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Fender American Professional Series

I should have mentioned, I had my local tech install new pots and cap right when I got the bass. I had him install Emerson Pro CTS Pots (250K ohm, audio taper), and a .047uF Orange Drop cap. So the specs are the same as what came in the bass... I have just always trusted and used those Emerson Pro pots, so I tend to put them in all my basses. I also had him swap the stock pickup for the Aguilar AG 4P-60 pickup. But I don’t understand what’s causing the abrupt volume drop on the tone knob. Here’s a pic of the wiring my tech did. Everything is wired the way the Aguilar pickup diagram showed. Any thoughts?
50DA02A5-0A78-42DE-A753-DAB376A7D162.jpeg
 
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I should have mentioned, I had my local tech install new pots and cap right when I got the bass. I had him install Emerson Pro CTS Pots (250K ohm, audio taper), and a .047uF Orange Drop cap. So the specs are the same as what came in the bass... I have just always trusted and used those Emerson Pro pots, so I tend to put them in all my basses. I also had him swap the stock pickup for the Aguilar AG 4P-60 pickup. But I don’t understand what’s causing the abrupt volume drop on the tone knob. Here’s a pic of the wiring my tech did. Everything is wired the way the Aguilar pickup diagram showed. Any thoughts?
View attachment 3323341

Oh, ha! That's a pretty big detail. All bets are off then. This might be a better question for the Pickups and Electronics forum.
 
Sooo... my “excellent condition” used am pro jazz I was waiting for has a couple issues. I don’t remember his handle but first let me say thanks man to Michael Bump - Vmods are creamy fat bright grindy gtg.

Issue is this and this...
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The 1.5” gouge was described as “a tiny chip at the bridge pickup rout” which I was fine with, who cares? I was paying $899 w/no tax because there was only a gig bag. But this is all Scarface...
The nut is meh... G is hogged out and to my eye the A/D cut is a lot more narrow, accordingly the A string is not super lined up over the neck pup.

Not as big- note: three days later pickguard as shown has settled down massively. It was literally ramped up over (I mean over) the control plate and looked all ski ramp... it was crazy. I removed all screws and re-set everything, hoping it flattens all the way out.

Question:
So I say to GC take some serious $$ off, lamer..
-or/-
I say she’s all yours, buh-bye. For another $100 I can have my choice between a 4 and 5’er with case and case candy, and spin the wheel again.
In the meantime it’s still a lot o fun to play and these are first world probs. And I know it. :bassist:
 
I own an American Professional Precision. Antique Olive, rosewood. I've been using it for about 5 months now, almost exclusively for recording + a couple of rehearsals. I have not used it live yet (and probably won't).

I really liked the V-mod pickup a LOT at first. The lows aren't overblown like on certain other P-pickups. The lower mids have just the right amount of punch. The upper mids and highs are very sweet. But maybe just a little TOO sweet. The V-mod lacks that little extra bite to cut through in a dense mix in my experience. It has a tendendy to get lost. It sounds really great soloed though. Very detailed even when the tone control is pulled back for a FAT sound. But then it kinda gets lost in a dense mix without extensive eq'ing. And a P-bass that doesn't sit nicely in the mix is a bit of a failure IMO, no matter how sweet it sounds soloed. I'm not saying it sounds bad and for some genres it's great but it's certainly less of an allrounder than I expect from a top-of-the-range P-bass.

But the most disappointing part was the lack of QC. Wires were lodged under the pickguard which is permanently disfigured and bulging outwards. There are also several dents in the upper edge of the rosewood fretboard from 1st-3rd fret, giving it a serrated look/feel. Extremely disappointing in this price range. But no worse than I've come to expect from Fender QC lately...

On the positive side I absolutely love the neck profile.
 
