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Mine is one of them. Really love the bass but I'm needing a more modern-ish J/MM style 5string. I agree with all the positive comments on the Fender P5's. Really well built, great sounding and playing P basses with a low B.
From what I've recently seen/heard, the John East Retro-P pre is pretty darn versatile. There's a cool YouTube clip detailing this:
(Just trying to talk you out of getting rid of it, that's all.
)
I loved mine so much I bought another. The sunburst is getting flats and the candy cola is getting stainless rounds.
That's awesome, O-evetS... Right now I have my P5 strung w/ rounds & my 4 string P (Squier CV) strung w/ flats, but if I ever snag another 5'er I would do the exact same thing!
And the pearloid PG looks sweet on the Candy Cola!
And the pearloid PG looks sweet on the Candy Cola!
Thanks! It looks really nice in person.
I took them both to a gig this past weekend. Such incredible tone.
Apparently, P5 owners are too busy playing them to talk about them...
Bump, regardless.
That's how P Bass players roll.
Here's a topic/question:
Has anybody had the opportunity to do an A/B comparison with a Fender P5 and any of the basses from higher end builders (Alleva-Coppolo, Lull, Sadowsky, Nordstrand, etc)?
Curious how they each stack up, tone-wise.
Also, there are some GAS inducing Dingwall Super P's on Bass Central's website: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Has anybody had the opportunity to do an A/B comparison with a Fender P5 and any of the basses from higher end builders (Alleva-Coppolo, Lull, Sadowsky, Nordstrand, etc)?
Curious how they each stack up, tone-wise.
Also, there are some GAS inducing Dingwall Super P's on Bass Central's website: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I've owned P5 basses made by Lull, Benavente, and Sadowsky. I haven't done a direct A/B because I've never owned a Fender P5, but I've played a few.
In short, the Am Std P5 has the most traditional Fender P-bass tone. The Lull P5 I had was passive (Fralin pickups), but also 35" scale, which gives a slightly but distinctly different timbre to my ears: "tighter", more modern, across all strings. My Sadowsky P5s are 34" and sound more traditional than Lull, but due to construction methods and electronics they still sound slightly more hi-fi than Fender, even in passive mode.
Last time I went to the Benavente site, their "51 Model" slab-body P-basses weren't listed so I guess they are no longer in production.
I would like to own a Fender P5 one day, but right now I'm delighted with the Sadowskys. Yes, they sound a little more modern than Fender, but response is amazingly even over the entire fretboard. Sure, you can find Fenders with no significant weak spots, but the Sadowskys are amazing, perhaps due to the thicker headstock and graphite stiffening rods in the neck. I also like the light-weight chambered bodies, and fretwork is second to none. I'm not going to get into the "is a Sadowsky worth the price?" debate, but for the NYC models you are paying for a top-of-the-line custom shop bass rather than a production line one.
I posted pics of my Sadowsky and Benaventes earlier this thread. I no longer own the Lull.
I've never played Alleva-Coppolo, but from numerous threads here on TalkBass they are the boutique to buy for the most traditional Fender tone. If I want that, I'll get the Fender P5. Again, Sadowsky is working best for me right now. The B string is amazing, as good as the 35" basses I've owned (except maybe the composite-necked Modulus Quantum, which was a very different animal tone-wise), and I have one strung with TI flats that sounds killer for Motown/Stax/blues/classic rock.
Not the DRs specifically, but I have been using rounds on mine (D'addario nickels) exclusively since I picked it up a few months ago.
I love flats (have La Bellas on my 4 string P), but after trying out a set on the 5'er I realized that I prefer the feel & tone of rounds on this bass.
In the past I've tried nickel LoRiders on a different bass & found them to have a 'darker' tone than other nickels, so I think they might work nicely on a Precision (IMHO).
Cheers, Fuzz - that's exactly the type of response I was looking for!
You're welcome. Thanks in return for the most excellent thread!
You didn't ask about playability, but in short: my Lull had a "slim, fast" neck, whereas Sadowsky is chunkier... at least as much as Fender, maybe a slightly more. The Benaventes are chunkiest of all.
Oh: in a Lull thread someone said they ordered a Lull P5 in 34" scale, so that might be something to consider if scale length matters to you. Last I checked, Lull was less expensive than Sadowsky, Nordstrand (which I haven't tried), and Alleva-Coppola, but that was a decade ago.
Never played a Sadowsky P5, but I'm kinda surprised to hear how chunky the neck is. I love my Fender, but I wish the neck profile was just a wee bit slimmer. I'm getting used to it, but I actually thought it would have been thinner that it was/is. The tone I get makes it all worth it, however!
But as happy with the bass as I am, I wouldn't mind giving an Alleva-Coppolo a test run though!
Chef
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