• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Need help choosing a P-Bass....

Which P-Bass should I buy?

  • Fender Roger Waters P Bass

    Votes: 83 46.1%
  • Carvin PB4

    Votes: 15 8.3%
  • Lakland Skyline 44-64 P-Bass

    Votes: 82 45.6%

  • Total voters
    180
Relax, sweetheart. HH neck pickup sounds quite convincing of a P bass so for a couple hundred more bucks he can get an extremely well-built instrument with a lot of versatility including a good p bass sound and a lot of eq. If he hates it he can sell it for what he paid, or return it if he buys used from a big store. He didnt seem absolutely enthusiastic about any of the three he cited so merely offering an alternative that he might not know.
+1 A good option would be a double humbucker bass that the pickups can be switched to single coils. P, J, or HH tones. Very versatile.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ant Illington
Go for the Lakland
 

Attachments

  • IMG_8402.JPG
    IMG_8402.JPG
    201.4 KB · Views: 20
I was torn between the Lakland & Fender Roger Waters years ago.
I HATED the QP3's that came in the RW, but I knew that i'd be throwing in Nordstrand's, so i wasn't worried.
The Lakland I loved straight out the gate.
But i got a better deal on the Fender.

Looking back, if I had to make the same choice, i'd just get a Fender Classic 50's P. Lacquer.
Almost the exact same neck as the RW, a vintage-toned pup, and a nitro finish.
The only thing it lacks from the RW that i might miss is the brass nut, but that was never a deciding factor in the first place.

However, if you want the modern aggressive sound from the QP3's, then why not get the RW.

Fyi, i got my RW set up
5 years ago, and haven't touched it since. Toured all around the country multiple times, never had to touch it.
I just change the strings & intonate it.
Graphite rods would only add weight, IME.
 
Well I left out of the music store very disappointed. :rollno: I really liked the Ramone Sig P Bass, but when I looked down the neck after I had adjusted it, it neck was very warped. It looked like a roller coaster going down the neck. Oh well. I am thinking about maybe getting a new MIM P Bass, buying a fralin or a duncan pickup, black screws, black bridge and knobs. The bass would look like a RW sig but for a little bit cheaper.
 
I was torn between the Lakland & Fender Roger Waters years ago.
I HATED the QP3's that came in the RW, but I knew that i'd be throwing in Nordstrand's, so i wasn't worried.
The Lakland I loved straight out the gate.
But i got a better deal on the Fender.

Looking back, if I had to make the same choice, i'd just get a Fender Classic 50's P. Lacquer.
Almost the exact same neck as the RW, a vintage-toned pup, and a nitro finish.
The only thing it lacks from the RW that i might miss is the brass nut, but that was never a deciding factor in the first place.

However, if you want the modern aggressive sound from the QP3's, then why not get the RW.

Fyi, i got my RW set up
5 years ago, and haven't touched it since. Toured all around the country multiple times, never had to touch it.
I just change the strings & intonate it.
Graphite rods would only add weight, IME.
The fit and finish on the Classic 50's P that I had was great, the truss rod was maxed out and I'm not a fan of the 7.5 radius neck. I prefer the standard 9.5.
 
In my experience, the Lakland is the most likely to be a well-made, well-set up instrument that you will love. Even though a guy born in another country put it together.

Fenders - I dunno, the DNA is there but maybe they build so many of them that they let a few get out without the right QC. Or maybe that's a 2006 issue that they don't have anymore. It used to be a pretty big risk buying a Fender sight unseen.

Carvin has really upped their game in the recent few years - especially with their electronics. For me though, the bodies on a lot of their new designs (including the P and J clones) appear a little upsized and I think the reference (Fender) body designs are borderline too big already. My Valenti J is a downsized J body (like a Sadowsky) and it's perfect. I'm not a real big guy though, others might not care about that or may even prefer a larger body.

Let me throw in a Link Removed as another very good option. Not USA-made, but reportedly very consistently good and a few hundred bucks cheaper than your field.
 
Last edited:
In my experience, the Lakland is the most likely to be a well-made, well-set up instrument that you will love. Even though a guy born in another country put it together.

Fenders - I dunno, the DNA is there but maybe they build so many of them that they let a few get out without the right QC. Or maybe that's a 2006 issue that they don't have anymore.

Carvin has really upped their game in the recent few years. For me though, the bodies on a lot of their new designs (including the P and J clones) appear a little upsized and I think the reference (Fender) body designs are borderline too big already. My Valenti J is a downsized J body (like a Sadowsky) and it's perfect. I'm not a real big guy though, others might not care about that or may even prefer a larger body.

Let me throw in a Link Removed as another very good option. Not USA-made, but reportedly very consistently good and a few hundred bucks cheaper than your field.
Yeah I agree it does seem that Fender has let some lemons get though their QC. If I get a fender or lakland I will definitely get it from Sweetwater. I have ordered several basses from there and they have all been great!
 
I bought one recently and absolutely love it.

Well the one I was looking at sold. Kicking myself a bit. Looked yesterday and it was $999. A steal! Wanted to spend another night with my current bass and then decide.

Today, gone. Should've just nabbed it and returned if I didnt like it after A/Bing. Learned a big lesson there. Ah well, prob better to pay down debt anyways.