I'm wondering if it's worth it to use a new set of flats. Not sure that I have the feeling that strings are what is lacking. I simply may not be a P Bass guy....
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Fender 2018 MIM Player Series
- Thread starter OllyW
- Start date
I'm wondering if it's worth it to use a new set of flats. Not sure that I have the feeling that strings are what is lacking. I simply may not be a P Bass guy....
Try it at band practice. How is the EQ on your amp set, and what kind of amp is it?
Just got one of these. Probably the lightest bass that I have had. Sounds great and was easy to set up with low action. I thought the last MIM basses were actually really nice but these are really solid all around. Color me very impressed. I love Lakland Skylines and I think these shred the new Indo Skylines. Way lighter, hardware is just as nice and the pickups sound better to me.
I don't believe how I EQ or my amps are the problem and each of them is versatile enough that I can tweak to get a tone more to my liking. Normally my settings are near noon/flat and I adjust as needed.
Quilter Bass Block 800
Bugera Veyron Mosfet
Ashdown Rootmaster RM-800 EVO
This is simply the first P Bass that I've spent any extensive time with. It feels good, plays good and even sounds good. The P sound just may not be me. The flats may help. If I roll the tone all the way off it's much more pleasing.
I drove out to House of Guitars yesterday, as they are currently having a crazy mid-summer sale. They had a couple player p basses, which were the primary reason for my visit. I played both, and they were nice. Not the best setups, but I could get around on them. The Player P has a bit more modern tone to me ear. Fit and finish were good as well. I ended up playing and coming home with a Fender FSR ‘70s Precision, which really blew me away.
I actually liked the Player jazz that I played a couple weeks ago a lot more than the P, which surprised me.
I actually liked the Player jazz that I played a couple weeks ago a lot more than the P, which surprised me.
I'm the same. I love the looks of Jazz basses but just love the feel and tone of Precisions. Personally, I prefer the beefier necks on P-basses. But you're totally right in my opinion... can't beat that P-bass tone!
I'm interested in the Jazz 5 string. Can't find any videos on it though ..
I play the Player P in butter colour at GC yesterday and i did some side by side compare with black Squier CV70P.
The staff allow me to make some trust rod tweak and string height adjustment before try them. The neck profile is feel different than previous MIM STD, i found the new neck is as comfort as my lovely Squier CV60P neck. Slimmer than Squier CV70P.
The Fret work is better than MIM STD too, the fret edge is so smooth from 1st fret to last fret. Honestly, i have few Squier CV bass in past , all of them have good fret work include this store's CV70P and my current CV60P.
The new fender font also look more classy on the player bass.
Talk about the pickup voice,play through Fender Rumble 500 combo, the player Pbass pup sound more refine than Previous Harshing tone MIM STD Pbass.
The player Pup sound is OK to my ear, but i more prefer the CV70P tone which more tasty Pbass Vibe, open tone and dynamic!!!
Both bass have equal finish quality, no miss align bridge and tight neck pocket. Even i have CTS pot on my CV60P, , the stock alpha volume/tone pot on CV70P turn better smooth than CTS and pot on player P. I prefer CV tuning mechine (Nickel colour) which have longer tuning peg shaft give the headstock more vintage correct.
My conclusion is, stock Vs Stock, the new player P is as nice as the Squier CV70P than previous MIM STD, pickup upgrade could make Player P sound better. But , for the price tag, it is a little pain for me to get the Player P which the quality are only equal to china made CV70P.
The only reason i will buy player P are the Sexy Butter colour + maple fret board instead the Fender font on the headstock.
But, i will get the CV70P if GC bring in the new Seafoam Green colour CV70P !!!!
My2cents.
The staff allow me to make some trust rod tweak and string height adjustment before try them. The neck profile is feel different than previous MIM STD, i found the new neck is as comfort as my lovely Squier CV60P neck. Slimmer than Squier CV70P.
The Fret work is better than MIM STD too, the fret edge is so smooth from 1st fret to last fret. Honestly, i have few Squier CV bass in past , all of them have good fret work include this store's CV70P and my current CV60P.
The new fender font also look more classy on the player bass.
Talk about the pickup voice,play through Fender Rumble 500 combo, the player Pbass pup sound more refine than Previous Harshing tone MIM STD Pbass.
The player Pup sound is OK to my ear, but i more prefer the CV70P tone which more tasty Pbass Vibe, open tone and dynamic!!!
Both bass have equal finish quality, no miss align bridge and tight neck pocket. Even i have CTS pot on my CV60P, , the stock alpha volume/tone pot on CV70P turn better smooth than CTS and pot on player P. I prefer CV tuning mechine (Nickel colour) which have longer tuning peg shaft give the headstock more vintage correct.
My conclusion is, stock Vs Stock, the new player P is as nice as the Squier CV70P than previous MIM STD, pickup upgrade could make Player P sound better. But , for the price tag, it is a little pain for me to get the Player P which the quality are only equal to china made CV70P.
The only reason i will buy player P are the Sexy Butter colour + maple fret board instead the Fender font on the headstock.
But, i will get the CV70P if GC bring in the new Seafoam Green colour CV70P !!!!
My2cents.
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So my local store finally brought one in, a sage green P bass with pao ferro. I’d say the neck is pretty much the same as the Standard necks, and the pickups sound like modern Fender P bass pickups. The nicest parts about it were the sage green colour and the new Fender logo on the headstock. The frets were 100%, just as you’d expect, and this unit actually had a nice dark pao ferro - most PF boards I’ve seen were a sandy shade of brown, this was dark. It would look killer with a tort pickguard, but for the money, *I* really need/want to see a rolled fretboard, otherwise I would wait to buy a used one in a year or so. It was a perfectly good bass, but I didn’t fall in love, at all, so I’ll likely continue to keep my eyes peeled for a local deal on an American Standard. For me, if it’s not a heck yeah, it’s a heck no.
Truly, only you can justify how you spend your money.
For me, one of the big differences between an American Standard/Professional and a Standard/ Player is the rolled fingerboard edges on the American made ones. For sure, there are other differences like pots and pickups, the logo, the tuners, and the bridges, but that for me is the big difference, and for me it’s huge - the American Standard and the American Professionals feel very comfortable in my hands and they seem to play themselves in comparison to the Mexican-made Standard and Player, which - in comparison - seem like work. But when that’s all you play, it’s whats normal, and the Americans feel just normal after a while too.
Is that difference worth $1000+ Canadian dollars? Not if I’m not gigging, it isn’t. When I’m gigging regularly, I can justify that difference all day long. But either way, the Players and Standards are absolutely 100% worth every dollar you spend on them for a new instrument. And their used values are pretty hard to ignore. Keep them stock or use them as a mod platform, you can’t go wrong.
For that matter, I just bought a used American Standard for about $100 more than I could have bought a new Player series, and that price difference is definitely justifiable. It was less than half the price of a new American Professional, and it didn’t have a scratch on it, basically new old stock. I find new instrument prices to be a bit out of whack with used prices, across the board.
I like used gear, because if I eventually want to flip it, I don’t lose anything and have often even made money.
After my 2008 American Standard was stolen in 2010, I “upgraded” to an American ‘57 Reissue in transparent white finish. No rolled edges, flat frets, high radius fretboard. The bridge was lower tech than what’s on the MIM Standards and Players. That move took as much adjusting as moving from an American Standard to any Mexican bass would take.
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Just dropped a tort pickguard on my P Bass. Pretty much the only mod I wanted to make.
