Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Poll: Time for a New P-Bass
- Thread starter thedukeofno
- Start date
You sir need to build yourself a parts bass. Sounds like you're ready for a keeper. That's what a diy parts build is best for- resale value be damned. I would find a really nice, light weight P body in the color of your choosing, add your favorite flavor of pickups and electronics (duncan antiquity plus barrtolini tct for that sadowski sound?), sprinkle on your bridge of choice (adjustable and mechanically set string spacing or classic threaded saddles?), add a dash of lightweight tuners and finish off with a healthy dose of warmoth roasted flame maple graphite rod neck.
Honestly, the amazing fretwork and fit and finish you see on high end basses is only the last 5%. A well constructed highly stable bass really lends itself to that kind of attention to detail. It's easy to learn to dial in that kind of great setup and fretwork but very difficult to build a bass stable enough to allow it.
Putting together a parts bass outsources the final finicky detailed setup to you which IMO is best anyway since it's a lot cheaper to learn what you really want than to pay someone to learn what you really want. Pay for the stuff that will last (good wood, construction tequnique, pickups) and learn to do the stuff that's regular maintenance anyway (fretwork, setup).
Think of it this way- you can build an amazing p or j bass for about (ABOUT- you can go really wild if you want lol) $800 plus $200 in tools plus a few (9 or 10) hours of research and work. It will be exactly what you want and as good as anything else out there BUT will be worth nothing in resale.
Or you can buy a sadowsky or other flavor of boutique p or j style bass that is more or less the same quality, maybe not exactly what you want, but has resale value.
here is a really high quality elrick precision bass....it says its out of stock..but they can build one for you...........Invalid Link Removed
If the OP is looking higher end, get an EBMM Cutlass. Phenomenal Pbass. The Squier is my backup to this.
It's ridiculous that Fender doesn't offer a standard production line of USA Precision basses with a Jazz neck. It should be a mainstay of their product lineup, available in either P- or P-J configuration, with or without blocks/inlays, active or passive. It would probably be one of their best selling basses! You can't even do a P body with a J neck through their "Mod Shop" for goodness sake. I recently inquired with Fender Custom Shop about an American Elite Precision with an Elite Jazz neck - basically taking off the shelf parts and putting them together. They quoted me $5,000, and said it would have to be "master built"! Crazy!
That is nice. Heavier bridge like a Music Man. Have you compared the two head-to-head? What are the differences?
Same goes for EBMM and their new Stingray Special with no "Slo" (Jazz width) neck. They used to offer it in the previous line, but now you can only get the new Stingray with the regular P width neck. I inquired with them too recently, and their reply was they have no plans to offer the SR Special with a Slo neck. Disappointing! These iconic bass manufacturers should give the consumer what they want (and they'll buy it!) rather than forcing them to seek out other brands.
The fun is in the hunt.
I must have played a dozen old P basses before I found my 75. As soon as I picked it up I knew it was for me!
Relish the journey!
I’ve played “A” neck P basses from the seventies. They came A, B, C neck widths. No need to fit a Jazz neck.
I must have played a dozen old P basses before I found my 75. As soon as I picked it up I knew it was for me!
Relish the journey!
I’ve played “A” neck P basses from the seventies. They came A, B, C neck widths. No need to fit a Jazz neck.
Hell yeah I've compared them!
I just picked up the Squier FSR Classic Vibe '70s Precision this week as a backup to the Cutlass. I play in several bands. Some original and some cover bands. I can play the Cutlass for hours with no fatigue. It's a little hotter than your traditional Precision bass. But it's my #1 for live performance. I record mostly with a Fender '50s Reissue Precision strung with LaBella flats. I keep rounds on my live performance bass guitars usually.
The Squier I picked up because it played awesome, sounded great, looked great and only cost $400. Definitely better than the current Players Series.
For me at this point it's largely about the strings and the pickups. I have had many different Ps over the years, from beater Franken-p's to vintage Fenders to USA Laklands. I'm now pretty certain I could take any good-feeling/playing P of decent quality and put standard-wound Lindy Fralins in it, and have my desired P sound. Next would be the strings: for rounds it's DR Nickel Lo-Riders, and for flats, Labella all the way. Done, sure-fire, top-notch (for me at least) P tone.
I am very particular about what I like, but I've owned and played a lot of basses along the way. If you know specifics on what you like and prefer (fingerboard radius, types of wood used, pickups, hardware style, type of finish, etc.) then hunt around for something that fits the bill. Buy right and keep flipping 'till you find "the one".
If you don't really know exactly what you want for specific details and/or you don't want to go on the hunt, then just order a Sadowsky. The craftsmanship and consistency is great and you are guaranteed to get a very solid instrument that will feel right and sound good.
If you don't really know exactly what you want for specific details and/or you don't want to go on the hunt, then just order a Sadowsky. The craftsmanship and consistency is great and you are guaranteed to get a very solid instrument that will feel right and sound good.
Sadowsky mainly means J bass concept ... I'd go for a Fbass PJ, especially the last one 40th anniversary (called 40th Anniversary PJ) with the Aguilar PJ set, if you can wait for the building time and have got cash to invest.
See it here:
40th Anniversary PJ
Here's a sample of its tone from Scott Devine's YouTube channel (listen to it at the beginning of the video when Scott performs a series of diminished/minor runs):
Difficult to find a better sounding and built P bass in my opinion (not only PJ, I'd say P bass with the agreement of the P-bass purists or not).
