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Help Me Target a Year and Model of Precision (PBass)
- Thread starter TroyK
- Start date
Then why not a clean, well set up Mexican P-Bass?
Nash P’s have mostly B width necks. Great basses…I’ve owned a few.
I am back to the c width P’s and have three currently. Fullerton RI, CS 57, and a MJT build. I would concur with others that if you want that beefy neck (and I do as well), I would look into the 58 RI or the AO line. You can get them used for less than an Am Pro and they are great basses. All these basses across the years have substantial 1.75” width necks. There’s usually one or more in the classifieds at any given time. In fact, the gold AO listed now is a great buy (no affiliation).
I am back to the c width P’s and have three currently. Fullerton RI, CS 57, and a MJT build. I would concur with others that if you want that beefy neck (and I do as well), I would look into the 58 RI or the AO line. You can get them used for less than an Am Pro and they are great basses. All these basses across the years have substantial 1.75” width necks. There’s usually one or more in the classifieds at any given time. In fact, the gold AO listed now is a great buy (no affiliation).
Since you're a mod who has contributed so much to this Forum, I feel like I owe you as complete an answer as I can. I play upright, but as much electric bass as anything - been playing a P bass for more than 50 yrs. For me more than anything, the neck is key to playability. I started out on a 1959 P bass and it was the classic - 1.75" wide at the nut, but fairly thin front to back and with fairly thin (vintage style) frets. that's my preference and in order to put together the one that I play, I had to go to a Warmoth neck )thin profile, roasted maple) with a lightweight body and an EMG Geezer Butler pickup. Fantastic bass. There are many great P basses out there. I'd also look for a GL LB100 (their necks I believe are 1.65" but its pretty close), I also have a Reverend Mercalli Bass that I love that is a P bass on Steroids.
OK so alot of what you are asking depends on budget also. If you look carefully, you can probably find a good used MIM P bass for not alot of $$. I had a Fender 50's Classic Series P for a few years that was an outstanding bass. Here's an example right here - price to me is a bit high but gives you an idea. https://reverb.com/item/79972618-fe...th-maple-fretboard-2018-2019-white-blonde?bk=
I'll stop there, feel free to pm me if you want more info. For my 2 cents, I'd stay away from the newer stuff and the custom makers unless you have something that you are really after. Many of them (Nash, others) go after the relic market which is not my thing.
OK so alot of what you are asking depends on budget also. If you look carefully, you can probably find a good used MIM P bass for not alot of $$. I had a Fender 50's Classic Series P for a few years that was an outstanding bass. Here's an example right here - price to me is a bit high but gives you an idea. https://reverb.com/item/79972618-fe...th-maple-fretboard-2018-2019-white-blonde?bk=
I'll stop there, feel free to pm me if you want more info. For my 2 cents, I'd stay away from the newer stuff and the custom makers unless you have something that you are really after. Many of them (Nash, others) go after the relic market which is not my thing.
FronTowardEnemy
It is better to go unnoticed, than to suck
Fenders line of AV 58/ 63 P from 2013-2017, AVRI P Bass any year, Road Worn any year, or AVRI II P (New)
These are IMO workhorse instruments with great feel and tone.
These are IMO workhorse instruments with great feel and tone.
I highly suggest looking at a Modern Vintage p bass. Outstanding f&f, great neck, comes plek’d, sounds great. The satin roasted maple neck on mine is a thing of beauty. They have a maple fret board option as well and plenty of colors to choose from. Mine is a MVP-4 62
One of the best P basses I’ve played or owned.
One of the best P basses I’ve played or owned.
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I would get a Fender American Professional II Precision Bass.
I like to believe that this is what James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey or Carol Kaye would buy today.
They are currently on sale at Fender’s online store.
www.fender.com
I like to believe that this is what James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey or Carol Kaye would buy today.
They are currently on sale at Fender’s online store.
