Which Precision Bass to buy?

If you want a P bass with a narrower neck, go for the PB70, not PB62. It has a 40 mm nut, which is pretty close to a Jazz neck, an alder body and a rosewood fretboard. Currently it's available only in Olympic White, but I seem to remember seeing some sunburst and red ones. Ishibashi had a few used ones some time ago, but now it seems they've sold 'em all.

 

Fender doesn't currently offer a P bass with a J neck. You could consider a Deluxe Active P Bass Special, but it is active and has a J pickup (and a terrible looking pickguard, IMO). The bass you want is the Skyline 44-64 Custom, if you don't mind red and can get past the bridge and headstock not looking like a Fender.

 

This one would be a good deal if the bridge was correctly installed.

This is the one I'd go for.

They've got a couple early JV's on there too but they're kinda overpriced IMO. These are from Yeahman's Guitars.

 

IF you have three months, Fender's design-your own does have the option of P body and J neck. I was using they're tool to try body/pickguard color combinations. No way I have the patience to wait that long, but you did mention Carvin . . .
Anyway, it kept pricing out at around $1500. You can get vintage or modern bodies/necks/hardware

 

G&L LB-100 with a narrow neck option (custom ordering takes 8-10 weeks, but you get exactly what you want, often cheaper than a US Fender), or the Fender Japan PB70 would be my picks.

 

Yep, even with the stock #12 neck the LB-100 is highly playable. And anything MIJ is likely to be quite nice.

 

CARVIN all the way. Guaranteed craftmanship, easy to play, great sound, beautiful custom finishes. If I had the bucks I would have bought a PB4 to match my jazzy B40. I didn't so I bought a Squire Matt Freeman P-Bass, which is outstanding considering the price. Getting used to the thic P-neck.
Fender had a really great Deluxe PJ bass a few months ago which had a slimmer, Geddy type neck on it, but they're gone. That was a killer bass.

 

Just because it's vintage does not automatically mean it will sound better....within that price range, you could very well find a nice used American Vintage P Bass here in the classifieds...

 

Ultimately the one that speaks to you.
You've heard this before but they all vary a bit.
I bought a bass once and the salesman brought out 5 basses
all the same model & only one sounded right to me.
Happy Hunting

Keep G&L in mind.
It's still Leo's company.

 

Given those choices, I'd go with Warmoth. There are an incredible number of options available, including woods that Fender can only dream about. I played around with Fender's customizer tool, and the limited amount of options is really pathetic by comparison.

If assembling a bass is something that makes you uncomfortable, you can have a luthier assemble it and set it up for you. But doing it that way allows you to get exactly what you want, including all the components, for less than the price of an American Fender.

 

And this one also can be fun to play, I know I have one http://www.fender.com/basses/precision-bass/american-special-precision-bass/0111562309.html#start=1

 

G&L SB-1 or the LB100

 

I'm a G&L guy I owned a 1990 SB1 if I played 4string I would have never flipped it. Hot fast and pretty and with flats pure vintage. But as I said I'm a G&L guy so that is always my first choice.
Good luck in the search!

 

Squier has P options with jazz necks. Find a good one, explore pickup, bridge and string options... in the end you.'ve got a nice bass you don't worry about... also leaves you cash for next Spring when you may have a different vision of what you want. Food for thought.
Some look like this....

http://www.fenderjapan.co.jp/pb70.html

 

I have a number of Fender Ps of various eras and I can say the Skyline 44-64 holds its own and then some. The neck is amazing.

 

Yeah, but if you get a finished Warmoth and have someone else assemble it you will be getting well past the $1000 mark even with relatively basic hardware/electronics choices.

 

And good luck selling it if you decide to go in another direction.

 

Fair point, but keep in mind what I was comparing it to -- the Fender dream tool. I actually couldn't find it just now when I looked (it seems as though Fender has changed their website around), but I did find the parts section. They offer bodies in a wide variety of alder. Necks can be had with your choice of maple. Fretboards come in a mind-boggling array of maple and rosewood. [/sarcasm] Fender offers one American Precision for $999, all others are north of $1300.

At Warmoth, $305 gets you an already finished alder body, or an unfinished chambered black korina body (try getting one of those from Fender!) plus a can of tung oil or whatever from a hardware store. Another $250-350 gets you a finished neck or a made to order neck with some fairly exotic woods. Guestimate $80 each for a pickup, bridge, tuners, electronics, and setup, and you're right around $1000. For $1300, you could get practically anything your heart desires for a P-bass with American made body and neck.

To me, it's a no-brainer.