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Telecaster vs. Precision Bass

#121
The "scpb" was sold in 1957 as well, so that would be another year. I can provide pics of such a bass that is in my shop currently if needed, Dates on this bass are on the end of the neck and in the pickup route are 1-57.

smcd said:
Between 1957 and 2000 (that's 33 years), a sc Pbass design was offered for 2 years. 2 years. Out of 33 years. Out of all the bass companies out there during that time, Fender didn't offer an option. No one even made a clone. Why? Why do you think that is??
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#124
Rickett Customs said:
That is the consensus from any info that i've found too.
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I assumed the change happened during the 1972 year, but might have happened before. In the past new models usually debuted for the summer NAMM show, not sure when that practice changed for Fender. In any case the '72 catalogue showed the new HB version, so I guess 4 years is the safe answer.

And of course there have been many clones offered over the years as well, from various builders, better or lesser known, not to mention a Squier Classic Vibe version, which I very much doubt Fender would bother releasing for the 'novelty market', whatever that might be.
 
#125
smcd said:
In the words of Foghorn Leghorn - "I keep pitchin' 'em and you keep missin' 'em...."


I don't think I can make it any simpler for you. But I'll try one last time...

Between 1957 and 2000 (that's 33 years), a sc Pbass design was offered for 2 years. 2 years. Out of 33 years. Out of all the bass companies out there during that time, Fender didn't offer an option. No one even made a clone. Why? Why do you think that is??

It's because the market spoke, no screamed, that the split coil was a better pickup.



Of course, I'm sure if Fender knew all you single coil die hards were out there, they'd have kept the scTelebass in their catalog. I mean, think of all the sales potential they missed! :rollno:
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Perhaps some day you'll get what everyone here is trying help you understand, but I'm done trying to help you. Good luck.
 
#127
Is this a marketing popularity forum or are we about sound?
Do I have to drive a Camry because they're popular?:)
If its about what sold then VHS was better.
Picture quality, Beta.
If it's about sound then they are different pickups. One is not superior, except for hum.
I own both. I really don't have a hum problem with either.
Duncan makes three iterations of this pickup. I love the Muy Grande by Rio.
The story about spike messing up early amps is true. However nothing sounds as much like an upright as the single coil '51 & reissues.
 
#128
Well....the spike didn't mess up amps, it messed up speakers, which really weren't very stout at that point.
And, IMO, the Rob Allen Mouse does a much better upright.

YMMV, etc.

What do you like better about the Muy Grande vs the SD pickups?
 
#132
smcd said:
In the words of Foghorn Leghorn - "I keep pitchin' 'em and you keep missin' 'em...."


I don't think I can make it any simpler for you. But I'll try one last time...

Between 1957 and 2000 (that's 33 years), a sc Pbass design was offered for 2 years. 2 years. Out of 33 years. Out of all the bass companies out there during that time, Fender didn't offer an option. No one even made a clone. Why? Why do you think that is??

It's because the market spoke, no screamed, that the split coil was a better pickup.



Of course, I'm sure if Fender knew all you single coil die hards were out there, they'd have kept the scTelebass in their catalog. I mean, think of all the sales potential they missed! :rollno:
Click to expand...

I get it now.

Fodera don't sell nearly as many basses as Fender so are therefore clearly inferior instruments. The market has spoken.

:eyebrow:

* I should point out that last week I sold my 51RI in favour of a split coil... and not even I agree with you.
 
#133
A friendly public service reminder:

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On topic:

I don't normally play old-school telecaster style basses (SC, I have the Squier HB Telebass). Whats the difference in sound between it and a jazz bass with the neck pickup solo'd?
 
#134
I absolutely love the look of the 51. Can't beat it, IMO. There's just something about the simplicity, the slab body, the funky pickguard, the headstock, etc. And the nasty SC hum can be tamed with a proper shielding job very easily.

The only problem for me is the pickup shape. I always anchor my thumb on the pickup, and I've grown very accustomed to how J and P pickups feel. The 51 pickup is more narrow which puts my thumb too close to the E string. That's the main reason I don't play my 51 more often. But the tone is killer, especially with dead flats.
 
#136
I've never played a SCPB, but I've played Jazz Basses plenty of times.

Thanks for the post though. It really made me smile. I guess at some level I agree. I'd much rather play a split coil P than a Jazz Bass, so an SCPB has little appeal to me other than I love the vibe they put out. I absolutely loved Chef's five string SCPB.

KO

smcd said:
Bass players across the planet for the last 1/2 century have pretty much declared that the sound of the single coil Precision pickup IS inferior to the sound delivered by the split coil Precision pickup. Sales-wise, the split coil design has outsold the single coil design by absolutely staggering numbers. And the reason is that almost everyone prefers the tone of the split coil over the single coil.

The single coil P doesn't sound bad. It sounds fine. But in comparison to the spit coil P, it pales. All of the single coil P basses available today are being marketed as a retro novelty. Again, nothing wrong with that. But let's face reality here - the market has declared that the split P is a better sounding pickup.
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#137
Chef said:
Well....the spike didn't mess up amps, it messed up speakers, which really weren't very stout at that point.
And, IMO, the Rob Allen Mouse does a much better upright.

YMMV, etc.

What do you like better about the Muy Grande vs the SD pickups?
Click to expand...

Yes speakers not the amp itself.
The Mouse does. I gig regularly with Guild Ashborys. The point I was making was Leo was designing a bass to fit into music at the time. He wasn't inventing the Motown or rotosound through Marshall rock sound. The single coil P can really approximate an upright. The 57 on split coil P has that pronounced mid that gives a fat punch all the way to nasal that is very distinctive. (we all know!) :)
The SD "vintage" sounds similar to the original. The 1/4 lb while having huge output doesn't sound like the original single coil or a P.

The Muy has bigger bass really a wider frequency spread while retaining the original character. I don't get hum though it's not a dble stack. I've been with guitarists with Strats that could only orient one way in a room during a gig because of hum.:)
 
#139
That Crank bass player is Johnny Castle. He's currently playing bass with The Nighthawks. The band, after various personnel changes through the years, has never sounded better. Johnny usually plays his white blonde real '59 p through Eden amplication. The show I saw last month, he used the club's backline Traynor with 4 10s and sounded killer.
 

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