American Professional II Precision Bass® | Electric Basses
American Professional II Precision Bass®, Rosewood Fingerboard, 3-Color Sunburst
For years I played a regular American P bass but I didn't really like the neck. I eventually put a Jazz neck on my P bass body and I was happier with this setup. Then I played a Nash 57 P bass which had a wider and fatter neck but the neck profile was one of the most comfortable I'd ever played. It is a seriously good P bass. Ultimately you have to play a lot of basses to find one that speaks to you. Even after you find one you will probably keep playing different ones to see if you can find a better one. When I first started playing I met a guy who had six P basses. I couldn't understand why anyone would need or want six of them but he told me that each of them were different, they each had their own character and something unique that spoke to him. It took me a few years to really understand this but I do now.
Don’t listen to criticism about the Am Pro basses and dismiss them out of hand. They’re great basses. Try them out for yourself.
What happens when you ask people on the internet for opinions is that you mostly get replies from the people with the strongest opinions. They may not be representative of the truth or of most people’s opinions.
The Plain Jane passive P-bass has been around for 70 years and hasn’t changed much. What you see is what you get. Choose on the specs you like and don’t overthink it.
What happens when you ask people on the internet for opinions is that you mostly get replies from the people with the strongest opinions. They may not be representative of the truth or of most people’s opinions.
The Plain Jane passive P-bass has been around for 70 years and hasn’t changed much. What you see is what you get. Choose on the specs you like and don’t overthink it.
They are incredibly reliable instruments and being that in your original post you said you loved the way the MIM Player played I don't really see any reasons why not! Though in my mind those don't have particularly wide nuts, more middle of the road, but if it felt good in your hands then it probably met your criteria for what "wide nut spacing" means to you, and would easily tick all the other boxes.
When you say "wide nut width", do you mean slightly wider than a J-bass, like "modern" P-basses or REALLY wide nut width, like vintage or vintage reissue P-basses?
There's a huge difference between a "modern" P-bass with a 41(ish) mm nut width and a vintage/vintage RI P-bass with a 43-44(ish) mm nut width.
J-bass necks have 38(ish) mm nut width. Which mean that "modern" P-bass necks have a nut width that sits more or less midway between vintage P-bass and J-bass.
This is far more important than worrying about the pickups in the AmPros. Especially when a wider nut width seem to be one of your main reasons for getting a P-bass. Sure, the pickups in the AmPros suck (especially the 1st gen) but pickups can be easily replaced. The size/shape of the neck is FAR more important to get right, and a "modern" vs a vintage/vintage reissue P-bass neck will be VERY different.
"Modern" and vintage/vintageRI P-basses aren't really interchangeable at all IMO, even though they look the same and both say "Fender Precision Bass" on the headstock. They're very different instruments due to the different nut widths, and you will most likely MASSIVELY prefer one over the other. Most players these days prefer the "modern" 41 mm P-bass nut width, but if you're a double bass players you might like the 43-44 mm vintage P-bass nut width. The original vintage P-basses were after all designed specifically for double bass players who were converting to the new, exciting innovation know as the electric bass.
There's a huge difference between a "modern" P-bass with a 41(ish) mm nut width and a vintage/vintage RI P-bass with a 43-44(ish) mm nut width.
J-bass necks have 38(ish) mm nut width. Which mean that "modern" P-bass necks have a nut width that sits more or less midway between vintage P-bass and J-bass.
This is far more important than worrying about the pickups in the AmPros. Especially when a wider nut width seem to be one of your main reasons for getting a P-bass. Sure, the pickups in the AmPros suck (especially the 1st gen) but pickups can be easily replaced. The size/shape of the neck is FAR more important to get right, and a "modern" vs a vintage/vintage reissue P-bass neck will be VERY different.
"Modern" and vintage/vintageRI P-basses aren't really interchangeable at all IMO, even though they look the same and both say "Fender Precision Bass" on the headstock. They're very different instruments due to the different nut widths, and you will most likely MASSIVELY prefer one over the other. Most players these days prefer the "modern" 41 mm P-bass nut width, but if you're a double bass players you might like the 43-44 mm vintage P-bass nut width. The original vintage P-basses were after all designed specifically for double bass players who were converting to the new, exciting innovation know as the electric bass.
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Why I love my '86 Peavey Milestone II in a nutshell. My uncle gave it to me, and I've grown with it on my bass journey.
