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Fender 2018 MIM Player Series
- Thread starter OllyW
- Start date
Looks Great...........I also changed the pickguard on my Player Precision from Mint to Black.
D
I don't exactly NEED another P-bass but that Buttercream one is gorgeous! Change the pickguard for a black one and I could see my next touring bass right there. Cheap enough not to worry too much about it getting stolen or the neck cracking during air transport (been there, done that...). Maple fingerboard so no CITES issues when crossing borders. It ticks all the boxes as a touring bass for me.
But WHY won't Fender use colors like this on the Professional series? I'm just sick of SB, OW and CAR. MIM and Squier gets all the cool colors these days. That Seafoam Green CV 70s P-bass in another thread was BEAUTIFUL too!
I would love to hear more opinions on the pickups before buying one of these "Players" though. If they need replacing it wouldn't make sense to pay the extra over a Squier CV IMO. Except that there aren't any Buttercream Squiers of course!
But WHY won't Fender use colors like this on the Professional series? I'm just sick of SB, OW and CAR. MIM and Squier gets all the cool colors these days. That Seafoam Green CV 70s P-bass in another thread was BEAUTIFUL too!
I would love to hear more opinions on the pickups before buying one of these "Players" though. If they need replacing it wouldn't make sense to pay the extra over a Squier CV IMO. Except that there aren't any Buttercream Squiers of course!
I’ll never be sick of 3TSB, OW, and CAR, but otherwise I completely agree! We get a new olive green and a new Grey... wow. It’d be nice to always have a blue option, a red option, a yellow/gold option, a grey/silver option, and maybe change it up every year.I don't exactly NEED another P-bass but that Buttercream one is gorgeous! Change the pickguard for a black one and I could see my next touring bass right there. Cheap enough not to worry too much about it getting stolen or the neck cracking during air transport (been there, done that...). Maple fingerboard so no CITES issues when crossing borders. It ticks all the boxes as a touring bass for me.
But WHY won't Fender use colors like this on the Professional series? I'm just sick of SB, OW and CAR. MIM and Squier gets all the cool colors these days. That Seafoam Green CV 70s P-bass in another thread was BEAUTIFUL too!
I would love to hear more opinions on the pickups before buying one of these "Players" though. If they need replacing it wouldn't make sense to pay the extra over a Squier CV IMO. Except that there aren't any Buttercream Squiers of course!
Today I tested two Ps in Berlin and have to say they were really nice! Great sound, solid quality!
Hi guys, just one question: does the Schaller BMFL fit as direct replace on Player Series? Or make new holes for the screws is required? (Could someone please tell me the distance beetwen the upper holes and the lower holes of the stock tuning machines in the Players Series?) Thanks!
D
The Buttercream one doesn't seem to be in stock ANYWHERE near me. And I wouldn't want to buy a MIM without actually testing it. If it was a MIA I would buy it unseen without a second thought but I've had some pretty bad experiences with MIM in the past, particuarly Classic Series.
Does anyone know why the Buttercream one isn't in stock anywhere? Every other color seems to be. Is it shipped later than the others or is the first batch sold out already? If it's sold out everywhere I might actually reconsider. If everyone and his dog gets one of these I'll just get sick of seeing that color everywhere...
Still, they look gorgeous. I thought about a black pickguard but on second thoughts I think white pearl would be sweeet with that color!
Would love to see more reviews though. Especially how it compares to the old MIM Standard or to the new MIA Professionals. I'm particularly interested in the pickups. From the clips I've heard online it seems the Player is further from the Professional than the MIM Standard was from the American Standards. The Player seems to have moved towards a more aggressive/forward sound while the Professional has moved towards a smoother sound. But youtube clips aren't reliable, for various reasons. Sound quality, different tone control settings, different mic/DI, different strings/amps, players with different styles, etc.
The only 100% sure thing is that they always sound worst in Fender's own official videos. As always, Fender excels at making piss poor promo videos... The one for the Squier VM Precision Fretless almost put me off getting one!
Does anyone know why the Buttercream one isn't in stock anywhere? Every other color seems to be. Is it shipped later than the others or is the first batch sold out already? If it's sold out everywhere I might actually reconsider. If everyone and his dog gets one of these I'll just get sick of seeing that color everywhere...
Still, they look gorgeous. I thought about a black pickguard but on second thoughts I think white pearl would be sweeet with that color!
Would love to see more reviews though. Especially how it compares to the old MIM Standard or to the new MIA Professionals. I'm particularly interested in the pickups. From the clips I've heard online it seems the Player is further from the Professional than the MIM Standard was from the American Standards. The Player seems to have moved towards a more aggressive/forward sound while the Professional has moved towards a smoother sound. But youtube clips aren't reliable, for various reasons. Sound quality, different tone control settings, different mic/DI, different strings/amps, players with different styles, etc.
The only 100% sure thing is that they always sound worst in Fender's own official videos. As always, Fender excels at making piss poor promo videos... The one for the Squier VM Precision Fretless almost put me off getting one!
