Play them! Fenders are like snowflakes, there will be some duds and some gems no matter what you're getting. I've played some great MIM standard Ps. I really like the Classic 50s model, but again, some are better than others. Play as many Ps as you can and buy whatever feels right.
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Fender Mexican 50's Classic P basses
- Thread starter jn_93
- Start date
The 50s Classic is the best bang for the buck. It is well made, light, and sounds great.
It is becoming my main Bass, even over an MIA Jazz. It is the same Bass that Fender uses for their Road Worn series.
It is becoming my main Bass, even over an MIA Jazz. It is the same Bass that Fender uses for their Road Worn series.
A lot of TBers, including me, love their Classic '50s Precisions. I bought one new in '07 (before the price jumped up) and I gigged with it steadily. When I showed up at practice with it, I played two bars into the first song and the band stopped playing, turned around and said, "THAT'S IT!" Then, a year or two after the band broke up, I ran into our drummer at a cafe where he and his wife were eating breakfast. He invited me over to his table, and after talking about the upcoming basketball season (he was girl's bb coach at a local school), he said, "you know, I'm a drummer, and I don't pay that much attention to what the bass sounds like [as we always suspected, right?], but that orange [fiesta red] bass was really special."
So much for "bad sounding." I still have mine, even though it's one of four (Standard FSR MIM, Classic '51 CIJ, Classic '50s MIM and AV '57 MIA). And I LIKE the fat neck. My hands cramp up on those skinny Jazz necks.
So much for "bad sounding." I still have mine, even though it's one of four (Standard FSR MIM, Classic '51 CIJ, Classic '50s MIM and AV '57 MIA). And I LIKE the fat neck. My hands cramp up on those skinny Jazz necks.
I have been dating a Honey Blonde 50's P for about 4 years. It has that sound straight out of box with the stock nickel rounds on it. I went thru a pickup swap (NP4) and bridge swap (Gotoh 201), but ended up switching back to the original parts. The pickup and bridge swap gave it a more modern sound but I missed the classic, thumpy P bass tone this bass has in spades. It sounds good with every set of strings I have thrown on it. I feel like I need a second one because I cannot decide if it should be wearing flats or rounds. It sounds killer with both.
I have played a few Road Worns. They feel and sound incredible. I have serious GAS for a Road Worn P in Fiesta Red.
I have played a few Road Worns. They feel and sound incredible. I have serious GAS for a Road Worn P in Fiesta Red.
Don't have a classic 50's any more unfortunately! 
However, having owned both, American standard and the classic 50's, I definitely won't buy another American Standard! I would however buy the American RI 50's pbass but given the price of these I would settle for a mim 50's everyday of the week! Certainly not enough to reflect the near £1200 price difference!
The mim classic 50's is astounding value! Great build quality, sound and best neck I have ever played other than my Yamaha attitude's baseball bat...
The only issue I had with mine was the output produced by the pups - just a little to low but certainly all PBASS!
However, having owned both, American standard and the classic 50's, I definitely won't buy another American Standard! I would however buy the American RI 50's pbass but given the price of these I would settle for a mim 50's everyday of the week! Certainly not enough to reflect the near £1200 price difference!The mim classic 50's is astounding value! Great build quality, sound and best neck I have ever played other than my Yamaha attitude's baseball bat...
The only issue I had with mine was the output produced by the pups - just a little to low but certainly all PBASS!
What's your beef with the American Standard? Not as good a sound? I know the neck is not supposed to be as comfy as the 50s P.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
I personally don't much like most Fender necks. The 50s P is an exception. It was good enough I bought a Road Worn even though I already was pretty happy with the basses I had. I don't think American Standards are as comfortable to play as a 50s P. I played a whole lot of 'em before I found the one I bought, but I can say the ones I really like are the big, thick 50s necks, and I don't know of any US made Fenders with the kind of neck I like. Maybe the Custom Shop makes one, but I don't have the cash or any incentive to spend it if I did.
I'll chime in for the '50s P-bass. I have one and love it. Would I spend the extra for an American standard? No. But if being made in Mexico and being made in America is the "make or break" point - then go with the '57 American Vintage P-bass. I've only had 20 minutes in the shop playing one and I'd trade my '50s MIM P-bass for it any day. Unfortunately, I'd have to pay about $1000 on top of that with the trade... which broke the deal (for me).
Nearly every current Precision uses the American Standard set of pickups except for the MIM Standards and some of the more expensive MIAs.
It's interesting to hear people who don't know this arguing about which has better pickups.
Not so with the Jazz, though.
It isn't a beef. When you consider that an American standard p, here in the UK, is £1050 then the MIM classic 50's is, in my view, represents far better value and feels a much better instrument. All down to personal experience I suppose.
Also, the neck on the 50's is far superior in every way.
andy
I agree, and the price differs depending on where you look- can be up to £200 for just the case. I think the MIM IS better for value for money... probably looks better, too!
Nearly every current Precision uses the American Standard set of pickups except for the MIM Standards and some of the more expensive MIAs.
It's interesting to hear people who don't know this arguing about which has better pickups.
Not so with the Jazz, though.
I have a MIM Jazz bass and I absolutely love it- the best bass I've got. I can't tell a difference between the MIM Jazz basses and the MIA range really. However, this is not the case with MIA and MIM P's.
If I could afford a '57, I'd get it too. They're beautiful!! But the 50's MIM P sounds nearly as good... just missing something, and not just the extra £1300.
I actually own both the Classic '50s and the AV '57. The Classic '50s is huge for bang-for-the-buck, but everything's nicer on the AV. I got a little money unexpectedly that paid for the '57, but had I not, I'd still be happily gigging the other.
I was cruising through the whole post - just skimming really, and your one line caught my attention.
The part you said: "apparrently (sic) better" leaves me scratching my head..............
Better than what? What musical style? Modern? Old School? Metal/Bach Fusion? Orchestral? Be-Bop? Surf?
See - I'm not picking on you - just wondering why such a broad statement could be made without a tongue-in-cheek by yourself.
I was cruising through the whole post - just skimming really, and your one line caught my attention.
The part you said: "apparrently (sic) better" leaves me scratching my head..............
Better than what? What musical style? Modern? Old School? Metal/Bach Fusion? Orchestral? Be-Bop? Surf?
I will chime in as well and say that I love my MIM 50's Precision. Great playing bass with an amazing sound, especially with TI's on it. Mine is mostly stock, I had them cut a notch in the body and p/g at the base of the neck so I don't have to remove the neck to make any truss rod adjustments. I definitely have no plans to swap out the pickups. This bass is my backup to my American Precision and it still gets a decent amount of play time particularly if I am playing old school tunes.
