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Fender 51 reissue Precision MIJ, current used price / general advice

Craig Williams

Craig Williams

Feb 13, 2019
240
164
63
Thailand
#1
Living in Thailand and looking at a used I think 2002 51 Pbass reissue, crafted in Japan.
The guy wants about $1000 US, I am at about $800. The guitar is in what I would call very good condition, but has some wear. Comes with original chrome bridge / pick up cover, original bridge and currently wearing a replacement bridge.

I had one of these basses in Australia and it was truly awesome. Super low action, amazing neck and really thumped. Always said it was the best bass I ever owned.

What do you guys think of his sell price and what are these later ones like? I think they made them from the early 90's on? It's not a Sting model by the way. Is it still a desirable model?

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#3
FunkHead said:
More desirable than Sting model. Many hate the stink 12th fret logo. $1000 USD is about right.
You could have done way better a year or 2 ago but it is a different world now.
Haggle down to $950, work some O/T at your job and enjoy your new bass.
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My job is sitting on my @$$ all day ogling basses and guitars to buy lol. I am retired. It's a dirty job but you know.....hahaha. Thanks for your reply bro
 
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#4
I have always wanted one of these. There are just enough quirks though to keep me away. The neck pocket is square, and the pickup is odd. I have often considered just putting one together from parts though. Squire body with a MIM neck and a Duncan or some other stacked pickup would be a good start for around $500 to $600. This is just how I would do it because i enjoy tinkering with my Basses and swapping parts.
 
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#5
Dave TB Killer said:
I have always wanted one of these. There are just enough quirks though to keep me away. The neck pocket is square, and the pickup is odd. I have often considered just putting one together from parts though. Squire body with a MIM neck and a Duncan or some other stacked pickup would be a good start for around $500 to $600. This is just how I would do it because i enjoy tinkering with my Basses and swapping parts.
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Those Squier Classic Vibe basses are pretty damn good. I prefer the necks on the MIJ but in the Squier really all you would need is another PU. About third the price would be a nice guitar
 
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#6
How about using La Bellas on the string through bridge? I know they don't like tight corners (learnt the hard way). I also have a string through American Std Pbass string through and people commented they use La Bellas no problem stringing from the back
 
#7
Craig Williams said:
How about using La Bellas on the string through bridge? I know they don't like tight corners (learnt the hard way). I also have a string through American Std Pbass string through and people commented they use La Bellas no problem stringing from the back
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I might be misremembering but I think LaBella has strings designed specifically for string-through.
 
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#10
I have one. Love it. If there were many around the price would be less. Scarcity. Easily worth $800. I'd pay $1000. after owning one for decades. IMHO & YMMV. I have replaced the OEM bridge with the Fender direct replacement with the through body and through bridge options. The break over the bridge is less serious with the bridge through. On some strings it matters. I didn't need the four moving bridge pieces but I can hear the perfection. I changed the pickup to a Rio Grande Muy Grande. Sounds like the OEM with wider highs and lows. Not boosted bass and treble.
 
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#11
The pickup & bridge covers are not original as the reissues didn't come with them. Not uncommon to see these added by owners, I did the same.

Nice basses but found the necks thinner front to back than the originals. The asking price seems to be correct, as these have inched up in the past few years.

I'd reinstall the original bridge, slap on your favorite flats, replace the PU w/ a Seymour Duncan Stinger Stack, and rock that thang.
 
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#12
I have an ‘08 (blonde) that I added the covers to. The bridge and p’up are stock and I have no complaints with the original p’up. It’s strung with GHS flats and it plays and sounds great. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it’s enormously heavy.

A good friend of mine has a slightly later sunburst one - 2012, maybe? - and his is much lighter so I think mine is just a fluke. He also kept his stock hardware (although he didn’t add covers and strings with nickel rounds).

Both basses sound excellent (with the stock p’up) and both necks feel great (and identical). We both bought ours used and we both bought them a couple of years old so I’d say I got mine for $600 around 2010 or 11 and he got his for $750 around 2015. Those were considered good prices at The time we bought them so I think $800 would be a very good deal today and $1000 would still be fair. Personally, I don’t think the aftermarket bridge is an upgrade so I might use it as a bargaining chip to lower the price.
 
#16
Had one and really liked the tone though I think the neck had a 7.25 radius and was a little tough to intonate with the two saddle bridge. This one looks modified and the problem with flats is most are not made for string thru body so some work better than others at that. LaBella makes a special set for my Mustang and likely has a set of flats for this as well. Good luck and enjoy!
 
#20
IMO, $800. No more than that. The bass has been messed with. Different bridge. A thumb bar was added. Originally, these did not come with chrome covers and thus, no holes drilled into the body for such. I've seen some of these on Reverb.com going for around $1,200 that were not messed with.

This bass is a CIJ which were made around the mid to late 90s. It has the small size string grommets which are not flush to the body.

I am the proud owner of a MIJ '51 blond yellow from the early 90s. It has the large size and flush grommets just like the original slab bodies.

Just like you, I love my MIJ "Slabby". They are great basses and they sound great also.

It's in the back, slight left hand side. (I had a white guard cut for it but I kept the original black phenolic. Also installed chrome covers and a maple thumb bar.) (CIJ Sting Bass in the back with a switched out neck and no stupid 12th fret marker with "it's" signature.)

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