American Standard P vs 1962 American P Reissue

[slipitin]

I doing some selling/rearranging of my 'team' of basses and will have some money spare to get a new precision.

I've previously owned a 60's reissue MIJ p bass (learnt to play on it, miss that one), American Deluxe P (so perfect and sexy it was boring), 1978 P (solid as hell, shame it had to go, hard times) and 51 reissue (plank with character, just I found I don't like maple)...

so will have the cash for a new P soon. BUT:

American Standard P in sunburst OR 1962 American reissue?

This is going to be a gigging and recording all-round go-to bass. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE any opinions and reasoning to help me decide. As far as I can see the necks are tangibly different and it would seem the 62 is very overpriced (or is it?) I can't decide.

[king_biscuit]

I certainly don't think the AV 62 is overpriced. It is $250.00 more than the AS and you get a nitro finish, better pickups, nicer case, covers (if that's your thing), stack knobs, and a cool vintage style strap. The AV basses usually have a little better fit and finish and are generally lighter too.

[Johnny Alien]

The US vintage series is the best production bass Fender makes.

Wide 1.75" neck, vintage frets, 7.25 fretboard radius, and nitro finish.

[Johnny Alien]

Keep your eye on the used market they regularly sell her or on ebay for $1000 and under.

[Funky_Duck]

Originally Posted by Johnny Alien

The US vintage series is the best production bass Fender makes.

Wide 1.75" neck, vintage frets, 7.25 fretboard radius, and nitro finish.

+1. The last one I bought - just about 2 years ago - was the 2nd best P-Bass I've ever owned; the best was an early '66 that I had back in the late '70s. Wish that I still had the '62 reissue but money got tight and something had to go.

The AVRI weighed right at 8 lbs. and played like a dream. Between the two basses, I'd spend the extra scratch and get the reissue if it were me.

[slipitin]

Many thanks for your input guys, it's a big help. My main concern is a) Are the pups actually better as king biscuit says, not calling him a liar just wary of retro products that put authenticity above performance. AND mainly: The neck difference, it seems the standard has a swankier neck with graphite rods and a rolled fingerboard, the 62 seems more substantial, but as a playing experience...you know what I mean? Also does having the strung through body option on the bridge actually make a difference, mass wise? Surely once they hit the bridge it's all the same? Not second guessing you guys as you obviously know what you're talking about, just want to make double sure. I'll try and paste the relative specs:


Model Name: American Standard Precision Bass®
Model Number: 019-0460-(Color #) and 019-0462-(Color #)
Series: American Standard Series
Colors: (700) 3-Color Sunburst,
(705) Olympic White,
(706) Black,
(712) Candy Cola,
(755) Blizzard Pearl,
(769) Charcoal Frost Metallic,
(Urethane Finish)
Body: Alder
Neck: Graphite Reinforced Maple, Modern �C� Shape,
(Gloss Headstock Face with Satin Urethane Finish on Back of Neck)
Fingerboard: Rosewood (P/N 019-0460) or Maple (P/N 019-0462), 9.5� Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets: 20 Medium Jumbo Frets
Pickups: 1 American Standard Precision Bass Alnico 5 Split Single-Coil Pickup
Controls: Volume, Tone
Pickup Switching: None
Bridge: HMV, High Mass Vintage, (Strings-Thru-Body or Topload)
Machine Heads: Fender®/Hipshot® Vintage Keys with Tapered Shafts
Hardware: Chrome
Pickguard: 4-Ply Brown Shell On:
(700) 3-Color Sunburst,
(705) Olympic White,
3-Ply White On:
(706) Black,
(769) Charcoal Frost Metallic,
3-Ply Parchment On:
(712) Candy Cola,
(755) Blizzard Pearl
Scale Length: 34� (863.6 mm)
Width at Nut: 1.625" (41.3 mm)
Unique Features: Tinted Neck,
Maple Fingerboard Neck: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Front;
Rosewood Fingerboard Neck: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Headstock Front with Buffed Fingerboard,
Fender Spaghetti Logo,
Posiflex™ Graphite Neck Support Rods,
Rounded Body Shape,
Rolled Fingerboard Edges,
New Molded Fender/SKB Case with TSA Locks, Glass Reinforced Nylon Trigger Latches, and Form Fitted Plush Interior
Strings: Super Bass 8250M NPS, p/n 073-8250-006,
Gauges: .045, .065, .085, .110TW (Taperwound E)
Accessories: Fender/SKB® Case, Cable, Strap, Polishing Cloth
Case: High-Tech, Molded Rectangular SKB® Case

