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50's Fender P bass, wow does it....
- Thread starter DFW_Bass
- Start date
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,613
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
It could be the pickups, it could be the strings, it could be the amp, it could be the room, and it could very well be the bass. Take your bass to the store, and play both of them side-bypside unamplified. If the new '50s P sounds "...deep and thumping" compared to your bass, then it's not the guts, it's the wood.
But if they sound similar unamplified, then it's the PUP or the amp. Try your bass into the same amp with the same settings. That'll narrow it down to the PUP or the amp/EQ/room.
jte
But if they sound similar unamplified, then it's the PUP or the amp. Try your bass into the same amp with the same settings. That'll narrow it down to the PUP or the amp/EQ/room.
jte
I have a fender MIM P bass and was playing it through an ampeg b15, i had both basses with me... and tried other P basses in the store as well, but the 50's P bass was really great in sound. had lots of thump. The strings were really dead on the 50's p, so i wasn't sure if the strings made the sound of the pickup or age of wood, etc..
Sounds like you need to buy that bass!
Seriously, I've read several threads were people have commented on the 50's p-bass pickup as sounding hotter than other p-bass pickups.
If I remember correctly somebody said it sounded like a Fender original with a slight overwind.
Seriously, I've read several threads were people have commented on the 50's p-bass pickup as sounding hotter than other p-bass pickups.
If I remember correctly somebody said it sounded like a Fender original with a slight overwind.
I might need to do that, it's around $2300 i believe.. but dang, it sounded so good.
$2300!?!?! That would be a US Vintage Series '57 Precision, not the MIM "Classic Series" '50s Precision. And there's a lot of other differences between your MIM Precision Standard and the '57 VS one. Better wood, nitro finish, vintage-spec PUP, vintage style bridge all add up to a much different instrument.
jte
jte
$2300? I think you're into the Custom Shop prices. That could explain everything..$300 guitar vs. $2300....should give a little clue anyway...
JTE,
You would probably know better with your history of Fender stuff. The CS57 Precision, has a pickup thats a little hotter wind than say the 62 original? Call it slightly more mids, as opposed to the 62 Fender original.
I believe thats the case with regards to that bass. I thought the OP was talking about the MIM 50's p-bass as well. However I do remember several peole saying that the MIM bass also had a much hotter pickup than standard. That would make sense if in fact they were reworked 57vrs62 forward, for those model years.
I don't know- My only contact with Custom Shop stuff was when the Fender Road Show came through town in 2001, and I didn't plug any of the CS stuff in. I got distracted by the redhead that's second from the left...
All I know for sure is that I've played countless P-Basses in the last 40+ years and my Classic 50's P-Bass sounds as good as any of them. It is a serious pro quality instrument at a reasonable price.
Buy that bass! I just got one in fiesta red for $575 from chrisguitars.com, and I am extremely pleased. This is what a P bass is supposed to sound like! I was surprised, as you were at how deep it sounded. Every member of my band complimented it's tone and how well it sat in the mix. Get one before they go up in price.
