Fender American Ultra Precision Bass Ebony Fingerboard Limited-Edition Umbra Burst

The first Fender I got in 1987 was a P/J and I've always had a soft spot in my heart for them. This the ultimate P/J in my book. A couple of years ago, I bought an Ultra Strat and while it's not period-correct, it's one of the most comfortable guitars I have ever played. This bass is the same--impeccable fit and finish and a super comfortable neck. I generally play at home these days so the Noiseless pickups are greatly appreciated. Between the two pickups, I can get all the sounds I want. So this bass really checks all the boxes for me--luxury, comfort, great sound--it has it all. As another reviewer said, I have been thinking about buying one of these for a while but really didn't like the colors Fender had on offer. The Umbra Burst is beautiful and I like the black headstock quite a bit. I think the ebony fretboard is a nice touch too. If you have the cash, this is a really nice bass and if I could only keep one (God forbid!), this would probably be the one I would choose.

I have wanted an American Ultra for some time but Fender released them in nasty colors. This GC limited run looks and sounds beautiful. All the sounds from the hardcore trad P-Bass to the active more modern tones are great. Action, neck, fingerboard all ideal. A definite keeper.

First, I want to start by saying that this bass is awesome! Love the P-Bass sound, but having the J-Bridge pickup and active circuit opens a whole world of tonal possibilities.

I ended up taking this guitar back due to the bridge construction. There is no groove for the strings to rest in. Instead, the strings are laying over a flat surface which allows them to make contact with the small springs in the bridge. Every time I pluck the A string the thing distorts. You can't really notice it when playing through an amp. However, playing unplugged or recording it is very apparent. It was disappointing to have to take this back, but I am not paying that much for a design that lacks basic intuitive construction…

As stated in the headline, this bass is everything I could want but is probably a lot more than I need. I have been playing bass since I was about 12 years old. I started out with high school jazz and went punk for my first band, classic rock, metal, I love it all.. This is a purist's bass and has the diversity in tone to match some of my classic favorites like Megadeath, and Metallica just by messing with amp settings (I have the rumble 500) and toggling between the active/passive and jazz/p-bass pick-ups. I don't even need a foot switch, except to look cool... Truth is, it is probably more bass than I will ever need or use which is a good position to be in. However, it begs the question of whether I could have spent a thousand less on any performer passive p-bass and had everything one could want in Fender perfection. The thing that sold me here was the color scheme that is not available on any of the other models, including the blacked-out head which is totally metal \m/... If money is not a concern I say go for this thing, but you don't have to spend this much to have other American P-basses in this tier. I just can't get over how unique it looks to bring it back for anything else. For performance, I give it a 5-star easily. However, for quality in other instruments that I have played for the price (Warwick, Ibanez, Schecter, Ernie, and other Fenders) I give it a 4 star. If I could say 4.5 I would. I absolutely recommend this bass, but could recommend many others at a far softer price point of equal or near equal quality. A personal note, I have not consistently played bass for a long time, since starting my current15 years of military service, but this guitar begs you to play it and has reckindled a long lost interest. Thank you Fender for that, truly.