What makes a Precision so good?

[JesseVMT]

I have my own opinion. I'm just curious of yours. Nostalgia? Tone? Feel? History?

If the P bass wasn't the 'original' (so to speak) would it still be as popular today?

I'm a big P bass fan, it's got what I'm looking for. Growl, tone, looks... etcetera.

 

[lermgalieu]

In a nutshell, it's perfect.

 

[darwin-bass]

I don't think the P being "the first" was the deciding factor. The J bass has had it's shot but at the end of the day the P just sounds right. Likewise for many others. While they've made their marks, in the end the P has emerged as THE sound. I think if the Jazz came first, the Precision would have still won.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

A beefy neck that fills your hand, a deep bottom end tone.

 

[bearfoot]

The tone, I believe largely derived of the pickup placement. Brand, looks, feel, can all vary and yet I think any bass with that style pickup in the right spot has the mojo to a large degree.

 

[gillento]

I am definitely not a P nostalgia guy as I have been playing active 5 string JJs for the longest period of my bass playing time (I and REALLY loved that).
But since I got my first P (Nordstrand Nordy VP5), I sold off all my active basses and all my JJs except for a Reverend RL5 (kind of JJ-ish).
That VP has become my to go bass.

But I think the warm low mids of the P just fit better in a lot of old school sounding mixes (which are quite fashionable nowadays, in Europe at least) than either a slightly scooped or more hi-mids orientated sound of a JJ.

 

[tangentmusic]

The answer is found in its name

Precision

 

[bigtone23]

Seems Fender created the standard for electric bass. They were the only game in town for a nice run.
That split P pickup in the sweet spot really has a tone that just fits in so many places so well.

 

[David Jayne]

The pickup. It's all about the pickup.

 

[A-Step-Towards]

The fact any P bass can be made PJ

PJ's are perfect, cant say Im a fan of a P without a J pickup on board.

 

[Crazy Otto]

The pickup. It's all about the pickup.

this, and the placement of said pickup...that's pretty much it.

 

[twinjet]

A beefy neck that fills your hand, a deep bottom end tone.

Probably just in my head, but that chunky neck makes me feel like I really am blasting out chunky bass lines. One TBer called the Precision a "real man's instrument". Can't remember who, though.

 

[Qlanq]

Apart from all the rest of it's usual features, me it is the most comfortable bass I've come across.
I have a PJ and it could easily be the only bass I'd ever need.

 

[Gorn]

Cuz it's funny to say P. Get it? P bass?

 

[chris_b]

There are many instruments that have their sound and it's considered that they sound just right; pianos, strings, brass instruments and P basses. Others are designed to make many different sounds, guitars, keyboards and J basses.

I wonder if violin forums get asked this question very often?

 

[Binary1]

I love the old blues, Motown and soul. The P was the signature sound for most of that music (James Jamerson anyone?). So for me, the P is my favorite. That sound is unmatched.

 

[Smoove-Groove]

Simplicity....

 

[andruca]

I think what Leo Fender did was find some "personality spots" he liked where he'd put the pickups of his instruments. The market did the rest for brands such as Fender, Musicman, etc. (along with RICs, some Gibsons, etc.). Now, the spots he happened to like seem RIGHT to the majority, of course, that's why it was so successful and recognizable to the point now our minds are conditioned and we describe and compare using terms like "J/P sounding", RIC's "ringin", whatever. I'm the first one to have this problem. To my ear even a Jerzy Drozd or a Ken Smith sounds lacking/sterile/lame/no character if they can't do a semi decent P or J or MM or any "characteristic" sound. I own 2 Stingray 5vers, a korean Fernandes Gravity Deluxe V (I hardly ever use it, but in the end it's still a more hi-fi J which happens also to produce a great P tone when soloing the neck PU), an Epiphone Viola and a P/J kit bass. Had lots of "modern" basses, none of which I kept. The amount of copies/homages/reinvents the P bass "inspired" talks about the much sought after PERSONALITY in it's sound. Nobody clones Jerzys sound, simply because there isn't such a thing.

 

[andruca]

if it "sounds lacking/sterile/lame/no character" why would anyone clone Jerzy's sound?

That's it, circular reasoning on my part ;-)

 

[thorstiborsti]

I don't know what it is but I just feel 'home' when I play my Precision. When I played my ASAT, Stingray, Jazz or T-Bird, it always felt like I was on unknown terrain and like I had to put much more work into playing it. As soon as the Precision hangs around my neck, I feel that comfort like I'm being home in known surroundings and the bass almost plays itself.