Fender basses
FlyGuitars Your collections obviously dominated by a large number of Fender basses and Fender appear to be your chosen workhorse. Is that because you find those most practical for live work and recording?
Bob Daisley Yeah they've always been very versatile you can get lots of different sounds out of especially a Precision bass. Very versatile, very reliable, very robust for travelling. I love Gibsons for some stuff but sometimes you only have to look at them the wrong way and the head falls off, they're notorious for that though. If they fall or they get transported the wrong way or they are not packed properly the head can break off, it's always the head that goes first. I've had that happen to a couple of mine but the Fenders are very robust and you could probably throw it across the room and it'd be still in one piece you know. You've got to really mean to break one, somebody like Ritchie (Blackmore) or Pete Townsend to break a Fender, they're very robust. You know I've always found them very versatile.
FlyGuitars What was your first Fender
Bob Daisley I actually got a Telecaster bass at first which was ok but when I joined Chicken Shack with Stan Webb I ended up getting the 61 Precision bass and I remember Stan saying to me "Oh you won't be sorry, you'll have that for the rest of your life". That's one I've really hung on to and it's been great, it's been really good, a real workhorse, it's been on so many records and albums and done so many tours.



FlyGuitars In '72 Fender edged into Gibson territory by putting a large humbucker right up by the neck of the Telecaster bass. Your original Tele didn't have this, but have you now got a humbucker equipped Tele in your collection?
Bob Daisley No, mine's the '68 Paisley which is another pretty rare one but that hasn't got the humbucker it's the one with the early Precision straight pole pickup.
FlyGuitars What's it like in terms of tone compared to the other Fenders that you've got?
Bob Daisley It's nice, you know it's got nice playability and it sounds good. Very similar to the early 50's ones, I have got a couple of early 50's ones, a 53 Precision, the butterscotch with the black pickguard, that's really nice, I like that one and the other one I've got is the '55. Same sort of thing but with the contoured body.

The pictures below show a selection of Bob's Precision and Jazz basses. Six Fender Precision basses: 1953 blond, 1954 Sunburst, 1957 Sunburst, 1959 Sunburst, 1962/3 Olympic white, 1964 Sunburst








