Fender Pro vs Original P-Bass

[Wolfhound32]

In the market for a Fender Precision, but I’m torn between the American Professional II and the American Original 1960s.

One of the main characteristics I’m interested in is the feel and stability of the neck:

- Both are advertised to have a “63 C” shaped neck, with the Original being slightly wider than the Pro
- Pro is advertised to have graphite stiffening rods -- no mention of those with the Original
- Pro provides easier access to the trussrod -- neck removal required on the Original
- Pro claims to have a "rolled" fingerboard -- the Original has a "new" feel I guess...(?)

Whichever I choose is going to be strung with flats, so I'm leaning toward the Pro due to the stiffening rods (my inner 13-yr old is laughing his a** of by now LOL!).

Concerning the rest of the bass, I like the bridge on the Pro better and don't give a rip about the "vintage vibe" of a lacquer finish (which still has a polly sealer coat underneath, so...). I do however REALLY like the Lake Placid Blue finish on the Original.

As you may already have guessed, I'm leaning toward the Pro II version as the lower cost and ease of maintenance give it the edge, but I'm not crazy about the color options. The Original version has that LPB color that I love, but if the neck feels the same as the Pro, I may save a few hundred bucks and just go with the Olympic White/rosewood Pro.

Anyone have experience with each model? How do you think the necks compare?

Thanks!

 

[BigDrew]

Neck is definitely much larger and gloss on the AO. I just picked up a Prof II and it became my favorite bass right out of the box.

 

[Bassclef46]

AO neck is lacquered up so it will have that sticky feel until you wear it down or sand it. Having owned the 60s and currently own the 50s AO I can say with only a test drive of the pro 2 I would choose the AO any day of the week. The pure vintage 63 in that LPB blow away the pro2. And while both say 63 neck, the pro2 is less chunky. I don’t think you can go wrong either way but I think the AO is worth the higher cost.

 

[Wolfhound32]

Neck is definitely much larger and gloss on the AO. I just picked up a Prof II and it became my favorite bass right out of the box.

Congrats on your new bass! Which color did you go with?

When you say the neck is "much larger" are you talking about width (side to side) or meatier (front to back)?

Since I have large hands, the narrow width of-- say a Jazz bass-- makes my hand cramp after a few songs, so the larger the neck the better for me.

 

[Wolfhound32]

AO neck is lacquered up so it will have that sticky feel until you wear it down or sand it. Having owned the 60s and currently own the 50s AO I can say with only a test drive of the pro 2 I would choose the AO any day of the week. The pure vintage 63 in that LPB blow away the pro2. And while both say 63 neck, the pro2 is less chunky. I don’t think you can go wrong either way but I think the AO is worth the higher cost.

Thanks for the input!

In the past when I've always taken a Scotch Brite pad to lacquered necks with success. My only reservation is needing to remove the neck for trussrod adjustments... but if the neck is nice and beefy it I guess it would be stable enough once it gets used to the extra tension of the flats.

I'll be sure to post a NGD when the day comes

 

[Tieiririyi]

I would definitely go for the AO. The PV63 pickup in mine is awesome. And I am using this to adjust the truss rod without disassembling the neck.
https://www.amazon.com/CruzTools-CRU-GTTRC2-Truss-Driver-Cheater/dp/B007146MJG

 

[Bassclef46]

Thanks for the input!

In the past when I've always taken a Scotch Brite pad to lacquered necks with success. My only reservation is needing to remove the neck for trussrod adjustments... but if the neck is nice and beefy it I guess it would be stable enough once it gets used to the extra tension of the flats.

I'll be sure to post a NGD when the day comes

I never had to adjust the neck in my 60 p before selling it. My 50 p and 70s jazz ao I only adjusted them once. While it’s not as convenient to remove the neck it’s also not a big deal to me. I enjoy tinkering with my basses.
Good luck making you decision

 

[Mike Vee]

I had an American Professional (not II) for a bit and it was cool and all, but the American Original blows it away IMO. It's just so much more fun and also better looking. It has better pickups, pots and cloth wire, vintage bridge, thumb-rest, etc. I much prefer vintage style appointments. The neck feels absolutely amazing.

The AP II does look cool though, and I love that mystic surf green color. The addition of the tinted neck color is a big plus as well. Both are nice, but in a few years the AP will just be another standard Fender but the Original will become rare and coveted. The original is just cooler overall.

