NBD: 51 Reissue Precision

[corsa]

Amazing! That should go amazing with your bassman rig!

Hey Fuzzy - good to hear from you! Yeah - it sounds pretty good indeed. How's the upright treating you?

that's a Joe Veillette, out of Woodstock NY.

So that's a Veillette? I've read nothing but good about them but never seen one. Very cool.

Corsair, maybe the cool mods you did just made the bass seem more authentic and thus just more "right" than the unadorned yellow ones I've seen. Love those vintage style pickup covers and tugbar.

Thanks - I really appreciate the compliments on the mods. Authentic is what I was going for. I really agonized over the placement of those things. The pickup cover wasn't too bad and I made a template for the tugbar from a picture of a removed pickguard with the tugbar hole in it. The bridge cover, however, about killed me. I probably spent two hours moving it around with tape before I was happy. And then - drilling holes in a pristine bass But I'm really pleased with how it turned out. And I agree that the chrome does seem to lessen the impact of the yellow.

 

[corsa]

Congrats man. I love mine. ---> TIJF's & Fralin split coil.

Very cool man! I recently put together a pseudo 54 reissue using a Fender Sting body and Fender 51 neck with a bunch of other parts too.

Mine was a little bit of a more modern take but I went with the repro cap and resister in the wiring and I really like it. There's a volume drop when the tone is rolled off but the tone is really nice and deep.

I have the lindy fralin split 51 pickup in my bass now but I hear his stock single coil is pretty accurate in terms of tone too.

Thank you both. That's two votes from the Fralin split coil. I'll check it out along with the single coil.

Pics of your basses?

 

[thisSNsucks]

Here's mine before the lindy went in. Great bass before, even better now that it's hum free.

 

[chuck3]

The original Precision has a stately look all its own. I love the vibe.

yeah, I do too. Although I swapped out the pickup, it's still just a slab with four strings and a minimum of anything else. I'll never sell it. Even if the apocalypse comes, you could still play this bass.

 

[Beano_z]

Sweet looking bass!! Love what you've done with the period correct parts. Look forward to more pictures.

 

[Mastermold]

Sweet looking bass!! Love what you've done with the period correct parts. Look forward to more pictures.

+1

I love this bass, I've had one for a few years but just sold it to pay for another recent purchse. Really does the '51 thing well and without breaking the bank.

 

[fuzzy beard]

Kicking my rearend! It was alot to take on with a new baby but I am glad I did.

 

[Mike M.]

I've never played one of those basses. I think it's pretty cool that a bass design that's sixty two years old is still being embraced by players.

Just out of curiousity, how does the pickup sound compared to the split P design?

 

[Bob Growler]

Congrats on the Sweet Bass! Love the upgrades!

I found mine at a small store in Southern Illinois ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed])
while camping in April.

Played it for 5 minutes and knew it was what I'd been looking for. Put Fender Flats on it and replaced the period incorrect Black Plastic thumbrest with a Maple rest painted "Marigold". Bridge and Pickup covers are next!

Rock On '51 Reissues!

 

[MegaSwing]

I have a Mike Dirnt model that I re-worked, which sort of combines the best of the different P-Bass worlds.

 

[lpdeluxe]

Nice bass, with some sweet and very appropriate mods. I just wish I could find one that isn't that annoying school bus yellow color.

I don't like the "butterscotch" but I don't like the sunburst even more. I love the bass, though, and I finally realized that you can't hear paint.

If I had lots of loose cash to spend, I'd have mine contoured and refinished in clear with a tint to match the neck...but it's fine the way it is.

As a life-long graphic artist, appearance is important to me, but once I got into serious gigging on bass, I discovered that sometimes an ugly bass just worked better than a pretty one. Cases in point:

my gorgeous Carvin LB20, solid mahogany with DiMarzio Model J pickups:

Beautifully built out of beautiful wood, but ergonomically uncomfortable for me and lacking in sound.

My ugly Fender Classic '50s with a QP and TI Jazz Flats:

Ugly color, bolt-on neck, pure sonic bliss.

So I can live with the yellow one.

 

[corsa]

I've never played one of those basses. I think it's pretty cool that a bass design that's sixty two years old is still being embraced by players.

Just out of curiousity, how does the pickup sound compared to the split P design?

Believe it or not, I don't own a split P bass so I can't really comment. Anybody else?

I have a Mike Dirnt model that I re-worked, which sort of combines the best of the different P-Bass worlds.

I like that a lot. There's a whole bunch going on there.

I don't like the "butterscotch" but I don't like the sunburst even more. I love the bass, though, and I finally realized that you can't hear paint.

If I had lots of loose cash to spend, I'd have mine contoured and refinished in clear with a tint to match the neck...but it's fine the way it is.

