Top 10 Best Bassists Who Use the Fender Precision Bass
The Precision Bass was the first electric bass guitar to achieve widespread success. It was so iconic that, for a time, people commonly referred to bass guitars, regardless of the manufacturer, as "Fender basses."
The Precision Bass replaced the upright bass in popularity and is still frequently used today. As always, players who use the Precision Bass more frequently are given higher priority on the list.
Feel free to add more examples.
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John Deacon
John Richard Deacon (born August 19, 1951) is a retired English musician best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. He joined the band in 1971 and contributed to several of their biggest hits, including Another One Bites the Dust and You're My Best Friend. Deacon retired from music in the late... read more
I love how this bass sounds and John Deacon knew how to play it properly.
John most frequently used Precision basses while on stage with Queen.
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Steve Harris
Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter best known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist, primary songwriter, and founder of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He's led the band since its formation in 1975. Outside of his legendary work with Maiden... read more
He's used his white Precision Bass on every album since their debut, and it's been modified several times over the course of its existence.
He has been using the same Precision Bass since day one, and it's been modified several times.
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James Jamerson
James Jamerson used a Precision Bass all throughout his time with Motown (except for a few early recordings). His work is considered to be a staple of the Precision Bass's history.
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Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. He is best known as the co-founder, secondary lead vocalist, and bassist of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters was also the band's principal lyricist and conceptual leader through much of its most influential... read more
He first began using the Precision bass in 1968, and it became his main instrument after his Rickenbacker 4001 was stolen in 1970. His black Precision Bass became his main stage bass in 1972 and has since become the basis for his signature model.
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Pino Palladino
Pino is noted for his session work and his role as touring bassist for The Who since John Entwistle died. His signature model P-Bass is apparently a combination of two of his favourite P-Basses.
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Colin Greenwood
Colin Charles Greenwood is an English musician best known as the bassist for the alternative rock band Radiohead. He also plays keyboards and synthesizers and contributes to the band's electronic elements, including sampling. Greenwood is the older brother of Jonny Greenwood, who is also a member of... read more
According to the Radiohead-themed website The King of Gear, Colin got his favourite Precision Bass (No. 1) in 1996 from another bassist by trading his Music Man Sterling (his main bass guitar at the time). He also owns two other Precision basses. The one that you see in the picture is No. 2.
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Donald Duck Dunn
Bassist for Booker T. and the M.G.'s, the house band for Stax Records. He used a 1959 Precision bass all through the Sixties and even kept his first Precision Bass until his death, a '59 that he assumed was a '58.
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Dee Dee Ramone
Douglas Glenn Colvin, known professionally as Dee Dee Ramone, was a German-American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member, primary songwriter, bassist, and occasional lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Ramones. Dee Dee was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the... read more
Dee Dee used a variety of P-Basses while in the Ramones, all relatively simple-looking.
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Paul Simonon
Paul Gustave Simonon was born on December 15, 1955, and is an English musician and visual artist. He is best known as the bass guitarist and occasional vocalist for the punk rock band The Clash. Simonon has also performed with The Good, the Bad & the Queen and toured as the bassist for Gorillaz.
He's frequently used a Precision Bass both in and out of the Clash. That bass you see him smashing on the cover of London Calling? A P-Bass.
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John Paul Jones
John Baldwin, better known by his stage name John Paul Jones, is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger, and record producer. He is best known as the bassist for the English rock band Led Zeppelin. Years after Led Zeppelin disbanded, Jones joined the supergroup Them Crooked... read more
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Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the rock band Thin Lizzy, where he served as the principal songwriter, lead vocalist, and bassist. Lynott was one of the first Black Irishmen to achieve significant success in rock music and remained... read more
His signature instrument was a black Fender Precision Bass, furnished with a mirror pickguard and used frequently on stage and in videos.
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Robert Trujillo
Roberto AgustÃn Trujillo, better known as Robert Trujillo, is an American musician best known as the bassist for the heavy metal band Metallica, a position he has held since 2003. Prior to joining Metallica, he played with acts such as Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, and Ozzy Osbourne. Trujillo... read more
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Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bass guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the band in 2016, the... read more
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Mike Dirnt
Michael Ryan Pritchard, known professionally as Mike Dirnt, is an American musician best known for being the co-founder, bassist, backing, and occasional lead vocalist of the American punk rock band Green Day. He formed the band with Billie Joe Armstrong in 1987. Green Day achieved major success with... read more
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Jet Harris
The original bass player for the Shadows. Around the same time that Hank Marvin got one of the first Fender Stratocaster guitars in the UK, Jet likewise became one of the first British owners of the Fender Precision Bass.
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Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American metal musician best known as the third bass guitarist for Metallica, serving from November 1986 until his departure in January 2001. He also played with bands such as Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. After leaving Metallica, Newsted formed the band Newsted and has continued... read more