Fender Precision Plus Bass

[your idol]

Originally Posted by davel66

I have this same model & color!

Fender Precision Plus Bass


I love the feel of the bass - the neck was what hooked me on the bass when I bought it new in the 90's. But I have since come to a place where I don't dig the sound of the lace sensor pickups. I waffle between putting new p-ups in or selling. I dwaddle because this was my first bass and even though it seldomly get played sentiment always wins when I think about turning it into cash for something I would use more often. Sigh.

Dont sell it youll regret its. These necks are stellar! I hate lace sensors as do MANY P Plus owners. I found that the deep low barts make a KILLER bass out of this.. Truly the missing link

[davel66]

Originally Posted by your idol

Dont sell it youll regret its. These necks are stellar! I hate lace sensors as do MANY P Plus owners. I found that the deep low barts make a KILLER bass out of this.. Truly the missing link

Any specific bart models and recommended wiring/control configurations? Perhaps the sleeping P-bass Plus giant will awaken in my house. Thanks for the words.

I also have a Tobias Growler and I love the active Bartolini in that thing. It was kind of what got me away form the P-Bass but I still like the idea of having a bass with passive circuitry.

It's pretty funny. When I bought this thing I played a bunch of Fenders at my favorite music store and bought this one because I liked it the best. I had no idea that I was buying anything other than a fender with P/J pickups. I didn't give a hoot about 22 frets or boner bodies or anything like that. I guess the color hooked me to. Hey, I was still recovering from growing up in the eighties.

[skyneed]

Originally Posted by digital_will

Here's the specs on the precision plus deluxe and a pic of my 93 plus deluxe in Caribbean Mist.

Model Name: Deluxe Precision Bass(r) Plus
Model Number: 019-7600 and 019-7602
Series: U.S. Plus/Deluxe Series
Body: Downsized Alder Body
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood (019-7600) or Maple (019-7602) Fretboard
No. of Frets: 22
Scale Length: 34" (864 mm)
Width @ Nut: 1.625" (41 mm)
Hardware: Chrome
Machine Heads: Fender Schaller Elite
Bridge: Deluxe Plus with Fine Tuners
Pickguard: N/A
Pickups: 2 Silver Fender LaceTM Sensor pickups, (1 P Bass(r) and 1 J
Bass(r))
Pickup Switching: Pan Pot
Controls: Master Volume,
Pan Pot,
Master Treble Boost/Cut,
Master Bass Boost/Cut
Colors: (706) Black,
(715) Lipstick Red,
(732) Brown Sunburst,
(747) Carribean Mist,
(773) Midnight Blue,
(775) Midnight Wine,
(780) Arctic White,
(790) Blue Pearl Burst,
(791) Black Pearl Burst
Strings:
Unique Features: Active Electronics
Source: U.S.
Accessories: Case
U.S. MSRP: $1,119.99
Specs: Prices and Specifications Subject to Change Without Notice
INTRODUCED: 1992
DISCONTINUED: 1994
DISCONTINUED COLORS:
COMMENTS:
WRENCH SIZES:

This is it!

Do you have a sample file?

[snailed]

Sorry to resurrect this very old thread for a newbie question -

Recently got a P Plus Deluxe. I'd like to raise the string height a bit - not sure how to go about it with the Schaller bridge. I'm getting a little too much buzz right now throughout the entire neck (mostly on the low E and less so on the higher frets). Is this something I can easily screw up? Any links or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

[jumbodbassman]

Originally Posted by snailed

Sorry to resurrect this very old thread for a newbie question -

Recently got a P Plus Deluxe. I'd like to raise the string height a bit - not sure how to go about it with the Schaller bridge. I'm getting a little too much buzz right now throughout the entire neck (mostly on the low E and less so on the higher frets). Is this something I can easily screw up? Any links or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

check neck relief too.

