Precision Bass dilemma

[Klonk]

I am quite OCD about craftmanship, and I like a well made product with good quality materials. I dig Sadowskys or Mike Lulls for example, and would like to have one.

I guess you should really enjoy the MIJ Fenders, then! I know I do, amongst other reasons because they are well made. I've ordered four of them directly from Japan (I speak a bit of Japanese), and they have all been great. I sold three of them away to fund a Fender Custom Shop 59 P bass, but I still have a MIJ 51 P bass that I enjoy alot.

Have you tried Sandberg? I really like them too, because of the great craftmanship (I have owned four of them too, currently own one).

 

[MichiBass]

I've ordered four of them directly from Japan (I speak a bit of Japanese), and they have all been great. I sold three of them away to fund a Fender Custom Shop 59 P bass, but I still have a MIJ 51 P bass that I enjoy alot.

Is the Fender Custom Shop 59 P bass MUCH better than the MIJ? I was also looking for something similar, but is it worth the difference? Why not get an old Fender for that money?

 

[Klonk]

I owned two MIJs in the classic P bass version (rosewood/tortoise/3TSB) before I ordered the one from Custom Shop, so I have had a good comparison. The CS one is slightly better in all areas, but probably not worth it dollar for dollar if I try to look objectively at it. The biggest differences to me are 1) neck profile, and 2) weight. The neck profile is wider but slimmer than the standard P neck, which I've come to really enjoy. The weight is great, can't remember off the top of my head, but it's noticably lighter than my other Fenders and my Sandberg.

I opted for the Custom Shop instead of a vintage Fender for several reasons: if I were to buy a pre-CBS Fender I would have had to pay three times what I paid for the Custom Shop. Also, with a 2013-made Custom Shop, I know what I get, no hidden, future problems like you could get if you buy a proper vintage Fender. I also prefered to buy via thomann.de, seeing that I live in Norway, and freight (including insurance) from the US was markedly more expensive than the 20 Euro I paid to Thomann. There's also a 3 year guarantee with Thomann. They don't have mine in stock anymore, but this one is fairly close to the one I bought from them: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Jeff K]

Those Japanese P-Basses ARE high end P-Basses. There's no reason to spend more money when you don't need to. I'd personally keep both of them as the Japanese Fender stuff just keeps going up in value. Plus, you'll have a great backup bass.

I totally agree with Lownote. I have some nice basses, but my Japanese E-Series P-Bass just might be my favorite of all of them. I will say that I DID go ahead and switch out the pickups to a Seymour Duncan SPB-1. That simple switch transformed a very good bass into a mighty close to perfect one, IMO.

All that said, if you absolutely MUST sell one, I'd personally hang on to the Sunburst one. Others will argue that Sunburst/rosewood is too common. But in my opinion, it is the epitome of what a classic old P-Bass looks like! Admittedly though, I'm not a big fan of blue basses.

I WOULD condition that rosewood board though. That will nourish the rosewood and darken it up a bit. It'll be like you have a new bass!

 

[klejst]

If you must get rid of any, I'd keep the two Japanese basses. Good backups of each other and like you said you like them and their looks. If you're saying the 1997 looks better with the ware than 2013 than that sir is exactly why they make road worn basses looked to have been played since 1975 but are from 2015.

 

[inanimate_carb]

Make sure a high-end P is what you really are looking for. I've owned a few and always go back to more modest offerings. Not to sully any builders of the boutique stuff, but in many cases the cheaper ones sound closer to the classic P tone.

 

[klejst]

Make sure a high-end P is what you really are looking for. I've owned a few and always go back to more modest offerings. Not to sully any builders of them, but in many cases the cheaper ones sound closer to the classic P tone.

I agree, at least in some experiences I've had too. I've have played and owned some MIM/MIJ P basses that are just as good in sound and build quality if not better than MIA's and at a fraction of price.

 

[micguy]

If you really do have a surpluss of Precisions....

Security! Security! Get this guy out of hear before our wives hear that kind of talk!

