FinnDave

Very nice - I had one of those a few years ago and I'm sure it was in the same colour, but without the metalwork.

[quote name='Steve Browning' timestamp='1508471826' post='3392404'] Re the scratchplate. My own view is that tort works best on a 3 tone sunburst where you have some red in the colour of the bass to work with the red of the tort. I am possibly the world's biggest sunburst tort fan but I will be keeping the gold plate. [/quote] I have to agree, Steve - I held a tort plate against it (not one that would fit, just to get an impression of the colour) and it didn't look right, so I think you are right about the lack of red. The anodised plate is growing on me, as well, and attracted favourable comments from other members of the band when they first saw the bass last night.

Just back from a mid week gig in Oxford. Fourth time at this venue this year, and by far the biggest audience. Lots of people dancing, very uplifting gig. I played my new Fender Classic 50s Precision, through an Ashdown Rootmaster 800 and Super Compact - and it sounded epic! Also tried finger style for the first time in nearly two years, after a motorcycle accident left my right hand damaged. I tried using the knuckle joints with the hand flat on the bass rather than having my hand at almost right angles to the string and using the finger/hand joint. Amazingly, it works and I got through the entire gig without a pick! So much easier to control my sound. So, a significant step for me tonight.

Well, gigged the 50s Classic tonight (in Oxford). I had a US Standard with me as well...but I never got to compare them as I couldn't put the classic down! Lovely rich deep sound, and a joy to play. The wider neck makes it necessary to think a bit more about what I'm doing, which is a good thing.

[quote name='afterimage' timestamp='1508363476' post='3391768'] Looks lovely what a great buy these guitars are now to the American Fenders enjoy [/quote] I'm taking the Classic Precision and a US Standard P to tonight's gig, so I can compare them back to back. Probably do one set on each.

I drive an hour and a half each way for 50 or 60 British Pounds!

[quote name='lou24d53' timestamp='1508250752' post='3390852'] Incidentally, what's the difference between the Classic 50's and the Classic 50's Lacquer...is it purely as simple as the paint finish...? [/quote] As far as i know, that's it - and the lacquer is only available in black. If they'd done a sunburst lacquer I'd have had it, as I already have a sunburst lacquer classic 60s Jazz.

Will do, got a gig this Thursday, so I'll at least start off with this one, I'll have a tried and trusted back up available though!

I'm certainly very happy with mine, but I've only had it one day so the newness hasn't worn off yet! I haven't played it with a band yet either, that's the real test.

Mostly play blues in its many forms, one band is more rock oriented (though it was pure blues when it started) and another is more jazzy - this bass won't suit everything I do, but I have others! This one is very comfortable to play, though.

I obviously have a much lower resistance than you, I only started thinking about them a week ago and now I'm playing one!

[quote name='Pea Turgh' timestamp='1508230441' post='3390600'] 100% agree - I love mine, but I cannot get a picture of it the way I see it! [/quote] My bass is on my lap while I type this before playing some more, the 'plate looks much a warmer colour in the real world than any picture I've seen of these basses. Less than 24 hours of ownership and I'm already starting to really like the colour. As for the bass....perfect!

I think I'll stick with the standard scratch plate for now, I nearly didn't bother going to look at one because it looks bad in the pictures but was immediately swayed when I saw it in the flesh, the gold didn't look too bad, and I'm also a little unsure of tort and maple - the two basses I've got with tort plates both have rosewood 'boards.

[quote name='jonnybass' timestamp='1508185914' post='3390408'] Nice bass. Nothing feels like a p bass [/quote] I have to agree, I have a couple of US standards that are very satisfying to play, but this is somehow more P bass than they are - I put it down to the wider neck, making note choices more deliberate. I'm going to enjoy this one!

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1508185518' post='3390397'] If the pubs are in residentially zoned areas, is that why you don't have 4 hour gigs? Blue [/quote] Probably is in many cases, most of the pub gigs I play have strict curfew times, often half eleven or midnight - pub gigs after midnight are very rare in my experience. A lot of places don't want us to start until nine as people eat in pubs and want to enjoy their meals in peace.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1508183669' post='3390374'] Nice! I have one of those in fiesta red (actually on my avatar right now, I just replaced the golden pickguard for something less cold to the touch ) I love the wide neck. It feels very comfortable to me, and it sounds great too. [/quote] Just been playing it for the last 45 mins or so, sounds and feels great, love the wide neck. Just held a standard Precision pick guard up to it and there are more holes than the metal one currently fitted, so I'm curious to know what you are using instead. I think it would look great with a tort guard myself.

Lacking the use of accurate scales, I would simply say that, compared to my Thunderbirds & Fender Ps & Js, the EB 4 is 'bloody light'.

Light? If I want light, I play the EB4, I think that's made from wooden helium. I have to wear the strap wound my feel to stop it floating away! The 50s classic is lighter than my other Precisions, though, definitely.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1508170174' post='3390225'] Nice one Dave, they are very nice basses. I found them to have a real aggressive snap to the sound - if wanted of course - in comparison to the US Standards. One of those "easy to dial out, not so easy to dial in" sort of things. [/quote] I look forward to discovering what it can really do when I get back from my standing appointment down the local! BTW, you've got a tort Precision scratch plate listed for sale in your sig - could be interested, can't decide when the gold finished aluminium plate suits the new bass or not.

[quote name='mark76' timestamp='1508169093' post='3390214'] You do know ram-raiding is illegal, right? [/quote] Only if they catch you, I believe!

Just collected my EB4 from my local guitar tech as I wanted it set up properly. He's done a great job, but reckons the fretwork was left unfinished. His comment was it was as if it was supposed to have been put through a Plek machine but someone forgot to do it. He's levelled the frets and trimmed the ends to perfection, I'll play it this evening and see how much difference that makes. So if mine is typical of the breed, it would be worth factoring in the cost of a decent fret levelling into the purchase price.

Went for a drive and ended up in a music shop (no surprise there!) and came home with a new 50s Classic Precision. I do like the same 7 1/2 radius fingerboard as on my classic Jazz, so hopefully the wider-than-a-standard-Precision neck won't be a problem... Interesting drive home (an hour or so) under darkening and strangely coloured skies. I stopped at my local guitar tech's place on the way home, he likes the new Fender, and I collected the EB-4 he's been setting up for me. So I discovered that two basses in gig bags fit easily into the passenger area of my MX5! All I've had time to do since getting home is change the strings from the factory rounds to a set of chromes. I'll plug it in and play it this evening, and gig it on Thursday. Assuming this one's a keeper, there'll be a US Standard Precision on the market soon... Obligatory pic: [attachment=255702:IMG_1056.jpg]

Much as I like my Jazz basses, the Precisions get taken out far more often, in fact in recent years, I've only gigged a J when I feel it needs to taken out or moved on.

Tosi hyvää!