Fender Honeyburst AM Special P-Bass, lightly modded - Page 3

**WoodyJ** · #41 12-13-2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by two fingers

I hope you don't mind if I copy cat you cuz that is the best looking P bass (to me). I like everything about it. Enjoy!

(Now, to find a rosewood board neck......)

LOL, no problem!

As it turned out, I inadvertently copied John Deacon's '70's P-Bass, which really wasn't my original intention.

bh2 · #42 12-13-2012, 08:36 AM

Super Woody...

I only really like tort on burst, but that looks super cool.

I like both.

What am I saying? I have tort on black.

two fingers · #43 12-13-2012, 08:10 PM

Oy. Posted ads on the local CL today to start raising funds. I have the money to put this together but I have strict rules about the amount of gear I will keep around. Keeps me from gettin ridiculous.

I had ZERO GAS before you did this to me! Ha!

two fingers · #44 12-13-2012, 08:16 PM

Wasn't sure what everyone was talking about with the John Deacon reference, but sure 'nuf. There it is. I never really remembered this bass in particular before.

odarellmc · #45 01-07-2013, 05:09 PM

I want one of these soooo bad, here a pic from oct 2012, and its was 899.00 then, now they are 699.99. Question if they use a veneer how can you tell how many pieces it has?

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**WoodyJ** · #46 01-07-2013, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odarellmc

I want one of these soooo bad, here a pic from oct 2012, and its was 899.00 then, now they are 699.99. Question if they use a veneer how can you tell how many pieces it has?Attachment 309708

The body is solid alder, no veneer. When you find one, look at the back side of the body. It should be pretty obvious how many pieces of wood were used. The one in the pic on your post looks very good on the front side but it is one of the early ones. The first one I looked at but didn't buy had a gorgeous flame maple neck.

Mine is an early one and has a 2-piece body. It appears some of the newer ones have as many as 4 piece bodies. Not good on an instrument where the wood grain is so prominent.

I do wish Fender had tinted the maple necks & headstocks on these as the almost snow white maple looks a bit cheap-o to me. Even the recent MIM Standards have a light tint.

Munjibunga · #47 01-07-2013, 07:10 PM

That's a nice-looking chunk of rosewood. The bass looks great, too.

odarellmc · #48 01-07-2013, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoodyJ

The body is solid alder, no veneer. When you find one, looks at the back side of the body. It should be pretty obvious how many pieces of wood were used. The one in the pic on your post looks very good on the front side but it is one of the early ones. The first one I looked at but didn't buy had a gorgeous flame maple neck.

Mine is an early one and has a 2-piece body. It appears some of the newer ones have as many as 4 piece bodies. Not good on an instrument where the wood grain is so prominent.

I do wish Fender had tinted the maple necks & headstocks on these as the almost snow white maple looks a bit cheap-o to me. Even the recent MIM Standards have a light tint.

Im seriously looking to get one at the end of the month, how do u know its one of the early ones? Thanks for the reply...

**WoodyJ** · #49 01-08-2013, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odarellmc

Im seriously looking to get one at the end of the month, how do u know its one of the early ones? Thanks for the reply...

That's a good question. My theory is this:

When these hand-stained honeyburst P-basses were introduced at GC, the street price was $1099-1149. At that price point, they weren't selling, as you could buy an American Standard Precision for that money or less.

Then...GC puts them on sale back in November for $699 and they start selling pretty quickly.

Fender runs out of "good" wood to make 1 or 2 piece bodies and starts using what they have left, so as not to deplete their stock for more expensive instruments, i.e., Custom Shop, etc.

Therefore, the more recent production of these basses uses 3 or 4 piece bodies. Not cool on an instrument where nice wood grain and an attractive satin finish are the main selling points.

This is what happened at Gibson with their Les Paul '50's and '60's Studio Tribute line. The early production ones had really nice 1 or 2 piece mahogany backs and necks. The later ones have a cheap looking "darkback" almost black paint finish to hide the multipiece wood they are using now.

With all that said, I've only seen two other Am Special honeyburst Precisions besides mine, one had a 2-piece body, the other was a 3-piece. The 3-piece one actually looked OK. I imagine a 4-piece would not.

odarellmc · #50 01-08-2013, 11:44 AM

Thx woodyj, im headed to gc to check it out now ill report back this eve

banikek · #51 01-08-2013, 01:21 PM

Looks like they are back at $699 as of today. Saw one at a Twin Cities GC. They look sweet!

odarellmc · #52 01-08-2013, 04:26 PM

hey woody havent been to the GC yet but i found a picture of the back of one, so that my eyes are trained how many pieces would you say is in the back of this one.

thesunking · #53 01-08-2013, 04:55 PM

My 14 y/o did his homework and jumped on this same model, he convinced his mother and got his at GC Rancho Cucamonga location.

odarellmc · #54 01-08-2013, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesunking

My 14 y/o did his homework and jumped on this same model, he convinced his mother and got his at GC Rancho Cucamonga location.

Seems like a lot of bass for someone so young, he must be good..

thesunking · #55 01-08-2013, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odarellmc

Seems like a lot of bass for someone so young, he must be good..

He's out of control, good kid all around and sticks to it. Plays drums, guitar, keyboard, Sax and most importantly the bass

Influenced by Guy Berryman (coldplay) Adam Clayton (U2) Guy Pratt (session) Victor Wooten (what hasn't he done).

odarellmc · #56 01-08-2013, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesunking

He's out of control, good kid all around and sticks to it. Plays drums, guitar, keyboard, Sax and most importantly the bass

Yeah i saw that pic, nice! Any comments from him on how many pieces were used on his bass? Im tryinh to avoid those 3-4 piece models..

thesunking · #57 01-08-2013, 06:33 PM

Man oh man, he's anal about me touching his bass. It looks like it's one piece but I'll have to look better when he's not home? They came with this bass on his last day of school before breaking away for the year end holiday's. 699.00 that got me confused when I saw it.

**WoodyJ** · #58 01-09-2013, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odarellmc

hey woody havent been to the GC yet but i found a picture of the back of one, so that my eyes are trained how many pieces would you say is in the back of this one.

Looks to be a 3-piece body to me based on the pic.

It might be a 2 piece but the 'obvious' seam is way off center. On mine, the seam is right down the middle.

Unless you are borderline OCD like I am, what the front looks like is really the most important thing...

ShowLow · #59 01-09-2013, 02:59 PM

Looks like 3-piece with one straight seam and one curved one! Thought I was seeing things when a 3TSB AVRI '62 jazz arrived with a curved seam. This is the second example I have seen. Both 2012 models.

Some previously unknown new Fender technology to economize on tone wood?

odarellmc · #60 01-09-2013, 10:07 PM

Went to my local GC and it was sold, there is supposed to be another one at a store across town, I'll head there tomorrow and if i like it I'm putting it on layaway, that's if it isn't sold also.