NBD: American Professional II Precision

[nightchef]

I had posted recently about my misgivings about buying a bass with an action that felt too high, and got a lot of reassurance in that thread that I should have no problem adjusting it to my needs. So I bought it. It's one of my favorite Fender color schemes: Olympic white/tort pickguard/rosewood neck. Everything about it seems beautiful to me, not least the sound. I'm already getting used to the action as is, but I'll certainly lower it at least 1/64th, and tighten the truss rod a bit (relief currently at about .018--factory spec is .012).

I've mostly played basses with Jazz-width necks over the past couple of decades, and I was concerned that I would have gotten so used to that width that I would find even the 1.625" modern P nut width too much, but so far I like it. It actually seems better proportioned to the scale length somehow--everything still feels comfortably within reach, but a little more solid and less fumbly.

Only fly in the ointment so far is a very faint hum that gets louder when I touch the strings (or the bridge, or the tone knob) and also when I turn the tone knob down (it disappears with the tone knob dimed). It's faint enough that I didn't notice it when demoing the bass in the store, but in the quiet of my studio it was immediately obvious. Internet research suggests a backwards wired output jack, which seems mighty strange for a new factory-made instrument, but who knows. Since wiring stuff is not my forte, and I just bought the thing, I'm going to take it back to the store and have them deal with it. After that, I will have what I hope will be my #1 for the rest of my life.

 

[Moving Pictures]

Nice! I love mine. Great basses.

 

[2old2rock]

Congrats on a great bass! I just put its identical twin on layaway. I didn't even realize it when I was trying it out, but it's the same color combo as my APII Telecaster. Must be something about Olympic White, tortoiseshell and rosewood that strikes a resonance with me.

 

[nightchef]

Congrats on a great bass! I just put its identical twin on layaway. I didn't even realize it when I was trying it out, but it's the same color combo as my APII Telecaster. Must be something about Olympic White, tortoiseshell and rosewood that strikes a resonance with me.

Me too! In fact I went shopping for a Tele exactly like that recently, but a Sienna Burst one at the same store just felt a whole lot better, so I wound up with that instead. The Oly white/tort/RW combo is by far my favorite Fender color scheme. It feels elegant in an organic, un-fussy way.

 

[musicman556]

I had posted recently about my misgivings about buying a bass with an action that felt too high, and got a lot of reassurance in that thread that I should have no problem adjusting it to my needs. So I bought it. It's one of my favorite Fender color schemes: Olympic white/tort pickguard/rosewood neck. Everything about it seems beautiful to me, not least the sound. I'm already getting used to the action as is, but I'll certainly lower it at least 1/64th, and tighten the truss rod a bit (relief currently at about .018--factory spec is .012).

I've mostly played basses with Jazz-width necks over the past couple of decades, and I was concerned that I would have gotten so used to that width that I would find even the 1.625" modern P nut width too much, but so far I like it. It actually seems better proportioned to the scale length somehow--everything still feels comfortably within reach, but a little more solid and less fumbly.

Only fly in the ointment so far is a very faint hum that gets louder when I touch the strings (or the bridge, or the tone knob) and also when I turn the tone knob down (it disappears with the tone knob dimed). It's faint enough that I didn't notice it when demoing the bass in the store, but in the quiet of my studio it was immediately obvious. Internet research suggests a backwards wired output jack, which seems mighty strange for a new factory-made instrument, but who knows. Since wiring stuff is not my forte, and I just bought the thing, I'm going to take it back to the store and have them deal with it. After that, I will have what I hope will be my #1 for the rest of my life.

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That is supreme class right there! Beautiful! Congrats on an absolute stunner.

I also have come to really like the modern P necks. My last 3 basses (2 purchase, 1 build) have all had them. Enjoy!

 

[Killing Floor]

Congrats! I have an Oly Tele too but sparkle black guard, sorry.

 

[Relsom]

Sharp looking bass there @nightchef. congrats. I picked up a used one today in Black/Maple. I'm really looking forward to getting it dialed in. One thing I've noticed on all of the Pro IIs, yours included, is that the pole pieces on the pickups are different. The D-G side pole pieces are beveled and poke out from the cover like the Original '62 whereas the E-A side pole pieces are cut straight and flush. At first I was worried that the seller(or someone before him) had replaced, modified, or somehow monkeyed with the pickups. Now I see that they are all like that. Ever wonder why they did that?