The Buttercream one doesn't seem to be in stock ANYWHERE near me. And I wouldn't want to buy a MIM without actually testing it. If it was a MIA I would buy it unseen without a second thought but I've had some pretty bad experiences with MIM in the past, particuarly Classic Series.
Does anyone know why the Buttercream one isn't in stock anywhere? Every other color seems to be. Is it shipped later than the others or is the first batch sold out already? If it's sold out everywhere I might actually reconsider. If everyone and his dog gets one of these I'll just get sick of seeing that color everywhere...
Still, they look gorgeous. I thought about a black pickguard but on second thoughts I think white pearl would be sweeet with that color!
Would love to see more reviews though. Especially how it compares to the old MIM Standard or to the new MIA Professionals. I'm particularly interested in the pickups. From the clips I've heard online it seems the Player is further from the Professional than the MIM Standard was from the American Standards. The Player seems to have moved towards a more aggressive/forward sound while the Professional has moved towards a smoother sound. But youtube clips aren't reliable, for various reasons. Sound quality, different tone control settings, different mic/DI, different strings/amps, players with different styles, etc.
The only 100% sure thing is that they always sound worst in Fender's own official videos. As always, Fender excels at making piss poor promo videos... The one for the Squier VM Precision Fretless almost put me off getting one!
I'm having similar trouble with the 5 string player jazz bass. There's no sound clips or reviews of it specifically and i dont want to drop the cash on it if the B is going to be weak. The 4s seem nice enough though. If the neck profile is the same as the american professional I'll be that much more tempted. I've entertained the idea of just buying one online from somewhere with a generous return policy.
House of Guitars in Rochester, NY had a buttercream jazz bass 4 string in stock last week. It might still be there. If you are within driving distance, I highly recommend making the pilgrimage there. I use the word pilgrimage because the place is legendary and should be a bucket list shopping experience for any guitar/bass player. Not to mention the amazing staff and service there.
I played a Player Series P and a ‘70s FSR P while I was there, which was equipped with an Original ‘62 Fender pickup. The Player Series pickup had, what sounded to me, a more aggressive, modern tone, especially compared to the FSR bass. That’s not to say it was bad- just different. The Player didn’t have the greatest set up on it, but it played well as it was, and the fit and finish were nice. Neck fit, fret ends, paint, all very good. I went there to try a Player Precision and come home with one, but I ended up going for the FSR instead. It just felt better and sounded better to me.
HoG had a couple Player Precisions and at least one jazz. I would say message them to see if they are still available.
I played a Player Series P and a ‘70s FSR P while I was there, which was equipped with an Original ‘62 Fender pickup. The Player Series pickup had, what sounded to me, a more aggressive, modern tone, especially compared to the FSR bass. That’s not to say it was bad- just different. The Player didn’t have the greatest set up on it, but it played well as it was, and the fit and finish were nice. Neck fit, fret ends, paint, all very good. I went there to try a Player Precision and come home with one, but I ended up going for the FSR instead. It just felt better and sounded better to me.
HoG had a couple Player Precisions and at least one jazz. I would say message them to see if they are still available.
So I sent back the first buttercream Strat due to the dent in the neck. I received a call that a new shipment came in, but the one they were going to ship to me was missing finish on the back of the neck. They finally got another one and the support person I had been working with personally chose one for me. I received it today and it had several finish flaws. Black specks in several spots, missing paint in one spot, and something in the clear coat in another. My salesperson agreed it’s an issue, but said that we cannot expect too much at this price point (paraphrased). It took me all of 3-5 seconds to find these flaws. Is it really too much to ask that the factory take the same amount of time? Either way, I will probably just ask for a refund and save up to buy an American. It’s really frustrating because buttercream is the finish I’ve always dreamed of.
Locally, I have only seen a Butter Cream Yellow Strat and a Sage Green P bass. Both were flawless fit and finish-wise. The P bass neck felt just like a MIM Standard. I did not play it plugged in.
What replacement pick guard do you recommend that fits these 2017-18 players? I see that the official fender replacement guards are the same number of holes, and have a truss nut notch at the neck, but I don't know if they fit these MIMs. I started a thread, hope not too redundantly, hope someone in here knows. Thank you so kindly
MIA pickguards are 10 holers and the Player series MIM's are 13 holers. No need for the cut out on the pickguard for truss rod adjustment as this is done on the headstock.
thanks for your reply. I found that this Mexican P basses called Player Series, has 13 screws holding the pick guard to the body. I'll post these stock photos. I'd really be quite happy if I could use these two items, this bass with this pick guard . -regards
+ Fender Modern-style Precision Bass Pickguard 13-hole Black
Some 13 hole pickguards dont 100% line up with the holes which means putting the screws in on a angle which can lift the pickguard up in places. The best thing to do is to do a google search for a 13 hole pickguard for a Fender Player Series Precision Bass.
