• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Gas'n for a Fender P

#21
If money is a thing, then test the waters with a used mim. They can be had for around 200 bucks (less if you're patient). You cant beat them for the price. If you like a mim then you can always add to the stable later with a mij or mia. You will want one for flats, one for rounds, one for a different tuning and one more with flats as a backup. ;)

Then there are the Tele Ps...
 
#22
dukeandrews said:
If money is a thing, then test the waters with a used mim. They can be had for around 200 bucks (less if you're patient). You cant beat them for the price. If you like a mim then you can always add to the stable later with a mij or mia. You will want one for flats, one for rounds, one for a different tuning and one more with flats as a backup. ;)

Then there are the Tele Ps...
Click to expand...
This is one reason why I asked about identifying the wood type. I know that some are Alder and some are Agathis. If I went that route, I would want an Alder body.
 
#24
Funkabilly said:
I've never been attracted to the Fender Precision. I have always liked the Jazz, but never the Precision. One day I woke up and had bad GAS for a P bass. Who knows what brings these feelings to bass players just outta nowhere.

Is there a big difference in American, Japanese, and Mexican P basses? Is the difference something you couldn't fix at a later date with some upgrades?
Are the woods the same?

My style: Finger pick only. Jazz, funk, r&b, motown, and blues. Ampeg SVT-CL amp. Flatwound strings.
Click to expand...

There's big differences between individual PBasses. Period.

Find the one that works for you - and ignore the woods and country of origin if sound & feel trumps cosmetics and bragging rights with you.

There are very few inferior PBasses. The simplicity of their design goes a long way towards minimizing bad surprises like that. Most will range from acceptable to fantastic. So go audition some. And keep at it until you find the one you can afford that says "this!" to you.

To paraphrase the X Files: Your Precision Bass is out there...
 
#25
I feel exactly as the OP from time to time. Personally, I really enjoy the sound of a Precision bass in a rock or blues band mix. They just fit! Until I get my hands on one and then they just don't sound the same. When I hear other guys playing them, I love them! When I play them...not so much. Is this weird? Anybody else have this experience? Well, last weekend I listened to a band and, sure enough, the bass player played a MIA Precision and it sounded great! The GAS pains started all over again! So here I am swooning for a Precision once again.
 
#26
Gougedeye said:
I feel exactly as the OP from time to time. Personally, I really enjoy the sound of a Precision bass in a rock or blues band mix. They just fit! Until I get my hands on one and then they just don't sound the same. When I hear other guys playing them, I love them! When I play them...not so much. Is this weird? Anybody else have this experience? Well, last weekend I listened to a band and, sure enough, the bass player played a MIA Precision and it sounded great! The GAS pains started all over again! So here I am swooning for a Precision once again.
Click to expand...

Are you playing the ones you've tried in a mix? That's where the P-bass really shines IMO (though I personally love the solo tone as well, especially with flats).
 
#28
dukeandrews said:
I have an alder chinese Squier P that sounds great. Another route I would recommend is building a parts bass from tb classifieds. It's cheap, fun, educational, and you get exactly what you want.
Click to expand...
This is another reason I am curious about the woods. I would really like to build my own with a P bass body and a Jazz neck. I am wanting an Alder or Ash body, although I'm not ruling out getting the whole bass and changing necks later.
 
#29
The call on Ash or Alder is a good one - I think most of the other woods Fender has used have been to avoid cost. I find ash/maple to generally be brighter and tighter sounding than alder/rosewood, which is darker and slightly warmer by comparison. I have (and like both), with a slight favor toward ash/maple - with string choice and EQ, you can warm and fatten it up. That combo (to me) just sounds a little better in the mix - but it's pretty subtle.

