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The official "Show your basses" thread part 16!
- Thread starter smperry
- Start date
- Status
Hope this is the right place for this... please let me know if not...
There are various features that I like about Precision basses spanning the 50s, 60s and 70s. What if it were possible to bring them together in one bass? I like the 50s vibe, but I like the comfort of contours. I like the 50s-type pickguard shape and also the 60s-type 3-ply guards. A 51-type single coil pick-up is fine, but the 57-type split pick-up is more versatile... and a 70s-type 'F' stamped neck plate would bring to mind my beloved USA Fender 76 Precision...
So I approached Howard Satterley (The Bass Doc) of the UK's BassChat forum with a very dodgy Photoshop mock-up of what I wanted... this was the brief:
Body: Alder in vintage white. 57-type contours and radiussing, with routing for 51-type control plate. 62-type 3-ply pickguard in mint/black/mint, cut to 51-type shape.
Neck: Allparts Fender-licensed one-piece maple neck with skunk stripe, truss rod adjustment at heel. 51-type headstock shape. Fender 'spaghetti' decal under clear coat. Vintage tint. 70s-type radius. Synthetic bone nut. Black dots.
Hardware: Fender strap buttons. Side-mounted jack socket in cat's-eye plate. 57-type bridge with threaded barrels. 51-type control plate with chrome dome knobs. 70s-type 'F'-stamped neck plate on black cushion. Kluson reverse vintage tuners. La Bella Deep Talkin' 760FL strings.
Electrics: Seymour Duncan Vintage SPB-1 split pickup. CTS solid shaft pots. Ceramic disc 0.05uF cap.
Am I a happy bunny? I played the bass at rehearsal last night. Now I know what 'plays like butter' means. The set-up is perfect, the action low and there is no fret buzz whatsoever from any string at any fret position. It sounds great, very warm, woody and present...a lot like a Precision Bass, in fact.
So yes, I'm a very happy bunny indeed!
My Precision Bass GAS is finally over! Many thanks and heartfelt gratitude to Howard for his skill, endless patience and excellent communications.
There are various features that I like about Precision basses spanning the 50s, 60s and 70s. What if it were possible to bring them together in one bass? I like the 50s vibe, but I like the comfort of contours. I like the 50s-type pickguard shape and also the 60s-type 3-ply guards. A 51-type single coil pick-up is fine, but the 57-type split pick-up is more versatile... and a 70s-type 'F' stamped neck plate would bring to mind my beloved USA Fender 76 Precision...
So I approached Howard Satterley (The Bass Doc) of the UK's BassChat forum with a very dodgy Photoshop mock-up of what I wanted... this was the brief:
Body: Alder in vintage white. 57-type contours and radiussing, with routing for 51-type control plate. 62-type 3-ply pickguard in mint/black/mint, cut to 51-type shape.
Neck: Allparts Fender-licensed one-piece maple neck with skunk stripe, truss rod adjustment at heel. 51-type headstock shape. Fender 'spaghetti' decal under clear coat. Vintage tint. 70s-type radius. Synthetic bone nut. Black dots.
Hardware: Fender strap buttons. Side-mounted jack socket in cat's-eye plate. 57-type bridge with threaded barrels. 51-type control plate with chrome dome knobs. 70s-type 'F'-stamped neck plate on black cushion. Kluson reverse vintage tuners. La Bella Deep Talkin' 760FL strings.
Electrics: Seymour Duncan Vintage SPB-1 split pickup. CTS solid shaft pots. Ceramic disc 0.05uF cap.
Am I a happy bunny? I played the bass at rehearsal last night. Now I know what 'plays like butter' means. The set-up is perfect, the action low and there is no fret buzz whatsoever from any string at any fret position. It sounds great, very warm, woody and present...a lot like a Precision Bass, in fact.
So yes, I'm a very happy bunny indeed!My Precision Bass GAS is finally over! Many thanks and heartfelt gratitude to Howard for his skill, endless patience and excellent communications.
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Well, the story of this bass began in 1973 when my uncle, who was head musician for the british army had this bought for him (aswell as various other instruments). After serving the army he then went on to tour with Shirley Bassey, David Essex and countless others. His last show being in Germany with Shirley Bassey in Germany. When? I don't know! He then went into a deep depression where he lived at home with his parents. He's now a bus driver! Since I started playing musical instruments (violin, cello, viola, drums, guitar, BASS!) he always disliked me because he thought I was some teenager out to take his thunder. However, after a few years we met up at christmas. He pulled out this '73 precision. I asked bravely if I could have a go on it and he handed it straight to me. He said THAT was when he realised I could play. He then gave it to me (along with a spear 6 string). Here's a picture of me (long hair gone now! Yay!) using it at an underground venue in Birmingham, England with my band "The Deli's Mix". All my other basses now get next to no use because of this! Normally I restring all my basses but this works nicely with the old roundwounds. I'm sure there's more to the story that i've missed out and trust me, I know how lucky I am!
