NBD!!!! My First Fender P

[Snakeman1066]

Agreed. It's in really good shape. Only thing I will have to figure out is the nut seems really low, like it was shaved down at some point or something. Strings vibrate against the frets pretty easily at the moment even with pretty light playing. Neck looks to be fine, and bridge operates easily. I've raised it some at bridge for now, but may need to look at some fret / nut adjustments.

they probably filed the nut slots to make room for the flat strings...you will more than likely have to replace the nut

 

[Thundertips]

It's here! Nothing super special, but always fun to have a new bass. This one is completely different than my Lakland DJ5, so it'll be cool to have such a different tonal range.

View attachment 4241742

1995 MiM Fender P
High mass bridge
Lollar pickups
Currently strung with flats
And it came with a nice Mono gig bag (wasn't expecting that!)

Action is super low to the point of some minor buzzing, so I'll have to raise it a bit before I can call it perfect, but a brief plug into the amp shows promise. Looking forward to getting to work with this one!

Pretty nice, man. I have a 1999 MIM P. They're not too bad.

 

[backin82]

Pretty nice, man. I have a 1999 MIM P. They're not too bad.

Now that the electronics have been cleaned up, it's played great. I have an order coming in Thursday with an actual Fender 3-ply pickguard (black white black), strap locks, and black barrel control knobs. Should be all ready to go for our Saturday night gig.

 

[backin82]

they probably filed the nut slots to make room for the flat strings...you will more than likely have to replace the nut

Flats require larger nut slots?

 

[Snakeman1066]

Flats require larger nut slots?

depends on the string and gauge but yeah...i purchased a used bass that had flats installed i removed them to put round wounds on and the E and A string slots were way too wide and deep and the strings literally touched every fret down the neck (you could tell it had been filed to accommodate the flat strings)...i ended up replacing the nut...all good now

 

[backin82]

depends on the string and gauge but yeah...i purchased a used bass that had flats installed i removed them to put round wounds on and the E and A string slots were way too wide and deep and the strings literally touched every fret down the neck (you could tell it had been filed to accommodate the flat strings)...i ended up replacing the nut...all good now

Interesting. Doesn't make sense to me why that would be the case, but I'll take your word for it.

 

[Snakeman1066]

Interesting. Doesn't make sense to me why that would be the case, but I'll take your word for it.

they were obviously using a heavier gauge string than i am...

 

[backin82]

Played a gig last night with both basses. It was my first time switching instruments mid-set, but it went well. It was super fun having access to such different sounds and different playing styles that happen when going between 4 and 5 string. The keys and setlist we played was conducive to primarily starting each set with the P bass, then switching the DJ5 for the last 3-4 songs of each set.

One thing that surprised me from last night was the percussive punch I was getting from the P bass once I had my amp up at gig volume. I was able to REALLY lock in the with drums to make the bass a tonal extension of what the drums were doing. It seemed to occupy a really nice sonic space. It still sounds like a P bass to me, but I think the Lollars make it like a P bass with some grit or sparkle or something. It's a super fun bass to play.

That said - every time I switched over to the DJ5, it reminded me why I love that bass. The thing basically plays itself, and brings a ridiculous strong tonal presence.

All brought to life by my trusty GK MB212 combo. This setup is absolutely killer.