VS

Model Name: American Vintage �62 Precision Bass®
Model Number: 019-0116-(Color #)
Series: American Vintage Series
Colors: (800) 3-Color Sunburst,
(805) Olympic White,
(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple, �C� Shape,
(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Fingerboard: Rosewood, 7.25� Radius (184 mm)
No. of Frets: 20 Vintage Style Frets
Pickups: 1 Vintage Precision Bass Split Single-Coil Pickup (Middle)
Controls: Volume, Tone
Pickup Switching: None
Bridge: American Vintage Precision®/Jazz® Bass
Machine Heads: Vintage Style Reverse Tuning Machines
Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
Pickguard: 4-Ply Brown Shell
Scale Length: 34� (863.6 mm)
Width at Nut: 1.750� (44.5 mm)
Unique Features: Vintage Styling,
Synthetic Bone Nut
Strings: Fender Super Bass 7250ML, NPS,
Gauges: (.045, .065, .080, .100),
P/N 073-7250-005
Accessories: Deluxe Brown Hardshell Case, Strap, Cable, (Chrome Bridge and Pickup Covers are Unmounted and Included in the Kit)
Case: Deluxe Brown Hardshell Case

[Johnny Alien]

Originally Posted by slipitin

My main concern is a) Are the pups actually better as king biscuit says, not calling him a liar just wary of retro products that put authenticity above performance.

Performance is not an issue they are both high quality products. It all comes down to what you want out of a pickup. I prefer vintage wound pickups. The American Standard I think are also vintage wound but overwound for a more aggressive tone. Not my thing but many people like them. I prefer the 62's and similar.

Originally Posted by slipitin

AND mainly: The neck difference, it seems the standard has a swankier neck with graphite rods and a rolled fingerboard, the 62 seems more substantial, but as a playing experience...you know what I mean?

The fretboard is rolled on the vintage series as well. In fact they were rolled that way long before the US Standards starting doing it. I prefer no graphite and the nitro finish but that is also a preference thing. Give them both a try. The fretboard radius is a big thing for me. The vintage series has a7.25 radius while the Standard is flatter. I am also not a fan of the larger frets.

Originally Posted by slipitin

Also does having the strung through body option on the bridge actually make a difference, mass wise? Surely once they hit the bridge it's all the same? Not second guessing you guys as you obviously know what you're talking about, just want to make double sure.

IMO (and I stress that) there is no difference in tone or sustain when stringing through the body and plenty of knowledable people agree. If I have the option I string through and if I don't....I don't. I never really think about it and I notice no tone difference.

[slipitin]

very helpful, thanks.

[Nedmundo]

It really is a matter of preference, with the biggest difference IMO being neck feel. I prefer the American Standard's narrower nut width (1.625"), 9.5" fretboard radius, and medium jumbo frets. I believe the Standard also has easier truss rod adjustment. Tone wise, they're pretty close from what I've heard, with the vintage having perhaps more clarity, but the Standard having a slightly thicker low end. That's what you'd expect if the Standard has an overwound version of a similar pickup design, but I don't know how closely related they are. My 2004 Am. Series has a Lindy Fralin pickup, which is an improvement IMO, but I do like the stock Am. Series/Standard pickups too. They sit very nicely in a band mix, but don't punch through as hard as the Fralin.