What is the meme about the American Pro P's pickup being no good? People didn't like the v-mod pickups because they are a little less vintage sounding I suppose?
To me the American * Precision Bass has always been a little more modern looking and sounding and a little less vintage, and the purist models were the American Vintage/Original models, for those who liked flathead screws and taking the neck off to adjust it and all that. I'd expect a bit of a different tonality I think.
For me there's not enough variation in low or moderate output P-bass pickups to dismiss any model of bass for having them. And a pickup swap is something anyone can easily do.
Decide on the things that are not changeable, like the neck shape, nut width, etc. and not on the things that are easily modified IMO
To me the American * Precision Bass has always been a little more modern looking and sounding and a little less vintage, and the purist models were the American Vintage/Original models, for those who liked flathead screws and taking the neck off to adjust it and all that. I'd expect a bit of a different tonality I think.
For me there's not enough variation in low or moderate output P-bass pickups to dismiss any model of bass for having them. And a pickup swap is something anyone can easily do.
Decide on the things that are not changeable, like the neck shape, nut width, etc. and not on the things that are easily modified IMO
People didn't like the V-Mods because:
-The difference in tone between the E-A coil and the D-G coil is just weird. Using different types of magnets in the same pickup may (possibly?) make more sense with plain/wound strings on a guitar, but on a bass it's just a silly gimmick that doesn't really work at all. The V-Mod is what happens when the marketing department starts designing pickups. The Alnico II/V thing was clearly developed for a guitar pickup and only used for the bass pickups to keep this silly "innovation" consistent across the AmPro line.
-The E-string has a poor dynamic range. When you dig in hard on the E-string it feels like hitting a brick wall. The tone just falls apart and sounds weak/anemic. The V-Mod sounds nice with soft-to-medium intensity playing (if you can handle the difference in timbre between E-A an D-G) but if you like to dig in hard fingerstyle it's a very poor pickup.
-It has a very low output. This isn't necessarily a problem (depending on your setup) but if you combine the V-Mod with pure nickel or monel strings and want to hit a dirt pedal or a tube amp hard... well, that's not gonna happen without an extra clean boost. The low output also makes it inconvenient for use on-stage as a backup for more "normal" P-basses with a more typical P-bass output (or as the main instrument with a "normal" P-bass for backup).
The V-Mod2 is nowhere near as bad as the first version, but it's still not a pickup I would personally want to use if I can avoid it.
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This seems important and I guess that the answer is that I don't know. Need to go play a bunch AND make note of the nut width. I know that I'd like to move on from J-Bass spacing.
With current MIM/MIA Fenders it's basically:
-Player/American Performer/American Pro/Ultra = "Modern" P-bass nut width.
-Vintera/American Vintage = Vintage P-bass nut width.
In addition to these I think all Fender Japan P-bass models that are currently officially available for the international market have a "modern" nut width (but some models sold exclusively in Japan have a vintage nut width). MIJ Fenders often have U-profile necks though, which is a very different feel to the classic, vintage Fender C-profile.
The neck profiles within the MIM/MIA P-bass models are also different of course, with the Ultra's D-profile probably being the most unusual (for a Fender).
And yes, you DEFINITELY need to test them yourself! You wouldn't ask strangers online advice about what shoe size you should buy, would you? Different size hands need different size/profile necks. This is THE most important thing when buying a bass IMO, and far too often overlooked in favor of choosing between two pickups that sound 98% identical.
I could tell you which current Fender neck I personally prefer of course, but I won't, because it would quite frankly be totally irrelevant.
No, but I would ask people with more experience than me in something what I should look out for. The responses have been helpful.
Honestly, the whole "neck profile" thing I was aware of, but I'm not super-clear on and suspect that it is less of a big deal to me than string spacing. I didn't know that P-Bass nuts came in more than 1 width. I always just thought it was P-Width/J-Width and I am clear that I don't prefer J-width anymore.
When I decide if I like a P Bass or not, the electronics is the LAST thing I consider -- the feel and construction of the bass has to be right. Pickups and electronics, especially in the case of the Precision, are myriad, often exceptional, and easily swapped out. The physical aspects of the instrument are forever unless you replace a neck or something.