• 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 free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

P bass. Alder vs ash

#41
I kick myself for not buying a 2002-ish Fender American P - ash/rosewood with transparent white finish - from my local store back in the day.
It was marked down to $550 new, but I couldn't swing that at the time.
One of the best-sounding Ps I've ever played! Bite snap, warmth, depth, all and everything.
 
#42
winston said:
I kick myself for not buying a 2002-ish Fender American P - ash/rosewood with transparent white finish - from my local store back in the day.
It was marked down to $550 new, but I couldn't swing that at the time.
One of the best-sounding Ps I've ever played! Bite snap, warmth, depth, all and everything.
Click to expand...
If ever I become a bass amp head designer, bite snap, warmth, depth, all and everything will replace the knobs bass, mid, treble and gain ! 😁
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Bass4LifeRS, FightMilk and winston
#44
LHbassist said:
I own a Warmoth Swamp Ash build, maple neck P-J configuration, passive. I also own two Fender Japan PB 62 reissues. Basswood bodies, maple neck with rosewood boards. One has an active EMG, the other is passive with a Duncan vintage 60's pickup. I have a Squier P-j with a custom neck, and a maple body. That bass has active EMG's. And rounding it out, a 2014 Fender American Standard Precision bass. That just got a DiMarzio Relentless P-bass pickup.
ALL of these basses sound like a Fender Precision bass. Are there differences in the body woods, as far as tone goes? There's been a lot of debate about all of this. But I still say, if I recorded all of these basses just with the P-bass pickup selected on the P-J's, and compared them to each other, I know that it would be very difficult to identify which body wood you were listening to. I compared my Japanese Basswood body P-bass with LaBella Jamerson heavy flats to my American Standard with medium Fender 9050's and the tone was so close, I don't think it would matter much at all, recording or live.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I can plug one of my basses in, dial in a tone and play. If I plug in another bass, I dial in the tone that I want with that bass. I sound like me. Sometimes it is easier with a certain bass/rig in a certain room, but I have the tone in my head, and with EQ I strive to get what I want.
All of my basses sound great, slightly different, but great.
 
#45
PBassAcidJazz said:
I have the 2012 FSR Ash body P Bass Hand stained Mahogany finish. It’s very good. Light too. May sell it though to fund my fretless obsession.
Click to expand...
Do you mind saying where you bought if from? I was looking at one with that finish, but they sold out. I picked up the one I posted earlier and love. it.
I bought mine from Musician's Friend back in 2012.
I would be interested to know if your bass and mine have the same pickups.
 
#46
Ash. Alder.

How many times have you listened to an album or a band and said to yourself................"That's a nice sounding ash (or alder) P Bass or Jazz Bass?" Bass is bass.

Does it matter?

Take 50 ash or alder Fender Basses, same model. Each will have it's own "finger print" sound. No two basses sound alike.

Although I will say, with visible grain showing, I like ash better than alder. Sonically, it's is VERY debatable!

My .02 cents.

Excellent thread!
 
  • Like
Reactions: danielfbl, Malak the Mad and CoughSyrup
#51
I have 2 almost identical basses one ash one alder and they’re both awesome. Man I should really do a comparison video. You can hear the difference but it’s subtle. Ash is upper mids alder is lower mids.
 
#52
The original Elite Precisions from the 80s used ash for transparent finishes (including some bursts) and alder for solid finishes. They also made some in walnut. Like the 70s Ps, those ash bodies were heavy.

Ash doesn’t have to be heavy, my 53 P is pretty light and definitely lighter than my Elite was. It does have mods that required removing some wood to fit extra pickups, but the pickups themselves added some weight so I figure it’s a wash.
 
#53
There are very few ash-body Fender Precision options available, even in the second hand market. I don't understand why these basses are so overated. I like alder + rosewood, yes, but the snappy tone that ash+maple gives is another optios I'd love to have, and there are very few models like this.
Other brands, like Sire, offer more choices. There aren't many Fender models that featured ash bodies. I’m not interested in the '51 P-style models, and I can barely find any '57 P-style models in ash. There is a Japanese PB70 in ash with a natural finish, a limited-edition Fender Hot Rod, and the Elite and Deluxe models offer an ash option, but the Mexican-made ones from around 2014 are almost impossible to find. Fenders from '75 to '79 all weigh a ton, and the asking prices are higher than I’m willing to pay.
Can you think of any other options on the market that have that P-bass sound and feature an ash body with a maple neck? FGN, a Greco-style copy, a 70s Ibanez or Tokai, etc.? Does the ash-body Sire P7 sound like a P-bass?
Thanks.

This is the tone I'm looking for, more or less
 
Last edited:
#56
My edwards is ash/slab rosewood/nitro and I'm keeping it forever
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20260503_171011843.jpg
    PXL_20260503_171011843.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 5
#59
Yes, the bass arrived, but I had to return it. Since it was a vintage instrument, the truss rod was stiff, making it impossible to set up to my liking. Aside from that, I only had it for a couple of hours, and I had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I really didn't like the "Oval C" profile found on Japanese Precision basses; even though it wasn't particularly thick, it felt a bit chunky for my taste. It reminded me a lot of the neck on the Yamaha BB414. As for the sound... I expected more. It had more brightness and less low-end than alder/rosewood Precision models, and I didn't care for it as much. The sound was more percussive but lacked depth and fullness. Ultimately, I think I prefer ash and maple for Jazz Basses and alder for Precisions.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back