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Fender California Series Precision?

#8
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#14
All US parts, all assembly in US, paint job done in Mexico, per the hangtag that came with the bass when I bought it new. Stock controls are V/V/T, vintage spiral bridge. I've had mine since 99, replaced the stock bridge pup with a noiseless from a Reggie Hamilton, and it's my play-til-I-die bass.

BTW, yours is beautiful, congratulations! The maple necked versions seem less likely to pop up for sale and add a lot, imho, to the "cut", especially with the Jazz pup dialed in.
 
#15
I've got one of those, just with a black body; bought it when they came out. Happens to be my favorite - plays easier than butter after a good setup. When it came out Fender touted it as their most popular custom shop request - "best of both worlds" and such. P body, J neck, and a passive PJ pup config. Only difference I can see between it and the current model are the active pups on the new version. The knobs (on mine at least) are 2 volumes (one for P, one for J), and a blend.
 
#17
Yep, the bodies and hardware were US, painted in Mexico and assembled in Corona, CA. Mine with the P PUP soloed sounded very very close to my '83 VS '62 P. V/V/T like a Jazz bass, the neck was a bit more narrow than a P, but not stupid skinny like a Geddy Lee. Great electronics, fit and finsih, fret dressing, etc. Only weak spot for me was the tuning machines which I thought were sloppy and coarse. I put a set of Hipshots on mine and it was a great stage bass for me. I had rounds on the CA, flats on the Vintage Series and could maintian a similar tone shape with the two. I shoulda kept her, but the Lakland I stumbled on a few weeks later stole my heart. So, when a buddy offered to trade his Geddy Lee for my California, and I didn't have a Jazz bass at all, I opted for the trade. I shoulda kept the California, I'm such a P bass guy...

The first MIM versions were very similar except the fret work was a lot more sloppy and the rosewood boards had a much more open grain to the wood. Then they added active electronics and discontinued the passive versions.

John
 
#18
steamthief said:
All US parts, all assembly in US, paint job done in Mexico, per the hangtag that came with the bass when I bought it new. Stock controls are V/V/T, vintage spiral bridge. I've had mine since 99, replaced the stock bridge pup with a noiseless from a Reggie Hamilton, and it's my play-til-I-die bass.
Click to expand...

All correct IME. I did my first real-studio recording with a CA Series P around 2001-2002. Then, I sold that bass because I got a gig playing lead guitar and needed a solid amp. I had to do it at the time, but I wish I could get that bass back. I now have a MIM version of that bass and it, so far, isn't anywhere near as nice as the CA series was. Which leads me to....

JTE said:
I shoulda kept the California, I'm such a P bass guy...

The first MIM versions were very similar except the fret work was a lot more sloppy and the rosewood boards had a much more open grain to the wood. Then they added active electronics and discontinued the passive versions.
Click to expand...

This echoes my experience almost exactly. The fretwork on my MIM P-bass Special, which replaced the CA series P, is pretty bad. Not bad enough where I can't play it, but my action has to be set fairly high, even for me. MIMs have gotten a lot better since then (this one is a 2001 model), but I don't like the active pickups on the brand new models. I wish I could've kept my old CA series P as it was a much nicer bass than the MIM, which I modding in attempt to re-capture the tone and feel that my CA series had.

OP, very nice bass!!! Play it with pride. And know, from this thread, that if you ever decide to part with it, you will have lots of interest in it :)
 

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