NBD Candy Apple Red P-Bass

[warwick.hoy]

Just a 1998 MIM Standard Precision Bass.

Traded a 1990 Korean Epiphone Les Paul Custom that wasn't getting much love in my possession.





The Epi was cool but I have a good acoustic tuned in standard and I'm a tele guy when it comes to electric guitars (tele is tuned down a step and a half).

I haven't had a whole lot of time to mess with the P but from what little I've heard and played, it has a lot of potential.

Pickups seem kinda wimpy. Needs new strings,...and I dislike white pickgaurds. Replacing the strings and going witha B/W/B 3 ply pickgaurd will be the first upgrades. I'm feeling the bridge will be the next to swap out. After getting new strings. I'm going to experiment with the pickup height to see if I can get that P-Bass tone; with a little more authority. If that doesn't work,...it's research some pickups.

I'll be perusing the classys for parts.

[Jeff K]

Nice, James! And the black pickguard will set it off nicely. Also, at the risk of getting flamed, I've always liked a brown tort guard on the red/rosewood combo. I think that also looks killer...

Here's a pic of my Jazz with a black guard. It's Red Wine rather than CAR, but gives you an idea.

[warwick.hoy]

Nice looking J there. I had an MIK P-Bass in the 90's. Nothing special but I loves the simplicity. This thing will be for practicing and develop my setup and soldering chops.

[mjac28]

Very nice I bet it sounds awesome.

[Jared Lash]

Sweet bass James. I think you definitely got the better end of that trade, but then I'm a sucker for a CAR fender.

And yeah, a b/w/b pickguard would look great IMO.

If you do end up swapping out the pickup I'd say Seymour Duncan for vintage tone, Delano for modern tone and Bill Lawrence for something in between - and with huge bang for the buck.

Congrats!

[Davo-London]

Leave the bridge alone!

There's no need to change the bridge; it's fine. Black scratchplate looks a good choice.

Also worth considering flat strings? Is that what you're thinking?

Davo

[Jeff K]

Like Jared, I was going to suggest the Duncans if you replace the pickup. Specifically, I really like the SPB-1. Especially if you're going for a vintage tone.

[warwick.hoy]

Originally Posted by Jeff K

Like Jared, I was going to suggest the Duncans if you replace the pickup. Specifically, I really like the SPB-1. Especially if you're going for a vintage tone.

Tone wise; I'm looking for aggressive. I don't know if that means modern, but what I hear in my head are the tones you hear on APC's Mer De Noms (the song Thinking of You specifically but I hear some tube amp OD on there as well. I use and SVT-CL if that means anything).

I'm inspecting the bridge a little further. Seems like the bent portion that forms the "tailpiece" is not true,...but I am unsure if that is normal. Should it be 90 degrees to the base plate; cause it most certainly is not. Here is a pic.



Oh and forgive my poor editing on my last post. I was on my phone at work.

[warwick.hoy]

Originally Posted by Jared Lash

Sweet bass James. I think you definitely got the better end of that trade, but then I'm a sucker for a CAR fender.

Congrats!

Thanks; really it was a Nascent Les Paul lover got what he wanted and Nascent P-Bass lover got what he wanted. I think we both won. FWIW the Les Paul had the "Gibson-esque" headstock as opposed to the more prevalent "Clipped Ear" headstock. Epiphone only did the "Gibson-esque" headstock in 1990; so it is a rare bird,...but in this case, I don't think rare necessarily means valuable.

I'm good on my stable of guitars,...I'm just realizing that at heart,...I'm a bassist.

I've had Jazzes in the past. Both MIJ (one JV Squier and a 75RI), both were really cool basses and while I would've settled on a Jazz in trade; I really wanted to get back into a P. Something about the simplicity.

I checked on the Show your CAR (club) thread and saw a few Maple Fingerboard CAR Ps with the B/W/B pickgaurd and that sold me; even though it's a rosewood board.

[Fuzzbass]

Lovely P-bass, James!

[warwick.hoy]

Originally Posted by Fuzzbass

Lovely P-bass, James!

Thanks man. Hope this message finds you in good health and good spirits!!!

Oh yeah; This happened.