1998 American Precision

[vivaknoxvegas]

Good era for American Ps in general, or no? I found a nice used 98 local, guy is asking $750. Includes hard shell case.

The neck is awesome imo. Has a satin dulled finish, feels great.

Some moron carved a name below the tuning keys on the back. Negotiating help for me I suppose.

 

[FenderOli]

I own an 98 and 99 Standard P. Both ash bodies.
Solid necks (already graphite rods). Both around 4kg.
I put some Quarter Pounders in. Everything is fine.

 

[FenderOli]

String through bridge is also nice.

 

[Joe Nerve]

The worst bass I ever owned was a 97 or 98 MIA P deluxe that I bought new from guitar center. The tuners had play in them, it had some minor neck issues, problems with the electronics, finish, and hardware. I've written lots about that POS on Talkbass. Took me more than a decade to get over my Fender hatred after that.

 

[tjh]

Like most Fenders, it can vary a bit from bass to bass .. in general, these earlier AmStands are in less demand than the later (post '08) AmStands, partly because some of the components carry a bit more value, as well as some feel QC on the later version to be a bit more consistent, and as a result, the earlier version may carry less of a sales price ... this model was offered from 94 1/2 through early 2000...

You will notice heavier tuning machines on the early version, the bridge will be STB only, no holes drilled to allow for toploading ... if color is 3TSB, it may have a veneer front and back ... the P pups on this earlier version are accepted by some as better than the later AmStands though ...

The original case for this bass would be the bass shaped case, Fender logo in red label ...

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

if color is 3TSB, it may have a veneer front and back ... the P pups on this earlier version are accepted by some as better than the later AmStands though ...

The original case for this bass would be the bass shaped case, Fender logo in red label ...

It's a dark, possibly navy blue with a white guard.

 

[tjh]

It's a dark, possibly navy blue with a white guard.

.. I dont remember anything like a dark navy from that year, could it be black? ... and probably actually a '99, Jan or Feb range with a serial # like that ...

 

[blmeier7]

I think the Fender basses varied from bass to bass a lot more during that era than they do now. I had a 97 MIA Jazz (pic in avatar) that was excellent, then a couple of years later got another MIA Jazz (maybe a 2001 model) that was awful. If it feels and sounds good then I'd say go for it. But I'd never buy a Fender from that era without playing it first.

 

[MobileHolmes]

I figure at this point, if it sounds good, and plays good, it is good. Presumably, in 18 years, any neck issues would have already manifest themselves. My only question is the price. I don't actually know what those are going for at this point, but 750 strikes me as just a whisker high

 

[FenderOli]

Natural and trans-colors were ash. All others including 3TSB Alder.
I don't remember a dark blue too...



pickup on the blue looks like quarter-pounders...

 

[gfaulkner]

.. I dont remember anything like a dark navy from that year, could it be black? ... and probably actually a '99, Jan or Feb range with a serial # like that ...

I own a '99 AmStd that I love,like you noticed with this bass you're considering,it has a great neck on it.The serial#is N836…. with a neck stamp of Jan 1999.

 

[wvbass]

I think the Fender basses varied from bass to bass a lot more during that era than they do now. I had a 97 MIA Jazz (pic in avatar) that was excellent, then a couple of years later got another MIA Jazz (maybe a 2001 model) that was awful. If it feels and sounds good then I'd say go for it. But I'd never buy a Fender from that era without playing it first.

Interesting. I have 96, 97 and 98 American Standards. For me, the big buyer-beware recent era for Fender centers around 2003. Lots guys love those basses, though, so it just circles back to "if it plays and sounds good, then it is good."

 

[MobileHolmes]

Interesting. I have 96, 97 and 98 American Standards. For me, the big buyer-beware recent era for Fender centers around 2003. Lots guys love those basses, though, so it just circles back to "if it plays and sounds good, then it is good."

I don't remember the year range, but I absolutely have never liked any of the Jazz basses that had the S1 switch, tone wise. The switch shouldn't matter, so it must be different pickups or something. They all played fine though, just tonally not to my liking

 

[tjh]

I don't remember the year range, but I absolutely have never liked any of the Jazz basses that had the S1 switch, tone wise. The switch shouldn't matter, so it must be different pickups or something. They all played fine though, just tonally not to my liking

.. the S-1 era was from mid '03 through the end of the American Series, in mid-late 2007 ... Fender has used almost exclusively, the same #33746/753 Jazz pups from '94 1/2, through that early American Standard era, all through the American Series, then into the New Amercan Standards up to the 2012 switch to CS pups ... must have been something else going on, like all Fenders over the years, they certainly can vary from bass to bass ...

 

[Planespotter]

I've owned a few mid-late 90s Am. Std. Ps and an Am.Std Jazz from the same era. They were all very solid and reliable workhorses. I think the fact that the price shot WAY up in recent years fuels the pre-2008 fenders being somewhat cheap still. Great bang for the buck imho. As always your experiences may vary.

 

[Planespotter]

Also I forgot to mention that I currently own a '00 and '07 American Series Ps (which are the same thing but they changed the name for a few years) that I love to death. I bought the '00 brand new and it has given me zero trouble in the 15 years I've played it and that includes be being stupid and throwing it around when I was trying to be punk lol.

 

[MobileHolmes]

.. the S-1 era was from mid '03 through the end of the American Series, in mid-late 2007 ... Fender has used almost exclusively, the same #33746/753 Jazz pups from '94 1/2, through that early American Standard era, all through the American Series, then into the New Amercan Standards up to the 2012 switch to CS pups ... must have been something else going on, like all Fenders over the years, they certainly can vary from bass to bass ...

In glad somebody who knows more than me chimed in. . All I know is that i tried to buy a J in that era, and that I didn't like the tone of the S1 basses, and liked the tone of the NOS ones I was finding. Unfortunately, literally every NOS i found at that point was metallic purple

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

Price wise, is this a good deal

Natural and trans-colors were ash. All others including 3TSB Alder.
I don't remember a dark blue too...



pickup on the blue looks like quarter-pounders...

Great video for this discussion, thanks. To my ears that '77 sounds so much better than the others. It has a very open and defined P sound with such cool growl. The Mexican sounds too muted and muffled to me, and the Am Std. was kind of a happy medium between those two.

 

[Pet Sounds]

I had a '95 and gigged with it for 10 years trouble-free. I thought these '95-99 basses were better than the American Series basses, especially after the introduction of the S-1 switch.

 

[Shaunpski]

I'd offer $650. Cash talks these days. The carving definitely detracts. A good gauge for pricing is completed listings on eBay and GC used. $750 seems high. Good luck!