[CB3000]

Originally Posted by edinaminnesota

I need help on this long lost, but recently found P-bass I purchased new many years ago new. The Serial # is E 327526 identifies the year made at 1983 possibly 84. I have read else where that the Precision Plus was made only for two years in the early 90's.

This bass has every component of the P-Plus. Schaller bridge, Deluxe Tuners, and Lace pick-ups and TBX componetry. Did Fender offer the Precision Plus version in 1983? If not what the hell is this. I am the original owner and would love info on this bass. Also is this the Seafoam green, I understand the surf green by fender is a lighter tone.

Thanks much for your help!

[IMG][/IMG]

obviously this is pretty late but just wanted to post this so that it is online somewhere. this is a weird anomaly in fender serial numbers.

I also own a Precision bass Plus with a 1983 date serial number. But the date stamp on the body and neck are 1989.

The decals were left over "intellectual property" from CBS when FMIC got it. they used them up on instruments built in the later 80's.
here's the whole story:

In April 1985 CBS sold Fender to a team headed by Bill Schultz - an organization now know as "Fender Musical Instruments Corporation" or FMIC. CBS planned on putting them up for sale, so production essentially ceased circa February 1985. CBS sold FMIC the name, designs and other intellectual property only. CBS accountants realized the factory was worth more shut down and sold off piecemeal, so it was never a viable part of the deal, and FMIC had the original intention of only importing guitars made in Japan (or elsewhere).

However, FMIC was convinced that they should continue USA production, and started putting together a factory during 1986. FMIC had two goals - put the vintage reissues back into USA production and update the classic guitars into modern models. That was the American Standard series.

Now, here is where things get a little sticky - among the "intellectual property" were unused headstock decals for Strats and Teles with "E4XXXXX" serial numbers (the 1983/84 Standard and Elite models never sold enough during their 2-year run for CBS to use the E4XXXXX decals). As you know from looking at your Strat the decal is a single piece that has the Fender logo, "Stratocaster" in small text, and the serial number. Since FMIC was still essentially a "start-up" they chose to use the E4XXXXX decals that came from CBS up first. The initial runs of American Standards were made in late 1986, and the guitars were officially introduced at the January 1987 NAMM show. The E4XXXXX serial numbers lasted pretty much until early 1988 when they started using the E8XXXXX decals.

There are a lot of urban legends about "old parts" and whatnot that are simply not true; the 1983/84 Strats had wider necks, thinner, flatter radius 21-fret necks, different bodies, trems, pickups, and configuration (input on the pickguard, master tone). The only part in common were the Fender/Schaller tuners, and the left-over E4XXXXX headstock decals.

[BigOldHarry]

Zed Thread...

[Demonator]

Extremely nice basses.

[jjmartone]

Thought I'd share a pic of my '83 Precision Plus. This is my main gigging bass and actually the first bass I ever owned!

[ImNoMrBungle]

1991 Fender p bass plus
here is a few pics of mine im thinking of selling it to get a godin a5 synth access. But i love it

[funkymonkeyman]

Found this bass for sale and thinking of moving on it. Not too familiar with this model; 'boner' bass I believe.
Any opinions? seems to be in very good shape, is there collector value to these? Read somewhere that these were made by the custom shop. Comes with OHSC

[Scapal Wedeldi]

Hey Funkymonkeyman (lovely username, by the way, makin' me jealous almost...),
that bass you're considering is a Precision Lyte, IIRC they were made in Japan only, in the same period as the Plusses. They had Jazz-like 22fret necks, I'm not sure about the bridge and the electronics. The body though, is not a longhorn, it's more like a Jazz crossed with an Ibanez-style thing. Doesn't look like a Precision at all.

I have a neck like that, the serial is E963509. Width measures 38,8mm at the nut, quite thin profile.
Funny thing is, it's attached to a three-tone-sunburst Precison Bass Plus body.
I bought it like that, the original owner trew it at his drummer once and broke the original neck (at least that's what I was told). I tried to get an original neck but no luck, Fender couldn't help me, and Warmoth apparently only makes 22-fret necks for five strings...