 

[Cuzzie]

+1 for Sandberg's

I have 2 a MarloweDK and a VS4 (p bass)

Great pieces of kit

 

[phillybass101]

Keep both. Japanese made basses are good quality. But you've already learned this lesson. High End/More expensive only means that. Not better in a lot of cases.

 

[jaymelewis]

put flats on one and rounds on the other, and you'll see they're not at all the same anymore

edit: If you don't mind spending the money, put vintage voiced pickups with the flats and hot pickups with the rounds, and you'll be set for life!

compare:




If you're like me and don't like rounds at all, you can try out for the Phil Lynott/Steve Harris school of rock tones, with Quarter Pounders and Rotosound flats! that'll serve any rock purpose!

Dude, thanks so much for sharing these! I'm honored!

 

[jaymelewis]

I have a 6 month rule in my studio; anything that hasn't been touched in 6 months is out. Basses, mics, pedals, outboard gear... Anything. Keeps me from buying things I don't need, also

 

[oMetaloHead]

Dude, thanks so much for sharing these! I'm honored!

Thank you so much for making quality bass videos!

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

I'll chime in with 2 thoughts:
1. There's literally no guarantee that any vintage bass you find will actually be of better build quality than either of your MIJ's. Most builders who've been doing this for a while or seen a lot of vintage axes will tell you that by and large, build quality today is the best it's ever been.
Most post-2008 Squiers are built better than many 70's MIA Fenders.
2. To that end, i also fail to see a lot of return-on-investment with a "high end" P.
The biggest difference between your MIJ's and a "high end" will most likely be pickups, and the illusion of higher quality because it was made by hand. There's not much more to it.
If you wanna go high quality, those MIJ's should tick the box. You'll pass those down to grandkids.
If you wanna go boutique for the sake of boutique, get something funky that you can't get off the rack. Dual reverse P's, 50's neck profile, zebrawood top on a chambered swamp ash body. That kind of thing.
A Pbass is a Pbass, and you have a couple of great ones already.
Try swapping strings and pickups if you're unhappy, because if you're going for build quality, you've already got it.

 

[Son of Wobble]

I have six P basses so my inclination should be obvious.
But if you are dead set on dropping one bass, OP, I'd suggest ditching the blue on, as it appears
you are wearing blue jeans in that shot. And in my own experience playing a blue Robert Cray Strat
while wearing blue jeans, the visual impact is akin to this:

 

[InhumanResource]

Those Japanese P-Basses ARE high end P-Basses. There's no reason to spend more money when you don't need to. I'd personally keep both of them as the Japanese Fender stuff just keeps going up in value. Plus, you'll have a great backup bass.

For real. MIJ Fenders are my jam. I like them better than MIA or anything else by a long shot.

Plus they made those ultra sexy unlined fretless models

 

[Runlikegregg]

I think you're done buying basses. If you like the P's you have it's silly to try to get something "better".
I would say hang on to both Ps.
But if you must sell one, then wait a few more months, for 2 reasons.
1. you may really discover which bass you truly like better (play and feel, not looks)
2. you may as well wait to sell until you have something specific to buy with that money.

 

[FunkHead]

I have had lots of MIJ Fender P-basses. They certainly are great. However, I scored an older 1957 AVRI Precision in mint shape. It surpassed my expectations in every way. I don't think any other P-Bass will satisfy me more than this one. The same amount maybe but, not more. I would keep looking while at the same enjoying the two you have.

 

[Aidenn7]

My American P with A J neck kills.. your Mij P's will be going up in Value. lol keep them til you figure ẃhich feels better

 

[dagrev]

Keep them until you know you found "the One" that can replace one or both. In the mean time you've got to put flats on one of them. Real flats--not flats that try to sound bright like rounds.

I had a MIJ Geddy and other than the crappy tuners it was as good as good as it gets. Better made them my real '71 Jazz. Pickups would be an option I would consider. You can get some Klein Pickups from the U.S. very reasonably, and can choose the late 50s version which will soften the mids and make you one happy bass player. And...don't drink the kool-aid about keeping the Sunburst. Everyone knows they don't look better. It's just what people say who have one! Just kidding, just kidding. Kind of!