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Fender player precision, decisions

Same

Same

Aug 22, 2018
66
108
#1
So I’m thinking about getting a player p bass, and I’m really having internal conflicts just on asthetics that I suppose I need to figure out on my own. But the problem Is I would like natural, I’d settle for cream if it came down to it, or sand off paint, but I can’t get the butternut cream color with a pau ferro fretboard - so should I just leave maple, leave the paint. Or Get a painted one with a pau ferro fretboard, and strip the paint. Or just get a black one pau fretboard and a black pickguard and be done, I’d like that too. Any option would have a black pickguard for sure.

Another previously discussed conversation is the pau vs maple, I figure it’s mainly looks, but pau seems to be favored It seems.
 
#2
I wouldn't recommend trying to sand the colour off. Poly finish is incredibly tough, and it's more trouble than it's worth, IMHO. There are custom options available which would give you what you want. With products like the Player series, it's usually better to go with one of the standard options, and swap out any user-replaceable parts. Pickguards are obviously no problem, there are plenty of aftermarket necks available as well. If you simply must have a cream Player Series with a PF fretboard, you can always buy two basses, swap the necks, and sell the other one.
 
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#3
I really dislike the looks of pau ferro, and have always loved maple - my first "real" bass bought in 1985 and even my actual first bass both have/had maple fretboards. I'm sure pau ferro will normalize for me over time as it replaces rosewood more and more, but for now - ugh. I actually would have bought one of the sage green or red Players if they had been offered with a maple board.

I also love good dark rosewood, and two of my three P's have rosewood boards. I'm one of those people who can't tell any sonic difference between two otherwise identical basses that I can attribute to fretboard woods, and that includes pau ferro. For me, the differences are entirely visual and tactile. Maple is lower maintenance - no oiling needed.

If I absolutely had to have a natural finish body - and btw I *get* it, I searched for years for the right black and maple P bass to recover one that was stolen, and natural looks really hot IMO - I would likely search the used market, and try to find one that way. The MIM Standard/Player necks are easy to come by on Reverb and sometimes in the talkbass classifieds, if you can't find the right one already attached to a body. The MIJ Fenders that are around often come with a natural finish on ash, and I understand they're not a lot to import to the US when you buy from the Ishibashi site:
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Or something like this no-longer-available MIM body.
 
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#4
Same said:
So I’m thinking about getting a player p bass, and I’m really having internal conflicts just on asthetics that I suppose I need to figure out on my own. But the problem Is I would like natural, I’d settle for cream if it came down to it, or sand off paint, but I can’t get the butternut cream color with a pau ferro fretboard - so should I just leave maple, leave the paint. Or Get a painted one with a pau ferro fretboard, and strip the paint. Or just get a black one pau fretboard and a black pickguard and be done, I’d like that too. Any option would have a black pickguard for sure.

Another previously discussed conversation is the pau vs maple, I figure it’s mainly looks, but pau seems to be favored It seems.
Click to expand...
If you like natural, have you considered the Limited Edition?
Nicest MIM I’ve played in a long time.
As for pau ferro being favored over maple, I can’t agree.
I don’t even think it’s favored over rosewood.
1850_BC4_E-95_E0-4_F22-8_A43-_A1_F301_C57_C6_C.jpg
 
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#5
i like the natural a whole lot, but maybe I’ll get butternut, and maple with a black pickguard would probably look good with a non maple fretboard. Or just all black with pau I. It kinda looked like people preferred pau over maple, and I have a maple neck on my t40 so I thought it would be cool to try something new, and all my guitars have rosewood and I like them. It really just comes down to which fretboard would be better

I looked at the limited 70s but it’s more pricey. It would suck to strip the paint off but I could do it if I absolutlt wanted to.
 
#6
Beyond paying all that money for a new bass then sanding off the color, remember that the wood under the paint is probably not matched very well. Might be a lot of money and trouble for a natural bass with crazy grain mismatch.
 
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#7
That is true, I mean in theory I’d be fine with it not matching, wouldn’t bother me much at all. and I’d probably make it just a little darker or make the grain darker. I’m not really buying it would be gifted to me - but I do think it would be fun to make it my own if I’d keep it forever - not really destroying history at all
 
#8
Hang on to your fender rosewood basses. Pau Ferro is something I have to get use to on that instrument. Had a handmade bass with that but never liked the look. Like anything when something is gone prices go up when available.
 
#9
So I’ve done a lot of looking and it’s really got me in a bind as far as choosing maple or pau. I’ve read pau is good for climate change which is awesome because I’ll probably go on tour with it, and it’s also not as bright sounding - can anyone attest to this? I would like to try something different, but would probably stain it if I don’t like the color
 
#10
If Pau Ferro is anything like rosewood you may have problems if you try to stain it due the woods' natural oil content. I know it's a very subjective thing, but the darker colour of rosewood is infinitely preferable to my eyes, with maple being a close second. Then again, it depends on the colour of the body... rosewood board on a black body? No thanks!
 
#11
The idea was to go black/ everything dark fretboard. I’ve had success using fiebings leather dye on different woods to stain them darker, I’ve also read about India ink or just lemon oil or dressing, maybe BLO since I’ve got some. Should be fineeee
 
#15
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The 5 string was an American Standard P V that I regret letting go. It had a beautiful Rosewood fingerboard with a lot of figure. The 4 string is my new Player P. I think the Pau Ferro is quite beautiful and looks very similar to the figured Rosewood.

I love the figure in different pieces of wood so the dark Rosewood with little or no figure does not appeal to me. By the way, in the discontinued and fairly expensive Roscoe Beck V the fingerboard is Pau Ferro. Many of the older Peavey basses also use Pau Ferro...the Cirrus and fretless Foundation come to mind.

To each his own. I respect folks that don't care for Pau Ferro but I love the stuff.....if you get a pretty piece. I saw one Fender Player with PF and it was truly ugly. It was very light in color and had no figure at all.

By the way, I put LaBella flats and a Tort pickguard on the Player P and I love this bass. It has a very nicely carved neck and a fantastic smooth finish on it. It feels good, is easy to play and sounds just like it should. I think Fender did a good job this time. The PU upgrade is easy to hear.
 

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