I'm thinking of selling it, if I can get a decent price for it...
Much more into Matsumoku's, and I really don't dig the sound of this thing. My Aria Pro II's and Westones are much more powerful and versatile. And dirt cheap considering their quality...

Anyone interested, let me know. I live in Belgium. Might consider shipping the thing, although it doesn't seem a very good idea to me.
I'll gladly post pics if someone explains me how to do it (I'm a bit of a Neanderthaler about such things).

Cheers, Pascal.

[Scapal Wedeldi]

Edit to my previous post:

when I say I'm not sure about bridge and electronics, I mean I'm not certain the bridge on your pics was original on the "Lyte" version. But it certainly is the same bridge as the one on the Plus (and as on mine btw). I thought the Lytes came with another bridge, the few ones I've seen in real life had other bridges, more "modern Japanese" style.
The pickups were Lace Sensors, as on the plus, IIRC.
Don't ask me about the function of those stacked pots, though.
Volume and Tone stacked, twice? Probably I guess.

Hope it helps, cheers!
Pascal

[mjac28]

I have a Cowpoke that was also called the precision plus it's a active bass with stacked knobs.

[jeff tilson]

Funkymonkeyman,
That looks like my midnight wine MIA 1992-3 Fender Precision plus deluxe bass. I got a manual that described the controls, stats, part numbers, etc direct from Fender. It was not available (at the time) on their standard support website area. Maybe it is now. I had to telephone them and get it directly. It took a day.

[Groover]

Can you put a regular P or J neck on a Precision Plus Body, or is the pocket pulled back to much to accomodate the 22 fret (longer) neck?

[Scapal Wedeldi]

No you can't.
If you look at pictures (Google images has a load of them) of the Plus, you'll see it has no fretboard overhang, the neck fits the pocket like the "regular" P. So putting a standard 20-fret neck on it would leave you with a short string length, and your intonation would be way off (might sound funny to some people though...).
Maybe you could sort it by moving the bridge back to the edge of the body (there's about one centimeter left) and pulling the saddles back as far as possible? If you really want to consider this option, I would be willing to take some precise measurements for you. Not right now though, I'm too hungry, gotta get to cooking...
Actually, the pocket is not pulled back, but the body is shorter in the middle than a regular P. The pocket is even a bit shorter than that on the regular P, I just made a quick comparison with a MIM I have lying around.

I see you're online; if you want the measurements just tell me, I could do the effort. I'll keep an eye on the screen wile cooking...

Cheers, Pascal

[Groover]

No, Let's eat first!

Thanks for the reply on my questions. Odd the body is shorter, and I was thinking the same on maybe moving the bridge back a little. I'll do a little more googling on that bass to see if it's really where I want to go with this.. I was debating on putting a fretless neck on the P-Plus body.

Edit: Which parts would you be measuring? I guess maybe how far the very back part of the neck pocket would be from the 12th (actual) fret? I think that's all I would need. No worries though, it's just an "idea" right now - just wondering if it's even an viable option (regular neck on the P Plus body)

[Scapal Wedeldi]

OK, thanks!
If you want precise measurements, I can check my intonation, measure how much I can "win" on the bridge saddles and on the bridge location, might be just enough for two frets. I'll gladly do that.

If you would do the conversion, would you keep the original neck?
I might be interested in taking it over, and I'm planning to visit my son in New Mexico at the end of May...

EDIT: mine's got a non-original Precision Lyte neck (see story higher on this page). I would measure the thing as is, and do a little math... don't feel like taking strings and neck off... Might also just present a jazz neck I have lying around (to be mated to that MIM P body), and figure that out.

[Groover]

Thanks again, I probably wouldn't touch a stock P Plus, though I'm only wondering because there is a parts/body I'm considering, so I'd be starting this as a project from the get go (no P-Plus neck)