 

[CletusMarley]

Nice score! Congrats!

 

[forrestlaw]

Classic color P-Bass with a tort pickguard and rosewood fretboard is always in style. Nice!

 

[CallMeAl]

Those are mighty fine basses. I’m a J neck guy but those are probably my favorite P profile, very comfy.

did you solve the hum?

enjoy!

 

[munnkyboy]

just Sumpin about Olympic White P Basses...

 

[klejst]

Congrats! White and tort just a classic combo.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Sharp looking bass there @nightchef. congrats. I picked up a used one today in Black/Maple. I'm really looking forward to getting it dialed in. One thing I've noticed on all of the Pro IIs, yours included, is that the pole pieces on the pickups are different. The D-G side pole pieces are beveled and poke out from the cover like the Original '62 whereas the E-A side pole pieces are cut straight and flush. At first I was worried that the seller(or someone before him) had replaced, modified, or somehow monkeyed with the pickups. Now I see that they are all like that. Ever wonder why they did that?

The pole pieces are different because the V-mod pickups use alnico II magnets for E-A and alnico V for D-G. I guess Fender want to make a point of this visually.

This alnico II/V nonsense is Fender's solution to a problem that never existed. Just a silly marketing hype that nobody asked for. The difference in tone/punch/dynamics between the two coils is actually the main reason why lots of people hate the V-mod pickups and replace them. Well, that plus the lacking headroom/punch from the E-string with the alnico II. Some people actually find that reversing the coils give a better result.

The V-Mod pickups are also very low output which isn't necessarily a problem unless you change frequently between different basses. The V-mods will have noticably lower output than most other basses (unless the pickups are 60 years old and in need of a service).

 

[Relsom]

The pole pieces are different because the V-mod pickups use alnico II magnets for E-A and alnico V for D-G. I guess Fender want to make a point of this visually.

This alnico II/V nonsense is Fender's solution to a problem that never existed. Just a silly marketing hype that nobody asked for. The difference in tone/punch/dynamics between the two coils is actually the main reason why lots of people hate the V-mod pickups and replace them. Well, that plus the lacking headroom/punch from the E-string with the alnico II. Some people actually find that reversing the coils give a better result.

The V-Mod pickups are also very low output which isn't necessarily a problem unless you change frequently between different basses. The V-mods will have noticably lower output than most other basses (unless the pickups are 60 years old and in need of a service).

Thanks for clarifying that. I've been happy with Fralins, Original '62s, CS 62s, and Pure Vintage 63s. These VMODS just seem like oddballs created to solve a problem that didn't exist.... and screwing up the visuals in the process.

 

[Treblefree]

I had posted recently about my misgivings about buying a bass with an action that felt too high, and got a lot of reassurance in that thread that I should have no problem adjusting it to my needs. So I bought it. It's one of my favorite Fender color schemes: Olympic white/tort pickguard/rosewood neck. Everything about it seems beautiful to me, not least the sound. I'm already getting used to the action as is, but I'll certainly lower it at least 1/64th, and tighten the truss rod a bit (relief currently at about .018--factory spec is .012).

I've mostly played basses with Jazz-width necks over the past couple of decades, and I was concerned that I would have gotten so used to that width that I would find even the 1.625" modern P nut width too much, but so far I like it. It actually seems better proportioned to the scale length somehow--everything still feels comfortably within reach, but a little more solid and less fumbly.

Only fly in the ointment so far is a very faint hum that gets louder when I touch the strings (or the bridge, or the tone knob) and also when I turn the tone knob down (it disappears with the tone knob dimed). It's faint enough that I didn't notice it when demoing the bass in the store, but in the quiet of my studio it was immediately obvious. Internet research suggests a backwards wired output jack, which seems mighty strange for a new factory-made instrument, but who knows. Since wiring stuff is not my forte, and I just bought the thing, I'm going to take it back to the store and have them deal with it. After that, I will have what I hope will be my #1 for the rest of my life.

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That's a stunner. I love that combo as well. I don't have a Fender P, but I bought the Am Pro II pickups off Ebay and put into a parts bass and that stupid little crappy bass sounds like a million dollars. I can hear how good your bass sounds already...

