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P-Bass Alternatives

#27
Jim Kuzman said:
I'm considering adding a P-Bass (or a P-Bass-style alternative) to the family.

The Fender Player Precision ($699) seems a little underwhelming to me on the hardware front - tuners, pickups, bridge - so I'm looking at a couple of alternatives.

I'm considering the G&L Tribute LB-100 ($549) which of course most closely matches the original Precision in terms of pickup configuration, controls, etc.

The G&L Tribute SB-2 ($599) adds the flexibility of a P/J configuration.

The Schecter CV-4 ($599) is a double P-style pickup design with a bunch of series/parallel/split options. I currently have a Schecter Omen Extreme and I really like it; I've always been very impressed with Schecters for quality and value for money.

Does anyone have any opinions or insights on any of these instruments?

Jim
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Player
 
#28
The P bass is the AK47 of the musical instrument world. It’s a simple design that you can build almost anywhere, and with a little attention to detail, it’ll work OK.

That also means, if you work at the details some, you can make a better instrument ( though it’ll sound pretty similar). There are a bunch of folks that make better renditions than the original. Who those folks are depend somewhat on who you ask.
 
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#30
I can vouch for the G&L Tribute LB100!
It is an awesome bass and it’s crafted very nice I was really impressed with it and it sounds and plays nice and thumpy Like a Pbass should...
BE1171C4-60EE-4ACD-B5C5-18DDC58A5C17.jpeg
 
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#32
bumperbass said:
I agree. Every bass and every guitar I've ever owned has come from the factory with nut slots too high. Every one.
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Yup, and high nuts cause intonation and setup problems that baffle a lot of owners. Also, I feel like open strings on bass, even more than other string instruments, have a much different timbre than fingered notes. It can be a cool effect to exploit sometimes, but it's not that cool most of the time, and it's just too much of a difference on some instruments. I assume a zero fret would even that out at least a little.
 
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#34
I’m a beginner at bass but have been playing guitar for about 20 years and have owned a lot of high end stuff and I like to think I know the difference between good and great. Today I got one of the MIJ Yamaha BBs, and apart from being like a P bass mostly in terms of specs, you can see and feel that it’s really top quality. The fit and finish are impeccable. I was extremely impressed when I picked it up and looked it over closely. These can be harder to find but the used ones sell around 1000. I just happened on a good one by luck
 
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#35
Jim Kuzman said:
I'm considering adding a P-Bass (or a P-Bass-style alternative) to the family.

The Fender Player Precision ($699) seems a little underwhelming to me on the hardware front - tuners, pickups, bridge - so I'm looking at a couple of alternatives.

I'm considering the G&L Tribute LB-100 ($549) which of course most closely matches the original Precision in terms of pickup configuration, controls, etc.

The G&L Tribute SB-2 ($599) adds the flexibility of a P/J configuration.

The Schecter CV-4 ($599) is a double P-style pickup design with a bunch of series/parallel/split options. I currently have a Schecter Omen Extreme and I really like it; I've always been very impressed with Schecters for quality and value for money.

Does anyone have any opinions or insights on any of these instruments?

Jim
Click to expand...
I can tell you I have a Player Precision and love it. Fit and finish is excellent. It's light @ 8.6 lbs. The pickup sounds excellent to me.
The tuners are fine and the bridge works as all vintage bridges do. I've got Labella Low Tension Flexible Flats on it and it plays beautifully. Sometimes the sum is greater than the parts.
 
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#38
Jim Kuzman said:
Wow! I had no idea this even existed. This looks really, really interesting... Thanks for further muddying the waters! :) I say that in jest, of course. I'm grateful you pointed this out. Choices are good. Much appreciated!

Jim
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I have the Kiloton 5, awesome bass. The L-2000 or L-2500 is another that absolutely dominate.

BarfanyShart said:
Cool, it's got a zero fret. More basses should have zero frets.
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All basses should have a zero fret, why they don’t do that would be a better question IMHO.
 
#40
BarfanyShart said:
Yup, and high nuts cause intonation and setup problems that baffle a lot of owners. Also, I feel like open strings on bass, even more than other string instruments, have a much different timbre than fingered notes. It can be a cool effect to exploit sometimes, but it's not that cool most of the time, and it's just too much of a difference on some instruments. I assume a zero fret would even that out at least a little.
Click to expand...

Would be cool to buy a pre-slotted nut with a zero fret.
 

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