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Fender 2018 MIM Player Series

#541
I picked up this 2018 Player Pbass a few months ago and really like it. No significant complaints, just replaced the white pick guard with a tortoise shell which fit with no problems. I like the Fender round wounds that came with it, but will probably try RotoSounds on it next.
 

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#542
After some wheeling and dealing over the past year, my simple arsenal is now a pair of 2018 Player Series basses. I never liked the feel of P necks before, but I’m absolutely in love with this P. The J is newer and it’s taking me some time to get the setup the way I want it, but I’m close now.

Going to treat both of these to some new pickups this summer. I’m thinking PV ‘74s (and a white pearloid pg) for the Jazz and a CS ‘62 for the P. :D

908A769B-1BEE-438F-A42E-7BAF7B1CB972.jpeg
 
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#543
DoctorZee said:
After some wheeling and dealing over the past year, my simple arsenal is now a pair of 2018 Player Series basses. I never liked the feel of P necks before, but I’m absolutely in love with this P. The J is newer and it’s taking me some time to get the setup the way I want it, but I’m close now.
Going to treat both of these to some new pickups this summer. I’m thinking PV ‘74s (and a white pearloid pg) for the Jazz and a CS ‘62 for the P. :D

View attachment 3459039
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Very nice!

-ScottM
 
#544
Just got my new Player series Jazz Bass in white/maple, after selling my one in Tidepool.
Same fantastic value for money! Finish is solid, it plays and sounds great too. I don’t know if I got lucky twice in a row but I cannot fault it, no dodgy fret or issue. Fender nailed it with this MIM Player series. I couldn’t justify spending another £1000 on an american one!
 
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#545
flatwound251 said:
I picked up this 2018 Player Pbass a few months ago and really like it. No significant complaints, just replaced the white pick guard with a tortoise shell which fit with no problems. I like the Fender round wounds that came with it, but will probably try RotoSounds on it next.
Click to expand...
Looks great with the tort!. I have the sonic Sonic red p bass and I'd like a tort pickguard for it..Could you recommend the replacement...I've bought a couple off Amazon from musiclilly...they fit well with the exception of the pickups hollows being a bit too snug..had to file them a bit bigger...cheers!
 
#549
DoctorZee said:
Oooh I like the black guard. I was planning to put white pearloid on my tidepool jazz, but now I'm reconsidering...
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Ian774 said:
My previous one was Tidepool and it also had a black pickguard on it. Stands out way more!
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I had a black pickguard made for my Tidepool Jaguar, I think it’s a massive improvement.

353B0D62-D751-44AF-9A35-DA82977C43CC.jpeg
 
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#551
E6B838FC-9EEE-4CB2-ACF0-5A39428F3352.jpeg

I got my replacement Player Series P bass in this week, and it has problems too. For some reason when both controls are cranked it is still only at speaking volume at best.

Since this is my third new MIM bass with issues from Fender I’m a little upset. My new MIA and China made models have been perfect.
I’m going to open it up and try to fix it myself or replace all the insides.

Has this specific issue happened to anyone else? It’s a great playing and looking bass. I love the Sage Green too!

-ScottM
 
#554
scottm said:
View attachment 3472706
I got my replacement Player Series P bass in this week, and it has problems too. For some reason when both controls are cranked it is still only at speaking volume at best.

Since this is my third new MIM bass with issues from Fender I’m a little upset. My new MIA and China made models have been perfect.
I’m going to open it up and try to fix it myself or replace all the insides.

Has this specific issue happened to anyone else? It’s a great playing and looking bass. I love the Sage Green too!

-ScottM
Click to expand...

I immediately replaced the electronics in my sage green Jaguar with an Obsidian Wire solderless kit. The volume knob on the J pickup was quiet until like 8.5 or 9 and then it was just ON. No way to blend with the P pickup. I'm thinking about upgrading the pickups next. Anybody have recommendations on a good P/J set?
 
#556
Michael Rosen said:
Hi guys! I'll trade my American P and I'm going to buy a brand new buttercream JB and tidepool P with maple necks. I've played them both in my local music store today, and these instruments were amazing! Maybe I'm silly, but I don't really care about the Made in USA writing on the headstock anymore. Have you done something similar before?
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Not exactly, but I've traded a 2003 MIA in butterscotch and a MIA body with third party neck in on a brand new American Standard in 2008, which was likely stupid but the 2008 was amazing and beautiful until it was stolen two years later. I also last year traded in a Squier Affinity, a MIM Standard, an Ampeg P500, and a big Yorkville 410 in on a NOS American Standard in perfect condition. I bought all of the gear I've used as trade-ins at really low used prices, so I didn't lose any money, but I wish I still had it all plus the new stuff I traded it for, as it was worth more than I'd paid for it.

For my opinion on what you're doing, I wouldn't do it, personally - for me, I don't believe there's a quality issue, I think both the new Players and any MIA are both excellent quality and well built, but I love the rolled fretboard edges, lightweight tuners, bridges, and, depending on the year, the pickups in the American Standards/Professionals. I'm not a fan of the sharper edges on the MIM fretboards and although the Player pickups are ok, I'd likely swap them out for something else more or less right away if I were to buy one. I think they're a great value, but I'd likely look to buy one used before getting rid of my MIA to buy two of them new. They're not hard to come by on the used market, even though they're pretty new - I've seen them in TB Classifieds from time to time.
 
#557
scottm said:
View attachment 3472706
I got my replacement Player Series P bass in this week, and it has problems too. For some reason when both controls are cranked it is still only at speaking volume at best.

Since this is my third new MIM bass with issues from Fender I’m a little upset. My new MIA and China made models have been perfect.
I’m going to open it up and try to fix it myself or replace all the insides.

Has this specific issue happened to anyone else? It’s a great playing and looking bass. I love the Sage Green too!

-ScottM
Click to expand...

Replacing the Volume and Tone Pots of a non American Fender is always good practice. I got one the P-Bass (Tidepool/Maple) and brought it home and immediately replaced it with the Fender parts CTS pots. I think I had the vintage ones as I had bought a bunch a while back. The stock ones that were the bass were no name "Made in Korea" pots. That was all that was stamped on them I think. I put a new tone cap in as well as the tone pot was a no load. Sounds great. I've just thrown a set of Aguilar 60's era P-bass pickups in recently. First time I've fallen in love with a P-bass without active electronics in it.
 
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