wonderful playing experience, and characterful tones quite different to the usual suspects.
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality |
Not a rough edge in sight – very impressive for the price |
★★★★★ |
Playability |
Delightful neck and setup, but you might struggle to find a suitable resting place for your thumb. |
★★★★☆ |
Sounds |
There aren't many, but the ones you do get are worthwhile. |
★★★★☆ |
Overall |
It's hard not to bond with a bass that's got a retro vibe and something different about it. |
★★★★1/2 |
