Fender Elite Bass

[O'LIVE]

Merci beaucoup pour ces informations !

Thanks.

[pattonpwr]

just wanted to share with you (I'm new here) my lovely Fender Precision Elite II bass from 1983. Purchased 2nd hand ($1200) with some really nice mods (badass II bridge, pickup selectors etc...)

[62Jazzbass]

1983 Elite II in Sienna Burst w/ gold hardware. My first bass. This is the only decent picture I have of it, taken shortly after I bought it, new, in 1985.

Wish I kept it, even though I truely found myself to be a Jazz guy over time, which is one of the reasons I sold it. The other being I was broke.

[Want a 9]

Nice looking Fender Elites you have there folks. Mine is a Black Elite II Gold with a maple board on it. I need to post a picture of it sometime. I have to find one or take new one first.

[BassLiK]

Originally Posted by Funky-Wunky

Just wondering about the Fender Elite basses made in the early 80's. They have a single or double p pickup configuration and I think they were the first active electronic basses Fender made. Anyone have one or comment on the sound of the electronics or playability, or any comment on these basses?

Hi everyone,

Ok I just bought a Fender Elite bass, not sure which particular model, does have two split humbucking pickups, the fine tuners knobs are missing as well as the original stock knobs, thise thing is super HEAVY, to say the least, I can't imagine anyone touring with this thing.

It's obvious they painted the pick guard and also move holes around on the pick guard, but this thing has an unbelievable MOJO I haven't heard in a Fender since I played my uncles 1964 Fender bass. The neck is flawless and I know I'm going to have to over haul it at some point, but any recommendations would be cool, say like different pickups, maybe a Leo Quan ?, I think it will be worth putting work into to it since I just got it for $75.

[bassclef112]

I had 2 Elite II's over the years. One was black/Alder and still manageable. The other was a Gold Elite II that was natural ash and was literally an anchor. Way too heavy for me. In addition the necks were more than I felt comfortable with so they finally went.

The electronics are like this - the pickups are passive, basically standard P bass in sealed covers. The preamp can get insanely bright - a lot of people don't like that part of it, and it goes to a tone assign switch. You can assign the pre to either pickup or both. With some very judicious tweaking some great tones can come out of it.

Here's a lot of useful info on it.
http://www.riverband.demon.nl/elite.html

Often these are found completely gutted with new electronics and pickups. Since you got it so cheap this would be a personal choice as the original parts would no longer come into play. The bridge is a Schaller and of very high quality, so again, your choice if you want something else. BTW, you will never find replacement fine tuners. If they're not there when you buy it they're gone forever. Good luck with it.

[BassLiK]

Thanks bud, yea I'm aware of the fine tuners will never be had, but it's still useable as is as far as tuning I guess. I say lets get some folks in here to let me know whats a good replacement for pickups?, maybe later I'll get a Leo Quan. I'm also thinking if stripping it down to bare wood?

[BassLiK]

Originally Posted by bassclef112

I had 2 Elite II's over the years. One was black/Alder and still manageable. The other was a Gold Elite II that was natural ash and was literally an anchor. Way too heavy for me. In addition the necks were more than I felt comfortable with so they finally went.

The electronics are like this - the pickups are passive, basically standard P bass in sealed covers. The preamp can get insanely bright - a lot of people don't like that part of it, and it goes to a tone assign switch. You can assign the pre to either pickup or both. With some very judicious tweaking some great tones can come out of it.

Here's a lot of useful info on it.
http://www.riverband.demon.nl/elite.html

Often these are found completely gutted with new electronics and pickups. Since you got it so cheap this would be a personal choice as the original parts would no longer come into play. The bridge is a Schaller and of very high quality, so again, your choice if you want something else. BTW, you will never find replacement fine tuners. If they're not there when you buy it they're gone forever. Good luck with it.

OK can someone identify which models this is?, or what the body is made of, this is the heaviest bass I ever picked up, even heavier than my Ken smith.

[bassclef112]

Originally Posted by BassLiK

OK can someone identify which models this is?, or what the body is made of, this is the heaviest bass I ever picked up, even heavier than my Ken smith.

You have an Elite II (2 pickups). The Gold Elites had all gold hardware including all the screws. If it's that heavy it's ash.

