Fender Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) released the Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass the latest iteration of Fender’s collaboration with the Guns N’ Roses bassist and New York Times bestselling author. The newest model in Fender’s Artist Signature Series captures the true musical essence of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee McKagan. Best known for his work with Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver McKagan has had an epic music career, entertaining and inspiring countless fans. Now, with the Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass, he will continue influencing the industry with a bass guitar that epitomizes rock culture and caters to his unique, melodic playing style that’s impacted bass players and music-lovers everywhere.
“The Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass is a nice evolution of the original bass we released with him,” added Justin Norvell, EVP Fender Products. “While we were developing it, we worked closely with Duff and the first guitar tech for Guns N’ Roses – McBob – to give this bass even more versatility than ever. Duff played these basses on the latest Guns N’ Roses world tour and new features like instant Drop- D tuning with the Hipshot® Bass Xtender came in handy during those 30-song sets with 3 to 4 different tunings.”
Based on the Pearl White instrument McKagan used while recording Guns N’ Roses’ debut album, “Appetite for Destruction,” the Duff McKagan Signature model is a distinctive, sleek and full-sounding reissue of his favorite ’80s-era Jazz Bass® Special. The bass combines a Precision Bass body with a Jazz Bass neck, as well as pickups from both instruments. It also adds player-friendly features and stylistic touches that Duff demands in his playing. On the heels of the latest Guns N’ Roses album release, the bass truly reflects Duff’s love for punk, rock ‘n’ roll and an evolution of his original signature model.
“The original bass I bought was the only one I took at the road for the Appetite for Destruction tour,” McKagan said. “We had a backup bass, but we didn’t need it. At some point we went to get another bass, but we couldn’t find a Jazz Special, so we went to Fender. To flash forward, be a Fender artist and have my own signature bass with this company is incredible. Fender is James Jamerson, John Paul Jones and it’s the bass that all the greats played. I’m still kind of in awe, and I don’t take it for granted.”
New features inspired by the legendary bassist’s preferences, include: instant Drop-D tuning, tonal versatility from a TBXTM (Treble/Bass Expander) tone circuit and a sleek black-painted neck with pearloid block inlays and binding. The signature bass also features a Pure Vintage ‘70s bridge and, as a special touch, a neckplate adorned with Duff’s signature skull-and-crossbones artwork.
McKagan also recently announced the upcoming release of his much-anticipated solo album, Tenderness, which was produced by and features Grammy® award-winner Shooter Jennings, as a musical follow-up to 2015’s best-selling book, How to Be a Man (And Other Illusions). McKagan and Jennings began recording in March 2018, working out of Station House studios in Echo Park, Calif., where they wrote and recorded in-between McKagan’s tour with seminal rock band Guns N’ Roses and the release of Jennings’ eponymous album, Shooter.
In true tradition, the Fender’s Artist Signature Series honors popular and iconic musicians through product progression and storytelling, creating instruments inspired by the unique specifications of the world’s greatest guitarists and bassists. “It’s an honor to collaborate with such an esteemed and iconic bassist like Duff, who inspires musicians of all generations and continues to raise the bar through his recorded work and on stage in one of the world’s most iconic bands,” said Matt Watts, VP Artist & Integrated Marketing. “It’s signature artists like him that build on Fender’s tradition of bass excellence.”
About the Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass
The Fender Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass is based on the ‘80s Jazz Bass Special he used while recording Appetite for Destruction. An evolution of his signature model, this bass adds all the features and stylistic touches that Duff loves. The black painted Modern “C”-shaped quartersawn maple neck has a “Deluxe Jazz Bass Special” headstock logo and rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block inlays, along with the number “12” at the twelfth fret. A must-have for live performance, the Hipshot Bass Xtender allows instant Drop-D tuning with the flick of a lever. Duff’s signature sound comes from pairing a Fender vintage-style Precision Bass split-coil pickup with a Seymour Duncan STKJ2B Jazz Bass single-coil bridge pickup. This thunderous tone can be shaped precisely by the Fender TBXTM (Treble/Bass Expander) tone circuit. Additional features include a Pure Vintage ‘70s bridge and a Duff skull-and-crossbones neck plate. A deluxe gig bag is also included.
