Fender Precision Slab Bass

Post World War II saw a marked increase in the popularity of the guitar throughout the world. My take on this is due to United State soldiers, especially those from the southern USA who brought their guitars with them to play and sing songs that reminded them of home. Britain was especially accepting of this cultural exchange. 

This was a time that Brits were not only listening to country music, but rhythm and blues, that was introduced by Black soldiers. 

Big Band music would shortly fade away, due to economics and “combos” of four or five players made dance music. 

Skiffle Music became popular, as did R&B and American Rock &  Roll.

 

The Marshall Plan aka the European Recovery Plan designed to rebuild Europe by lending money to nations resulted in debt to the US. This debt resulted in tariffs placed on US products imported to Britain. Subsequently American guitars and amplifiers were available in the UK, but they were very expensive.

There were a few ways around this problem.  

The most common method was to import guitars from European countries. This was a boon to manufacturers such as Hagstrom, Hofner, Framus, EKO, Italia, Crucianelli, Selmer and others. The other way was for British manufacturers to build guitars and amps. 

Marshall, and Vox amplifiers found their beginnings and built amplifiers based on their own unique variations of the Fender Bassman. Later Watkins, Harry Joyce, and Hi-Watt entered the scene. 

Steve Curries Slab P-Bass

One last method was when an major American company wants to test market a product to see if it will sell. This was the case with a special British-only version of the Fender Precision Bass. This guitar was known as the Fender Slab Precision bass and it entered the UK in 1966. 


(Fender would test market some gear in later years in Japan and Europe.)

The original “slab” bass was the 1950's Precision Bass, which had a Telecaster-style headstock and one single coil pickup that was not split. The 1966 Precision Slab bass looked exactly like the 1966 US version of the P-Bass, but it did not have the body contours. This instrument was only available to the British market.

There were only a handful of these instruments. The estimate is 25 or 35 bass guitars. Most all of them went to well known British players.

John Entwhistle of The Who was among the first to receive a slab bass. Steve Currie of T. Rex purchased a slab bass, as did John Sprigate of The Glitter Band. Chip Hawkes of the Tremeloes can be seen in early videos with his Fender Precision Slab bass.

Based on their rarity, the Precision Slab bass is very collectible, but seldom seen. The Fender Custom Shop at one time offered  a reissue of the Precision Slab Bass. 

It came only in Olympic White, a black pickguard, a maple cap neck, and the original-style split P-bass pickups.
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