 

[Scott Lynch]

It really depends on what kind of build features you want. Among current production Fenders, the AO series P basses are as close as you can get to an original Pre-CBS instrument short of going to the custom shop. The vintage reissue instruments typically have period-correct pickups that provide a different tone. They also have the ‘mojo’ that some (including me) find irresistible. But it comes at a price - nitrocellulose is delicate and more prone to chipping than poly, and truss rod adjustments on vintage necks are more involved and can be annoying. A modern instrument like an Am Pro/II can also have your preferred P pickup installed in it, and a reasonably vintage-ish look could be achieved with the right color choice (and tort guard, of course).

As the proud and fortunate owner of an AVRI P, if I were buying off the shelf I would likely go for an AO 60s P as it’s more my preference, but I could see why some would prefer the Am Pro. Hard to go wrong with either.

 

[Wolfhound32]

Thanks for all the replies!

Prior to the feedback I was leaning toward the Pro II model, but now I'm 99% sure I'll be going with the Original 60s. The reason for buying a P in the first place is to get that classic Stax/Motown sound (hence my plans for using flatwound strings), so the AO makes the most sense there.

Now that I know the necks are in fact different, with the AO being larger, that pretty much sealed the deal-- followed by the color options.

Now that hardest part: posting my new Stingray to Craigslist (ugh!!)

 

[AngelCrusher]

AO60s will be a lifetime bass i am sure. My 2013 version sure is (same pickups).

I haven’t had to adjust the neck in years since first setting it up. So that should not be a big issue.

 

[Michael Bauer]

I think you all already there, but the AV 63 pickup (or whatever they have named it these days) is really good, and will definitely get you into the Duck/Jamerson sound palette. I own an AmPro (1st version) and just hated the pickups. Tim Shaw is a respected pickup maker, and I'm sure the AmPro ones are somebody's perfect pickup, but for me, they lacked soul...kind of clinical-sounding. The AmPro necks are great, though.

Lake Placid Blue will make your eyes happy, and the pickup will take you right where you want to go. It loves flats! So AO all the way.

 

[BassVibes]

I had this choice about 6 months ago when I compared the Pro 2, AO 60s and 70s. For playability is it hard to fault the Pro 2 because it played beautifully. Although all were great to play, the Pro 2 edged it.

In terms of build quality they were all great to me.

Sound was a different ball game. The Pro 2 came out 3rd place to me insofar as the sound was very modern sounding and I felt the pickups, although better than the Pro 1, were still not great for me. I still prefer the American Standard CS pickups.

Both the AOs had the sound I preferred, not only with that more vintage sound, but also what I would say more character. The tone was great on both basses, but I would say the tone of the AO 70s is 1st place simply because it has the tone I like with a bit more brightness on the D & G strings which I use a lot for post punk sounds.

I still remember that AO 60s E string sound pulling me back to it, it was so good. So to the OP, I would go AO 60s.

lso, if it's important to you I would say the value will hold better on the AO over the years. Some of the Fender AO colours have already been discontinued, my vintage white one included in that.

 

[MtManiac]

In the market for a Fender Precision, but I’m torn between the American Professional II and the American Original 1960s.

One of the main characteristics I’m interested in is the feel and stability of the neck:

- Both are advertised to have a “63 C” shaped neck, with the Original being slightly wider than the Pro
- Pro is advertised to have graphite stiffening rods -- no mention of those with the Original
- Pro provides easier access to the trussrod -- neck removal required on the Original
- Pro claims to have a "rolled" fingerboard -- the Original has a "new" feel I guess...(?)

Whichever I choose is going to be strung with flats, so I'm leaning toward the Pro due to the stiffening rods (my inner 13-yr old is laughing his a** of by now LOL!).

Concerning the rest of the bass, I like the bridge on the Pro better and don't give a rip about the "vintage vibe" of a lacquer finish (which still has a polly sealer coat underneath, so...). I do however REALLY like the Lake Placid Blue finish on the Original.

As you may already have guessed, I'm leaning toward the Pro II version as the lower cost and ease of maintenance give it the edge, but I'm not crazy about the color options. The Original version has that LPB color that I love, but if the neck feels the same as the Pro, I may save a few hundred bucks and just go with the Olympic White/rosewood Pro.

Anyone have experience with each model? How do you think the necks compare?

Thanks!

Not an Original, but I did own an AVRI '57, which is an earlier generation, as well as a Classic 50s Lacquer, and I own both an American Standard and an American Pro.

