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Why not American Standard single coil Precisions?

#21
Bongolation said:
...There's a fascinating picture floating around the web of a new '51 or '52 that was locked in its case for many decades and did not experience any change in color except for blackening from the outgassing of the rubber mute. Looks sort of like the now-extinct Fender "White Blonde" color...at least on my monitor...
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Can you post a link or a copy? :cool:
 
#23
mongo2 said:
Which "Custom Shop" '51 Ps are being protected since '90 (when I bought my first MIJ '51 RI P)?

Other than customer ordered individual versions, the only one's I'm aware of were a very few made in a special run during the '90s (no more were made so there's nothing to protect) and the 50th anniversary CS copies of which there are no more being made and therefore still nothing to protect.
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+1 on this. The only Custom Shop '51s I've seen lately are a couple of one-off Masterbuilts for over $4k. And if I'm not mistaken, Fender discontinued the CS '55 Precision. I don't see anything to protect. The economy/sales environment for Fender might be bad enough at this particular time to prevent bringing out any new models, but I see no other impediments.
 
#27
mongo2 said:
LOL.

I've tried several replacements and I keep going back to either the SD QP or the OEM. But it's still not quite "there" yet.
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You're not alone. It seems like these pickups are much more picky about strings than most; I'd really like to come up with something that sounds good with LaBella DT760FM's. I converted a cheap Ibby to a scpb which has DT760s and a QP, tried a bunch of caps, but it just hasn't turned into anything I really want to hear.

I intend to try making a couple with the wire just wrapped around a bar magnet. I should quit thinking about it and do it.
 
#28
Jim Carr said:
Can you post a link or a copy? :cool:
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Unfortunately, I haven't seen it in years. I'm sure it's out there somewhere. :hmm:

It was the subject of some discussion on the old, Fender-supported, FDP some years back.

It was a neat picture, as it was one of the rare proofs of what Fender staff and old-timers had been saying all along, namely that the old Fenders weren't originally yellow at all, which many people didn't believe.

It was a simulation of a "limed" furniture finish that was popular at the time, apparently.
 
#29
GlennW said:
I think the real reason is Fender's a bit embarrassed because they can't make a decent pickup for it. :hiding:
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According to collectors with whom I've corresponded, the '55-style pickup that Dyna puts on the contract SCPBs is very close in sound to the originals.

That may not be what you want, though. Face it, Leo changed them to dual-poles because their transient spikes were killing his speakers. The pickups weren't that great, even after the compensated poles in '55 or so.

As I said, people seem to be in love with the *IDEA* of the SCPB rather than the actual instrument.;)

That's why they don't really sell.
 
#30
Here's my old MIJ 50's RI from the late 90's, its color matched the P posted earlier with similar grain showing. It was a basswood body, with maple V-neck.

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I've seen one of those 'out of the case' original 50's Teles and yes, the finish was a see-through whitewash rather than yellow.
 
#32
Apropos of what? American Fender Single Coils?

Here ya go:

wholebass4.jpg


back.jpg
 
#33
Disregarding the ever-popular conspiracy theories, the '51 RI is a real niche instrument. The neck's too big for most of the population, the color is downright ugly (but it looks good on stage), and there's no bling. Already 90% of the bass players are eliminated.

But it does all right in its niche. I checked the online listings at eBay, craigslist (Texas cities) and GC's online used department, and found exactly ONE on eBay, ONE on craigslist, and ONE at the GC site, which indicates that those of us who own them hang on to them.

The other side of the equation is that, in Fender's recent rollback of prices, the '51 did not roll back. I'd guess Fender sells pretty much as many as they make. I'd guess that the number is 'way less than for the Standard Jazz Bass, for example. Locally, I've never seen one other than the one sitting right now on a stand in my living room, so they are not common.

The sorry fact is, if you want one in the original color, there's nothing other than mere dollars keeping you from tracking down an original or one of the more accurate (and much pricier) replica from the '90s.

I know I'm keeping mine, and I don't particularly care if Fender suffers some sort of corporate thrombosis and begins turning them out in the correct color -- you can't hear paint, and mine is pretty much satisfactory otherwise.
 
#37
I always thought it would be cool if they 'reissued' or did a custom shop version of the VERY early 68 Telecaster Bass with the nitro lacquer, maple capped neck w/ no skunk stripe, super rare transition logo (where the word "Bass" was taken from a Coronado Bass decal and combined with the then-new Telecaster guitar decal) and paddle tuners. My dad has had his for 40 years....and it is one of the best basses I've ever played.

Headstock.jpg
 
#38
Gries Amps said:
How does the tone of a single coil P bass compare to the neck pickup of a Jazz bass?
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The only thing they have in common is that both are single coil pickups made by Fender.

The original Precision pickup is based on the Telecaster pickup, with modifications suitable for a four string. The pole pieces are placed right under the strings, which gives the early P a much sharper attack (and less sustain) than the second-generation split coil Precision pickup. The latter, and the Jazz pickup, have pairs of pole pieces that straddle each string, a design that smooths out the attack and adds sustain. This was desireable, in Fender's mind, because the early bass amps were plagued with warranty returns due to blown speakers. For that reason, Leo designed the "punch" out of the pickups -- when it came time to design the Jazz pickup, he applied the same principal.

So the tone compares as follows: a single coil P is the Thump King, and a Jazz is mellower. To me, a Jazz is generic sounding (at least, when I play it) while the P has personality. That hasn't stopped many good bassists from playing Jazz models (for some reason they don't care about what my playing sounds like -- go figure).
 

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