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51 reissue thoughts


wazz
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playablilty ? ....ok, imho the fact that they are slab-bodied gets some used to, the neck should be 'hard work' (at least compaired to a jazz) and tone-wise it's a bit limited - hey, it was designed in '51.

....but after all that , it's well worth it !

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Cons
The single coil pickup doesn't have the same oomph as a split Precision Pickup
The pickup is not humbucking, athough this shouldn't be a problem as long a the shielding is OK
The slab body can dig into you if you have a bit of a gut
The neck is a bit like a baseball bat (not necessarily a bad thing as some players prefer a chunky neck)

Pros
It looks great - This is obviously very important as it will inspire you to play it more if its difficult to walk past it without picking it up.

Its best to try one if you can, if you can live with the chunky neck and slab body and you like the sound & playability, then its the right bass for you.

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it would be a gigging bass going out a couple of times a week so I wouldnt need inspiring to pick it up.
I had a slab body kramer many years ago and that was ok.
I guess its neck and sound then.

Would it be possible to fit a hipshot d-tuner to one of these? Anyone done that?

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OK, I had one of these... here are my thoughts:-

No contouring is just plain uncomfortable.

The pickup sounds strong but the string to string balance ain't good.

The 'Vintage frets' are rattly (maybe I had a bad setup).

The neck on mine had some truly gorgeous figuring.

Build quality was immaculate (CIJ of course).

The body is [b][i]way[/i][/b] too yellow, really a hopeless, unsubtle shade.

The tuners were reverse (which I don't like) and infact were crap.

So I sold it... Er, that's it really.

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I think that the '51 Re-issue is a great bass :)

I never had a problem with the slab body at all. I switched the original pickup out for a Seymour Duncan and made sure I shielded everything, even the run of wire from the pickup to the controls !!

I was always surprised at how flexible the tone was. Just a great bass...

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[quote name='lwtait' post='137635' date='Feb 10 2008, 03:48 PM']people have complained about the contouring and the pickup- theres always the mike dirnt sig if you want one just for the way it looks. thats not slab bodied and has a precision pickup, but has the 51 shape.[/quote]


But I *think* that's MIM... and no maple 'board.

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I’ve owned mine for at least 10 years now.
The neck isn’t a baseball bat; it has the modern Precision contour.
It’s light, and I’m not bothered by the lack of contour. In fact I actually prefer it to the Jazz shape.

I didn’t care for the stock pickup so swapped it out.
Duncan, Lollar, Fralin, Rio Grande and a couple of other companies make replacements so that’s not a problem. Fralin will wind a hum canceling version, and Vintage Vibe will custom wind for you also.

I find the tone to be flexible, with a bit more note definition than the split coil P

If I got another, the only upgrades I’d make would be a new pickup and replace the stock 2-saddle bridge with a Wilkinson (to keep the look) or new Fender 4 saddle string through, both are direct replacements.

MM

Btw I tried a Mike Dint, which to me is just a standard P with a tele headstock.

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I just bought a 53 re-issue and I love it. Well, the advert said it was a 53 re-issue but I have no idea how to actually tell if its a 51 or a 53. Its one of those basses that you look at and have to just pick up and play. Mine is screaming for a setup though. I bought it as my backup or 2nd bass so I was not expecting something superb. The slab body is a little different but not to much hassle to get used to. The neck is very chunky but ok. Its easy to play, it just has a chunky neck. Its not to heavy and the quality is superb. The sound is ok. Well, it might be great to be honest but its limited so don't expect to get lots of different sounds from it. Fat, punchy and maybe a bit fluffy but certainly big.

One problem I did notice is the E string is pretty quiet compared to the A and D. In fact quite an in balance on levels but I hope this will be fixed when I get it setup up as the action is also pretty high. I might change the pickup to a Seymour Duncan. Not because I don't like the sound of the stock pickup but to see if I get more variety. I may also change the bridge because people say the stock fender one is pretty crap. I won't do anything until its set up though. I will also add a Hipshot D-Tuner when I can.

Overall, I really love the bass. Its very retro, sounds great, plays nice and looks superb. I think with some modifications done to it, it would be a great working bass.

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I got a Japanese 51 re-issue two years ago off a Japanese e-bay seller - think it was bluezy guitars - highly recommended chap - superb to deal with. My bass came with the Seymore Duncan pickup - model 51-OPB-105SD I think and is the two tone sunburst version, which makes it look more like a 53. Anyway - plays great - built like a brick ****house - I wanted a retro sound from this particular instrument so put some Thomastick Flats on it - doesn't dissapoint. Can get very funky if need be - not in a slappy sense - more a James Jamerson vibe. The slab body is not a problem for me. I love the big neck profile. If you want a vintage vibe - go for it. Would suit a darkstar pick up (or two !) and a badass bridge such is its versatility. I'd go for it.........

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[quote name='Metal-Mariachi' post='137718' date='Feb 10 2008, 05:36 PM']If I got another, the only upgrades I’d make would be a new pickup and replace the stock 2-saddle bridge with a Wilkinson (to keep the look) or new Fender 4 saddle string through, both are direct replacements.[/quote]

Do you have a link to the Fender bridge anywhere???

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They're all made in Japan. I don't think they have done a MIM one. There have been Masterbuilt ones made in America but that's about it.

One of the finest basses I ever owned in terms of quality of sound, playability and build quality.

I had one of the 2 tone versions as I have to agree that the lungbutter yellow one is a bit horrid to look at although I have seen some that are more pleasing on the eye.

It was the last bass I bought during my quest for the ideal bass before I had my Warmoth built with a '54 body with SCPB quarterpounder and original P bass headstock.

Absolutely hated having to sell it but the lack of contour got to me after a while, even though i would wear a sweatband on my right wrist. Same reason that I have never got on with the bound bodied Rickenbackers.

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I wear a wristband for any bass I play as I always get a blister on the inside of my wrist. The 51' re-issue feels a bit clumsy due to the non contour of the body but apart from that its fine to play. Compared to a Jazz or a precision, it just feels a bit clumsy. Apart from that, its great.

Here is a quick picture of mine.

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