about 1976

[casbonano]

Hey Justin-

Firstly, big fan. Love your diversity of style and genres. NIN has always been a big part of my life since PHM, so it has been cool to have as talented of a bass player as yourself participate in music that I love so much.

so as to my question, in a sticky about gear questions you mentioned you knew a bit about vintage basses, so here it goes:

Is 1976 a good year for fender P basses?

it's my birth year and seeing as how I have decided to devote my creative energies to bass and to try to make a living by playing the instrument, i was thinking of buying myself a proper bass ( i've only owned and played various lower budget basses such as squires, epiphones and ibanez).

i have a few grand only, i am pretty poor actually, so i dont want to waste my money on an older bass that was built shoddily or wouldnt be as good of an instrument as what i can buy brand new @ guitar Center today with a fender american standard p bass, know what I mean?

I am just kinda big on the idea of finding a quality instrument that you can spend the rest of your life playing and that will hold up through out the years.

Thanks in advance

Carlos

 

[Dubista]

Just before Justin chimes in, I'm sure that with ANY year of bass there were good ones and bad ones. I've played Jazz basses from the same year (1971) some were horrible, most were ok, but even fewer had some kind of magic going on. The best advice would be to try the bass out first before buying it. Alternatively, you could buy new. Depending on your budget you could get an AV 57 or 62 reissue and those are craaaaazy good.

But as always, if you want to do your thing then no one is stopping you, just make sure that the instrument you get will be one that you are happy with.

My 0.02, I'd go with the 57 or the 62 RI if the aforementioned bass was more than $1600. YMMV.

Good luck

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Thank you Carlos. I'm sure there's GREAT '76 P basses. I have a '75 that's beat up, but sounds and feels great (root beer/maple board) I record and play live with it often. I'm not sure if it's a bad year or a good year. I have heard, only as a sort of rumor, that as you get later into the '70's the basses get heavier. But my buddy Juan Alderete swears that the heavy ones later into the '70's are the best ones - or at least his favorites Sting likes heavy P-basses too.

Anyway, I think you need to be "drawn" to an instrument. Try and only buy something like that if you pick it up with your hands and it speaks to you. I've bought too many instruments either via the internet or on a whim, and they don't end up being as enduring as the ones that you know you can have a real relationship with. And with that, as long as it's not messed up, I wouldn't worry so much about build quality.

Best,
JMJ

 

[casbonano]

Alternatively, you could buy new. Depending on your budget you could get an AV 57 or 62 reissue and those are craaaaazy good.

My 0.02, I'd go with the 57 or the 62 RI if the aforementioned bass was more than $1600. YMMV.

Good luck

Yeah, I was looking at those reissues.

Try and only buy something like that if you pick it up with your hands and it speaks to you. I've bought too many instruments either via the internet or on a whim, and they don't end up being as enduring as the ones that you know you can have a real relationship with.

Best,
JMJ

Thanks, Dudes.

I think that I will take you and Justin's advice and not buy anything I can't touch first.

as far as the "notworryingsomuchaboutbuildqualityifitfeelsgood" thingy, not sure I follow. U saying that if it's lasted this long (since the 70's and 60's) than more than likely it's sturdy, so just make sure it speaks to you?

part of me just says, f-it: buy a new american standard and see if time, the vibe i put into it, and luck of the draw turn it into a classic 40 years from now.



thanks again, to both of you.