What precisely is good about Precisions?

[TheSlug]

I absolutely disagree. I used a Tele for rock, delta blues and bluegrass as well!

Yeah. I have seen people rocking a tele. Tanner5382 even gave me examples like Jimmy Page and Pete townshend playing one (Jimmy changed to les paul though). They have a distinct "thin" (thanks Tanner) tone. With the distinct "pling pling" sound, I just can not change the opinion about them being versatile, which was what I was answering to.
BTW, Bluegrass and country is kind of like the same tone isnt it?

Telecasters can get a fine range of sounds with very minimal modifications or extras. For example, the Baja Telecaster comes with a phase and series/parallel switch. Series gives a fat humbucker sound, out-of-phase gives you a strat-like mid-scoop. That's all you need

Since I never had much interest in the guitar, i havent looked at the different specs on the different models. Just familiar with the standard.

One of the most versatile instruments I ever put together was a Tele with Charlie Christian pickup in the neck and a standard tele pickup in the bridge. It had a 4-way switch to do neck/ neck+bridge parallel / neck + bridge series / bridge as well as a phase reversing switch that worked in either series or parallel mode. It also had a bass roll-off knob I added so that the Charlie pickup could be tamed since it was a very warm, jazzy pickup

Sounds like an awesome guitar, I might disagree with myself if I ever get to try that one. I personally always had a preference for humbucker in the bridge with coil tap to get me close to an allround guitar (HSS setup).

PS. Excuse me for the lack of apostrophies, rarely use them in the norwegian language.

 

[wmhill]

the resale value

 

[spaz21387]

I couldnt tell you. I have one. Its alright I never really play it. I prefer my ric over a p bass anyday. They sound good in a band mix. They sound like crap solo. The only reason i have it is for those sketchy multi band bar shows where I shouldnt take my stingray or 4003. Its also shell pink that could make thieves look at someone elses bass first...

 

[mojomike001]

I love the way a P bass looks, but I usually don't like the tone of a single-pickup P. I did have ONE old P that sounded and played amazing, but otherwise they are dull-sounding to me. And they are rarely set-up to play the way I like. But a 2-pickup P can be a great bass.

What does that mean, "they are rarely set-up to play the way I like?" As far as I'm concerned, I've never bought any bass that was set up to play the way I like. I've personally set up every bass I've ever bought.

 

[Artobass]

Where are you playing your P bass? In the bedroom? Maybe a P bass is not for you. A P bass will always sound rather Honky when played solo.....put it in the mix with a band and you'll have your P bass sound in order. The P bass is the most recorded bass ever....so maybe it's not a bass for you. Go find something you like and play it.

 

[kbr]

Oh, good. Another thread about how changing one component of a system altered the tone, so that component must be the problem. No mention of technique, EQ, strings, genre, effects, amp, or cab. Simply a statement of "I bought this thing lots of other people bought, and I didn't like it." No statement of desired nor expected changes. No statement describing the problem with the result of change.

The Internet. It delivers.

Isn't changing one component of a system how you accurately measure the effect of that component? Anyway, what I asked was what did people like about P basses. I think the point of the thread was missed there.

Anyway, I went ahead and ordered a set of D'addario Chromes and am going to see how those jive with the bass. Thanks for that clip of Michael League; I'd be happy if my bass (or my playing) sounded half that good. I didn't think this thread would be that popular (or that Carrots are better basses than Jazz basses!). I'll try to make some clips when I change the strings.

Also, as a former recording engineer and current FOH tech, P basses usually sound underwhelming in mixes without some help. We do all sorts of weird stuff to them to get them to sound good. Every engineer has "the amp", "the DI", or "the EQ/Compressor settings" that makes the bass sound awesome. I've never worked with a P bass that we plugged in and I just went, "Yeah! That's it." On the other hand, they're so ubiquitous that, if an engineer can't make a P bass sound good, they're bad at their job.

 

[Kmonk]

We all have different likes and dislikes. A Precision just isn't the right bass for you. I like MIA Fender Jazz, Precisions, Alembic, Sadowsky, Lakland and Spector. I don't like Musicman Stingrays. A lot of other people do. Its not a big deal. There is no rule saying you must have a Precision. Find what you like.

 

[ThudThudThud]

For the umpteenth time on TB, here's what Precisions do:

 

[dfoehr]

EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hintz]

I really want to like jazz basses but I just can't. The skinny neck makes my hand cramp up while playing in first position, pickups sound super nasally, and J's are just nowhere near as visually appealing as P's are to me. I'm a simple guy who likes simple things, and I think the Fender Precision is the purest form of how a bass is supposed to sound

I can't use Jazz style necks for the same reason, my left hand cramps up within minutes!! But if I ever get a Fender again it'd have to be a P/J, I prefer that sound to either a Jazz or Precision any day!!

 

[KevInDaBassment]

First mistake, IMHO, was getting a Precision 5'er...I know, it sounds the same right, but the low-b is just useless IMO. That would also explain the neck.

I LOVE my P-bass, but then again you have to ask what makes it a P-bass to begin with? I say the body and pickup is what makes it a P, which is why I have a Fender replacement Jazz neck on my p-bass. I have flatwounds with a foam mute under the bridge cover that makes it absolutely sweet...even unplugged!

My other P is good as well, however it needs a jazz neck to be complete for me. It has rounds and is set up much more simply. It's hard to beat a quality P when getting grit or OD from your setup. Surprisingly P's handle a lot of different effects very very well for me. Chorus, fuzz, OD, pitch shifter, etc...all work great with my Matt Freeman P.


