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How rare are those Fender Blacktop Precision Basses?
- Thread starter kaossurge
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- blacktop fender precision bass rare
Local guy had one mint for sale for $400 for months. May not see many but not rare. I see P's & jazz sell here for 400-500.
I had one. If you have any venues with a noisy environment, best to get the Jazz version, with two Precision pickups
Mine was a Precision with double buckers & it was noisy as the dickens before I shielded the cavity
Mine was a Precision with double buckers & it was noisy as the dickens before I shielded the cavity
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Rare? Not so much. I'd classify them as "thin on the ground".
@Killed_by_Death is on the right track. If you want to really knock people's socks off, get the double-P Jazz. It's a beast!
I have the Double P Jazz which is a unique setup. The Precision actually did not have precision pickups. Kinda odd. So, both of these Blacktop models (MIM) were available a few years ago. You might find old stock on EBay. Original street price was $500. I see them pop up for sale used once in a while for $400.
I'll be sure to give you a buzz if I have to put mine up on the block.
(sadly, it's a distinct possibility
)
There was one in my neck of the woods recently on CL. They do pop up, not often and usually disappear pretty fast too. I can think of a store that may have it near me - I don't know if they still have one I saw there, Motor City Guitars in Michigan- I believe they deliver.
Hmm... I'm really liking the sound from the humbuckers I've heard on the sound demos for the blacktop p-bass though.. I usually go J-bass over P-bass in most situations... but I'm not really sure why fender named them what they did with both pick up configs on the blacktops.Rare? Not so much. I'd classify them as "thin on the ground".
@Killed_by_Death is on the right track. If you want to really knock people's socks off, get the double-P Jazz. It's a beast!
My guess is some Fender designer(s) wanted to create something along the basic neck-and-body designs, but with a very distinctive twist. Personally, I think they achieved that goal. So in this case, instead of a Precision with two P-pups, they went with a pair of humbuckers (or doubled single-coils…whatever they are). Visually, it's distinctive enough that one can tell it apart from other single-P-pup'd or P/J'd models at a considerable distance. The same goes for the Blacktop Jazz. Fundamentally, it's recognizably a Fender, but with differences that distinguish it from every other model they make.
As far as naming conventions go, that's easy…FMIC uses "body type" to sort out their basic models. They don't use electronics to determine if a bass is a J or P. There are a lot of people out there who buck that trend, but I understand why Fender does it and respect their system. After all, a body blank cut into the offset shape of a Jazz bass, but with no routing for pickups doesn't magically become a Precision or a MusicMan just because I decide to install non-standard pups in it. Or to look at it from another perspective, I'll ask people, "What types of bass are these…Precisions or Jazzes?"
i found my fender black top at the pawn shop they wanted 220 .. I talked him down to 150 with case.. This thing is nice.. Welcome to the deep end!
I've had both, the Precision was pretty much unexciting and didn't sound too unique for me. I regret selling the Jazz though, the double P pups were cool and is a configuration Fender needs to have happen again. Overall, I think it should have been double P pups on the Precision and the double bucks on the Jazz. I'd buy a double P pup Precision by Fender in a heartbeat.
What kind of bass is this?My guess is some Fender designer(s) wanted to create something along the basic neck-and-body designs, but with a very distinctive twist. Personally, I think they achieved that goal. So in this case, instead of a Precision with two P-pups, they went with a pair of humbuckers (or doubled single-coils…whatever they are). Visually, it's distinctive enough that one can tell it apart from other single-P-pup'd or P/J'd models at a considerable distance. The same goes for the Blacktop Jazz. Fundamentally, it's recognizably a Fender, but with differences that distinguish it from every other model they make.
As far as naming conventions go, that's easy…FMIC uses "body type" to sort out their basic models. They don't use electronics to determine if a bass is a J or P. There are a lot of people out there who buck that trend, but I understand why Fender does it and respect their system. After all, a body blank cut into the offset shape of a Jazz bass, but with no routing for pickups doesn't magically become a Precision or a MusicMan just because I decide to install non-standard pups in it. Or to look at it from another perspective, I'll ask people, "What types of bass are these…Precisions or Jazzes?"
Duff McKagan signature precision. A lot of PJ configs are referred to as "Specials" if they're not a signature model.
My guess is some Fender designer(s) wanted to create something along the basic neck-and-body designs, but with a very distinctive twist. Personally, I think they achieved that goal. So in this case, instead of a Precision with two P-pups, they went with a pair of humbuckers (or doubled single-coils…whatever they are). Visually, it's distinctive enough that one can tell it apart from other single-P-pup'd or P/J'd models at a considerable distance. The same goes for the Blacktop Jazz. Fundamentally, it's recognizably a Fender, but with differences that distinguish it from every other model they make.
As far as naming conventions go, that's easy…FMIC uses "body type" to sort out their basic models. They don't use electronics to determine if a bass is a J or P. There are a lot of people out there who buck that trend, but I understand why Fender does it and respect their system. After all, a body blank cut into the offset shape of a Jazz bass, but with no routing for pickups doesn't magically become a Precision or a MusicMan just because I decide to install non-standard pups in it. Or to look at it from another perspective, I'll ask people, "What types of bass are these…Precisions or Jazzes?"
That's easy. Jazz body style since they are offset.
Has nothing to do with which pickups are installed. There is a distinct difference between the jazz and precision body shape.
I actually that it was cool how the p pickup shape kind of echoed the offset shape of the jazz body. I thought it looked pretty natural.