As a life-long graphic artist, appearance is important to me, but once I got into serious gigging on bass, I discovered that sometimes an ugly bass just worked better than a pretty one. Cases in point:

my gorgeous Carvin LB20, solid mahogany with DiMarzio Model J pickups:

Beautifully built out of beautiful wood, but ergonomically uncomfortable for me and lacking in sound.

My ugly Fender Classic '50s with a QP and TI Jazz Flats:

Ugly color, bolt-on neck, pure sonic bliss.

So I can live with the yellow one.

I actually dig your Classic 50's P quite a bit but I know what you're saying.

I was attracted to this '51 BECAUSE of the lack of contours and the "unique" color as well as the hard-to-deal-with bridge and single coil p'up. I've been a Ric guy all my life up until very recently. I've never been particularly fond of P basses up to this point but this one spoke to me and I'm having a change of heart. The simplicity and sound are really growing on me.

I played it today in practice and it was very cool but not what I expected. By myself, I'm rolling the tone almost all the way back because I thought the TI Flats were pretty bright and I wanted a little more thump. In a band setting, it kind of disappeared with the tone all the way back but sounded great when I rolled the tone up. Either way, it was a big departure from my Ric and the Jazz I've been working with. Super pleased with this bass.

 

[lpdeluxe]

I've never played one of those basses. I think it's pretty cool that a bass design that's sixty two years old is still being embraced by players.

Just out of curiosity, how does the pickup sound compared to the split P design?

They are very different. The single-coil was adapted from the Tele pickup, with one pole piece per string on a narrow single coil. It's a hi-fi pickup, with a lot of bottom, mid, and top. It also features a sharp attack and limited sustain and, of course, it can pick up 60-cycle hum. These characteristics led to a lot of warranty returns on the early Fender bass amps, and the split-coil (as well as improved amplifiers) was Leo's response to these issues.

So the split-coil is humbucking, and has two pole pieces per string. Attack is softer, and sustain is longer, and the sound now has that familiar P mid-range bump.

Where the single-coil really shines (and I didn't discover this until I pulled it out for some living room jamming with a couple of acoustic guitars) is that it sounds really warm and sweet at low levels, which is where it would have been played back in the day.

I have gigged at dance hall levels with the '51, and I love the sound. In fact, whichever of my three Precisions or my StingRay 5 I have in my hands is my current favorite. They are all great instruments, and very musical.

 

[chuck norriss]

I have a Mike Dirnt model that I re-worked, which sort of combines the best of the different P-Bass worlds.

Fantastic I would black out the hardware. I like P no pickguard.

 

[MegaSwing]

Believe it or not, I don't own a split P bass so I can't really comment. Anybody else?
<snip>
I like that a lot. There's a whole bunch going on there.

Thx. The OG Precision experience is such a complex thing, yet so delicate, a little like a 10-pound sledgehammer dipped in marshmallow sauce...and dropped off of a building.

FYI, the pickup is an original Rio Grande 'Muy Grande P'. Sounds big as all outdoors. I'm astounded every time I trot it out.

 

[Mike M.]

They are very different. The single-coil was adapted from the Tele pickup, with one pole piece per string on a narrow single coil. It's a hi-fi pickup, with a lot of bottom, mid, and top. It also features a sharp attack and limited sustain and, of course, it can pick up 60-cycle hum. These characteristics led to a lot of warranty returns on the early Fender bass amps, and the split-coil (as well as improved amplifiers) was Leo's response to these issues.

So the split-coil is humbucking, and has two pole pieces per string. Attack is softer, and sustain is longer, and the sound now has that familiar P mid-range bump.

Where the single-coil really shines (and I didn't discover this until I pulled it out for some living room jamming with a couple of acoustic guitars) is that it sounds really warm and sweet at low levels, which is where it would have been played back in the day.

I have gigged at dance hall levels with the '51, and I love the sound. In fact, whichever of my three Precisions or my StingRay 5 I have in my hands is my current favorite. They are all great instruments, and very musical.

Thanks for the history lesson! I've wondered why and have tried searching as to what prompted Leo to create the split P pickup design. Didn't realize it was due to customer complaints. Talk about service!

Great info! Thanks again.

 

[lpdeluxe]

Thanks for the history lesson! I've wondered why and have tried searching as to what prompted Leo to create the split P pickup design. Didn't realize it was due to customer complaints. Talk about service!

Great info! Thanks again.

You're welcome.

 

[blues_bassist]

This might be a random question, but did your '51 PBass come with a Fender case? I just bought one from a local music store and they said that it didn't come with a Fender case... because Fender didn't offer them with a case. I want to know if I've been had...

 

[Mastermold]

This might be a random question, but did your '51 PBass come with a Fender case? I just bought one from a local music store and they said that it didn't come with a Fender case... because Fender didn't offer them with a case. I want to know if I've been had...

No they were not sold with a case.

 

[staurosjohn]

nother vote for the Fralin... put one in mine- along with SIT Power Flats... nice an 'muted-thumpy'!! also added the Wilkinson tilt-saddle bridge...