Impressive - American Special Precision

[Quadzilla]

Bought one today (stole it for$649 new in CAR / maple). Build quality on this particular one is superb.

Crazy tight neck pocket, level frets, no sprouts, beautiful grain on front and back of maple neck. Weight is 9 lbs.

After I did a minor setup, the action is sick-low. Neck profile is the best of any P I've owned. Love the satin finish on the back of the neck.

Tone seems great here in my home. I will report on how she does on gigs tone-wise.

Sure the bridge and tuners are not quite as nice as the American Standard, but the bridge is functional and the tuners turn well.

I am truly impressed. Much more so than I thought I would be.

Pics:

 

[two fingers]

Sweet! Good snag!

 

[georgestrings]

Fender is putting out some great instruments these days - congrats on grabbing one...


- georgestrings

 

[pbass888]

Fender is putting out some great instruments these days - congrats on grabbing one...





- georgestrings

Agreed , I recently tried out some 2013 jazz basses, every bit as good as my vintage basses and incredible feel and tone. Congrats!

 

[1960jbass]

Bought one last year for the same price. Love the CAR/maple. Did change out the bridge for a Schaller and now it's becoming my #1. Congrats on yours!!

 

[Wallace320]

Bought one today (stole it for$699 new in CAR / maple. . Build quality on this particular one is superb.

Tight neck pocket, level frets, no sprouts, beautiful grain on front and back of maple neck. Weight is 9 lbs.

After I did a minor setup, the action is sick-low. Neck profile is the best of any P I've owned. Love the satin finish on the back of the neck.

Tone seems great here in my home. I will report on how she does on gigs tone-wise.

Sure the bridge and tuners are not quite as nice as the American Standard, but the bridge is functional and the tuners turn well.

I am truly impressed. Much more so than I thought I would be.

I'll post pics tomorrow.

at the price of a MIM standard P you got a far better neck and
a Grease Bucket tone circuit that surely doesn't hurt

great find my friend
enjoy that bassguit

Cheers,
Wallace

 

[Quadzilla]

Updated with pics.

Question, I see pics of some of these American Specials that have a plain (nothing on it) neck plate. Mine has the 60th Anniversary plate. I guess the ones w/o the 60th plate were made in 2012? I thought this model just came out this year (2013)?

 

[Wallace320]

in 2011 Fender celebrated the 60th anniversary of its Precision
(launching an appropriate "best of all eras" anniversary edition)

same year American Special series came out

I briefly had a 2012 American Special Jazz and its neck plate sported nothin', much like a MIM standard

Cheers,
Wallace

 

[KlingyFungus]

Quadzilla,

I bought the exact same bass as you yesterday, too. I agree with your opinion of it. Very impressive build quality.

Did yours come from Guitar Center? If so, check out my post: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/nbd-fender-american-special-precision-bass-1023503/

Maybe you could get some money back, by challenging them on their 30-day price-matching policy.

 

[Arial Bender]

Special came out in 2010. I have a 2010 model Burst / rosewood, And that neckplate.

 

[SolarMan]

Quadzilla,

I bought the exact same bass as you yesterday, too. I agree with your opinion of it. Very impressive build quality.

Did yours come from Guitar Center? If so, check out my post: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/nbd-fender-american-special-precision-bass-1023503/

Maybe you could get some money back, by challenging them on their 30-day price-matching policy.

Is GC still selling them for $559? I thought you hit the lottery on that one.

Insane prices for MIA P's!

 

[Quadzilla]

Is GC still selling them for $559? I thought you hit the lottery on that one.

Insane prices for MIA P's!

My local GC said no. It must have been a one-shot deal (and a great one at that)!

 

[Quadzilla]

I have a Gotoh 201 bridge laying around that I'm going to slap on her. I also just bought a set of lightweight aluminum tuners for her as well. That should take care of any neck dive (which is pretty minimal in it's stock state).

 

[Bongolation]

Crazy tight neck pocket

It can't be said too often: This is pure marketing and a technical negative. There should always be some lateral clearance on a Fender, or any other bolt-on, neck. Any's enough, but tight is actually bad (the critical fit is the face, not the sides). Lots of disgusted guys at FMIC when Marketing gave in to this stupid bubba obsession.

What infuriates me about it is that they've chosen to waste production money on this idiocy, yet won't spend the extra 51.8 seconds per unit to properly fit the nut, which is glaringly off on the majority of production basses, and DOES matter.

Bubbas don't know about proper nut fit, so therefore it's a non-issue.

Sure the bridge and tuners are not quite as nice as the American Standard, but the bridge is functional and the tuners turn well.

Many people, me included, prefer the traditional one on the Special. The machines are fine.

I am truly impressed. Much more so than I thought I would be.

Though it's not perfectly to my preferences, the Special is closest to them of the current Fender Precisions.

 

[boristhespider7]

How have you found the neck? How does it compare to a MIA or MIM P in terms of thickess front to back and feel? Is it much slimmer?

 

[Quadzilla]

How have you found the neck? How does it compare to a MIA or MIM P in terms of thickess front to back and feel? Is it much slimmer?

Yes, the neck is a little thinner front to back. It's not a huge difference, but it's enough to make it more comfortable (IMHO)!

 

[SolarMan]

It can't be said too often: This is pure marketing and a technical negative. There should always be some lateral clearance on a Fender, or any other bolt-on, neck. Any's enough, but tight is actually bad (the critical fit is the face, not the sides). Lots of disgusted guys at FMIC when Marketing gave in to this stupid bubba obsession.



...

Say it loud. Fit the face.

 

[EagleMoon]

I had one of these for a while. Very nice P basses. Really nice neck on them.

 

[Philibuster]

Good looking bass, man. I've played a few of these in store and almost pulled the trigger on one of the natural honey-colored ones but haven't yet... I'm always impressed with the build quality; it sounds like you are, too, enjoy!

 

[birminghambass]

I actually prefer the American Specials to the MIA standards. Thinner finish and high mass bridge= blah.