Buying a P Bass Please Help!!!

[RocknRolla]

Hi guys I'm looking into getting a new precision bass and need a little help. So I play pretty much every style of music but mostly Rock so i need one that's pretty versatile. I've been looking into these:

50s Precision - I know this is mim and i'm not found of them but i hear good things about it. Is it just another mim or is it comparable to mij?

51 Precision - Now I've always loved the way these looked but they seem like they might be slightly hard to play and not to versatile. Your thoughts?

Highway One Precision - Is this just a really crappy mia or is it worth it?

American Standard - Obviously i love this bass but it's just so much money know. And i now i can probably snag one for around $900 used but i really hate buying used because you never know if people are lying about the quality.

The only bass i have tried is the American Standard because nobody stocks any of the others where i live. My bands about to record and start doing gigs so i need a good quality one not a mim. mim are decent but I don't think there very good quality at all. Any help is appreciated.

 

[J. Crawford]

If you buy used from TB, you wont get screwed. Thats what we are for.

I bought my Geddy used from the Classifieds and couldnt be happier. You could get a really nice bass for so much money lesser than a new one.

If you have any questions about sellers that arent answered in their Feedback, PM a mod or a known user.

 

[jaywa]

What Jordasch said. Go used, get a great P-Bass at a decent price, help out a fellow TB'er and give Fender the finger for jacking their prices in the middle of a recession.

Wins all around.

 

[Jim Carr]

Road Worn P-basses kill. They seem to be available for under $900.

A new American Standard is a great bass, for more money, and the MIA '62 RI is the Rolls-Royce of new Fenders, IMHO, assuming you don't want to do Custom shop.

There there are Laklands and Sadowsky Metro's...

Consider used and check out TB and Craigslist.

 

[EagleMoon]

Definitely buy used. Buying here on TB is safer because you're dealing with people who know basses, not some guy on Ebay or Craigslist who doesn't even know what a bass string is. You're much more likely to get a good bass from people who know how to take care of them here.

 

[savit260]

Any of the above including the MIM Standard are fine.

Personaly, I prefer the split coil P sound to the single coil P sound (personal preferance).

You could save yourself a pile of money by getting a fairly recent used MIM Standard, and having the frets proffesionaly level , crown and polish job, and upgrade the p/u. The Fender "original" or "62 Re Issue" as it's sometimes refered to is a great pickup, and reasonable moeny. You'd have a great "players bass" for well under the price of any of the above listed. If you dont' think MIM's are good quality, you probaby ought to think again. They are only a little attention away from being a very good bass for reasonable money. I know plenty of people that gig the daylights out of MIM Fenders.

The Higway one is a no frills MIA P bass. Good solid bass, thouth I'd prefer something other than a Badass Bridge. No need for one of those on that bass IMO.

The MIM 50's P is a nice bass as well, but honesly, the ones I've played all need some attention payed to the frets.

I bought a new MIA American Standard last Summer for $800 out the door. If you have good negotiating skills, you can probaby pick one up for not a whole lot more than that.

As Jim mentioned... the Road Worns are VERY good P basses if you don't mind the "relic" thing. Great playing and sounding P bass.