What P bass should I buy ?

[Hounddog409]

I have been looking around at P basses of late and want to buy a better quality one than my MIM fender, I have had the fender about 3 years and I like it a lot, I have changed the pickup to a Curtis Novak pickup prior to that I had some 62s in it, my other basses are a p shaped bass with a BiSonic/Darkstar pickup, and a jazz bass with an Auder amp and Cutisi's J pickups, I am not fond of the jazz body shape or sound.
I have looked high and low and the amount of available P is daunting, price range round $1000-2000 I like the look of Sadowsky metros and Sandberg any other makes I should look at ?
I play at home for the moment but want to start playing out when the C19 crisis is over, I play a wide range of music, reggae, blues, rock.

G&L.

 

[FunkHead]

I have been looking around at P basses of late and want to buy a better quality one than my MIM fender, I have had the fender about 3 years and I like it a lot, I have changed the pickup to a Curtis Novak pickup prior to that I had some 62s in it, my other basses are a p shaped bass with a BiSonic/Darkstar pickup, and a jazz bass with an Auder amp and Cutisi's J pickups, I am not fond of the jazz body shape or sound.
I have looked high and low and the amount of available P is daunting, price range round $1000-2000 I like the look of Sadowsky metros and Sandberg any other makes I should look at ?
I play at home for the moment but want to start playing out when the C19 crisis is over, I play a wide range of music, reggae, blues, rock.

If you can find a Sadowsky Metro P, I would go for that. I don;t think I've ever seen one. A Sadowsky P-5 would have me drooling.

 

[JakobT]

IMHO, your MIM Fender is just fine. An upgrade is nice, but won't really yield anything significant.

 

[Pings Bass]

I just feel that I want something that's higher quality all round, the MIM is great but it's a little heavier than I like and it's all a bit clunky for example the tuners compared with Hipshot ultras are less smooth, I guess I can afford a better bass and think I deserve one would be the honest answer

"Higher quality all around" is pretty nebulous. Yes, you can get better fit and finish details, but this usually doesn't impact playability or tone. Weight and balance are important, but there's variation at every price point. Tuners I've never worried about, unless they're too heavy and contribute to neck dive.

For my money the quality difference between a $500 MiM and a $1k-$2k USA is not commensurate with the price difference. That's not too say I haven't considered upgrading my tribute and sbmm to USA models.

 

[REV]

As your playing skills get better, you are going to develop a better idea of what you like and don't like in an instrument. What works in one musical situation may not work in another. The best thing you can do is to play as many different basses as you can. (I know this is a little difficult now). Fender basses can vary widely in quality and feel. A bass that you really enjoy now may not fit your needs in a couple of years. Some people find a bass and sick with it for a long time and some are constantly switching, looking for "the one". Enjoy the journey.

 

[Evanforbass]

If vintage-styled is what you're after, I'd look at Nash. I hear they nail vintage Fender as good as if not better than Fender. Also Lollar is stock with them

 

[Evanforbass]

Or dive into a build. Its fun and you're the boss, and can be quite economical. If you have budgetary flexibility, Stratosphere has plenty of options with necks, among other places (like TB classifieds). Check out MJT bodies on ebay, or even have them make one custom for you (I've had them do 3 custom for me). With electronics the world is your oyster.

otherwise, if a good solid straight-forward P is what you're after, I'd keep an eye out for a Fender American Pro or post-2008 American standard .

 

[Hounddog409]

IMHO, your MIM Fender is just fine. An upgrade is nice, but won't really yield anything significant.

Fine? Sure.

No significant upgrade? Plain wrong.

 

[IvanBassist]

G&L Fullerton Deluxe

 

[Koog]

If you want something other than Fender and want it to look vintage, take a look at Nash. Used, they are in your price range and if, at some point, you'd want to mod it to be a PJ, I don't think it would hurt the resale value much.

The are typically in the 8 - 9 pound range, are well balanced, play very well and sound terrific, if vintage P sounds are your thing.

Hope this is helpful.

Koog.

 

[Koog]

There is a Muckelroy p available for $1000 in our own TB classifieds that would be on its way to me if not for my self imposed restraint due to the current situation. Checks all my boxes. Great bass. Great price. I have no affiliation with the seller or builder. Just know a great bass when I see one.

Just saw this post....I agree 100%. I would have bought this bass yesterday if it was a 33" scale. Sorry....it slipped my mind as I posted above about Nash.

Brady Muckelroy does exceptional work. I own a 33" fretless from him and it is one of my favorite basses.

Bottom line.....check out the Muck....buy it if you can....if you don't choose to buy it, check out Nash, you may find what you're looking for.

 

[bassdude51]

Buy a nice looking and nice priced used P Bass. One fellow on TalkBass sold a mint condition Oly White Fender AVRI '63 P for $1,350 shipped.

Don't buy new! A waste of money!

Even Sweetwater, Musicians Friend, Music123, American Music Supply, Zzounds sell demos and returns for $200 to $300 less than new.

 

[JakobT]

Fine? Sure.

No significant upgrade? Plain wrong.

Please elaborate.

 

[AboutSweetSue]

If you can, build a Warmoth. They do Fender better than Fender, imo.

 

[Kukulkan61]

Try as many as you can, pick the one that you like everything about best, there is no best you gotta decide that for yourself, you might be surprised what you find out there that isn't necessarily an upgrade but a better built sounding instrument. I just recently acquired this Tribute G&L LB100 and it is better all around than every MIM Pbass I've ever had IMO, and it's cheaper than an MIM Fender New under 540.00 ..I put this bass up there with a Lakland Skyline Pbass which I also have..

 

[mattj1stc]

Agree with the Lakland recommendations.

 

[Hounddog409]

Please elaborate.

Play a Lakeland or G&L and you will feel and hear the difference.

 

[JakobT]

Play a Lakeland or G&L and you will feel and hear the difference.

That is not an elaboration.

 

[uwrossl]

Moollon is a great choice. Custom made. Nitro Finish. Spec'd spot on to a 63' P. Incredible vintage P tone.

Fender did start doing nitro finish again on their new AO 60's precision series. They look great but have not played one.

Lakland makes a great P and the Olinto's from LaBella are as well. I owned several Fender AS P's and was never satisfied with them. The Moollon ended my search for the perfect P.

 

[Sascha Erni]

If you already know it should be a P, and in that price range, it's advisable that you play as many different makes as you can. A Precision isn't rocket science, so to say. When going beyond what a MIM Fender provides (my first Precision was/still is a MIM), it's all about the little things that you might miss and/or appreciate. Neck profiles, nut width, finishes, top-loading bridges, high-mass bridges, string-through bridges. Tuner preferences, zero-fret or not, where's the plug going, what's the weight like, what's the weight distribution like, and so on.

I was lucky to find everything I prefer with Sandberg, and they were more than helpful in getting the last couple of details I was looking for into my "Precision clone", as well. But I also liked what I got my hands on from other manufacturers, including Fender. And I almost went the luthier route, because as said, a P isn't rocket science. A competent luthier can build you one exactly the way you want without breaking the bank.