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What current P-Basses have the fatty neck??!!

S

sb1000geek

Oct 14, 2008
4
0
#1
Hi all, given my UN, I'm obviously not much of a Fender player.

However I do have a few gigs a month where I HAVE to use a P-Bass (Elvis Impersonator). I basically have shuffled through a few different Fenders - the 51 MIJ reissue and Squire Vintage Mod - and have no real attachment to them. But the travel work this fall has built up and I NEED to pick up a good, reliable and like able P-Bass.

My only real requirement is I need big baseball bat fat neck - it's just what I always feel best with.

I know it seems that the 70's P Basses more often had a fat neck. Also the Steve Harris signature sounds perfect - heavy strings, heavy body and a fat neck. Only I really don't want to spend $1,300 for one and they are a tough score used. I believe the Roger Waters has a "moderate C." But that's not gonna cut it!

Are there any other P Basses that have a BIG neck (not just a slightly big C) that are not from the 70's and are in recent production?? 70's would be fine but most of them are way over priced.

Everything I look at that is in a decent $ range for what I need (up to $800 or so) given it's not my main bass all have "modern C" and it's becoming REALLY frustrating.

The Road Worn Telecaster guitar has the old school fatty neck ... but the Road Worn basses have "modern C." Why?? Grrrrr!!!
 
#2
My '82 P and my Custom shop 55 P basses have some the fattest necks ever. Very thick front-to-back along with 1-3/4" nut widths.

The early 80's stuff you should be able to easily find at or under that price range, but the Custom shop stuff I highly doubt it.
 
#6
I was looking for the exact same thing.
Back in December I went to Chicago Music Exchange and fell in love with a 66 p bass. I don't have the $5000 they were asking, but was obsessed with that neck. I A-B'd the 66 with a new Nash PB63. The necks were soooo close. I didn't have the $1700 for the Nash either.
So I called Warmoth to see if they could make the neck profile I was looking for. No dice.
Then.... I called Tommy at USA Custom Guitars(USACG).
He's acftually made some necks for Nash, so he had a good idea of what I was looking for.
Long story short, he made me a .880 C shape 1 11/16 P neck.
Its awesome!! Just what I wanted.
The body is Warmoth, pickup is a Lakland/Hanson Vintage P.

100_2040.gif


I call it my "Poor-Mans" Vintage
 
#8
I'm with you on this one,
my current main player has a 72 fretless fender p neck on it and it is hella fat!
I'm also currently looking for a good (cheap) fretted P/P neck that compares to my fretless and as of late, I've had no luck.

My 72 is not only thick as hell but is also u shaped meaning there is a bit of flat on the back.
The closest I've come is a couple different early 80's squiers but although they have the thickness they are still too rounded in back.

Also I'm curios to know, from most of you posting suggestions have you played and or owned a 70's neck.
I ask this because I'm personally quite picky and I want absolute perfection when it comes to these things.
For example if you say “bass x has the fattest neck I've ever played”
we have no clue, as we don't know what you're comparing it too.
But if you where to say “I've played basses x, y and z and this one is the fattest” that might actually be a bit helpful.
 
#12
Awesome, thanks for all the info! I didn't realize the early 80's might also have some girth to them as well.


I also tried Warmoth with no dice .... which was disappointing because they made a monsterous neck for for a guitar player I know. But they couldn't do the same with a bass neck.

I see a lot of Dirnt basses but never paid attention .... Now I have a better scope with that and the early 80's and some leads on having one custom built if needed.

I'll poke around the local shops again and grope some more necks :bassist:

Thanks!!
 
#13
You should keep an eye on eBay for some 70s p basses. I got me a '79 all black p with a redone fingerboard to an ebony board spec. Its that mod that the original owner had made that dropped the resale value of this bass. It plays like as if it was never modded, also had a creme binding installed aparantly. And as of a few months ago this is my favorite neck profile, string spacing feel, tone and neck feel. Nice and chunky in a surprisingly comfy way unlike Warwick necks which had this odd discomfort to them. You can also just search eBay for a 70s p bass neck and strap it to just about any p bass era body. It's probably cheaper that way too. But hey I mean my fretless '79 was 1100$. I see 70s p necks all the time on eBay, they usually run for around $300-$700 depending on seller and/or condition.
 
#14
I have a dirnt P - it's actually for sale if you would like to try it out. Definitely has that fat, baseball bat type neck. I don't know what part of town your from but if you're anywhere in so cal feel free to borrow the bass for few gigs.
 
#15
I wonder if, 8 years later, if anything has changed. Does the Steve Harris sig and the Mike Dirnt sig basses really have the fattest neck made today out of Fender? I have the MIM 50s p bass with the Wide 1 & 3/4 at the nut but not very thick front to back.
 

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