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Best Fender Precision currently in production?

#42
The best p bass that fender produced got to be the fender custom shop pino palladino p bass. The tone is just everything you're looking for in a precision. You can check out the YouTube link (it's a comparison of a few higher end fenders) I've got to say the pino sounds insanely good when put beside other p basses. Although it's expensive, I would say get it if you can afford

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#43
Fender P-Deluxe...After trying dozens of different kinds of basses I have happily settled in with 2 P-Deluxes. A 2007 and a 2011 both are awesome and have nice subtle differences that give me great variety. Comfortable weight-balance- Nice fit and finish-Incredible tone and tonal variety on the fly with the active electronics. 1.65 neck- not a jazz not a P-very comfortable to me. Decent price point when buying used-both of mine were..Will not be changing up any time soon..VERY HAPPY with the P-Deluxe..
 
#46
I love the fender american standard P bass from 2008 and on. I have a 2010 and I just bought a used 2008 P as a backup. I think the stock pickups sound great! I did buy a SD pickup but replaced it back with the original pickup.
 
#47
I have this one: Invalid Link Removed

I've modded it a bit with '62 pup's and a BAII bridge. I also removed the Greasebucket tone circuit and put a .047 orange drop cap in it.

The reason I bought it is because of the light weight (<8Lbs), great finish and the American Special neck is magical...
 
#48
I recently picked up a new am std p with the custom shop p/u in it and it is a Fantastic instrument! Fit and finish wise it's top notch and it can get a full range of tones. I couldn't be happier with it. I also owned a 2011 am std p and found the same to be true.

I haven't had the pleasure of playing a pino but I hear great things about them!

Just for the value I think it is hard to beat the am std. You could buy an am std and mod the heck out of it if you wanted and still be under $2k.

It is true though that you should play it before you buy it because standards can vary in quality and feel.
 
#50
IronLung1986 said:
there isn't any one model that's the best. you have to go on an individual case by case basis because 2 of the exact same model could feel and sound different. that's how it is when you're dealing with mass produced stuff. with high end stuff like sadowsky, every instrument you play is going to be great. it's just a matter of preference what brand or model you buy. but with fender you could play a dozen duds from different price ranges before finding one that's pure magic. that's almost part of the fun, because when you find a good one you'll know you found something special.
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+1 i used to own a fender mim p bass that didnt sound or feel that much different from a squier bass i had before it.

now i own a fender mim p bass that feels and sounds better than any other fender p bass that i have come across .

All basses are different , try as many as you can :D
 
#53
awilkie84 said:
Never seen the need for a compound radius fretboard. And 1/4-sawn necks aren't really a huge selling feature on a multi-thousand dollar bass when the Modern Player Jazz Satin & Classic Series P both have one for considerably less.
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Whatever. The OP was asking about best production P-Basses overall, and so I suggested he consider the Fender Select. My Select P is a very fine bass because of a combination of factors, including the neck, the exotic woods, the pickups and the weight.
There are other great P-Basses out there, too. Never said there weren't.
 
#54
Pet Sounds said:
Whatever. The OP was asking about best production P-Basses overall, and so I suggested he consider the Fender Select. My Select P is a very fine bass because of a combination of factors, including the neck, the exotic woods, the pickups and the weight.
There are other great P-Basses out there, too. Never said there weren't.
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Exotic woods are purely for looks. Personally, I never factor exotic wood into what makes a bass great. The bass would be just as great with a solid finish and plain neck.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking on the Select. I've played a couple Select Jazz basses that were great. I just don't see why they're any better than an AVRI or Classic series that has the same fundamental features (including fit/finish & weight) without the bling and unnecessary compound radius.
 
#55
I have a 2007 Classic '50s P with a Basslines Quarter Pound pickup and TI Jazz Flats that I love, and a 2009 AVRI '57 with TIs and I love them both. Generally, the Classic goes to gigs because of its durable poly finish (and the fiesta red looks a lot flashier under the stage lights than the 'burst) but I consider them interchangeable. Whichever one I am playing is my favorite.

If you want bang for the buck, get the Classic. If you want nicer finish (and higher resale) get the AVRI -- which is now called the '58.

If I wanted to spend money, I'd get a Pino but I'm happy with what I have.

Obligatory fuzzy pic:

TwoPrecisions.jpg
 
#56
Alexander said:
I am hoping that I can buy a Precision bass either later this summer or perhaps this fall. I've been contemplating it for some time and after thinking about it, I really would like to stick with Fender - perhaps somewhat out of tradition.

The thing is, I've played Sadowsky exclusively for a number of years now and all of the Fender American Standard Precisions I've tried have been really underwhelming - primarily because of quality of materials, fit\finish and playability. Sadowsky sets a really high bar in that regard, so the Fenders just feel down-market by comparison. Granted, I've played them all primarily at Guitar Center - so most have been horribly set up and in some cases beaten up a bit.

I did try a Custom Shop 59 last week and it was the first Precision Bass I really ever liked. I guess it is technically out of production now, but there are a few of them still available new out there. It is a good option and I may have bought that one if I had the funds available today. I also want to try the AVRI series, but not really sure the differences between them all and what would really suit me the best. I don't think I want to go any higher in price than the CS 59, unless there is a really compelling reason to do so.

Thoughts?
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Check out a custom Carvin PB4 or PB5 www.carvinguitars.com Totally custom and cheaper than a Fender American
 
#57
I just purchased a Spector Coda 4P DLX which I'm liking, it is loaded with a EMG active pickup and Aguilar OBP3.

I also have a 1978 Fender P that I will always hang onto, it has a Bartolini pickup and a BadassII bridge installed.
 

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#58
You can always build you own until you get the magic vibe you're seeking. I've built four with new Fender parts bought from Stratosphere. It's fun and you'd be really surprised how similar and different these Fender parts can be. I have one right now that I built, black and maple with 2012 and 2013 neck and body, along with the nice custom shop pups. This bass is incredible in every way. It also has a John East P-Retro preamp in it that gives it SO much flexibility... and it can always be switched to passive mode. Killer bass for about a third of a custom shop.
 

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