An Elite I had one pickup and a different tone scheme in the preamp.

[topcat2069]

A Live recording of my Elite II through an Acoustic 450 and a JBL design cab with two 421 Altecs in it......

http://www.visualsoundrecording.com/Stinger.html

at the bottom of the page is a picture of my old Bass......

[Mastermold]

Originally Posted by bassclef112

I had 2 Elite II's over the years. One was black/Alder and still manageable. The other was a Gold Elite II that was natural ash and was literally an anchor. Way too heavy for me. In addition the necks were more than I felt comfortable with so they finally went.

The electronics are like this - the pickups are passive, basically standard P bass in sealed covers. The preamp can get insanely bright - a lot of people don't like that part of it, and it goes to a tone assign switch. You can assign the pre to either pickup or both. With some very judicious tweaking some great tones can come out of it.

Here's a lot of useful info on it.
http://www.riverband.demon.nl/elite.html

Often these are found completely gutted with new electronics and pickups. Since you got it so cheap this would be a personal choice as the original parts would no longer come into play. The bridge is a Schaller and of very high quality, so again, your choice if you want something else. BTW, you will never find replacement fine tuners. If they're not there when you buy it they're gone forever. Good luck with it.

I still have mine -- and still with the fine tuners!!

[BassLiK]

Thanks you guys, (HEY CHECK THIS OUT), my fine tuners on my 1983 Fender performer strat work on the bass (LOL). I'm planning on stripping it down to bare wood and make a project out of it, also the live recording just exdudes MOJO on that bass for sure hands down.

[bassplayerbob]

Here's my Elite II, which began life as a tobacco sunburst and became metallic pink. Swapped out the neck pickup for a Dimarzio and kept the fender preamp hooked up..Awesome tone...



Live video from 1994ish, pre pink paint job, covering Alive and Kicking by Mr Big.

[BassLiK]

Hard to see the true color, but it looks great from what I can tell, also the bass really cuts through too. Did you find pickups that would fit right in, or did you have to alter the pick guard?

[bassplayerbob]

Originally Posted by BassLiK

Hard to see the true color, but it looks great from what I can tell, also the bass really cuts through too. Did you find pickups that would fit right in, or did you have to alter the pick guard?

The Dimarzio model P was actually smaller than the hole in the pick guard so there was a little gap around the pickup. You can see the gaps in the picture slightly. I regret selling that one....

[bassplayerbob]

Originally Posted by BassLiK

Hard to see the true color, but it looks great from what I can tell, also the bass really cuts through too. Did you find pickups that would fit right in, or did you have to alter the pick guard?

This video has a good shot of the pickup and how it sits.

[BassLiK]

yea I see it good on that vid,

great playing too, on the other vid you have the billy sheenan thing going on, get down bratha with those mad skilz

I have the Geddy Lee too, and it doesn't even come close to the MOJO this monster ELITE exdudes. But the Geddy does sound close to the real thing. here's three old friends getting together after twenty years and met up for a day to try to play the old tunes we loved to play when we were younger, a good laugh, but heck it's been so long. La Villa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B38DalvPBeA

[bassplayerbob]

Originally Posted by BassLiK

yea I see it good on that vid,

great playing too, on the other vid you have the billy sheenan thing going on, get down bratha with those mad skilz

I have the Geddy Lee too, and it doesn't even come close to the MOJO this monster ELITE exdudes. But the Geddy does sound close to the real thing. here's three old friends getting together after twenty years and met up for a day to try to play the old tunes we loved to play when we were younger, a good laugh, but heck it's been so long. La Villa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B38DalvPBeA

Thanks! That billy tone was mostly due to my old pearce preamp. The rest of the gear is all peavey! Rush tune sounds great too. Are you using a synth pedal during the middle breakdown of the song?

Sent from my DROIDX using TalkBass.com

[BassLiK]

Yea I play the MOOG taurus pedals with my feet. I ran into a snag, I unscrewed the bridge on the elite bass and one of the screws snapped in half, so my guess is that it's only going to be two screws to hold down the bridge, there is no way that screw is coming out, can I move the bridge slightly back or forward?, if so I just adjust the new intontaion right?, thanks BOB.

[bassplayerbob]

Is it stuck in the body? How about using an ez out screw extractor?

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