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Just ordered the Long version, worth a shot regardless of bass. Thanks!
So far, that's what i'm leaning towards. Maybe a used one too. One of the issues I have is that I can't actually try before I buy. Would a big online store get the bass out and weigh it for me?
Definitely worth considering. I like the idea of selecting my own parts, and not paying for the decal. While I am impressed with the Ultra's sound, the neck and fretwork on this one are between "ok" to "good", but not perfect.
That's my biggest issue. I like the vintagey low mid heft, I've almost considered a straight P-bass, but I do like the versatility a J pickup adds. From what I read, I doubt a Sandberg is a good fit sound-size, regardless of the weight and quality.
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Not surprising, I've been overwhelmed with the options and suggestions. But thank you for taking the time to expend my horizons.
I (very carefully) took the bass out to an open mic and band practice with my Mesa WD-800 and GR Bass AT-112H
I'm pretty sure the bass+case was heavier than the rig. Crazy world.
Playing at open mic was great, the neck was inspiring me to overplay, and both passive and active sounds were very usable. Authority, articulation, but also subtleness and flexibility.
During band practice I was able to really explore, knowing what the song should sound like etc.
I was having way too much fun experimenting while still keeping it musical and siting well in the mix.
It's really nice to be able to solo the J pickup in active mode and boost the bass level to match the P pickup volume, which is my biggest complaint about PJ configurations. I usually need to use pedals for that.
To conclude: I like the bass, I like the sound, just need to find a lighter one, or build my own, or get a better strap, or get a different bass all together.
I hate options ;-)
Another strong recommendation to look over what Maruszczyk has to offer (their site is: public-peace.de). You might find something that somebody has for sale now, but you might consider placing an order with them as one of our pals mentioned above.
The Fender-shaped models are the Elwood and the Jake - I've often seen wider necks on the Elwoods and slimmer necks on the Jakes (40mm vs. 38mm at the nut respectively on the 4-strings), but I don't think that this is the case with every one of them. Both are offered in very light "L" options.
Sandberg seems to make terrific instruments and one of those could be entirely right for you. When I look at what Maruszczyk has been putting out in recent years though, they absolutely top my list in terms of where I'll go when I have that "too-much-in-the-bank" affliction you're... um... suffering with right now.
Get well soon!!
Sweetwater posts photos of every bass in stock with serial number and weight. That's where I would start.
I’m looking at one of these MIJ traditional a now. Decent? Not? I’ve heard people dis the basswood.
PS … on the weight front I returned a used Dirnt bc it weighed 11.9. Just unusable for a bass where you might … I don’t know … want to stand and play.
D
Very good basses! The build quality is comparable to MIA Fender but in my experience the Traditionals have better quality control so you're a lot less likely to get a bad one.
There are a couple of things to be aware of though:
-I found the stock (ceramic) pickup to be a bit muddy and replaced it almost immediately. Others (on this forum) have been very happy with the stock pickup. It's been a couple of years since I got this bass so I don't remember EXACTLY what it sounded like but if I remember correctly the stock pickup also had a rather hot output. I guess people who like hot, overwound P-bass pickups might like the stock pickup better than me but if you're looking for a classic "vintage" alnico tone you will probably want to replace it.
-U-profile neck. It feels quite different than current Fender C-profile necks. Perhaps more like 70s Fenders than 60s or modern Fenders. This is purely a matter of taste and seems to be a recurring theme with MIJ Fender-style instruments. For some reason Japanese "ex-Fender" manufacturers seem to favour U-profiles. FGN (Fujigen) basses come with U-profile necks. The same goes for current Tokai basses (but current Tokais are slightly bulkier than the Fender Traditionals which are quite slim).
-Basswood body. Generally I don't have a problem with basswood. Sure, it dents more easily than harder woods but it you treat your instrument in a way that actually makes this a problem you would probably dent an alder body too. However, my Traditional has the lightest basswood body I've ever encountered, which means it has a bit of neck dive. Lightweight tuners would probably sort this out but my Traditional is the limited "Midnight" version with gold hardware so I've kept the stock tuners for the looks. It's mainly a studio bass for me so this isn't really a problem at all. If this was a gigging bass I might have considered lightweight tuners for better balance. And of course, they might not ALL be as light as mine. It really is the lightest solid body bass I've EVER played (and I own 40+ basses and also work at a guitar workshop which means I've played HUNDREDS).
