• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Fender '51 reissue

#3
I got one of these in late 2005 - fabulous bass - mine came with the Seymor Duncan pick-up - which supposedly sounds better than the Japanese Vintage pick-up that they put in a line of re-issues of this bass in Japan in the early 1990's. Fender Japan started making these again in 2005 I think -

The bass weighs quite a bit mind - but let that put you off - the price on e-bay is very good indeed.

Sound excellent with TI-flats by the way.

Go for it - don't think you'll be disapointed !
 
#4
5fretless said:
I got one of these in late 2005 - fabulous bass - mine came with the Seymor Duncan pick-up - which supposedly sounds better than the Japanese Vintage pick-up that they put in a line of re-issues of this bass in Japan in the early 1990's. Fender Japan started making these again in 2005 I think -

The bass weighs quite a bit mind - but let that put you off - the price on e-bay is very good indeed.

Sound excellent with TI-flats by the way.

Go for it - don't think you'll be disapointed !
Click to expand...
I love 'em. Fender lists them with vintage pups. Maybe the seymours were a special mod. Any way they're cool, and TI flats sound good on anything. They're on both my basses.
 
#6
hallo said:
I thought that the Fender MIJ '51 reissue only came in blonde, whereas the similar sting version was avalaible in sunburst:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=007&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=170109032431&rd=1&rd=1
Click to expand...
I have a real vintage '55 sunburst P that was just restored, and have long been interested in these older Fenders and their reissues.

The Sting bass is basically a '55 RI, not a '51. The item the above link points to IS a valid Fender '51 RI, as you no doubt know. However, in 1951, P-basses weren't available in any color except that translucent Telecaster Ivory (or whatever it was called). Besides "Butterscotch Yellow," Fender also now makes the '51 RI in a sunburst. It is a modern poly finish, which, just like the finish on the Sting, is intended to look like a '54 or '55 nitro 2-color sunburst, even though the original '51 P-basses didn't offer this color. Why? To sell more basses, I suppose. Are we confused yet? :p


hallo said:
Whereas this one has no mention or sign of the Sting signature but is in sunburst. Can anyone give me any more info on this model?
Click to expand...
Yes. The main difference between the '51 RI and '55 (Sting) RI is that the '55 (Sting) has a contoured body, which was introduced gradually by Fender, starting in 1955, IIRC. The '51 RI is a slab body.

Based on having playing several '55 Sting RIs, and also owning an Ivory 1991 '51 P-bass RI, IMHO the bridge, neck, and tuners are the same on these '51 RI and '55 RI basses. They come from the same Japanese factory, I think.

Having "1 Original Single-Coil Precision Bass Pickup," they can sound a lot alike. They come with very different strings, which does make a significant difference in sound and feel in the showroom. Hope this helps.
 
#7
The Sting model has a narrower neck (plus that hideous rectangular inlay at the 12th fret!!).

The reissue on Ebay has the larger "early" style P-Bass neck - very chunky with wide spacing - quite a handful, but sounds great. As for the body - the ash bodies vary greatly in weight - some are real back breakers!!

Also, the sting has the "transition style" contouring - kinda similar to my '56 P-Bass

DSC00004-1.jpg
 
#8
Well I went to the shop yesterday, played it for a while and fell in love with it. I was playing it through the new Trace Elliot series which to be honest looked and sounded the business. Anyway 10 minutes later I was walking out the door with it. Used it in rehersals last night and I couldn't believe how great it sounded; just immense. Its the sunburst with a white scratchboard, from reading around a few have changed the bridge but I like the original simple look of it. The only think I might change is the scratchboard as it has a hole for a thumb rest and feels a liitle loose without the rest. Should I just get a thumb rest (which I'll hardly use) or get a new scratchboard either black or prerferable tortoiseshell?
 
#9
hallo said:
Well I went to the shop yesterday, played it for a while and fell in love with it. I was playing it through the new Trace Elliot series which to be honest looked and sounded the business. Anyway 10 minutes later I was walking out the door with it. Used it in rehersals last night and I couldn't believe how great it sounded; just immense. Its the sunburst with a white scratchboard, from reading around a few have changed the bridge but I like the original simple look of it. The only think I might change is the scratchboard as it has a hole for a thumb rest and feels a liitle loose without the rest. Should I just get a thumb rest (which I'll hardly use) or get a new scratchboard either black or prerferable tortoiseshell?
Click to expand...

Great sounding bass, huh? I couldn't believe the difference in "thickness" that I got when I switched from my jazz to this bass :)
 
#10
I was extremely suprised by how thick it actually sounded, it's now my no.1 bass ahead of my Jazz and my Burns London Bison. I also played a Fender Jaguer as the shop but found the 51 to have a better all round tone and greater midranges, not sure if it was the setup but the jag just seemed a little weak but had a really bright G string.
 
#11
hallo said:
...The only thing I might change is the scratchboard as it has a hole for a thumb rest and feels a liitle loose without the rest. Should I just get a thumb rest (which I'll hardly use) or get a new scratchboard either black or prerferable tortoiseshell?
Click to expand...

Congrats on the new bass! :hyper:
About the hole...
If you don't slap, I'd just buy a fender replacement thumb rest, sometimes called a "tug bar." Since you mention a hole, I am assuming you have 1 screw hole. That is in keeping with the reissue of a '51, but later and present day P-basses use a tug bar with 2 holes. Be sure you get one that has a single center screw hole. The old ones are wood, but the new ones, I believe are plastic. Either is fine. :p

Cheapest solution: just put a shorter fender (pick guard) screw into the hole. That would help hold down the pick (scratch) guard and also would be out of the way should you play slap style. :bassist:
 
#12
I have considered the thumbrest but there are two factors against it, firstly the hole is only in the pickguard/scratchplate and not in the guitar, secondly having done some research I have only come across thumbrest that use two screws and not one. The question is to stick with the white or go to a black pickguard with the sunburst.

If anyone is considering buying a '51 reissue P-bass I highly recommend it.
 
#14
Congrats! I got a '51 reissue last week, and love it. I am also quite suprised by the tone, and in particular how it really cuts through in a band setting.

Mine is the "butterscotch" color which is really artificial looking, but that's the only thing I can complain about on this bass.

I bought a Wilkinson bridge for it with compensating saddles -- I may put that on this week and change the strings (still have the stock strings on it). I'll be interested to see how that works, and in particular if there is much of a change in tone, as the Wilkinson has brass saddles. I know on Telecaster guitars there is a small but noticeable difference between steel and brass saddles.

If I had two-tone sunburst I would definitely get a black pickguard for it. I have a two-tone burst telecaster with a single-ply black pickguard and it looks great.
 
#17
kevin_lindsay said:
The Sting model has a narrower neck (plus that hideous rectangular inlay at the 12th fret!!).

The reissue on Ebay has the larger "early" style P-Bass neck - very chunky with wide spacing - quite a handful, but sounds great. As for the body - the ash bodies vary greatly in weight - some are real back breakers!!

Also, the sting has the "transition style" contouring - kinda similar to my '56 P-Bass

DSC00004-1.jpg
Click to expand...

Stop it!!!!

:bawl:

That bass is lovely!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back