Well, the story of this bass began in 1973 when my uncle, who was head musician for the british army had this bought for him (aswell as various other instruments). After serving the army he then went on to tour with Shirley Bassey, David Essex and countless others. His last show being in Germany with Shirley Bassey in Germany. When? I don't know! He then went into a deep depression where he lived at home with his parents. He's now a bus driver! Since I started playing musical instruments (violin, cello, viola, drums, guitar, BASS!) he always disliked me because he thought I was some teenager out to take his thunder. However, after a few years we met up at christmas. He pulled out this '73 precision. I asked bravely if I could have a go on it and he handed it straight to me. He said THAT was when he realised I could play. He then gave it to me (along with a spear 6 string). Here's a picture of me (long hair gone now! Yay!) using it at an underground venue in Birmingham, England with my band "The Deli's Mix". All my other basses now get next to no use because of this! Normally I restring all my basses but this works nicely with the old roundwounds. I'm sure there's more to the story that i've missed out and trust me, I know how lucky I am!
Discreet - I've always really liked the look of the old '51 p bass with the shaved headstock, the pickguard on both horns, and especially the ones with the contoured bodies.
Yours looks really nice.
Your description of the specific specs was interesting, too.
Until recently, I never paid a lot of attention to the finer points of bass construction, like a few mm's one way or the other on the neck radius or width, the depth of the contour here or there, pickup placement altered by a few cm's, etc. Now I think all of those things are huge.
Case in point: I really do not like playing my old '78 Jazz MIA any more. If really is kind of a chore. It just does not feel right under my hands, especially the neck. It's like playing a baseball bat.
I can't tell you specifically how my Squier VM Jazz fretless differs from my '78, but the difference is like night and day. The neck is easier to move around on, easier to press down the strings, action is better, right hand placement is easier, everything. The pickups sound a lot better too.
Other than the frets and the color, the '78 and the Squier look very similar. I have no idea how they differ, but it's the few mm's and cm's here and there that make a really big difference. Go figure.
Yours looks really nice.
Your description of the specific specs was interesting, too.
Until recently, I never paid a lot of attention to the finer points of bass construction, like a few mm's one way or the other on the neck radius or width, the depth of the contour here or there, pickup placement altered by a few cm's, etc. Now I think all of those things are huge.
Case in point: I really do not like playing my old '78 Jazz MIA any more. If really is kind of a chore. It just does not feel right under my hands, especially the neck. It's like playing a baseball bat.
I can't tell you specifically how my Squier VM Jazz fretless differs from my '78, but the difference is like night and day. The neck is easier to move around on, easier to press down the strings, action is better, right hand placement is easier, everything. The pickups sound a lot better too.
Other than the frets and the color, the '78 and the Squier look very similar. I have no idea how they differ, but it's the few mm's and cm's here and there that make a really big difference. Go figure.
Thanks very much for your positive feedback! I agree about the difference a few mm can make. An instrument is greater than the sum of its parts. Bottom line is, it has to feel right! That's all. Since my new baby arrived last week, I haven't been able to put her down, which tells you something! Thanks again, and have a great weekend.
Mark
Betrayer_Bass
Profanity Fish.
- Sep 24, 2011
- 1,381
- 854
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Spector basses, Winspear Picks, Spector Formula 603 strings
Ok, my first bass:
Washburn T-12
A bass I won in a quiz and was actually quite surprised at how good it was:
Ibanez SRX365: (my backup/dive bass)
And my #1 practice/studio/big stage bass, the Warwick Corvette std 5:
(apologies for the picture quality, it was my phone. This is actually wood, not black!)
I will one day get another Wick and I also want to try out some Spectors one day
Washburn T-12
A bass I won in a quiz and was actually quite surprised at how good it was:
Ibanez SRX365: (my backup/dive bass)
And my #1 practice/studio/big stage bass, the Warwick Corvette std 5:
(apologies for the picture quality, it was my phone. This is actually wood, not black!)
I will one day get another Wick and I also want to try out some Spectors one day
Neck is a Fender CIJ 62 Reissue Jazz - from a bass I was parting out, which incurred some damage and I decided to keep it.
Body is supposedly some 30 year old alder garage sale special I picked up via the TB classifieds last week. The body is super light weight.
The pick ups were out of the very first bass I had, a GTX Applause Precision copy. The pickguard didn't fit the pickups, so I had to take my dremel to it.
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Great story and good to hear you giving proper credits to your Uncle. Sometimes life takes a different course, but nice to see there is a legacy that lives on. It's also nice that these snippets of history come back to life in the context of the TB community. It's a great classic that you have in your hands, but the backstory really makes it something special.
Funny, I live in New York, but I was just in your Birmingham a few days ago on a bit of business. Small world!
This one has a nice look to it. What part of the world are these made and sold in?
here's my 2 Japanese beauties
Satori and Maya i like to call em
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left one is 1971 ibanez jazz (replaced neck) ,second one is 1981 maya precision
just got the precision 2 days ago, still gettin used to the 50's neck profile but oh boy the bass rocks!
Satori and Maya i like to call em
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
left one is 1971 ibanez jazz (replaced neck) ,second one is 1981 maya precision
just got the precision 2 days ago, still gettin used to the 50's neck profile but oh boy the bass rocks!
You mean - more bad times - as I note it. His post in thread #4 stated that he had both hands in a splint. Now his house burns down? Buddy, you have my sympathies. In time I'm sure everything will turn out for the best.
Best regards, Avalon.
Tat2dHeart
Only two strings away from an attitude problem.
I second that. You can always replace basses, however unique they may seem to you, but if you have casualties in a house fire, they never can be replaced.
Picked up this Fender American Special P tonight at GC. They had it marked down to $639, so hard to resist. Not a fan of the pickguard, but I can change that out. Bass is also nice and light at 7.9 lbs. Love that.
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