I'm trying to decide whether to get the Schecter Model-T bass or the Fender Reissue '51 Precision Bass. I'm in a pop/punk band and I play with a pick and I just want a really great sounding bass. I really like both basses a lot, but I can't decide which one to get. Thanks.
I haven't tried the Model-T yet but I am considering buying one myself, based on the features for the price. Sight unseen, I would take it over a '51 P reissue because I have never cared for the looks and features of the early P-Bass and I like the flexibility of the PJ setup. If you can stand the looks, the price is certainly nice over at: http://www.drumcityguitarland.com/inventory/Details.cfm?Sort=Closeouts Scroll down to 'Limited Production Run' , '54 Precision Bass Re-Issue for $519 . I would be very interested in your thoughts on how the Model-T compares in weight and balance to the '51 P.
Schecter, if you want a better playing, sounding bass. Fender, if resale value down the road is an issue.
my vote would be with the schecter. i've actually played both a model T (an earlier model T in 2000) and a '51P. i love both. i really enjoy the sound of the '51P -- very smooth and round. i liked the feel, too, but more as a curiousity or change of pace than as a regular gigging bass. things i'd be concerned about if i were considering buying include the bridge and the pickup. the bridge only has two saddles, each supporting two strings. not nearly the level of adjustment to which i've grown accustomed. the pickup is the real concern, though. it doesn't have a plastic cover. it's just a paper bobbin hanging out in the wilderness. that's an issue not just for the fingerstyle player who rests his or her thumb on the pickup. it's also problematic for the abuse a pickstyle player might unleash on it. i'd also be concerned about versatility of sounds. that is to say, it really only has a couple sounds. but they're great sounds, and it has always been an enjoyable player in the store. the model T, on the other hand, is more modern in construction and more versatile in sounds. it also will have a little more cut in its sound, due to the bridge position j pickup. i enjoyed its sound and feel, though i guess the pickups are not as good as they used to be. you may want to include a pickup upgrade as part of your future with this instrument. you may like the pickups, but i know they're a popular upgrade with this instrument. and it still nails the vintage look. great instrument for a good price. i encourage you to play both. i think they're extremely different in feel and scope and it will be very quickly obvious to you which one will fit your needs better. i think that'll be the model T, but go out and prove it to yourself. robb.
Schecter. I've been gigging a diffferent model Schecter for about 5 yrs now and it's never let me down. Best bass for the money IMO.
I own a Schecter Model T. I do like the bass and use it frequently, but I've found the weight to vary considerably from bass to bass. Mine is fairly light, but I picked one up in Banjo Center recently and it weighed a ton. Probably would get really old during a long gig.