I don't recall the mid scoop but I do remember it sounding veiled compared to the AVRI Precision of the same year (2009).
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Precision bass questions
- Thread starter Joe Nerve
- Start date
I don't recall the mid scoop but I do remember it sounding veiled compared to the AVRI Precision of the same year (2009).
Agreed. The EMG GZR is the easiest pickup to install on the market, and one of the best sounding IMO. BIG fan of these!
I would say THE best sounding but that's all imho.
Vintage-Style Alnico Split Single-Coil is what's in the P special. Reviews on the fender forum seem to be all positive. Gotta dig a little deeper here. If I love the bass when I get I will be open to swapping out the pickup, but I'd rather not. I'm looking to get away cheap here, as it's not going to be my main bass. At least I think not, at this time.
Can anyone verify if that's the mid scooped pickup Jimmy's referring to?
Use your own ears Joe. I'm having a hard time believing that a traditional style Alnico 5 Fender Precision pickup is THAT mid scooped. Maybe someone who designs or builds pickups can explain how that's even possible?
Well I must be a liar.
If that pickup has alnico 5 anywhere near it, then it's the worst alnico 5 in existence. But hey, I'm sure I'm a liar.
Maybe it was the bass, the wiring, pots, your amp, the room, who knows, maybe your pickup was defective. How do you build an Alnico 5 standard Precision pickup for severe mid scoop? That's a serious question; maybe it can be done, where are the experts? I've never heard one, though, and I've had a bunch of Fenders.
Btw, plenty of guys have had those basses, are there other reports of severe mid scoop? Again, serious question, I'm not trying to call you out.
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I own one fairly new American Special Precision and I think it's a very good bass. The one I got, in fact, is pretty exceptional in sound and feel, by my fairly well educated (IMO) standards and experience with Fender basses.
Granted, we're talking about a factory mass-produced instrument here, so YMMV.
Granted, we're talking about a factory mass-produced instrument here, so YMMV.
The last bass I bought, and maybe the last bass I buy, is an MIM Precision, and it's logging a lot of break-in time. But to give Jimmy a response, I think for a lot of us eventually a "How long, O Lord?" mindset arrives as we see Precision preference go from the default to dominance to something which seems more like tyranny or P-olatry. There *are* other basses out there which are very good and which sound nothing like Fender and because of this contribute viably to the bass tonal palette, yet they often are kicked to the curb. To quote Butch Cassidy, "What's the matter with THOSE guys!?"
I've found them to sound a bit more "modern" than a traditional P pick-up. There's more presence and brightness for sure and it's harder to get that low-mid bump that usually smacks your torso when you crank it.
Scooped? Sure, I'll go with that.
I would make a distinction between a "bit more modern" and "severely mid scooped."
I wouldn't say severely scooped, and even though I didn't say it I could have been more specific I guess...
The P basses I've played from that era who presumably have those pickups(not all were new) seemed brighter and the focus of the bass frequency seemed lower.
The P basses I've played from that era who presumably have those pickups(not all were new) seemed brighter and the focus of the bass frequency seemed lower.
It's a midscoop that doesn't readily present itself by itself. Get with a band and it presents itself immediately.
I should have added, "here in Australia". Actually it is closer to $2000 MRRP but in reality an MIM is $1000 and MIA $2200 ish. Though they just went up, and our dollar is worth two pesos so I shudder to think what they are now, or Gibsons, yikes!
no worries, yeah an MIA is expensive here, but at least most shops drop it down from the MRRSP of $3200 !
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
So....
I braved today's blizzard like conditions to take a ride to my somewhat local GC to get a feel for the various P basses. They had an American Standard, a Mexican, and a Satin American Special. I played the special first, and although the strings were pretty high off the neck, it felt really good and sounded awesome. What I'd expect a P to sound like. Full, thick, punchy... even a bit warm when I rolled off the highs. I grabbed the American Standard (which felt like it weighed 5 pounds more), and liked the feel of it. It was set up much better. Neck felt great... I plugged it in, and was surprised. I liked the American special a lot more. The standard had a clankiness to it that I wasn't in love with. Both basses had new strings too, so I was an accurate A/Bing. Went back and forth a couple of times, and it was clear that I was falling in love with the one for $300 less. PS, I wasn't going to allow price to be an issue.