Thanks to Graham Fieldhouse and Bob Daisley for making this interview possible. Images courtesy of bobdaisley.com
Links: Bob Daisley's homepage | Kahvas Jute homepage | More FlyGuitars interviews
Gibson bass guitars for sale
1963 Fiesta Red Fender Precision Bass
Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$37600
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1961 Fender Jazz Bass Stack Knob
Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$34595
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1953 Fender Precision Bass
Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$31500
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1958 Fender Precision Bass
Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$30500
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Charvel / Fender Custom Bass made for Billy Gibbons 1977 - Transparent Red
Chicago, Illinois, 606**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$24995
Year made: 1977
Finish: Transparent Red
Operational Condition: Fully-functioning
Cosmetic Condition: Good with some dings, checking in the finish, scratches, etc. The wear is authentic and looks incredible. 8 out of 10 condition
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original 1955 Fender Precision Bass Blonde w / Tweed case
Carbondale, Illinois, 629**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$21900
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Olivia's Vintage would like to present this 1955 Fender Precision Bass in its original Blonde finish. It has a great playing neck with great frets. It's all original with the exception of one changed pot, an added ground wire and a screw holding the jack cup in place. Aside from the cloth covering being removed from the pickup, it's 100% complete along with both original covers and the original tweed hardshell case. It looks great with nicks + dings, a ... more
1962 Fender Jazz Bass Sunburst Pre-CBS
Syracuse, New York, 132**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$20000
1961 Fender Precision BASS 100% ORIGINAL SUNBURST Rosewood Slab Board
Citrus Heights, California, 956**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$19500
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1963 Fender Jazz Bass Pre-CBS Vintage Bass Sunburst w / Case
Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$17500
1964 Fender Jazz Bass Pre-CBS Vintage Bass Olympic White w / Gold Hardware, Case
Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$16500
With extremely heavy playwear and a super jumbo refret, this Jazz Bass looks mean yet has a vitality and breadth of tones well-suited to ... more
1961 Fender Precision Bass Sunburst Refin Pre-CBS w / HSC
San Diego, California, 921**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$15995
This Bass Is Located At IVG Sherman Oaks
In Very Good Overall Condition (Please See Photos)
Finish Shows Cosmetic Playwear With Various Visible Dings, Marks, And Scratches
Sent Back To Fender Factory For Body And Neck Refinish In The Early 70's (Per The Previous Owner)
Made In Fullerton, CA
Solid Alder Body
Figured Maple Neck With Slab Rosewood Fingerboard And Clay Dot Inlays
Original Black Bottom Pickups
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Vintage 1966 Fender Precision Bass w / Original Hardshell Case NEAR MINT
Boca Raton, Florida, 334**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$15100
An Original 1966 Fender Precision Bass in Sunburst finish
Comes in its original case and is in NEAR MINT Condition It has been stored in its case and never played by me as long as I've owned it, which is 40+ years It also has its original vintage Fender guitar strap Located in the U S. for easy shipping
See photos for accurate description.
An Original 1966 Fender Precision Bass in Sunburst finish.... more
1958 Fender Precision Bass Pre-CBS Vintage Gold Guard Sunburst w / Tweed Case
Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$15000
Delivering a broad natural acoustic tone that??s effortlessly rich and ... more
1953 Fender Precision Bass Pre-CBS Butterscotch Blonde w / HSC
San Diego, California, 921**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$14995
In Good Overall Condition (Please See Photos)
Heavy Cosmetic Playwear Throughout
Body Partially Painted Black And Stripped As Shown
Extra Screw Holes Around Body Indicating a Previously Mounted Custom Pickguard
Older Re-Decal
Non-Original Pickguard
Original Cloth Wiring With One Changed Pot And Tone Capacitor
Original Pickup
Original Tuners And Bridge
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1965 Fender Jazz Bass Lake Placid Blue Finish Left-Handed Electric Bass w / OHSC
San Diego, California, 921**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$14995
In Very Good Overall Condition (Please See Photos)
Headstock Has Been Cracked And Expertly Repaired (See Photos)
All Original
Original Lake Placid Blue Finish Shows Dings And Beautiful Vertical Checking
Alder Body
Maple Neck With Rosewood Fingerboard
Weight 9lbs 6oz
Nut Width 1 469 "
Neck Depth At 1st Fret .75 "
Neck Depth At 12th Fret 1 56 "
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1959-1960 Fender Precision Bass Original Sunburst Relic with Hardshell Case
El Cajon, California, 920**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$14000
The serial number is ??40496?? which dates it to late 1959. The neck is date is not readable and the body is dated to December 1959. The pots date to November 1959 (137-945 and 947). So all dateable parts are from 1959 but it probably was not sold until early 1960. It has the original Sunburst finish
The body is in good condition overall, but has a lot of natural wear - dings, scratches and scuffs. There are also two small holes above the pickguard ... more
Vintage 1958 Fender Precision Bass Sunburst w Vintage Hardshell Case
New York, 100**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$13999
A remarkably light and resonant P-bass with sound you can hear way across the room without it even being plugged in! Plug it in and holy moly .it's pure James Jamison thump fat and round bass tones. Percussive and warm, organic tone Amazing.
The finish is not original, but you can see signs of the original Sunburst under the current finish. It looks like the original finish was so worn they refinished... more
Fender Bass VI 1963 - Blonde
Brooklyn, New York, 112**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$13500
The bass is in very good shape physically with some changed parts to note. The tuners are a set of aged Klusons. The knobs, pots, capacitor, and jack are all modern components. The neck pickup has been rewound. Otherwise, the finish, guard, bridge, tailpiece, other parts and other electronics are original
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Vintage 1963 Fender Jazz Bass Sunburst w Original Case ex-Blue Oyster Cult
New York, 100**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$12999
Bass has a killer neck and superb playability. Neck is nice and straight with a good low action and no buzz or issues. Action is perfect and it is super vibrant and resonant. Nice and light, too
Features original Sunburst finish. Signs of wear and dings to the finish throughout, all honest gigging wear. The logo on the headstock looks like it has been over sprayed. ... more
Fender Precision Bass 1964 - Sunburst
Brooklyn, New York, 112**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$12900
Specs include an alder body, maple neck, and laminate rosewood board. It has an L serial number, clay dots, and reverse gear tuners. The bass appears to be all original, though the pickup has been rewound. The neck and body finish are original and show plenty of wear throughout. The guard has cracked from shrinking and a piece on the bass side is missing. The frets show... more