I was lucky enough. I got rid of my "70s" P-bass back in 1968. Not soon enough, and I never looked back.
There are FAR better electric basses out there, than a Fender.
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70s Fender P-basses
- Thread starter Pink_Floydfan91
- Start date
I was lucky enough. I got rid of my "70s" P-bass back in 1968. Not soon enough, and I never looked back.
There are FAR better electric basses out there, than a Fender.
If you are essentially starting out on buying basses you might open your parameters a bit. My first was bought new in 72, Good bass, played it for years. I've bought and sold basses, mostly Fender, since.
Depending on your budget don't rule out the more recent builds. You can probably get way more bang for the buck with recent production than paying vintage prices for an era than is not particularly know for great basses,
IMO you can have room to experiment and look for the feel and sound you are looking for if you shop used recent production. I have seen and played very nice basses starting with the Squier VM/CV models, up through the MIM, MIJ, and MIA basses that could be found used in any color/neck you desire without the effort/cash you'll have to expend to locate what works in a 70's Precision.
Don't get me wrong, I wish I still had my 72, and my 66, and my 67, and my......you get the picture!
Depending on your budget don't rule out the more recent builds. You can probably get way more bang for the buck with recent production than paying vintage prices for an era than is not particularly know for great basses,
IMO you can have room to experiment and look for the feel and sound you are looking for if you shop used recent production. I have seen and played very nice basses starting with the Squier VM/CV models, up through the MIM, MIJ, and MIA basses that could be found used in any color/neck you desire without the effort/cash you'll have to expend to locate what works in a 70's Precision.
Don't get me wrong, I wish I still had my 72, and my 66, and my 67, and my......you get the picture!
- Oct 18, 2012
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- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
Many of my favorite pro bass players play older Fender Ps... Chris Wood, Robert Mercurio, Michael League... in fact I did a jam recently with three other bass players and their modern basses and all agreed the my 73 P sounded the best in the mix.
I'd put my stock '72A Precision up against any other P on or off the market for playability and for having the classic P tone. Only about 8.5lbs. Its that good.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
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I gathered you want one actually made in the 70's rather than one which has that style. Don't forget you could build one in exactly the style you want and probably get a better quality product. Resale would be less, but it seems to me that is a crapshoot with a vintage bass too - you will be paying for a collectable and those things go up and down over time. Once us baby boomers die off it might not be worth anything to a younger generation.
Here's an example of what you could do - the body and neck cost me around $600 total. Add hardware and electronics to taste. Warmoth makes J, P and Tele style necks. If you get an exotic neck like wenge you wont have to finish it and the body can be tung oiled if you wanted to go cheap and simple.
Here's an example of what you could do - the body and neck cost me around $600 total. Add hardware and electronics to taste. Warmoth makes J, P and Tele style necks. If you get an exotic neck like wenge you wont have to finish it and the body can be tung oiled if you wanted to go cheap and simple.
A verse from the Fender Bible?
I actually have an old "Fender Precision Bass". I always bring it along simply to make the flock feel better. However, I rarely use it. In fact, once the Double Bass is revealed, no one wants ANY electric bass.
But the "pacifier" is kept in plain eye sight for the congregation, in case there is an uneasy moment.
So far, no upheavals.
I've got an MIM that I like okay. I mainly want the 70s Pbass for the allure of owning a vintage bass. I played a '78 P-bass once it was nice and wasn't too heavy.
The more I look around at vintage basses I'm leaning more towards something with a rosewood fretboard.
That's a beautiful bass. drooldrool
I've built my own Gilmour strat so doing the lacquer wouldn't be too difficult to me. I want to make an investment. If that does happen with the baby boomers I'll have one for each day of the week.
My main fretted bass is a '74 P with one of the narrower neck profiles (I don't know the designations). I had always been told that "70s Fenders suck, weigh 15 pounds minimum, and sound like a kazoo." Ok, I'm exaggerating, but with a seed of truth. I had never heard anything at all positive about them. One day I was in Corner Music in Nashville to try out the Fender Bassman 100T, and they had two '74 Precisions. I said what the heck, and grabbed them. One was extremely heavy, and I disliked both the tone and the feel of the instrument. Quickly put it away. The other was the one I ended up buying. It's fairly light, though I haven't put it on a scale. But I play long gigs, often, and am fairly weight-conscious, and I'm never in discomfort or fatigued by it. And the tone is absolutely magical ... this particular one is the equal of any pre-CBS I've played. This instrument has actually made me a much better player. I've been inspired by instruments before, but never to anywhere near the same degree as this one.
So they're out there. But I would never buy one sight unseen (or tone unheard, or weight unfelt, lol).
Dually T plus 74 P bass, Douglas Corner by wwgtsc, on Flickr
So they're out there. But I would never buy one sight unseen (or tone unheard, or weight unfelt, lol).
I read from somewhere that Steve's bass is a '74. Might remember wrong though.
tbh i have read so many things 1 even being he doesnt play a real fender but just a copy..2 its a 69/70 P bass 3. 70 P bass 4. hes played the same bass since he started maiden in 75 and has had it repainted 4 times .I believe number 4...anyway if you have the Live after death album it says in the liner notes under his equipment its a 1970 Precision bass.... but i have a hard time believing that..hes bass (og) is made of maple does anyone know what year fender was making basses out of maple? if so that could help. LOL
I think you’d better try the instrument because the 70’s Fenders are pretty inconsistent. I don’t think there’s much proof in the statements that pre-75 should be better. Maybe they’ll cost more just because they’re older but I remember back in the days I’d much rather have a 77 than a 73 so it all changes with fashion. Ask Marcus Miller what he thinks. One of my best instruments I’ve ever played was my 77 jazz. Even if I now own a 71 jazz that is pretty good my 77 was lighter and better in all aspects so it’s all up to the individual instrument.