-The included gig bag was a joke. I don't think I've ever seen a gig bag made from a thinner material. I'm not even sure they include a gigbag anymore? If they don't you're not really missing anything at all.
Apart from this I've only got positive things to say about this bass. The rosewood is more beautiful than anything I've seen from Fender USA in a VERY long time and the craftsmanship is superb. If I had to choose between an American Pro and a Traditional... touch choice. I would want to change the pickup in both. I prefer the neck profile on the AmPro (which is more or less perfect for MY hands) but I would never buy a current MIA Fender without testing. They're too inconsistent. The QC/consistency and craftsmanship of these MIJ Fenders seems to be a lot better (in my experience).
Thank you for the detailed response! Very good information to know, and based on some of these things it sounds like a good fit for me.
- Lighweight, yes
- Basswood, denting / soft, no problem. nothing wrong with a little wear over time anyway
- hot(ter) pickups, yep, but to your point just swap the pups for something you like something better. For me, as noted in my other note. I do like the SDQPs for what I'm doing (playing live in a bar band, and recording you can mix out / in any "vintage" tones you may want with ease these days anyhow).
On the neck. I looked up the serial number on the Fender site and they say this, which you might find interesting:
"Made in Japan Traditional 60s Precision Bass® has a gloss finish basswood body. A 9.5-inch radius "U" shaped maple neck with 20 vintage-style frets provides a classic performance that is unique to the Traditional series. The 4-saddle vintage bridge and the original pickups selected for the Traditional series produce realistic and musical vintage tones. The narrowly designed nut width makes it easy for Japanese players to play."
That last part is interesting as it implies that these were made for the market in which they were made, which I've heard about the MIJs before, and you don't hear about other manufacturing locations, like MX. Kind of neat. I could see how that width would pair nicely with the old style U, although you think they would just use the slim C if they were catering to a market.
Nut width on the traditional is listed as 1.650" (42 mm), which is close to my Nate Mendel signature, which is be 1.615" (41.02 mm), with the Slim "C" (Based on Mendel's '71 Precision Bass). Which - a footnote on that bass - the rosewood neck on the Mendel is so much nicer than anything I've seen on 2023 American Pro II's.
Thanks again for the information. Very helpful in making a decision.
- Lighweight, yes
- Basswood, denting / soft, no problem. nothing wrong with a little wear over time anyway
- hot(ter) pickups, yep, but to your point just swap the pups for something you like something better. For me, as noted in my other note. I do like the SDQPs for what I'm doing (playing live in a bar band, and recording you can mix out / in any "vintage" tones you may want with ease these days anyhow).
On the neck. I looked up the serial number on the Fender site and they say this, which you might find interesting:
"Made in Japan Traditional 60s Precision Bass® has a gloss finish basswood body. A 9.5-inch radius "U" shaped maple neck with 20 vintage-style frets provides a classic performance that is unique to the Traditional series. The 4-saddle vintage bridge and the original pickups selected for the Traditional series produce realistic and musical vintage tones. The narrowly designed nut width makes it easy for Japanese players to play."
That last part is interesting as it implies that these were made for the market in which they were made, which I've heard about the MIJs before, and you don't hear about other manufacturing locations, like MX. Kind of neat. I could see how that width would pair nicely with the old style U, although you think they would just use the slim C if they were catering to a market.
Nut width on the traditional is listed as 1.650" (42 mm), which is close to my Nate Mendel signature, which is be 1.615" (41.02 mm), with the Slim "C" (Based on Mendel's '71 Precision Bass). Which - a footnote on that bass - the rosewood neck on the Mendel is so much nicer than anything I've seen on 2023 American Pro II's.
Thanks again for the information. Very helpful in making a decision.
