Ahhh, that's right I forgot...And mine's the frettet 5...
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Ahhh, that's right I forgot...And mine's the frettet 5...
Only Hans would know for sure how many pickguard pilots with 20/22 frets were made. Mine from 1984 has a pickguard and 22 frets. Eric, the reverse p-pickup came with the change to no pickguard.
The Pros are Fender's take on the Pilot...a new headstock, an even flatter neck (a la Jackson) than the previous SB series, bevels on the inside of body's horn cutouts, return to Schaller bridges, gold hardware, and updated controls & knob layout...That's about it...Oh yeah, and a textured control cavity cover instead of the classic smooth one, and only available in three colors if I remember correctly - trans green, trans blue and natural...
Last edited:
@InkCow...
I had to double-check about the available colors for the Pro 4 & 5...I forgot about a couple...
I took some fotos for you - I hope they help you...
I had to double-check about the available colors for the Pro 4 & 5...I forgot about a couple...
I took some fotos for you - I hope they help you...
This Pilot is still available...!?!?!?
How can it be that no-one has bought it yet - he's practically giving it away...
Oops, I need to make a correction...!
Earlier today in post nr. 1311, I screwed up what I was thinking and wrote that "The Pros (4 & 5) are Fender's take on the Pilot..."
I'm up in the years and sometimes I make mistakes, sorry about that...
Anyway, Fender didn't buy Guild until 1995 and when they did, Fender didn't re-design the Pilot - Fender killed the Pilot. (My own belief: they killed the Pilot to keep it from competing with their P & J basses.)
I don't know all of the details or facts about the birth of the "Pro series", but I'm fairly certain that it simply was a revamp of the Pilot to keep it modern and interesting...
Earlier today in post nr. 1311, I screwed up what I was thinking and wrote that "The Pros (4 & 5) are Fender's take on the Pilot..."
I'm up in the years and sometimes I make mistakes, sorry about that...
Anyway, Fender didn't buy Guild until 1995 and when they did, Fender didn't re-design the Pilot - Fender killed the Pilot. (My own belief: they killed the Pilot to keep it from competing with their P & J basses.)
I don't know all of the details or facts about the birth of the "Pro series", but I'm fairly certain that it simply was a revamp of the Pilot to keep it modern and interesting...
Last edited:
Do the all maple bodies and active pre make them sound a lot different than regular Pilots?Oops, I need to make a correction...!
Earlier today in post nr. 1311, I screwed up what I was thinking and wrote that "The Pros (4 & 5) are Fender's take on the Pilot..."
I'm up in the years and sometimes I make mistakes, sorry about that...
Anyway, Fender didn't buy Guild until 1995 and when they did, Fender didn't re-design the Pilot - Fender killed the Pilot. (My own belief: they killed the Pilot to keep it from competing with their P & J basses.)
I don't know all of the details or facts about the birth of the "Pro series", but I'm fairly certain that it simply was a revamp of the Pilot to keep it modern and interesting...
All of my maple-bodied Pilots - "SB" and "Pro" alike - have a brighter, crisper sound - they are the perfect bass for playing thrash metal/technical speed metal like f.eks. Megadeth because they slice surgically through the mix and park side by side with the guitar(s) - you hear every note these basses play out which is ideal for this type of music...(not ideal when your fingers trip over themselves in the middle of a complicated riff because everyone in the house hears you very clearly cause an embarassing high-speed pileup) The Pilots with the preamps give you a greater flexibility than those without but I usually have need for only the bass boost to give my sound more thump/more low-end punch and leave the treble at center detent (unless I want to play a lower profile sound)
The poplar bodies give off a warmer sound - still very precise, but more "relaxed", they don't bite like the maple bodies do and are perfect for "regular" rock and heavy metal like AC/DC or Judas Priest where the bass is cruising along under the guitars - and they are so much lighter as well...Your shoulders love you again...