The bass has got a 42mm neck width at nut, so fully P-style I'd say, but this is an order-made bass, so I presume you may specify a kind of J-like neck of your choice ...
See it here:
40th Anniversary PJ
Here's a sample of its tone from Scott Devine's YouTube channel (listen to it at the beginning of the video when Scott performs a series of diminished/minor runs):
Difficult to find a better sounding and built P bass in my opinion (not only PJ, I'd say P bass with the agreement of the P-bass purists or not).
The bass has got a 42mm neck width at nut, so fully P-style I'd say, but this is an order-made bass, so I presume you may specify a kind of J-like neck of your choice ...
Many great "other" options introduced here, nice read (and drooling).
Still, I tried to fit into the options presented in the poll, just because I presume it makes it easier for the OP to decide within his pre-considered options. Thus I voted G&L. My only real close experience with the brand was an L-1505 I hated and some L-2500 a friend had (didn't like that one much either -disclaimer: I'm a Stingray5 guy-), BUT I started changing my mind once the Tribute series became widely available and got to try some, then started really liking G&L stuff when the Kiloton-5 and JB-5 came out, which also turned my head to those lovely LB-100s I had been seing all my life but never appreciated (also I'm really attracted to the Tribute SB2). That's the best of your pre-selected bunch IMHO, I've played no Sadowsky P basses, but still, after considering this is a P bass (a rather "standard" thing you cannot reinvent too much), I still dare say bang for the buck is also at G&L for me.
Now, if you ask me what the nicest overall P bass is for me, well, it's the Classic Vibe '70s P, it's almost exactly what's described in the second paragraph of the OP. For me that (or a Matt Freeman sig. -same specs AFAIK-) has the nicest of necks and the exact P clonk I like, my fave P-bass ever, no matter the price or origin.
UNRELATED: I know it's strange for someone who has read about my shortcomings with G&L openly vote G&L. I've changed my mind these later years. I was being a prejudicious loser, as my only caveats really with G&Ls seem to be the older (thicker) neck profiles and that completely unintuitive "active EQ" (a hissy treble boost in practice) in the L line. Other than that I really like everything else they put out, really solid and top quality. Wish they released a Tribute JB-5, I'd be all over it, USA JB-5s are impossible to get used anywhere near Europe.
UNRELATED 2: If, given that you already own a P, you might appreciate a versatile overall Fender "impersonator" for a more eclectic use (instead of just another P-bass) you may like the latest CV bass from Schecter, weird bass, very under the radar, but can do many P and J flavors, passive, with a twist, a more modern character, playability and response (definitely more punchy and aggressive when digging in). Just a thought about what I consider a fantastic Fender cloner mixed with lots of features we love from more modern bass concepts.
Still, I tried to fit into the options presented in the poll, just because I presume it makes it easier for the OP to decide within his pre-considered options. Thus I voted G&L. My only real close experience with the brand was an L-1505 I hated and some L-2500 a friend had (didn't like that one much either -disclaimer: I'm a Stingray5 guy-), BUT I started changing my mind once the Tribute series became widely available and got to try some, then started really liking G&L stuff when the Kiloton-5 and JB-5 came out, which also turned my head to those lovely LB-100s I had been seing all my life but never appreciated (also I'm really attracted to the Tribute SB2). That's the best of your pre-selected bunch IMHO, I've played no Sadowsky P basses, but still, after considering this is a P bass (a rather "standard" thing you cannot reinvent too much), I still dare say bang for the buck is also at G&L for me.
Now, if you ask me what the nicest overall P bass is for me, well, it's the Classic Vibe '70s P, it's almost exactly what's described in the second paragraph of the OP. For me that (or a Matt Freeman sig. -same specs AFAIK-) has the nicest of necks and the exact P clonk I like, my fave P-bass ever, no matter the price or origin.
UNRELATED: I know it's strange for someone who has read about my shortcomings with G&L openly vote G&L. I've changed my mind these later years. I was being a prejudicious loser, as my only caveats really with G&Ls seem to be the older (thicker) neck profiles and that completely unintuitive "active EQ" (a hissy treble boost in practice) in the L line. Other than that I really like everything else they put out, really solid and top quality. Wish they released a Tribute JB-5, I'd be all over it, USA JB-5s are impossible to get used anywhere near Europe.
UNRELATED 2: If, given that you already own a P, you might appreciate a versatile overall Fender "impersonator" for a more eclectic use (instead of just another P-bass) you may like the latest CV bass from Schecter, weird bass, very under the radar, but can do many P and J flavors, passive, with a twist, a more modern character, playability and response (definitely more punchy and aggressive when digging in). Just a thought about what I consider a fantastic Fender cloner mixed with lots of features we love from more modern bass concepts.
Last edited:
Not the most expensive option but I've enjoyed my Hammersmith. It's very light, a little downsized from Fenders, and they will do certain custom options like blocked necks, custom colors, J neck on a P, pickups, etc. You have to like a 12" fretboard radius but I do so it worked out for me.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
- 14,723
- 20,970
- Disclosures
- I suck, but nobody really notices
This
I almost bought it dude. Went for a talman instead. But that is my winner.
Fender P, with a 70s J neck, and a single in the bridge for extra sound options.
I'd go Fender Japan, save some money, and learn the truth the easy way- the reasons why Roger makes the Metros there. Then again, I have a friend who can afford whatever he wants. He chose a Sadowsky NYC Jazz maple and a Lull Precision rosewood.