So... armed with a pic that Tbone was kind enough to take for me of the $699 price drop at his GC, I asked if they'd do the same. The sales kid gave me the ol "I think so. Let me check" and lo and behold came back with a very welcomed, "sure." Then he added some icing on the cake. Told me he had one new in the box if I wanted it. I asked to see it, and while it was the same exact bass, it was nowhere near the one I played off the wall. There was a wee bit of fret sprout on the boxed one, one of the pickup screws was higher up than the pickup would go, and even though the setup was better on it - it didn't have the magic I felt with the first. A/Bed the 2 of them, and it was no brainer. I had that ol this bass was made for me feeling.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention the MIM. Picked it up. Immediately felt the quality difference, which I didn't think I would. Plugged it in, and it sounded a bit more like the A Standard. Didn't like it at all, and it was instantly off my maybe list.
I'm still bonding with it. Only played it for a few minutes at home. Will come to the studio with me on Wednesday. The bass is way lighter than I expected. Tried to weigh it and it came in at 6.7 lbs, but there's got to be something off with that. Did it again a couple of times, and well... it's somewhere btwn 6.6 and 8 lbs. All I know is it's light.
AND, it doesn't have the same pickup as the American special that ya'll are complaining about. AS has a vintage alnico split, this has a standard alnico 5. For whatever that's worth. If I don't like it, I'll swap it out.
I'm loving this thing. Love the finish, the looks, the neck profile... especially love the smooth neck. Great frets, great feel, great bass. I'm a happy dude. We'll see what happens when I throw it in the band mix.
Thanks everyone here for all the help with this decision. Special thanks to Tbone for hooking me up with a bunch of pix and a heads up on the price.
And of course, the obligatory pic:
I braved today's blizzard like conditions to take a ride to my somewhat local GC to get a feel for the various P basses. They had an American Standard, a Mexican, and a Satin American Special. I played the special first, and although the strings were pretty high off the neck, it felt really good and sounded awesome. What I'd expect a P to sound like. Full, thick, punchy... even a bit warm when I rolled off the highs. I grabbed the American Standard (which felt like it weighed 5 pounds more), and liked the feel of it. It was set up much better. Neck felt great... I plugged it in, and was surprised. I liked the American special a lot more. The standard had a clankiness to it that I wasn't in love with. Both basses had new strings too, so I was an accurate A/Bing. Went back and forth a couple of times, and it was clear that I was falling in love with the one for $300 less. PS, I wasn't going to allow price to be an issue.
So... armed with a pic that Tbone was kind enough to take for me of the $699 price drop at his GC, I asked if they'd do the same. The sales kid gave me the ol "I think so. Let me check" and lo and behold came back with a very welcomed, "sure." Then he added some icing on the cake. Told me he had one new in the box if I wanted it. I asked to see it, and while it was the same exact bass, it was nowhere near the one I played off the wall. There was a wee bit of fret sprout on the boxed one, one of the pickup screws was higher up than the pickup would go, and even though the setup was better on it - it didn't have the magic I felt with the first. A/Bed the 2 of them, and it was no brainer. I had that ol this bass was made for me feeling.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention the MIM. Picked it up. Immediately felt the quality difference, which I didn't think I would. Plugged it in, and it sounded a bit more like the A Standard. Didn't like it at all, and it was instantly off my maybe list.
I'm still bonding with it. Only played it for a few minutes at home. Will come to the studio with me on Wednesday. The bass is way lighter than I expected. Tried to weigh it and it came in at 6.7 lbs, but there's got to be something off with that. Did it again a couple of times, and well... it's somewhere btwn 6.6 and 8 lbs. All I know is it's light.
AND, it doesn't have the same pickup as the American special that ya'll are complaining about. AS has a vintage alnico split, this has a standard alnico 5. For whatever that's worth. If I don't like it, I'll swap it out.
I'm loving this thing. Love the finish, the looks, the neck profile... especially love the smooth neck. Great frets, great feel, great bass. I'm a happy dude. We'll see what happens when I throw it in the band mix.
Thanks everyone here for all the help with this decision. Special thanks to Tbone for hooking me up with a bunch of pix and a heads up on the price.
And of course, the obligatory pic:
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All the words on the internet are less important than going into the shop and getting to try each. I bought my last P-bass about 8 or 9 years ago and ended up going with an '04 Highway 1 that had been sitting in the shop window as a demo. I liked the simplicity and feel more than the American Standard I tried. I eventually swapped the stock pick up with a Seymour Duncan SPB-1 ("vintage for p-bass"), which really completed the instrument in my book. Just because a bass is more expensive does not mean you will automatically like it more.