I thought when I got the '57 that the wider neck would be a problem, but it wasn't - I played that bass exclusively from 2010-2014, when I bought the Classic 50s, and then I played both until I sold the AVRI in 2017, and the Classic 50s in 2019. I sold the AVRI because with a pickup swap, the Classic 50s was every bit as good.

I sold the Classic 50s because I mistakenly played a 2014 NOS American Standard in a store and it felt like my left hand was returning home again, it felt so incredibly comfortable, like my hand was made for it. I played a bass with a Jazz width neck exclusively from 1985-2007 also, so it's not like the 1.62" width is something I've used my whole life. It is just that my hand and that width = ergonomic perfection.

Then I again made the mistake of playing an American Pro in a store... and subsequently lusted after one for a few years until very recently when another NOS opportunity came up. This is the neck for me, 100%. I love the frets, I love the profile, I love the rounded fretboard edges.

I've owned a lot of American and non-American P basses - for my climate, honestly, the graphite rods I have to say have not played much of a role. I have never had instability issues with Fender or Squier bass necks at all. Other climates, maybe it's more of an issue - I live on the Canadian east coast, so similar climate to eastern NY, Mass., etc.

I too love the Lake Placid Blue however... with rosewood, and tort. It's so incredibly pretty. I keep ogling them online. Maybe when I win some mad money, I will buy one, but my player will always be the Pro.

 

[Jackcrow]

You could always go through the Fender Mod Shop and order the combination of parts you like the best (and color).

 

[Killing Floor]

With you on bigger hands. I have a J and a very tight Duesy and some guitars but I much prefer the C with room to stretch out.

It all comes to preference. My first criteria are playability and fretting hand feel. Since these 2 are pretty similar it makes it more esoteric.
I like the Pro, I like the way it is outfitted better. And it’s not a real 60s, speaking only for myself if I got an AO 60s today I’d have the bridge and pickup upgrades on order within hours. I love the 63 C neck, that is what I got on my 2021 P. Your call. Both great basses.

 

[MtManiac]

You could always go through the Fender Mod Shop and order the combination of parts you like the best (and color).

Not sure where OP lives, but the Mod Shop is sadly only available for US customers.

 

[Jackcrow]

Not sure where OP lives, but the Mod Shop is sadly only available for US customers.

Bio says WA State

 

[Zbass82]

I have an American Performer with an American Pro P neck. That Pro neck is amazing. Barely needs adjustment for Pennsylvania climate change and is nice and smooth to move around on. I was never a Fender fan but that bass has converted me. Nordstrand pickups help too

 

[Deleted member 271037]

You really need to try both. These two necks are COMPLETELY different. Recommending one of them would be like recommending you a shoe size.

For MY hands the neck on the AmPro II is just about perfect. It's one of the most comfortable neck profiles I've ever played. The Original is far too bulky for me. It's not about the width but something with the profile. I loved the necks on the Amercian Vintage series (same width as Originals) but I find the Original P-basses extremely uncomfortable. But like I said, this is for MY hands. You won't really know unless you try them yourself.

The sound of these two basses is also very different (as far as two passive P-basses can be different).

The Pro has a modern but kinda smooth sounding P-bass tone. It feels slightly softer in the mids compared to a classic, vintage P-bass tone. It doesn't sit quite as nicely in a dense mix as some of my best vintage P-basses but it's still a very nice and versatile P-bass tone.

The PV63 pickup in the Original is EXTREMELY dark, like they went a step too far when going for a "vintage" vibe. It sounds more like an overwound P-bass pickup than anything resembling a classic 60s P-bass tone IMO.

None of these pickups are my personal favourites but if you're going to use flats I think the Pro is by far the best choice. The PV63 pickup in the Original is too dark and muddy for flats IMO. I know a lot of people love the PV63 but personally I can't stand that pickup and think of it as a failed parody of a 60s P-bass tone. Which is another reason why you really need to try one yourself before you make up your mind. It's all about personal taste (and P-bass pickups are easy and relatively cheap to replace if you love everything else about the bass).

In wouldn't get too hung up on the stiffening rods. The bulky neck on the Original P-basses will provide more than enough stability.

Based on my experience with both these basses I should probably add that the QC for both Pros and Originals seems to be absolutely shocking which is yet another reason why you should try before you buy. They can be great instruments but sadly I've seen quite a few more bad ones than I would expect in this price range.