I think it is fair to say that the Fender bass guitar has been on more recordings than any other bass in history. My personal preference is for basses that were produced in the 1970 to 1979 era. The Fender Precision Bass neck dimension was reduced from late 1972 onwards from the C necks 1 inch and 3/4 at nut dimension of the pre CBS era basses to 1 inch 5/8 at nut known as B necks.These necks I found more comfortable. The necks in this era are made from a very hard maple which gives a punchy and aggressive sound which sits perfectly with the kick drum. The woods that were used on later models from late 1979 to 1985 does not sound the same and lacks the punch and cut found on the slightly earlier examples.
The Fender Jazz Bass also had a few changes, in early 1972 Fender decided to change the location of the bridge pickup by moving it a little closer to the bridge, this changed the sound of the Jazz Bass as it now had a more aggressive and punchy tone, perfect for blues funk and hard rock. Fender added white binding and pearl blocks in late 1973/74. Fender also decided in 1974 to change from a 4 bolt neck to a 3 bolt. The Fender Jazz Basses of this period from 1972 to 1979 are my personal favorites. The necks of this era also have a great feel as for me they sit perfectly in my hand. The pickups all seem very well balanced throughout this period and the woods provide a punchy and aggressive tone that works.