Anyone seen this?
Fender LE Roasted Blues American Professional PJ Bass - Guitar.co.uk

It wasn't announced yet, but a few sites have them for preorder already. This looks cool and is giving me GAS for that PJ itch. Roasted maple eh? Interesting. Definitely a fad nowadays, but a neat one lol. And I've always loved daphne blue/sonic blue. Concentric knobs for volume/tone for each pickup. Might be cool, even though I've always found single tone knob enough.
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[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
I own an American Professional Precision. Antique Olive, rosewood. I've been using it for about 5 months now, almost exclusively for recording + a couple of rehearsals. I have not used it live yet (and probably won't).

I really liked the V-mod pickup a LOT at first. The lows aren't overblown like on certain other P-pickups. The lower mids have just the right amount of punch. The upper mids and highs are very sweet. But maybe just a little TOO sweet. The V-mod lacks that little extra bite to cut through in a dense mix in my experience. It has a tendendy to get lost. It sounds really great soloed though. Very detailed even when the tone control is pulled back for a FAT sound. But then it kinda gets lost in a dense mix without extensive eq'ing. And a P-bass that doesn't sit nicely in the mix is a bit of a failure IMO, no matter how sweet it sounds soloed. I'm not saying it sounds bad and for some genres it's great but it's certainly less of an allrounder than I expect from a top-of-the-range P-bass.

But the most disappointing part was the lack of QC. Wires were lodged under the pickguard which is permanently disfigured and bulging outwards. There are also several dents in the upper edge of the rosewood fretboard from 1st-3rd fret, giving it a serrated look/feel. Extremely disappointing in this price range. But no worse than I've come to expect from Fender QC lately...

On the positive side I absolutely love the neck profile.

Yeah, Fender QC has been weird lately. I was recently on the market for a Telecaster, and, to make the long story short, the Squier Classic Vibe was the nicest by a long shot, the MIM second, the Professional third, and the Elite tied for third but simultaneously the most disappointing.

I’ve been noticing this trend across most major guitar brands. Part of me wants to think it’s simply the “lesser” models blowing the doors off of my expectations, but you can’t fake the superior neck pockets, fret dressings, and tuning stability that I’m finding on these guitars vs their American counterparts. We can argue tone, “feel,” and potential lasting power of these Eastern instruments, but the overall build of these guitars and basses keep getting better.
 
Anyone seen this?
Fender LE Roasted Blues American Professional PJ Bass - Guitar.co.uk

It wasn't announced yet, but a few sites have them for preorder already. This looks cool and is giving me GAS for that PJ itch. Roasted maple eh? Interesting. Definitely a fad nowadays, but a neat one lol. And I've always loved daphne blue/sonic blue. Concentric knobs for volume/tone for each pickup. Might be cool, even though I've always found single tone knob enough.
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[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I am well down for one of these. Not in that blue though!
 
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Anyone seen this?
Fender LE Roasted Blues American Professional PJ Bass - Guitar.co.uk

It wasn't announced yet, but a few sites have them for preorder already. This looks cool and is giving me GAS for that PJ itch. Roasted maple eh? Interesting. Definitely a fad nowadays, but a neat one lol. And I've always loved daphne blue/sonic blue. Concentric knobs for volume/tone for each pickup. Might be cool, even though I've always found single tone knob enough.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
:drool::drool::drool:
 
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I just received my P-Bass American Professional series.
I will have to change the strings to Elixirs because that is what i always have played.
So far the bass has the perfect P sound to me! I have owned many many basses, done 1100 plus gigs etc. This bass feels really good, great neck (somewhere between old P an J) Very balanced sound with plenty of mids through Markbass Ninja 102-500.
Some say this bass has a lower output than other P-basses, just turn up the gain a little if needed. With al slightly lower output the bass has got a much more open sound!
I am sure the people at Fender know what they are doing and tested this.
 

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+1. :)
I think the vintage-spec'd Fenders are the way to go.
That's why I bought an American Vintage '58 Precision bass a few years back: nitro finish, 1.75 bone nut, '58 spec pickup with raised A string pole pieces, vintage tuners, ash body, maple fingerboard, white blonde with a gold anodized aluminum pickguard. This model was based on 3 prime original 1958 P basses and made on the original tooling. I gotta tell you - it KILLS, and sits in the mix, live or recorded, like nothing else. It will never leave me until I die.
 

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