Precision bass vs telecaster bass which is best

I've never been a P-bass player due to lack of a thumbrest and defined, midrange sound. I picked up a Tele bass last week and it seemed that the single coil pickup may have given a better thumb position.

Visionally, I like the Tele's look better. It's just a bit different.

There's an unqualified response from an unqualified responder.

 

Better for metal?

 

IIRC the original Precision bass was essentially a Telecaster bass. I'm not a Fender Expert, but I'm thinking it was 1956 ot '57 that the P-Bass that we all know and love came into being, and the originally designed P-Bass was brought out in the Late '60's as the Telecaster. (I'm not sure when the big Chrome pickup came out either...)

I had a '53 ReIssue, and it was cool sounding! But the Slab Body didn't thrill my Ribs and wrist much, and I eventually sold it. But I'd lean towards the P-Bass. The Tele is cool because there are so few of them. But there is also a reason why there are less...

 

i own one of each, therefore i dont have to worry about which ones better, i just have to worry about which one i want to take to my next gig

 

My first real bass (after a Kingston and a Kalamazoo) was a '69 Telecaster. The bass was stolen in 1977, and I mourn it to this day. I loved the sound of that bass so much. The combo of the maple neck/fretboard with the single coil pickup gave it an amazing clarity, pretty much exactly like the Telecaster guitar, which meant you better be on your game because every note is coming out loud, proud and distinct. All the basses I've had since with rosewood fretboards have a more 'smeary' sound to them by comparison. The only bass I've had since that I liked almost as much was a very early Music Man Stingray with maple neck, and that was stolen in 1990! (Maybe I should stay away from the maple necks?) Not that the MM was anywhere near the same type of bass, but it still had that clarity of tone like the Tele. The Tele probably isn't for everyone because it is so revealing.

 

Do the tele basses traditionaly have a larger bass ball bat size neck, or have I just stumbled accross a few with C necks by chance?

 

There is not "best," there's "different."

There are two Telecaster basses. One is 1968 reissue of the original single coil Precision, the other is the 1972-on big humbucker version.

I've had both. Both have been 1 3/4" round C profile necks, very comfortable for me.

Sonically, the early Tele, later Tele, and "normal" split coil Precision are very different from each other.
The single coil is nearly J-bass like, with broad, even freq response. The humbucker is very fat, very deep, not much treble.
The split-P has a very noticable low mid bump.

 

Something interesting I noticed yesterday at band practice. I was playing my SCPB, and when I dug in and played harder, all of my notes sounded extremely compressed.

It's the first time I've really had a chance to crank it up with this bass, so I haven't noticed it until now. Is this normal? This is my first single coil P, so if someone has more experience on this, please elaborate. I'm very interested in this sound, just wasn't prepared for it and ended up switching basses because I felt like I was fighting it.

 

Turn your amp up, and play with a lighter touch, to achieve a broader dynamic range...

 

I own both, and when I record, I always pull out my 68 Telecaster bass first...it just cuts through and sounds fantastic-especially when paired with my Ampeg B-15.

 

According to an earlier post of yours, you already have a P Bass (1980 Precision Special), so you should already have familiarity of the P Bass sound.

As for the Tele Bass, the single coil version and humbucker version are vastly different in terms of tone, with the humbucker version being huge, fat, and bassy sounding, and the single coil being a bit more defined.

However - we don't know anything about what music you like, your purposes/needs for the bass, your rig, do you like basses with slim necks or fat ones, etc, etc. Recommending one bass or another to you at this point is kinda like a guy going into a car dealer and saying "I want a Ford Mustang or a Ford Explorer...which is better". We need more details to properly help you.

 

best is a hard term to answer. i work retail, and i get asked that all the time.
best is a relative term, depends on who you ask. although i like the original tele bass, i prefer a split coil pickup and body of a traditional precision for my playing style.

 

So the compressed sound is normal, then? Good to know. Now I can figure out how to best use it.

 

^ There's your answer. The rest is up to you, try all three with the types of music you play and with the types of equipment you own and all should be good.
As for personal preferences I like the split p for about 75% of the work I do and the sc for about 20% and the humbucker for about 5%. I have all three.

 

Let's see... they made something like 2,440 Telecaster basses, and 25,383,779 split coil Precision basses. I wonder which one is best....

 

Yeah: best has nothing to do with sales numbers.

We've had that argument, lets not have it again.

 

Telecaster Bass IMO, I compared to two at a guitar shop last weekend...my preference was the Telecaster because it has a vintage sound to it. But its all about preference.

 

Of course it has nothing to do with sales numbers. I mean, really... what do 99.9% of all bass players know?

 

There's really isn't a "best" in this situation. Just different.

I just spent the last few hours with two P-basses, my MIA 60th (split coil) and my Dillion SCPB. As I switched between the two, there's a very distinct vibe from each. The split coil is of course the rockin' bass we all know and love.

The single coil was.... Different. The tone is still the P sound we all recognize, but there's a difference in the tone somehow. I can't really explain it, but aside from the single coil compression, the notes ring differently.

I love them both. The split coil is my go to for any gig, but I can imagine that the single coil would really shine in a stripped down situation like an acoustic band, where the tone can really be heard in a mellower, relaxed vibe.