Fender '51 RI MIJ P 1991—Ivory/Cream color

[Jim Carr]

New Price: $800 FIRM. Old Price: $940. Shipped in the continental USA. No Trades. Sound files below.

No mustard or school bus yellow, here—so it is with much reluctance that I put this lovely single coil-equipped bass up for sale. This is an ivory/cream colored Fender MIJ '51 P-bass RI. This instrument is quite different from the current CIJ basses, and IMHO is superior in fit and finish.

Besides the transparent ivory/cream finish, I believe the pickup is a Seymour Duncan SCPB-1, and the body is very nice light Ash. You can see the grain through the finish (see last pic, below). Weight is 8.8 lbs.

It was made in 1991 and is near mint. Currently it is sporting LaBella flats, bridge and pickup covers, a vintage-style finger grip, and a good Tweed Fender gig bag.

[pat morgan]

would you trade for a 91 mij jazz bass 75 reissue? natural clear finish mint cond?

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by pat morgan

would you trade for a 91 mij jazz bass 75 reissue? natural clear finish mint cond?

Hi Pat—

I am raising funds for a new upright, so I can't take any trades—though I'd bet that is a very nice Jazz bass. The MIJ stuff from that era is really fine, as you know. Thanks!

[thejumpcat]

You say it's sporting the bridge and pickup cover, but I don't even see the screw holes. Are the pictures old, or does the bass just come with those covers and they haven't been attached?
Either way, that's a badass bass. I had one of the early ones, and it was close in color. Nice thumbrest, too. Did you strip the paint?

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by thejumpcat

You say it's sporting the bridge and pickup cover, but I don't even see the screw holes. Are the pictures old, or does the bass just come with those covers and they haven't been attached?
Either way, that's a badass bass. I had one of the early ones, and it was close in color. Nice thumbrest, too. Did you strip the paint?

Hi Jumpcat—

Yes, the pics were taken before I had RSGuitarworks drill the holes for the covers.

The paint is totally stock. Cheers!

[Chef]

wow
never thought you'd sell that!

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by Chef

wow
never thought you'd sell that!

I didn't either. It is a totem object for me. Yet I am going much more in the upright direction, and my 1850 Tiroler is just too fragile and valuable to take to a lot of gigs that I am now turning down.

While I love single coil P-basses, this '51 RI is my special "Telecaster bass." It is the one that got away in 1969. In my youth, I once picked a used '68 Jazz instead of a used '68 Tele bass in a trade for my minty Dual Showman. Hey, I was a freshman in college and hadn't heard Ron Wood live with Jeff Beck in Boston, yet—that happened a few weeks after the trade!

Heck, the huge tone of Wood's single coil Tele-bass on "Jeff Beck Truth" is guaranteed with this bass, right?

[thejumpcat]

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

The paint is totally stock.

Sorry - I meant on the thumb rest. Aren't they usually black?

[Jeff K]

Beautiful...

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by thejumpcat

Sorry - I meant on the thumb rest. Aren't they usually black?

Some early single coil P-basses had natural finger grips, IIRC.

BTW, How do you like your Shen?

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by Jeff K

Beautiful...

I love the sound of this baby, too, but I need a new upright, so I have to let it go.

If you dig single coil and like the un-countoured body, this is the one.

To go here with the CS or a vintage Tele is going to be 3 times the cost of this baby, and really no better sounding or even much prettier—unless you are into relics—who me? LOL!

[thejumpcat]

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

BTW, How do you like your Shen?

I really dig the Shen. Went through several sets of strings before settling on an all-gut setup. Definitely not for everybody, but for the jump blues stuff I play, it's perfect.

I think for the price, a Shen is a really good deal. I initially wanted (and still do, actually) a New American Standard, but it was over twice the price.

I've always had to sell a bass to get a bass. Got rid of my '51 P for a '62 reissue. The 51 was nice. Again, for the stuff I play, they're ideal. And yours is really tasty!

[Jim Carr]

Thanks for the kind words--I think you are right.
Single coil rules for jump and blues--except for a gut strung upright!

[thejumpcat]

Have you tried the new Kay reissue electric basses? If you play blues, they're tough to beat, especially with flatwounds. Nice thump, uprightish. Light. (And they sound good unplugged, which is nice for sitting on the couch practicing.)

[RexNFX79]

Bump for a cool looking bass.

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by thejumpcat

Have you tried the new Kay reissue electric basses? If you play blues, they're tough to beat, especially with flatwounds. Nice thump, uprightish. Light. (And they sound good unplugged, which is nice for sitting on the couch practicing.)

Those are very slick! I have also long had a jones for an H22 Harmony, but I digress.

Honestly, I do prefer a solid body Fender for Blues. A single coil, like my '51 is great with Labella flats, but so are the split coil P-basses.

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by RexNFX79

Bump for a cool looking bass.

Hi Rex— Thanks for the bump. It is still available.
I see you have a '51 P on your Gas List! So what are you waiting for??? LOL!

Thanks again for the bump. I guess this is my daily bump, too!

[Jeff K]

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Hi Rex— Thanks for the bump. It is still available.
I see you have a '51 P on your Gas List! So what are you waiting for??? LOL!

It's on my GAS list too. And I DO like yours better than the yellow/butterscotch ones. But I just don't have the extra money laying around. Is the single coil pup pretty noisy?

[Jim Carr]

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, the single coil is noisier than a split coil, if that helps, quell the gas, LOL.

But seriously, I gigged a single coil P-bass all over New England in the early and mid 70's, in dives, disco-techs, shore dinner halls, Irish pubs, folk clubs, etc. I even backed Chubby Checker, the Platters and the Shirelles. It was fine. There are a few tricks, like keeping your hands on the strings, keeping the instrument away from the amp, keeping it pointed in the quietest direction between songs (yes, it matters), and even lowering the volume between songs, too in extreme situations—such as badly wired Neon on stage behind the band.

To give you an idea, it is really no worse than running a Jazz bass off of one pickup. Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Jeff K

It's on my GAS list too. And I DO like yours better than the yellow/butterscotch ones. But I just don't have the extra money laying around. Is the single coil pup pretty noisy?

[Jeff K]

Thanks for the info, Jim. Yeah, I figured it was probably analogous to favoring one pickup on a Jazz. I recently sold off one of my basses and thought I was now GAS-free. And then you have to post this thing. Curse you, Dr. Jim, curse you!!!