 

[nightchef]

also have come to really like the modern P necks. My last 3 basses (2 purchase, 1 build) have all had them. Enjoy!

Those are mighty fine basses. I’m a J neck guy but those are probably my favorite P profile, very comfy.

Yes--it's a superb neck. Profile suits my hand perfectly, the finish seems to hit a perfect halfway point between satin and gloss, and the rolled edges are soooo elegant.

did you solve the hum?

Yup -- brought it back to GC and the house tech (who fortunately was in, and not busy) fixed it in 15 minutes. Apparently the ground wire from the bridge was floating loose in the cavity, not soldered to anything. (I wish I could say that's the only issue I've run into with a brand new US-made Fender recently.)

Thanks for clarifying that. I've been happy with Fralins, Original '62s, CS 62s, and Pure Vintage 63s. These VMODS just seem like oddballs created to solve a problem that didn't exist.... and screwing up the visuals in the process.

I have to admit the visual mismatch between the pickups is something I would probably never in a million years have noticed if someone on a web forum hadn't pointed it out to me. It certainly doesn't bother me--it's way too zoomed-in to alter the overall visual effect of the instrument for me.

As for the tone, to me it just sounds like a P, honestly. I did look at some comparison videos showing V-Mod 1 vs. V-Mod 2 as part of my shopping research, and I think I would not have liked the V-Mod 1 very much--I dislike scooped tones, but this isn't that.

It records beautifully. I hardly have to do anything to it -- straight out of my Countryman DI box, it slots right into a rock mix. I've been waiting for years to be able to say that. I had developed a bit of a complex about my bass mixing skills. Turns out I just needed a P.

 

[CallMeAl]

Yup -- brought it back to GC and the house tech (who fortunately was in, and not busy) fixed it in 15 minutes. Apparently the ground wire from the bridge was floating loose in the cavity, not soldered to anything. (I wish I could say that's the only issue I've run into with a brand new US-made Fender recently.)

That was actually my guess but didn’t bother mentioning it since you were planning on going in! I played a Gen 1 Am Pro with the same exact problem. It’s an easy fix, but kind of annoying at the price point.

At any rate, it’s such a great neck. I really had to beat back the GAS on the one I tried. Also the Oly White, so handsome!

enjoy!

 

[Relsom]

Yes--it's a superb neck. Profile suits my hand perfectly, the finish seems to hit a perfect halfway point between satin and gloss, and the rolled edges are soooo elegant.


Yup -- brought it back to GC and the house tech (who fortunately was in, and not busy) fixed it in 15 minutes. Apparently the ground wire from the bridge was floating loose in the cavity, not soldered to anything. (I wish I could say that's the only issue I've run into with a brand new US-made Fender recently.)



I have to admit the visual mismatch between the pickups is something I would probably never in a million years have noticed if someone on a web forum hadn't pointed it out to me. It certainly doesn't bother me--it's way too zoomed-in to alter the overall visual effect of the instrument for me.

As for the tone, to me it just sounds like a P, honestly. I did look at some comparison videos showing V-Mod 1 vs. V-Mod 2 as part of my shopping research, and I think I would not have liked the V-Mod 1 very much--I dislike scooped tones, but this isn't that.

It records beautifully. I hardly have to do anything to it -- straight out of my Countryman DI box, it slots right into a rock mix. I've been waiting for years to be able to say that. I had developed a bit of a complex about my bass mixing skills. Turns out I just needed a P.

Now that I've had a day to get comfortable with it, I think it may be a keeper. The pickup doesn't bother me, sounds fine..... the visuals threw me off. I love the finish on the neck, though it is a bit beefier than my '13 and '15 American Standards which are still my favorite, but who knows, the Pro2 feels better every time I pick it up.
Something else that I've noticed on a lot of Pro2s are the E&D saddles nearly bottomed out. I've got nearly zero relief and fairly low action, though I'd feel better about it if the saddles were raised off the bridge plate a bit more. That would require a shim, but I'm not ready to go down that route yet.

 

[Rnr..........4]

Beautiful bass. For me personally, that is the classic P bass color and fretboard. Right next to the sunburst.