Back to navigation


A Leviathan of 4-string Fury





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





For over 20 years, Troy Sanders has served as Mastodon’s 4-string foundation, backing up the band’s dual guitarists with a propulsive low-register grind courtesy of his favorite Fender basses. The Troy Sanders Precision Bass perfectly captures the essence of his playing with a driving tone, sleek playability, and ‘70s-inspired aesthetics. This instrument’s lightweight alder body is host to a pair of Tim Shaw-designed split-coil and single-coil pickups, cranking up the aggression and punch of Fender’s most versatile 4-string pickup combo with a high-voltage 18V active preamp. On the opposite end, the rosewood-on-maple neck shapes into a custom ’70s P Bass carve for effortless playability up and down the board, sporting a sleek, matched painted headstock and elegant pearloid block inlays. Lastly, a HiMass vintage bridge tops off the Fender Troy Sanders Precision bass with impeccable reliability, ringing resonance, and superior sustain.





Related Videos: Troy Sanders Precision Bass 4-string Bass Guitar - Silverburst


Aggressive Tim Shaw-designed pickups





Never content to rest on their laurels, Mastodon have spent over two decades refining, evolving, and experimenting with their sound ? suffice to say that Troy requires a bass with genre-defying versatility. To meet his sonic needs, Troy teamed up with legendary pickup designer Tim Shaw to create a PJ pairing of pickups that deliver raw low-register blood and thunder, with enough tonal flexibility to slot into any musical application seamlessly. Moreover, a powerful 18V custom-voiced preamp pushes the envelope even further with a high-output punch of 4-string grind.





Serial TS00150


Serial TS00150


Heavy mass for a heavy tone





When it comes to bass bridges, mass is everything. To pair with Troy’s heavy tone, this bass comes equipped with an equally heavy Fender HiMass vintage bridge to dramatically improve string-to-body resonance, sharpen your attack, and maximize sustain. Plus, this bridge offers the best of both the vintage and modern worlds, providing maximum stability with an old-school look that pairs perfectly with the Troy Sanders Precision Bass’ ’70s-inspired cosmetics.





’70s-inspired “C” profile neck





Troy’s signature Precision Bass boasts a fast, high-performance feel that matches Mastodon’s duo of lightspeed, drop-tuned guitarists. A custom ’70s P Bass “C” shape maple neck enables slick playability up and down the board, perfectly filling out your grip when kicking out fierce low-register riffage. Up top, the rosewood slab fingerboard’s medium jumbo frets and 9.5-inch radius provide a thoroughly modern playing experience that will be familiar to any 4-string Fender fan ? it’s the perfect platform for a bassist like Troy who routinely pushes the boundaries of modern metal.





Serial TS00150


Serial TS00150


Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass 4-string Bass Guitar Features:


Lightweight alder body in a ’70s-inspired Silverburst finish


Maple neck with a matching painted headstock, emblazoned with a ’70s-style Fender logo and Troy’s signature decal


Rosewood slab fingerboard shaped into a modern 9.5-inch radius with comfortable medium-jumbo frets


Custom ‘70s Precision Bass “C”-profile neck fine-tuned to Troy’s specs


Tim Shaw-designed split-coil precision bass and single-coil jazz bass pickups deliver a hot, aggressive tone courtesy of a custom-voiced 18V preamp


Fender HiMass bridge blends the best elements of vintage design and modern heavyweight construction


Striking pearloid block inlays and a custom “Emperor of Sand” design on the 12th fret