2012 Fender P Bass (american special)
 

My 14 y/o son came home tonight with a brand new bass he convienced his mother to buy for Christmas. I guess that '83 Fender P bass from last Christmas that I got him wasn't enough. Besides not having strings thru body, any upgrade recommendations, ie, saddle/pickups?

Is that a natural finish? More pics please! And a tort or black guard couldn't hurt. Sharp bass.

I was just looking at the hang tag and it's listed as Honey natural on a satin maple finish.

I love the color. It makes me wanna rush out and treat myself for Xmas. I can't find that finish anywhere. Where did he pick it up?

Guitar Center Rancho Cucamonga, Ca.:bassist:

Lucky kid. I spent several months saving money from my paper route before I could afford to buy a bass. Something tells me childhood is a little different today than it was in the sixties.

Not too much. I'm working six days a week right now and I've drawn up a budget after bills and expenses to save for an American Standard P Bass this June. Granted, at 19 I'm a bit far removed from childhood, but I never had anyone to hand stuff over to me when I was younger.

Anyway, seems like a nice bass. Hope he enjoys it!

I think the kid's got good taste. Why mod it at all? Let him roll with it.

Sweet... you got the special factory run :)

I played one of the CAR American SPecial a while back. Great P bass. I put Jazz necks on my Ps, so the slimmer profile for the B width neck is great for me. They still run the Grease-Bucket right? Like the HWY 1s? I would consider removing it. If his '83 is just a standard P though, I'd keep the grease-bucket so you have some variety between the two.

If my kid already had a MIA 83' P I would of never bought that bass for him but hey..that's me. Win for the kid.

IMO it needs nothing to be playable as is? Pickup good, saddles good.

Ok, leaving it factory stock.

Oh for heaven's sake. I thought I was finally out of GAS at the moment and now this. Droool...

Nothing wrong with a stock Precision, that's for sure. Man, your son has good parental convincing skills! When I was 13, my parents got me some Framus solidbody they saw in a pawnshop for $50 ;)

Be sure to pat him on the back and congratulate him on his good taste.

That looks really nice - lucky kid!!!

As long as it played and sounded good, I probably wouldn't do anything to it - if it was lacking sound-wise, I would either go with SPB-1s if I were loking for "old school" sound, or maybe Model Ps or EMGs for a more "modern" sound...


- georgestrings

I bought one a couple of months back. It's the American Special with a hand rubbed Honeyburst finish.

The only "mod" that I did to mine was to change out the PUP covers from black to white (to go along with the pick guard).

Now for the other news:

I currently own and play a MIA 62RI, a MIA 57RI, a 2012 MIM Antigua.

I pick up this American Special BEFORE I touch the other three. It's THAT nice. This model (due to the very light finish) just SCREAMS with tone.

Just my opinion here, but Fender, for the money, has MORE than out done themselves. This particular model is a complete gem and I am STILL in love with mine. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them do more in these "hand-rubbed" finishes. The wood "breathes" more and allows the tone to really shine, and you can easily tell when you play it without an amp - loud as all get out.