Easy. Used or B stock AVRI 63. Add flats, i prefer Chromes. I get that sound with it. And also with the classic 50s with flats as well.
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Best Fender Precision under $1,000 USD
- Thread starter WES JETT
- Start date
Easy. Used or B stock AVRI 63. Add flats, i prefer Chromes. I get that sound with it. And also with the classic 50s with flats as well.
those ibanez "silver series" ones go for 400-600, those things are really fine.
as far as a fender goes, i agree the older japan ones are really nice. used USA won't hurt either. i've played some real nice ones.
as far as a fender goes, i agree the older japan ones are really nice. used USA won't hurt either. i've played some real nice ones.
I know a guy who plays a Jay Turser knockoff P, into an Ampeg ba-combo, he makes it sound damn good too. Makes me want one.
I ended up with a Roger Waters sig (swapped the pup for a Nordstrand), but I would've been happy with a Lakland Skyline Glaub or the Classic '50s P (in laquer, please!)
You just gotta play 'em.
You just gotta play 'em.
ok, thanks. I prefer roundwounds. I think that Headhunters' Paul Jackson also used roundwounds (not sure though). If you want a more motown-ish sound you can always dial back the treble to get a flatwound vibe. That way you are more flexible. I have thought about the AVRI's too but I think their necks are pretty fat? and I don't like the reverse tuners.
I like the p sound but jazz neck. So I ended up with an early '90s peavy fury (USA) with Bill Lawrence pickups. Has become a goto bass for me. I have vintage fender and other far more pricey options. But the combination of light / reliably / awesome sound / great playability has me playing out the fury most often. Ymmv.
Well about any vintage style Pbass can get the Jackson sound. Rolling the tone off is not the same as flats though. I play with Chromes and the tone all the way up. It is a crispy, cutting sound that has really warm low end. I really like it a lot, and I do play up on the neck and take solos, so im not just thumpin it.
I'd suggest matching the strings to the bass. I started with rounds on my 63 and they sounded great but were too crisp in mixes. Think a barky Paul Jackson sound. The Chromes took me right to old school funk sound, and the tone is crazy good. So just keep an open mind there in case the rounds don't do it for you. I think Chromes are the best flats for a player who likes the sound of rounds. Interestingly enough, Paul Jackson may have used half wounds back in the 70s, and I believe he uses rounds now.
I believe he played a 70's P bass on the Headhunters stuff as well. So some kind of 70's reissue would work - do those exist? lol. I'd like to know myself.
I haven't played them all, but...
I have a recent Mendel P that I like a lot more than may mid-90's American Standard or my mid 70's MIA. I have a '51 reissue that is nice, but I find the lack of contours and shape of the single coil pickup make it a little uncomfortable to play. The best P I own is a first generation Highway 1 bass. It says "Made In USA" on the headstock, but it is suspiciously similar to MIM's of the same era. It is very light, has a comfortable, stable neck, plays great, and sounds like a great P bass should.
I have a recent Mendel P that I like a lot more than may mid-90's American Standard or my mid 70's MIA. I have a '51 reissue that is nice, but I find the lack of contours and shape of the single coil pickup make it a little uncomfortable to play. The best P I own is a first generation Highway 1 bass. It says "Made In USA" on the headstock, but it is suspiciously similar to MIM's of the same era. It is very light, has a comfortable, stable neck, plays great, and sounds like a great P bass should.
ok, never tried chromes and I am playing for over 20 years...what string set exactly can you recommend? Do you maybe have a link?
Another vote for the MIM '50s Classic P. Replaced the factory rounds on mine with flats, and it's everything I want in a Precision.
It's truly amazing for the cost. It plays like a $1,200 bass. I am thinking about putting an AVRI 63 pickup in it. The one that comes with it is pretty darn great though and has a real classic, old school funk sound. Just lower output than my 63.
I p
I put a Fender pure vintage 58 pickup on mine and added a Tonestyler tone pot to it, put a set of Pyramid flats on it and it is a great-sounding bass! I use it in lieu of my 59 P bass that I don't like taking out on gigs - sounds just as good. The 59 neck is a tad more comfortable (as you'd expect after almost 60 years of use) but the MIM classic is a wonder for the price.
Personally, I think you should check out G&L.
For P-basses the LB-100 is a traditional(ish) model, while the SB-1 and SB-2 are more of a modern take on the P-bass (the SB-2 is a P/J setup). Both are killer P's! As a matter of fact, I'm in the process of writing a comparison for my blog of the three (Fender A.S. P, LB-100, SB-1). Hopefully I'll have it posted in a day or two.
The beautiful thing about G&L is that they offer a bunch of options-- neck/fret sizes, quartersawn/flatsawn, lots of wood & color choices, etc. Like a Jazz type neck? That is the #8. Necks in between J & P is the #12. Each comes as standard depending on the model, and are available as options for non-standards. Want something REALLY lightweight? Check out the Empress wood option. Also worthy of note is that G&L builds to order unlike Fender who typically builds in huge batches then ships out to retailers/distributers. In doing so, more attention can be paid to the details at G&L.
Availability can be tough for in-store hands-on test drives, but there are several online retailers who can help getting you what you want.
Used prices easily under $1K, new prices tend to be close to Fender USA models depending on options.
Best of luck in your search!
For P-basses the LB-100 is a traditional(ish) model, while the SB-1 and SB-2 are more of a modern take on the P-bass (the SB-2 is a P/J setup). Both are killer P's! As a matter of fact, I'm in the process of writing a comparison for my blog of the three (Fender A.S. P, LB-100, SB-1). Hopefully I'll have it posted in a day or two.
The beautiful thing about G&L is that they offer a bunch of options-- neck/fret sizes, quartersawn/flatsawn, lots of wood & color choices, etc. Like a Jazz type neck? That is the #8. Necks in between J & P is the #12. Each comes as standard depending on the model, and are available as options for non-standards. Want something REALLY lightweight? Check out the Empress wood option. Also worthy of note is that G&L builds to order unlike Fender who typically builds in huge batches then ships out to retailers/distributers. In doing so, more attention can be paid to the details at G&L.
Availability can be tough for in-store hands-on test drives, but there are several online retailers who can help getting you what you want.
Used prices easily under $1K, new prices tend to be close to Fender USA models depending on options.
Best of luck in your search!
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Very cool! I am leaning towards doing a pickup swap and gigging with it so I can keep my A RI 63 as my session only bass.
Indeed. A few years ago, I needed to quickly source a Precision for a Motown project and spent the better part of a day test-driving everything that I could physically put my hands on. The value proposition offered by a new '50s Classic P convinced me that I didn't need to spend $1,200 to get the feel/tone/look I was after. The MIM Standard P wasn't too far behind, but the '50s Classic P was definitely a cut above.
Maybe way off on what you are looking for but , I played a Squier Affinity p/j the other day and was very suprised !
This isn't me !
This isn't me !