In terms of where to come in (Squier, MIM, MIA?), I think it really depends on how much money you can/want to spend. I generally find each step up the chain you go, you get better quality and tighter quality control. But you find amazing and crappy basses at all levels. I think a used MIA (if you can swing it) is a great place to start. Some people start with a cheap bass and do a bunch of upgrades - I'd prefer to just get one that has everything I want on it in the beginning. And I say used since you're not a PBass player and coming from Warwick, which is pretty different in terms of tone and feel. Maybe you'll love it and maybe not. If not, at least you're not out much (if any) money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Funkabilly
#31
Alexander said:
The call on Ash or Alder is a good one - I think most of the other woods Fender has used have been to avoid cost. I find ash/maple to generally be brighter and tighter sounding than alder/rosewood, which is darker and slightly warmer by comparison. I have (and like both), with a slight favor toward ash/maple - with string choice and EQ, you can warm and fatten it up. That combo (to me) just sounds a little better in the mix - but it's pretty subtle.

In terms of where to come in (Squier, MIM, MIA?), I think it really depends on how much money you can/want to spend. I generally find each step up the chain you go, you get better quality and tighter quality control. But you find amazing and crappy basses at all levels. I think a used MIA (if you can swing it) is a great place to start. Some people start with a cheap bass and do a bunch of upgrades - I'd prefer to just get one that has everything I want on it in the beginning. And I say used since you're not a PBass player and coming from Warwick, which is pretty different in terms of tone and feel. Maybe you'll love it and maybe not. If not, at least you're not out much (if any) money.
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly.
 
#34
basslicks said:
The P-bass GAS is inevitable, it's just a matter of time.

In the case of the P-bass, if you have the option to go American then you should definitely do that. You can make an MIM or MIJ sound like an MIA, but if you are one who appreciates excellent build quality, fit and finish, then the MIA is totally worth it. The finish is better, the bridge is nicer, the pickup on the MIA is a custom shop, the body is made out of fewer chunks of wood so it resonates better (and looks much better through the finish), the fingerboard has rolled edges, there are some small details like the string spreader and saddles being cast rather than stamped, the neck has graphite reinforcement for added durability (even Billy Sheehan couldn't snap a P-bass neck!), the fret dressing is done better, and probably a few more details I'm forgetting.

If you are simply GASing for the tone and nothing more, then go for a used MIM and have a blast! (maybe just upgrade the pickup if you desire), however, if you want to own the icon then go for the American, no doubt.

Also, don't forget that tortoise shell pickguards improve your tone by 180%
Click to expand...


Agree, but my 2013 MIM is a 3-piece body and except the hardware as you mentioned, finish is the same with MIA
 
#35
I had a '66 Fender P. It had great tone. But, I like Jazz necks (i.e. 1.5" nut on a 4 string) and I could never get used to the wider string spacing on the P (which had a C neck).

If you like a Jazz-sized neck, I would say to look for a good condition Peavey Fury. They usually run around $200. They were Made in America. It's a P bass with a Jazz neck. And the fit/finish/quality is, well, what you expect for a Made in America bass. If your emotions won't let you swallow the concept that a $200 bass is just as good as a $1200 Fender and you really need to spend more money to be happy, then I would look at a G&L SB-2. They have different neck options, at least one of which is a Jazz size.

I have a Fury and an SB-2 (which I added a Tone control to, but I believe you can order them with a Tone control from the factory nowadays - they call it an SB-2T).

My Fury has a Hi-A (vintage Bartolini) pickup and it easily sounds as good as my '66 P did. And it's a lot more enjoyable for me to play.

My SB-2 has the stock MFD pickups and it is truly a "P bass on steroids". If I turn the P pickup volume down to about 70 - 80% and the J pickup off, it sounds just like my '66 P did - and I posted a poll on here a while back with sound clips, which proved this point. More people voted for the SB-2 as the "real" P than voted for the '66. But, with the P pickup turned all the way up, it has a more ballsy sound than any Fender P.

Fender MIJ instruments are just as good on fit/finish/quality as the MIA stuff, in my opinion. My only reason that I wouldn't buy one is that I generally prefer to buy Made in America gear and there is no Fender MIJ bass that I can't get something just as good for the same or less money that is MIA.
 
#38
Funkabilly said:
I've never been attracted to the Fender Precision. I have always liked the Jazz, but never the Precision. One day I woke up and had bad GAS for a P bass.
Click to expand...

That described me to a T last week. So, I got this:

IMG_0037 2.JPG


AVRI '58 P. :hyper:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Funkabilly

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back