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P-Bass Showdown

jkudding

jkudding

Apr 24, 2008
70
18
Calgary, Alberta
www.myspace.com
#1
Hey All!

I'm about to sell one of my basses in order to pick up a P-bass of some kind. So the next big question is....WHICH ONE?

I'll have a budget around $2500 - $3000, so there are definitely options.

I've narrowed it down to:

Lakland Bob Glaub (US)
Sadowsky Vintage P
Mike Lull
Early 70's Fender (if I can find one)

How can you guys help me? Well, I've only gotten to read about all of these except a 70's Fender, which I've actually tried, and loved. Therefore, if you have experience with more than one of them, or are totally partial to one on the list, please enlighten me as to why you like one better than the others.

I really really appreciate everyone here for the incredible amount of insight in which I'm sure to receive from all of you. Thanks in advance!!

-Justin
 
#3
I have owned many Fender P's and a good amount of Lakland Bob Glaub USA's. They both do the vintage thing very well and the Lakland necks feel the best to me. I currently have a Sadowsky PJ (Ash/maple) and it is the all around best from old school to new school and everything in between. And the neck is killer. Best P Bass I have owned Hands Down! And mine only weighs 8 1/2 lbs too!
 
#5
You really can't go wrong with any of those. I'd probably get one of the boutique ones though because the customer service is gonna be a lot better than Fender in case something is wrong. Personally i'd get the Glaub, it's a very sweet vintage styled P. I own a skyline version and i'm amazed by the quality and feel every time I pick it up; and that's not even the US one!

Let us know what you get!
 
#7
jkudding said:
Would the '08 Standard P truly compete with the others on that list?
Click to expand...

If you find THE ONE, it can hang with them. It won't be the best out of your list but for the money it's good. A lot of people have been saying good things about them around here but there are a couple of bad apples out there too, but definitely not as much as before in previous years. Fender has stepped it up this year big time but Sadowsky Lakland etc still make the best basses. If you play one in a store and love it then get it.
 
#16
Well, don't move too fast now. Not many people have tried Lulls (and that includes me), which is probably why no one's mentioned them yet--but I've heard very good things about them.

What kind of P bass tone are you after? If you're looking for Jamerson-style, old-school thump, I wonder if the Sadowsky can pull that off--I honestly don't know, I'm just asking given the Sadowsky rep for a modern-ish sound.

I'm a big Lakland fan, and the couple of US Glaubs I've tried have been superb. Great passive P tone.

And on the Fender front, I would argue that you'd be better off trying out a Fullerton-era (1982-84) reissue of the '57 or '62 Precision rather than an early '70s P. I've found them to be better-made, more resonant and lighter, on average. I have an '83 '57 reissue (with '62 pickups), and I'd put it up against any of the vintage Fender P's I've tried at Chicago Music Exchange. Prices on the Fullerton-era basses have gone up, but so have the '70s P. Dollar for dollar, I think the Fullertons are a better value.

I guess that's no help in narrowing down your choices, but there it is.:D
 
#20
Well I dont think any of what you listed could be a bad choice. I was in the same boat a few months ago and decided to order a Sadowsky Metro Precision.

Basically I chose Sadowsky for these key reasons:

-The sound: It does the vintage P thing very well, but also can get a little more modern with the pre.

-The neck: This is a Jazz bass width neck. I do like P necks, but find that I play much cleaner on a slimmer style neck. Also I loved the fact that it has a 12" (flat) fingerboard radius, and 21 frets.

-Quality: Even though all the others you listed have high quality standards (well maybe with the exception of the Fender, depending on if you get a good one or not) I felt like the Sadowsky delivered all of the traditional elements I wanted, along with some modern appointments, in a high quality instrument.

That said, tone and feel are both highly subjective and it would be best to try before you buy.
 

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