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Telecaster vs. Precision Bass

#6
I have a tele bass... the '51 style P, not the 70s style.
The neck is a lot bigger (fatter) than a P bass - which I kind of like. Gives it more of a big low sound.

The tele is gonna feel bigger, and heavier, cuz it's a slab body with no contours.

The bridge on the tele only has two saddles, so intonation can be a challenge.

Mine has a replacement pick-up, so hard for me to comment on that.
 
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#7
How do you recon would a tele bass with an alder body and rosewood board come over?
Kind of a hybrid between the '51 and the '62 P bass I guess...
Has anyone here tried that combo?
 
#9
I agree, but Fender and reissues they decide to do and how to market those is not really the intended point of this thread. :-)
I'm just curious on people's take on 51' versus Tele versus '62 and derivates/ hybrids thereof.
Hence the '62 wood combo in the '51 design question( something that sounds very tempting to me...and sine I am currently deciding on a parts bass this comes into my reason for posting this thread.:)
 
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#10
A Precision bass is a much better sounding bass than the 1st, and especially the 2nd generation Telecaster bass. No contest. There's a reason the Telecaster basses were dropped from production, and not reproduced by anyone for years.

I will say that the Telecaster bass is a better looking bass than the Precision. IMO, of course.
 
#11
The split coil bass has a low mid bump which makes it cut through a rock band mix. The single coil pup is flatter across th spectrum, perhaps more lows and glassier highs, but the lack of mid projection means the mids have to be bumped on the amp to cut through. Solo'd the single coil sounds better, in a band the split coil sounds better..... in my experience.
 
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#12
cnltb said:
I agree, but Fender and reissues they decide to do and how to market those is not really the intended point of this thread. :-)
I'm just curious on people's take on 51' versus Tele versus '62 and derivates/ hybrids thereof.
Hence the '62 wood combo in the '51 design question( something that sounds very tempting to me...and sine I am currently deciding on a parts bass this comes into my reason for posting this thread.:)
Click to expand...
How about including a '66 Precision UK into the comparison if you're looking to hybridise something?

It's like a 57/58 split-coil type with but with a slab body. They only came in blonde with three-ply black pickguard and maple board. Most of them came with the by-then larger headstock design (as per John Entwistle's) but the last few were issued with old style 51/57 small headstocks (as per Tim Bogert's). These basses were the immediate predecessors to the first type of Telecaster bass, the first issues and most of the rest of which came in the same blonde/black p/guard scheme as the originals and the '66 P-UK.

Hope this helps.
 
#13
Marty Forrer said:
The split coil bass has a low mid bump which makes it cut through a rock band mix. The single coil pup is flatter across th spectrum, perhaps more lows and glassier highs, but the lack of mid projection means the mids have to be bumped on the amp to cut through. Solo'd the single coil sounds better, in a band the split coil sounds better..... in my experience.
Click to expand...


Pretty much the reason I never picked up one of the somewhat less expensive re-issues (think it was a Sting sig?) a handful of years back. Thing sounded pretty sweet in the shop by itself and felt nice enough compared to the skinnier jazz single coil option. Fortunately a friend picked up the model in question....sonic wise, better off with my P. I was pretty disappointed, seem to have a lot going for them otherwise.
 
#15
AngryJohnny said:
Pretty much the reason I never picked up one of the somewhat less expensive re-issues (think it was a Sting sig?) a handful of years back. Thing sounded pretty sweet in the shop by itself and felt nice enough compared to the skinnier jazz single coil option. Fortunately a friend picked up the model in question....sonic wise, better off with my P. I was pretty disappointed, seem to have a lot going for them otherwise.
Click to expand...
How about doing an in line split coil thing which is spec'ed like a '62 split coil pickup,with the in line thing being the only difference...?
That could be done, no?
 
#17
1951 to 1956 is the original Precision single coil, slab.
1957 saw the split P with contoured body introduced.
1968 the original single coil slab was reissued as the Telecaster.
1972 the pickup changed to the big humbucker at the neck.

I have a 51 reissue, a57 reissue, and a 72 Tele with a DarkStar replacing the humbucker.

They're all fairly different from each other, and all quite nice.

51updated.jpg

50sPwide.jpg

tele.jpg
 
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#18
This thread is awesome!! Some really great info here.

I'm planning a tax time Warmoth build, and this thread has changed my planned specs a bit.

I was planning a '51 style slab SCPB, but after reading all of this info, I may skip the single coil and go with the split pup instead.

I play in a rock cover band, plus I play at my church, so the ability to sit well in a band mix wins out over the coolness factor to a degree.

So my build will now basically be a 60th anniversary P, but with a slab body.

Now THAT is sexy.

If anyone can chime in with some audio examples (or YouTube) of each pup both solo'd and then with a band, that would make the info in this thread complete.

Either way, subb'd.
 
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