Been in the market for my first p...ive got 3 jazzes so i think its time to try something different. I'm looking used, so my question is...i've seen a few mim p's in good shape going for around 250 and i've also seen the highway1 p's going for around 500-600 used in good shape. What would you do? how big of a difference would that extra 300 dollars make...i havn't had a chance to try any out recently, so any input would be great thanks
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P bass question
- Thread starter tquad17
- Start date
I would personally go HW1 or MIJ. You should be able to find a nice used MIJ for that or less and I have yet to play a bad one.
Sir, forget MIM, forget Higway one. Those are glorified MIM's anyways IMHO (here come the flames). Crappy tone circuit too. Crappy pickups.
Get yourself a 80's or 90's MIJ. Believe me. Superior to any MIM in every way AND....most of the time at the very least...they are equal to MIA. My current P bass is a 94' MIJ 62' reissue. Beats the last two MIA P basses I have owned hands down.
Then slap one of your jazz necks on the P bass. you'll be in heaven.
Get yourself a 80's or 90's MIJ. Believe me. Superior to any MIM in every way AND....most of the time at the very least...they are equal to MIA. My current P bass is a 94' MIJ 62' reissue. Beats the last two MIA P basses I have owned hands down.
Then slap one of your jazz necks on the P bass. you'll be in heaven.
Thank you for the input guys...i've started looking at mij pbasses...but they seem even more expensive than the highway1 option...i mean not by much, but budget is somewhat of a dilemma...thats why im having such a hard time saying no to a 250 dollar bass, but in essence id be probably be getting what i paid for...looks like im gonna be saving up for a while
If you're buying a 250 dollar bass, I'd get a Squier over a MIM. IIRC the HW1 is the same as a American Standard except for the finish and a couple minor things.
Zoa said:
Wow. It cracks me up on this site the way people value where a bass is made. Look ill break it down real easy. Unless your a PRO and by that u make a real living off of ur bass ur not gonna know the difference. Mim mij mia? Hah. If u get a quality bass set up right it will sound good as any in the right cab/ head. Sorry to bust the bubble but your payin to have "status" its a joke.
It is not about valuing where a bass is made it is about acknowledging the difference in build quality. MIJ instruments tend to be very consistent with excellent build quality. MIA also tend to have good build quality but until the last few years they have not been as consistent as the MIJ products. MIM's are far less consistent and the quality difference is readily apparent all but for those few abnormally good MIM's that do appear from time to time.
This you must be a pro to discern the difference canard could not be further from the truth, one needs only be observant and have a modicum of knowledge to do so.
beat me to it.
IME japanese ones are often built to a higher standard than US ones.
I'd also have a look at FGN P basses.
The ones I tried really impressed me and if I'd had the money at the time, I would have gotten one.
It's not paying for status. If we were truly snobbing on manufacture origin, everyone here would have said "Why the hell are you thinking HWY1, REAL Fenders are made in AMERICA!"
No.
Instead, the suggestions are being made for the most solid and consistent basses made by Fender. Do you realize that the MIJ basses were once thought of as 'those cheap imports' and that is why they are still around for great prices?
Read this forum, and you'll realize that the majority aren't 'paying for status', we're paying for quality.
Here we go again... the usual MIM bashing as usual...
I bought a superb MIM P bass off of the bay, blind.
Maybes I got lucky, of course - try before you buy if you can.
It's a super example and I used it over my Ray (now sold).
Link Removed
I bought a superb MIM P bass off of the bay, blind.
Maybes I got lucky, of course - try before you buy if you can.
It's a super example and I used it over my Ray (now sold).
Link Removed
Hwy One's are not glorified MIM as you say, or maybe not any more. A user named Bongolation (I think) took apart a Hwy One P and I believe he said it has the same pickups as the American Standard. The necks are the same as the American Standard as well (graphite truss support, rolled edges).
been loving both my Squier CV J and P. Swapped the pickups and got a good setup on each and they get more playing time than my Warrior. 
Those basses are just so smooth to play.
Those basses are just so smooth to play.
Here we go again... the usual MIM bashing as usual...
I hope I didn't come off as bashing MIMs, that wasn't my intention. I was trying to disprove the other poster's accusation of paying for status. I don't even own a Fender, but if I did it would be MIM or MIJ. The good MIMs often rival and even surpass the shaky MIAs of the same year.
Ridiculous. I'm not a professional bassist but I know the differences in quality. I think this applies to most bassists on TB. MIMs are great, but they're not MIAs.
Also, I'm not a chef or cook, and I don't get paid to enter competitive eating contests but I can tell the difference between a filet mignon and a quarter-pounder with cheese.
