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Settle an argument. (Fender vs. FSO vs. non-FSO)
- Thread starter Greenman72
- Start date
Not really. Fender designates Precision and Jazz basses according to body shape, so yes, it's definitely a Precision.Here's a curveball for Ya: Is (genuine) Fender p-bass with a (genuine) Fender j-bass neck still a Precision Bass?
I would say yes. The reason I say yes is because IMO I don't think nut width dictates whether it's a p bass or not. As I recall, over the years Fender has made p basses with 1.75" nut widths, 1.625" nut widths, and 1.5" nut widths (known as C, B, and A necks respectively). Btw, I'm a fan of p basses with jazz-sized necks (1.5" nut width). I find them comfy.Here's a curveball for Ya: Is (genuine) Fender p-bass with a (genuine) Fender j-bass neck still a Precision Bass?
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I voted FSO, where I draw the line at these criteria:
- Non-offset double cutaway body in the F-shape, or slightly modified
- A full-sized splitcoil or 51-style pickup at the F-location, or slightly (I'm talking about 1cm max) more towards the neck or bridge.
- If N is the number of pickups, 2N is the maximum amount of controlknobs tolerated (less is OK).
- If it has a pickguard, the familiar shape with the curled control plate or the 51-style.
- If it does not have a pickguard, the knobs where the knobs would normally be.
- 4 inline headstock
- 34" scale neck, with a nutwidth preferably 40mm+ (the latter not a hard criteria though).
I'm willing to compromise towards a score of 6/7.
- Non-offset double cutaway body in the F-shape, or slightly modified
- A full-sized splitcoil or 51-style pickup at the F-location, or slightly (I'm talking about 1cm max) more towards the neck or bridge.
- If N is the number of pickups, 2N is the maximum amount of controlknobs tolerated (less is OK).
- If it has a pickguard, the familiar shape with the curled control plate or the 51-style.
- If it does not have a pickguard, the knobs where the knobs would normally be.
- 4 inline headstock
- 34" scale neck, with a nutwidth preferably 40mm+ (the latter not a hard criteria though).
I'm willing to compromise towards a score of 6/7.
You're joking, and great joke by the way, but I think you bring up a good point. We could all list things that make a p bass a p bass, but then there's plenty of things that don't fit the list that are also p basses. Everyone in this thread has a different definition of what they think it should be, and yet we all know one when we see one.
I've taken screenshots and added this to my work folder, if I ever deliver training to a guitar store or anything then I'm using this.
Oh! What? The thread? I'd go with 'fso'. A Lakland Bob Glaub is a p bass whereas the BC Rich above isn't. JMO...
this blatantly being a shameless clickbait post, I have to point out that -
- if you pretend to be dyed-in-the-sheep purist, then it all comes to splitting hairs and means literally nothing IRL (no wonder most voters cast 'carrots').
You are just arbitrary picking specs that you like and ignore the others. That's all.
Historic fact 1: the 'Precision' bass doesn't have to do anything with a split coil, let alone 'in the "right" position'. The monicker 'Precision' meant a fretted neck and a bridge with adjustable saddles which made the intonating player-friendly, and were meant to be the selling factors (as well as a smallish size) of the new instrument - setting it apart from double basses.
Historic facts 2 and 3: the 'right position' of the pickup is purely arbitrary. Yes it was picked by trying out, but there were variants from the start, as there had been no rule. Moreover, not only other brands including MusicMan and G&L - both by Leo Fender placed the P pickup in other spots; Fender himself/themselves installed the P in different spots through the years and on different P models, also simultaneously.
Historic fact 4 (also see ##2 and 3): the 'Precision' bass is the bass with a single coil as designed in 1950 and sold since 1951. The 1954 Precision is not the Precision as it had been designed. The single coil wasn't and physically can't be sharing the same spot as the tow half-coils, so 'the right spot' of the 1954 is not THE right spot of the Precision
Physical fact 5: to have THE REAL Precision sound you needs must have 2 large fiberglass saddles and a string-thru construction. You should also have flatwound strings as 'that is how it was meant to sound', but those are not inherent to the construction of the instrument
Physical fact 6: unless yours is an ash body / maple neck bass, it is not THE Precision 'how it was meant to be'.
***
As you see, one can make as many idiotic statements based on truth as I just did if I only pick the arguments that, being absolutely true, absolutely ignore the real-life context.
Don't be like me, be better.
- if you pretend to be dyed-in-the-sheep purist, then it all comes to splitting hairs and means literally nothing IRL (no wonder most voters cast 'carrots').
You are just arbitrary picking specs that you like and ignore the others. That's all.
Historic fact 1: the 'Precision' bass doesn't have to do anything with a split coil, let alone 'in the "right" position'. The monicker 'Precision' meant a fretted neck and a bridge with adjustable saddles which made the intonating player-friendly, and were meant to be the selling factors (as well as a smallish size) of the new instrument - setting it apart from double basses.
Historic facts 2 and 3: the 'right position' of the pickup is purely arbitrary. Yes it was picked by trying out, but there were variants from the start, as there had been no rule. Moreover, not only other brands including MusicMan and G&L - both by Leo Fender placed the P pickup in other spots; Fender himself/themselves installed the P in different spots through the years and on different P models, also simultaneously.
Historic fact 4 (also see ##2 and 3): the 'Precision' bass is the bass with a single coil as designed in 1950 and sold since 1951. The 1954 Precision is not the Precision as it had been designed. The single coil wasn't and physically can't be sharing the same spot as the tow half-coils, so 'the right spot' of the 1954 is not THE right spot of the Precision
Physical fact 5: to have THE REAL Precision sound you needs must have 2 large fiberglass saddles and a string-thru construction. You should also have flatwound strings as 'that is how it was meant to sound', but those are not inherent to the construction of the instrument
Physical fact 6: unless yours is an ash body / maple neck bass, it is not THE Precision 'how it was meant to be'.
***
As you see, one can make as many idiotic statements based on truth as I just did if I only pick the arguments that, being absolutely true, absolutely ignore the real-life context.
Don't be like me, be better.
I'm thankful I was raised to not think so hard on such topics.
I'm a fully signed up Fender guy and have been since I discovered all the players I listened to in my youth were Precision players. Fender don't make it easy if you're a 5 string player so I've become an FSO guy with PJ and Jazz basses. There are some fantastic FSO's out there and they are doing the 5 string thing better than Fender ever did.
Well and truly said, sir
the LAKLAND 55-s 5th string was always a selling point over 5-string Fenders and MusicMans for me. Among others, I owned a LE 55-63 which is a 5-string LAKLAND Precision so I can relate to this on various levels...
quite a few soapbar pickup models actually contain split coils inside. These, or Bartolinis, or many others
But, the measurements and the positions of the coils to each other may vary. That said, 'the usual' P pickups often vary in that regard as well, so...
You started it!
Is a Heartfield a 'Fender' or a 'FSO'?
Is a shadowbuilt hi-end custom one-off that Fender doesn't make but labels as Fender and sends to a Fender endorser as a Fender a 'Fender' or a 'FSO'?
Is a bass made from parts of various unrelated Fender models a 'Fender', or a 'FSO'?
It is now 1982, we're in Japan. 'Lawsuit' FSOs manufactured the day before the Fender Japan deal are 'FSOs'. What about are the very first Fenders Japan utilizing the same FSO parts manufactured before the Fender Japan deal, - are already 'Fenders' or 'FSOs'?
More importantly, is a '92 Fender Prophecy III neck-through active a 'Fender' or is it an 'Ibanez Soundgear-shaped object'?
