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Precision Decisions

JimmyThunder

JimmyThunder

Feb 19, 2008
3,089
3,627
New Hampshire
#1
I recently realized that after over 20 years of playing bass, I've never actually owned a proper Precision. Gotta remedy that!


PART ONE:

do I:
a) pick up a Squier VM, which I am confident will get me the typical P-bass sound and feel on the cheap?
b) pick up a Highway One, which to my imprecise ears will probably sound and feel the same as the Squier, but has that matte nitro finish that I greatly prefer aesthetically?

If things go well with the VM I'd probably pretty quickly resell it and upgrade to the H1 anyway. But do I want to tie up H1 money in the testing phase?


PART TWO:

it's going to be fretless since that's what I prefer 90% of the time. I love the Mighty Mite neck on my #1 Jazz (which is actually a P-neck).

So do I:
a) take my Jazz out of service and put it's neck and strings on the precision body until I make a decision?
b) buy another of the same neck ($100) and tuners ($40) and tapewounds ($40) so I can keep my Jazz intact and just resell those items as used (for a loss of maybe $60) if I end up not keeping the bass?


other factors: my finances are not exactly great right now...i could scrape together the money for any of these choices but will feel a bit guilty no matter what. Also I'm not in a band right now so all this testing happens in my living room (or on auditions).

?
 
#4
Show just a tiny bit of patience and shop for a decent deal on a used H1. Guys on here were buying new ones recently from Music123.com for $442, so you ought to be able to get a decent deal on a used one if you look around.

Put the fretless neck you have now on it.

If you don't like it, put the H1 back to stock and sell it for what you paid for it.

If you do like, buy another fretless neck, etc..

If you buy the Squier, whether you like it or not, you will still not have had (in your words) a "proper Precision". They're good (by all accounts), but they're not EXACTLY the SAME. I mean, if you don't like the Squier, you'll still be left with the question "should I try a proper Precision? I might like that, even though I didn't like the Squier." And if you DO like the Squier, you'll also still be left with the question "should I try a proper Precision? I might like that so much better it would be worth the extra money to me."
 
#8
I appreciate the out-of-the-box suggestions for other models, but I'm pretty thoroughly researched and well decided on it being one of those two. I've owned VM (fretted and fretless) and H1 jazzes and liked them all very much. Judging by reviews here I'm assuming the respective Precision models are of similar quality.

I'm an incurable tinkerer so undoubtedly down the line, if I end up keeping a P in the arsenal, I'll be swapping out many parts (largely for aesthetic reasons) so I'm not concerned about details. I just want to get in the "traditional P" ballpark to see if I can hang with that style pickup and controls and body.

So the question for Part One is basically, do I start with a model that gets me in the door cheap but I will undoubtedly replace entirely if things go well (I love the finish that only the H1 has) or do I go with the higher-priced model that I stand a chance of keeping if things go well, but will take more of an investment to determine?
 
#12
Link Removed

I've had 4 Fender MIA P basses over 30 years. I love the SX P-57 bass I got from Rondo.

You can have a great P or Jazz bass delivered to your door for a total under $150!

Rondo is above Manchester, NH ... you could probably drive there and pick one out, save shipping.
 
#14
C.Linton said:
My VM P bass certainly has the look, the sound and the feel of one.
Click to expand...

Is the body of your Squier made out of the same wood as the body of a US Fender?

If not, then I think the correct version of your statement would be:

"My VM P bass certainly has the look, the sound and the feel of one TO ME."

It doesn't sound the same to everybody and I think you go too far if you assert that the OP would NOT be able to hear a difference. Unless maybe you know him well and already know such a thing about him.
 
#16
StuartV said:
It doesn't sound the same to everybody and I think you go too far if you assert that the OP would NOT be able to hear a difference. Unless maybe you know him well and already know such a thing about him.
Click to expand...

For the record, I probably wouldn't hear the difference. My ears aren't very nuanced, especially once the band kicks in. I was just about as happy with the sound of my $300 VM Jazz off the wall as I was with my $1k USA Standard.

I really am just looking for "ballpark", in the sense that I've been playing Jazzes for a long time and want to try a Precision so I can experience the difference between a J and a P, not an alder-bodied P vs an ash-bodied P or whatever.
 
#18
You definitely can't go wrong if you do some shopping and get yourself a good deal on either one. A used Squier or a used MIA Fender. A good deal on a used bass is a good deal, regardless. A good deal means you can sell it later for at least what you paid for it. It's a no-lose.

OTOH, if you know you prefer the matte, nitro finish of the H1, it seems silly to spend the time messing with anything else - assuming you can find a good deal on one in a reasonable amount of time. I mean, come on, it's a P bass, you ARE going to love it! ;)

BTW, I just saw a used H1 available for trade in the Classifieds....
 
#20
StuartV said:
Is the body of your Squier made out of the same wood as the body of a US Fender?

If not, then I think the correct version of your statement would be:

"My VM P bass certainly has the look, the sound and the feel of one TO ME."

It doesn't sound the same to everybody and I think you go too far if you assert that the OP would NOT be able to hear a difference. Unless maybe you know him well and already know such a thing about him.
Click to expand...

A. I don't care what the body wood is, that's irrelevant.
B. Yes, that is certainly true, it sounds and plays EXACTLY like my '78 Fender, also a "proper" P-bass.
C. And I think you go to far to assume that he would hear any difference, you know him as well as I do ,therefore you cannot make any claims as to how he would or wouldn't enjoy a Squier either. All I indeed can tell you is I find mine to be great instruments, as apparently do a majority of people who own/play them. It seems more likely than not he would enjoy them, but the only true way to know is to try one. To discourage him from even trying one out is a disservice to him.
I'm just disagreeing with the assertion that a Squier is not a "proper" Precison, that's a load of crock. To try and steer someone away from a particular brand just because you think they're not "proper" (what then hell does that mean, anyway?)
is entirely unhelpful.
 

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