08 to now. They are like houses. Everybody thinks the old ones were built better, but that's a myth.
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Best fender p-bass years?
- Thread starter bassle
- Start date
Yes, these are very nice basses, too. I'm not crazy about the S-1 switching system personally, but they're very well made basses and, of course, you don't have to use the S-1 if you don't like it. If you do, it just gives you another option. Glad you have a great bass! You can hardly go wrong with an American Fender, IMHO.
My most recent purchase: a 2010 Precision V, is a terrific instrument. If I was in the market for another P-Bass, I wouldn't hesitate to buy new. They're so nice these days...for the money, I wouldn't bother trying to find a classic.
I have two 2008 Fender Precision basses a 4 and a 5. I don't play the 5 much because I'm not much of a 5 string player but it sounds amazing and the 4 string is pretty much my go to bass since I got it 5/29/2008 RIP LB.
The current American Standards are supposed to have a 60's wound pickup in them ... is that the one you mean ?
I meant these:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/fender-original-1962-p-bass-pickup
Personally, I prefer the SPB-1, but both are great pickups, and not all that expensive...
- georgestrings
Ok, thanks.
I was hoping that was the same pickup they're now putting into American Standards, but having read this thread I now have my doubts.
Yeah, I don't think they're the same pups... I ahven't played any of the '12s yet, so I can't comment on a comparison against those pups I suggested...
- georgestrings
My 1973 Precision is on par with any great bass I've ever played. I had a 2008 Fender for awhile, but my 73 just has something special. It not only has a tighter neck pocket than my 66 Fender Jazz, but it has a tighter neck pocket than any of my bolt-on's, including a Sadowsky.
I played p basses almost excluively from the late 60's through the 70's. When grabbing a new P to go on the road, it was not uncommon to play 10 or 15 of those 70's P's to find 1 worth buying. I personally laugh at the prices they carry today. YMMV and all that and if ya got a good one, then good on ya.
My 83 Fullerton, beat on ridden hard and put away wet is a great bass. Almost as good as My E series MIJ 57 RI.. Which is hands down the best P I've ever owned or played.
P pickups are really variable depending on what you want tonally. Are you Steve Harris or Duck ? That answer will drive your P bass pickup quest... To me, if the bass plays well, has no dead spots and rings acoustically when un amplified, it's going to be workable.
My answer is closer to Duck... Vintage Vibe Split P pickup using Alnico III and a slight overwind. A little softer than some but still a nice level of punch. Warm while being articulate. Beautifully constructed and fully shielded. It's my goto...
I have a prototype from Pete that is tappable as well. Underwound for bright on the 1st tap, slight overwind on the other. There is actually a 3rd tap but in the middle at standard. The difference was too subtle so I went with the extremes.
The SPB1 is another I like. If my answer were a more modern, less vintage P sound, then the Bill Lawrence would be a good choice.
Still, the whole enchilada has to be right. That ringing acoustically and no dead spot thing takes precedence over the pickup cause if you don't have that, then pickup won't really matter...
My 83 Fullerton, beat on ridden hard and put away wet is a great bass. Almost as good as My E series MIJ 57 RI.. Which is hands down the best P I've ever owned or played.
P pickups are really variable depending on what you want tonally. Are you Steve Harris or Duck ? That answer will drive your P bass pickup quest... To me, if the bass plays well, has no dead spots and rings acoustically when un amplified, it's going to be workable.
My answer is closer to Duck... Vintage Vibe Split P pickup using Alnico III and a slight overwind. A little softer than some but still a nice level of punch. Warm while being articulate. Beautifully constructed and fully shielded. It's my goto...
I have a prototype from Pete that is tappable as well. Underwound for bright on the 1st tap, slight overwind on the other. There is actually a 3rd tap but in the middle at standard. The difference was too subtle so I went with the extremes.
The SPB1 is another I like. If my answer were a more modern, less vintage P sound, then the Bill Lawrence would be a good choice.
Still, the whole enchilada has to be right. That ringing acoustically and no dead spot thing takes precedence over the pickup cause if you don't have that, then pickup won't really matter...
There have always been great and not so great instruments built in each era. Fender really has seemed to hit it's stride in the 2008 and newer instruments. There seem to be very few turkeys hitting the streets these days. I do honestly think that this will be seen as a golden era in the future. Maybe not so much for collectability, but for people admiring the way that they play and sound. If you read through this and countless other threads you can actually sit back and watch the reputation for these instruments growing.
I played countless P's over the years but have bought only 3 of them. My current '95 MIA is a keeper. Took me 40 years to really like one.
bootsox said:
+1. I am definitely of this philosophy myself. Pit a vintage muscle car, say a Challenger, against a modern day Dodge Challenger. Not even close, new one of course smokes the vintage. But some people insist on dropping their kids' inheritance on the vintage. Just how it is, I guess.
It really depends on the bass. I bought a 77' Jazz because I had been looking for a vintage one (because of sound, feel, look, etc.), and it was a good instrument. 70's Fenders are not garbage, they just are more likely to be garbage than a modern produced one. Also Tom Appleman of Berklee College of Music plays a 1973 P bass, so clearly not these horrible instruments if those guys could play anything and he plays one. If you like what a vintage bass has to offer than find a good one and get it. That's what I did. It's a nice companion to my very modern Dingwall.
I feel pretty strongly against people insisting that something is "the best." There are great basses from every era (of course a lot of people have said this.) It seems as though the real question is "what's the most consistent?" If you plan on buying over the internet, chances of getting a bummer bass are lower if you go with certain years, but if you're buying in person, all bets are off. I like the 95-97 era a lot, but I've played an 83 P bass that I liked quite a bit. I've also played "classic" P-Basses that didn't cut it, so there's no accounting for that either. I'd say the best modern era stuff is the 95-97 stuff and the 08-present stuff. The thing about the mid-90's stuff is they are starting hold their value, if that's a consideration.
I think the new American Deluxe is one of the best. With active, and pasive modes, you get a lot of tonal variety. I owned a 1961 P, (lost to a fire), and the new one is much more versatile, and plays beautifully. If monetary value was not a consideration, and I could have my old bass back, or have the new one. The new one wins based on build quality, sound quality, feel, and looks.
