Bass / Fender
Fender Boxer Precision Bass PB551 - Vintage White, Golden Era, 1985
Listed on Reverb
1 585.00 EUR
Original Reverb prices in EUR. Check the listing for shipping and the final total.
- Model
- PB531
- Year
- 1985
- Finish
- Vintage White
About this instrument
Instrument description in English.
Fender Boxer PB551 is a Japanese bass guitar manufactured in 1985 at the FujiGen Gakki factory. The Boxer series, introduced in the mid-1980s, was a response to the demand for instruments with a more contemporary character while retaining traditional ergonomics. This unit is distinguished by the absence of a front pickguard, a side-mounted jack socket, and a neck that is entirely finished in black lacquer (including the headstock). After our service work, which included fret dressing and shielding of the electronics with copper foil, the bass is ready to play.
Technical specification
Manufacturer: Fender
Model: Boxer PB551
Year of production: 1985
Body: Basswood
Neck: Maple – black lacquer
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: Medium (Condition: 90% – after dressing)
Pickups: 1x Fender Japan PB-Single Split-Coil
Electronics: Passive (1x Volume, 1x Tone)
Visual condition: Visible signs of use (details in description)
Finish: Vintage White (Originally Olympic White)
Weight: 3.93 kg / 8.66 lbs
Body and construction The solid body is made of basswood. The instrument was factory-finished in Olympic White, but over the years the lacquer has darkened and naturally changed its shade to a warmer Vintage White. A traditional Bolt-on construction is used, and the neck-to-body joint was made at the FujiGen Gakki factory. The lack of a front pickguard is a factory design feature of this model. The lacquer coating displays a dense network of cracks (finish checking). In our workshop, the electronics cavities were completely shielded with copper foil. The lacquer went through a polishing and waxing process.
Neck and ergonomics The maple neck features a "C" profile. The back of the neck and the headstock (matching headstock) are factory-finished in black lacquer. The neck is paired with a rosewood fingerboard. The Medium size frets retain about 90% of their original height and underwent a dressing process (leveling and polishing) during our service work. The fingerboard surface was cleaned and conditioned with lemon oil.
Sound The instrument is equipped with a single Split-Coil pickup in a passive circuit.
Characteristics: The combination of a basswood body and a Boxer series pickup allows for a balanced frequency response with pronounced mids and a clear bottom end.
Dynamics: The passive electronics respond directly to the articulation strength of fingers or a pick. The applied shielding lowers the circuit's susceptibility to external electromagnetic interference.
Additional information
The Boxer series was produced by the Japanese branch of Fender in the mid-1980s and was characterized by fully black metal hardware.
The color change from the cool Olympic White to the creamy Vintage White is a natural aging process of the lacquer coating, occurring under the influence of time and light exposure.
The side mounting of the jack socket in the body (instead of the traditional placement on the front) is a factory detail introduced in this series to improve playing ergonomics.
The service work we performed included: fret dressing, full copper electronics shielding, finish polishing, fingerboard conditioning, hardware cleaning, and scale length setup.
Hardware
Bridge: Vintage Style – a classic steel construction with adjustable saddles, factory-painted black.
Tuners: Fender Japan Vintage Style – black, open-back mechanisms. The hardware went through a cleaning process and retains its mechanical efficiency.
Instrument condition
Technical condition: The instrument is mechanically and electronically functional after a luthier verification. The truss rod works properly, and the frets are leveled.
Visual condition: The guitar shows clear signs of use appropriate for its age. Dings and an authentic network of cracks (finish checking) are visible on the lacquer. The black lacquer on the neck is well-preserved.
Setup and Modifications: Copper foil shielding of the electronics cavities, fret dressing, lacquer conditioning, and a setup of the scale length and string action were performed. According to verification, the instrument retains its factory specification.
Why choose this instrument
Boxer Series: A historical line of instruments from the FujiGen factory, valued for its modern aesthetic details and high quality of woodworking.
No pickguard: The exposure of the entire body lacquer, combined with the naturally aged Vintage White finish and black neck, represents a less common factory configuration.
Circuit shielding: Securing the cavities with copper foil effectively lowers the noise level while working with the instrument.
Ready to play: After our service work, the bass is fully prepared for regular playing without the need for luthier visits after purchase.
Technical specification
Manufacturer: Fender
Model: Boxer PB551
Year of production: 1985
Body: Basswood
Neck: Maple – black lacquer
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: Medium (Condition: 90% – after dressing)
Pickups: 1x Fender Japan PB-Single Split-Coil
Electronics: Passive (1x Volume, 1x Tone)
Visual condition: Visible signs of use (details in description)
Finish: Vintage White (Originally Olympic White)
Weight: 3.93 kg / 8.66 lbs
Body and construction The solid body is made of basswood. The instrument was factory-finished in Olympic White, but over the years the lacquer has darkened and naturally changed its shade to a warmer Vintage White. A traditional Bolt-on construction is used, and the neck-to-body joint was made at the FujiGen Gakki factory. The lack of a front pickguard is a factory design feature of this model. The lacquer coating displays a dense network of cracks (finish checking). In our workshop, the electronics cavities were completely shielded with copper foil. The lacquer went through a polishing and waxing process.
Neck and ergonomics The maple neck features a "C" profile. The back of the neck and the headstock (matching headstock) are factory-finished in black lacquer. The neck is paired with a rosewood fingerboard. The Medium size frets retain about 90% of their original height and underwent a dressing process (leveling and polishing) during our service work. The fingerboard surface was cleaned and conditioned with lemon oil.
Sound The instrument is equipped with a single Split-Coil pickup in a passive circuit.
Characteristics: The combination of a basswood body and a Boxer series pickup allows for a balanced frequency response with pronounced mids and a clear bottom end.
Dynamics: The passive electronics respond directly to the articulation strength of fingers or a pick. The applied shielding lowers the circuit's susceptibility to external electromagnetic interference.
Additional information
The Boxer series was produced by the Japanese branch of Fender in the mid-1980s and was characterized by fully black metal hardware.
The color change from the cool Olympic White to the creamy Vintage White is a natural aging process of the lacquer coating, occurring under the influence of time and light exposure.
The side mounting of the jack socket in the body (instead of the traditional placement on the front) is a factory detail introduced in this series to improve playing ergonomics.
The service work we performed included: fret dressing, full copper electronics shielding, finish polishing, fingerboard conditioning, hardware cleaning, and scale length setup.
Hardware
Bridge: Vintage Style – a classic steel construction with adjustable saddles, factory-painted black.
Tuners: Fender Japan Vintage Style – black, open-back mechanisms. The hardware went through a cleaning process and retains its mechanical efficiency.
Instrument condition
Technical condition: The instrument is mechanically and electronically functional after a luthier verification. The truss rod works properly, and the frets are leveled.
Visual condition: The guitar shows clear signs of use appropriate for its age. Dings and an authentic network of cracks (finish checking) are visible on the lacquer. The black lacquer on the neck is well-preserved.
Setup and Modifications: Copper foil shielding of the electronics cavities, fret dressing, lacquer conditioning, and a setup of the scale length and string action were performed. According to verification, the instrument retains its factory specification.
Why choose this instrument
Boxer Series: A historical line of instruments from the FujiGen factory, valued for its modern aesthetic details and high quality of woodworking.
No pickguard: The exposure of the entire body lacquer, combined with the naturally aged Vintage White finish and black neck, represents a less common factory configuration.
Circuit shielding: Securing the cavities with copper foil effectively lowers the noise level while working with the instrument.
Ready to play: After our service work, the bass is fully prepared for regular playing without the need for luthier visits after purchase.