Some people like it, some don't. You also need gritty amps to really bring out the aggressive shine that P's can have. People pair them with SVTs a lot for a reason, they go great together. YMMV, but hey man that's what it's all about. You also need to listen to a P-bass IN THE MIX as well. Sitting in a mix or in a recording when someone has worked with them a lot, they can sound great. Idk what the heck I'm doing and they come out sounding good for me. I get compliments on my bass tone a lot.

 

[Nighthound]

I bought a squire 5 string p bass after having a jazz bass that sounds amazing and also a vanquish 69 that sounds great too..I really fell in love with the tone of the P Bass... Its kinda got this boing in ya face ..nice for slap..and when rolled off the tone pot it sounds more punchy then the jazz in parallel.

 

[njones89]

Ps are one of the few kinds of basses that sound good on a completely overdriven amp, including solid state.

 

[Fergie Fulton]

After almost 14 years of bass playing, I finally got around to getting my first P bass. I opted for a U.S. Fender American Standard Precision V. After a few days, I'm kind of hating this bass. While it's not terrible, it isn't that great either. It's not as deep/clear sounding as my other basses, the neck is appropriate for Major League Baseball, and it doesn't record nearly as well as my other basses. I thought to myself, "Maybe it's a dud?" I went down to Guitar Center and found out my bass is largely representative of how they sound / feel. So, I ask you; why do bass players love P basses so much?

Well first off your bass doesn't sound like anything.....untill you plug it in.
Now you have to EQ your amp different because....its a differnt bass....the bass has different dynamics to it...as do all basses.
When i get a new bass it is set up for me, so off with the roundwounds and on with the my brand of flatwounds .
The the nut is filled and the truss rod adjusted to take these changes, then the bridge is set to intonate it.
Then the pups are set, they are scrwed in low to start with because the action is not set at the right bridge height.
The bridge is set to the action i want, then the pups are set to that action.
Truss rod tweeked, strings all tuned and i am ready to go.

Now i have never got a bass because of its sound, i get them because of their looks or their feel...i can make them sound how i want.
so i i cannot get the sound from my amp, i add a pedal, if that fails i will look at change the EQ suite or the pups or both. Fender P. Tone controls are some of the worst about as they only sem to work in that last, or first depending on how you are turning it, turn.

So if the bass looks and feels good keep it and do something about the issues, if it does not, then sell it as you will never really be happy with it.

 

[monsterthompson]

Isn't changing one component of a system how you accurately measure the effect of that component? .

No. It tells you how that component functions in that specific environment. I have a P and it works great with one amp, cab, EQ setting, and set of pedals. It doesn't work as well with other cabs and pedals, and I've certainly had strings on it that made the whole thing sound awful until I put a different set of strings in it. The other side of the coin is that My Spector sounds less than great if I just plug it right in to the same setup that works with my P. Yet it sounds wonderful with the same amp, EQ adjusted, and a different cab with different pedals engaged.

 

[hintz]

First mistake, IMHO, was getting a Precision 5'er...I know, it sounds the same right, but the low-b is just useless IMO. That would also explain the neck.

I LOVE my P-bass, but then again you have to ask what makes it a P-bass to begin with? I say the body and pickup is what makes it a P, which is why I have a Fender replacement Jazz neck on my p-bass. I have flatwounds with a foam mute under the bridge cover that makes it absolutely sweet...even unplugged!

My other P is good as well, however it needs a jazz neck to be complete for me. It has rounds and is set up much more simply. It's hard to beat a quality P when getting grit or OD from your setup. Surprisingly P's handle a lot of different effects very very well for me. Chorus, fuzz, OD, pitch shifter, etc...all work great with my Matt Freeman P.


Some people like it, some don't. You also need gritty amps to really bring out the aggressive shine that P's can have. People pair them with SVTs a lot for a reason, they go great together. YMMV, but hey man that's what it's all about. You also need to listen to a P-bass IN THE MIX as well. Sitting in a mix or in a recording when someone has worked with them a lot, they can sound great. Idk what the heck I'm doing and they come out sounding good for me. I get compliments on my bass tone a lot.

I agree with everything you said *except* the flatwounds part.... I just can't stand them, but I know I'm in the minority on that! The main point that you brought up is very important though, a good passive bass sounds awesome through pedals and tube amps, and they'll sit in the mix just right where active basses just don't do it...IMO/IME of course

 

[AlienLanes]

I think the USA G&L LB-100 is the best Precision for the money out there by a mile. I know most people say that the quality of Fender's "American Standards" have gotten a lot better since 2008, but I beg to differ. Never thought I would be playing on a quartersawn maple neck with perfect fretwork for under $1000 until I picked up my #1.

 

[Guinness20]

I love the sound of p bass, don't own one but there's a good chance my next bass will be a precision.

I just wish the pickup didn't have to be angled! I rest my thumb on top of the pickup when I play. I'm fine with my stingray, would be fine with the jazz but not with these inconsiderate SOBs!

 

[boristhespider9]

When playing with a band, you may feel differently. Many feel that playing a P by itself isn't that special, but in a band setting, it hits the sweet sonic space that bass is supposed to occupy. The only time my bandmates EVER made a comment about my tone was when I brought an American Standard P to practice. Unsolicited, they thought it sounded awesome - and they wouldn't know a P from a J from a Z, so it wasn't just appearance. This was after playing many other nice basses with the same group over a long period of time.

Also, there's a pretty substantial difference in the feel between a 4 and 5 string American Standard. The 5 is indeed a very big neck IMO.

 

[Gaolee]

It's the best subject for a troll, ever. That makes a Precision far better than a Jazz. However, neither approaches a Thunderbird. If I have to play a Fender, it has to be a Precision.