The Fender American Professional II Series is the next generation of premium American-made basses and guitars built for working musicians — a follow-up to the original line with pro-focused upgrades like super-smooth “Super-Natural” neck finish, newly sculpted neck heel, updated V-Mod II pickups, top-load or string-through-body bridges, and a variety of new and classic colors like Mystic Surf Green and Dark Night. Every update to the American Professional line was done in careful consultation with the Fender artist community to deliver the most playable, expressive, and intuitive instruments possible. The entire American Pro II bass collection includes 4 and 5-string Jazz and Precision basses (as well as left-handed 4-string models) and a fretless Jazz Bass.

Nicole Row is one of pop music’s most sought-after touring bassists. Currently with Panic! At The Disco, she’s hit the stage with artists like Miley Cyrus, Ty Dollar Sign, and Troye Sivan. Row is well-versed in many styles of music from Jazz to Motown to Funk and she is known for her ability to tastefully join any aesthetic with just the right notes. Row first honed her skills on a Fender J Bass, and she currently plays models from the original American Professional line. We invited her to check out the Fender American Professional II Jazz Bass and Precision Bass and share her first impressions.

FENDER AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL II JAZZ BASS

Nicole Row played through her new song “Co-op” on the American Pro II Jazz Bass to get a sense of its sound. “Some of the things that I really liked about it... well obviously the pickups — super clean, super bright, and a lot more versatility." She also noticed the updated neck heel. "I really love the cutout — it gives you a lot more range — you can grip in a little tighter." One of the things that really caught her attention was how the notes ring out. "The bridge here adds a lot of sustain in combination with the pickups. I really noticed a significant amount of sustain with the bass when I was playing it.”

FENDER AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL II PRECISION BASS

The American Pro II P Bass's updated V-Mod II Precision Bass split-coil pickup was the first feature that caught Row's ear on this instrument. “I'd say a lot of the enhancements with this model are going to be in the pickups. For me, I noticed a lot more clarity and punch. When I had the tone control rolled all the way up, [it was] super bright — harmonically and everything. It was wonderful — I was playing a lot of slap. When I rolled it back to the mid position, it took me to that more classic P Bass sound where you have a little bit more mud, but still a lot of that mid-range punch. When I rolled it all the way off, it was just like butter — silky smooth, but everything was still clear and bright at the same time.”

Refining a classic instrument is a delicate balance, and Fender always evolves alongside their players. With an understanding of how subtle nuances and thoughtful details can make big changes, the American Professional II collection delivers their most performance-friendly instruments to date. Check out all of the basses in the Fender American Professional II line:

• Fender American Professional II Jazz Bass
• Fender American Professional II Precision Bass

Keep up with Nicole Row.