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by slipitin

Many thanks for your input guys, it's a big help. My main concern is a) Are the pups actually better as king biscuit says, not calling him a liar just wary of retro products that put authenticity above performance.

I prefer the 62 pickup and I've had both. I was responding more about your question regarding pricing. It certainly cost more to produce the 62 pickup because it has cloth wires, a vulcanized fiber bobbin, and a copper back/grounding plate, rather than plastic wires and bobbin and no back plate like the American Standard.

[slipitin]

Right so it's in the details and beyond that, personal preference...again, thanks guys.

[king_biscuit]

Originally Posted by slipitin

Right so it's in the details and beyond that, personal preference...again, thanks guys.

It's always going to be personal preference. No one can tell you which pickup sounds better, and I shouldn't have used the term better to describe a pickup. It's like saying brand A ketchup tastes better than brand B; it makes no sense to anyone but the person saying it. "Better" is a normative term and subjective. Now it certainly does cost more to produce the AV line than the American Standard line and that is an objective fact.

[slipitin]

Yes I think it's becoming clearer to me, I certainly do prefer the look and vibe of the 62, but will be more used to the neck of the standard having owned that deluxe, plus if the standard has more solid low end that's probably what I'm after, even if it's lacking clarity. Why did Fender start doing that light tint maple headstock though? I really hate it, looks so cheap to me compared to the darker tint...So at the moment I reckon I'm gonna see if my 51 sells, if it doesn't I'll keep it for the vintage fix (I added ashtrays and a black plate so is looking cooler these days) and get a standard...unless I change my mind...

[slipitin]

except I just went down the pub and sold the 51...so it's all up in the air again...

[Craig_S]

I've heard some tremendous 62 reissues. A friend of mine had to sell one of his basses a few months ago. He chose to keep his Vic Bailey fiver. I wish I would have had the cash for his 62 P. He ended up letting it go for $900. It was a superb example. I'm sad thinking about it. They aren't all created equal, though. I'm a firm believer in playing it before you buy it.

[slipitin]

So do you have to take the neck/pickguard off to adjust the truss on a 62? I had to do that with the 51 and it was a slight pain in the arse.

[Funky_Duck]

Originally Posted by Craig_S

They aren't all created equal, though. I'm a firm believer in playing it before you buy it.

Right on. I played four the day I picked up the bass I ended up with. Two were nice and one was marginal but the one I walked out with just "had it" - one of those situations where you know it as soon as you hit those first few notes. Then once I got home and popped a set of flats on it, there was no doubt that I'd picked the best of the lot. Another vote for playing before you buy!

Oh, and yes, you will have to remove the guard or notch it to access the truss rod.

[Fawkes007]

Here's what I would do:

Go to the music store, ask to play noth basses through the same amplifier. Before doing so, wear a blindfold and have the sales person hand you one bass, then another. Repeat this process until you decide which bass is better suited for your hands and your ears (without your eyes getting in the way).

[slipitin]

Originally Posted by Fawkes007

Here's what I would do:

Go to the music store, ask to play noth basses through the same amplifier. Before doing so, wear a blindfold and have the sales person hand you one bass, then another. Repeat this process until you decide which bass is better suited for your hands and your ears (without your eyes getting in the way).

That's a great idea I just hope he doesn't try to touch my front bottom like before...

[slipitin]

Originally Posted by Funky_Duck

Right on. I played four the day I picked up the bass I ended up with. Two were nice and one was marginal but the one I walked out with just "had it" - one of those situations where you know it as soon as you hit those first few notes. Then once I got home and popped a set of flats on it, there was no doubt that I'd picked the best of the lot. Another vote for playing before you buy!

Oh, and yes, you will have to remove the guard or notch it to access the truss rod.

Oh ok pickguard removal not a prob, long as i don't have have to unscrew the neck heel, cheers