MIM 2009 Fender P bass

[iconic]

Just been sniffing around and find that there are lots of shops selling MIM P bass's for £429 new, with bag...one shop are calling them 2009 'upgrade'...any reason for this? Are they a year to avoid or something? Or Maybe I thought they would be a lot more money?

Fender's aren't my monkey so not up to speed on them...but this seems like good value to me for a new MIM?

Lake Placid with Maple neck looks peachy...

[Lozz196]

The introduction of the maple neck on the MIM as far as I know, is a recent thing (aside from on the Classic 50s) so this may be both a reason for the "upgrade" term, and a reason why they are being pushed - new (sortof) product, push it, and say its upgraded. Though to be fair, from what I`ve read on here, many people seem to be impressed with the current batch of MIMs, in relation to the previous models, so maybe Fender have actually upgraded some things on them, as well as introducing maple to the range.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Lozz196

[dave_bass5]

Thats the standard price for these basses, and i guess being cheaper than the MIA's they sell a lot of them, maybe more to beginners who want to upgrade from a first bass.

They arent bad basses for the money and its a cheap way of getting a real Fender P.
No idea if 2009 was a special year but it could be down to when they first started advertising them. Maybe they put them on their website last year.

[iconic]

cheers guys...

again, forgive my ignorance here, so £429 gets you a Fender from Mexico...with some 'so so' comments, some brilliant and £260 + PP gets you Squier CV P bass which no one seems to berate...

whats the general feeling regarding MIM v CV P's...or has this been done to death?

[Jigster]

...one's got Fender on the headstock and the other's got Squier - but I am NOT a bass snob.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='iconic' post='956894' date='Sep 15 2010, 09:09 AM']cheers guys...

again, forgive my ignorance here, so £429 gets you a Fender from Mexico...with some 'so so' comments, some brilliant and £260 + PP gets you Squier CV P bass which no one seems to berate...

whats the general feeling regarding MIM v CV P's...or has this been done to death?[/quote]

Well, you cant knock the CV's for the money, but getting a MIM will give you a lot more colour options.
A lot of people turn their noses up at the standard MIM's but i would suggest you go and play a few first, they really aren't that bad.

The CVs also have vintage style frets, so smaller than the norm. I love them but again, some people dont.

Edited September 15, 2010 by dave_bass5

[iconic]

I eat last nights takeaway so I'm no snob either I have a Squier VMJ, but seems to be sat idle most of the time due to my BB414 love affair....a year ago I loved Jazz bass's, now I'm not so sure...

Anyway...so being a Fender virgin I'm assuming the MIM is the same specification components and built to same pattern as a MIA but with lower cost chilli eating labour...or is that being too simple?

As an aside...strange thing is a mexican built Jeep XJ is usually a better built Jeep than the US ones ever were! What was it Avis used to say..."we know we are number 2 so we try harder!"

thanks for your patience....I'm a Yamaha man!

[MythSte]

I'm lucky, I managed to get my MIM 70's "classic" series for the same price as one of these, and with blocks and binding that seems much better value.

However they also have upgraded bridges and more colour options. Generally speaking QC seems to be much better than in years gone past aswell.

[dave_bass5]

I wouldn't place too much importance on the Mexico bit. The Roadworn series are getting praise all over the net, and these come from Mexico, as do the 70's MIM classic basses that people rave about.

Look on the Standard MIM as a basic, no frills P bass. It doesn't have the rolled fingerboard of the MIA, doesn't have the high mass bridge or the graphite reinforced necks, no string through body, no free hard case, no thin paint job etc. There are lots of differences but non that would really be called a loss IME.

I had three MIA's over the past 8 weeks and each one was a lovely but all had defects. And these were defects my Squier doesn't have.
I ended up with a HW-one and that also has less defects and is better put together than the MIA's. Bad luck on my part i guess but it does show that paying twice the money doesn't always bring twice the bass.

Edited September 15, 2010 by dave_bass5

[Jigster]

[quote name='dave_bass5' date='Sep 15 2010, 09:47 AM' post='956931']
I wouldn't place too much [b]impotence[/b] on the Mexico bit...

wanna re-phrase that?

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Jigster' post='956937' date='Sep 15 2010, 09:50 AM'][quote name='dave_bass5' post='956931' date='Sep 15 2010, 09:47 AM']
I wouldn't place too much [b]impotence[/b] on the Mexico bit...[/quote]

wanna re-phrase that? [/quote]

Oooops, bloddy ipod ;-)

Cheers.

Edited September 15, 2010 by dave_bass5

[iconic]

thanks for the info' guys

[cameltoe]

I think the Precision's were upgraded in late 2009 with the option of Maple necks, aged mint-greeny pickguards, and a few other bits and bobs. I played one briefly and it felt OK.

No one really considers the MIM Standard's to be bad instruments as such, just that the quality can vary a bit. I had an MIM and it was great. I've now got a Sqiuer CV 50's P and I would say the quality on that is better. It feels like they've tried harder, whereas the MIM, although it felt very comfy to play, did seem like the 'Affinity' of the Fender range. The CV's seem to be consistently good.

Obviously the body wood is going to be of better quality on the MIM, my CV being Basswood, but this actually makes it lighter, which is a good thing!

I'm most concerned about how the neck feels, and the quality of wood, feel and frets are better on the CV compared to my MIM (2006 model)

I also have a Road Worn P, (MIM) and it is fantastic. Unbelievable bass, definitely a keeper.


Try before you buy, is the answer.

Edited September 15, 2010 by cameltoe

[Cat Burrito]

I was never a fan of MIM standards but the 2009 ones I've played Fender appear to have seriously raised their game. I played a MIM Jazz next to a USA Jazz and whilst the USA was better, it wasn't £300 better in my opinion. Certainly if I was starting out now (assuming I had an income) I'd go for a MIM bass.

[Stacatto]

[quote name='Stacatto' post='957708' date='Sep 15 2010, 03:19 PM']There are (and will be) plenty of 'used' MIM P basses available. The one that I found hanging on the wall at the music store last year was a little used closet queen from 2000.
The price was $200 US.

I own 3 MIM's and no Squiers, call me what you will...[/quote]

Edited September 15, 2010 by Stacatto

[AndyTravis]

Pickups and hardware were sorted about 5 years ago, now they've added new colours, and reduced the amount of crap on the front of the headstock (they used to have about 7 pieces of information on the front of the headstock).

They've also tinted the finish on the neck, lending a bit of vintage cool to the new basses, as well as the new Maple fingerboard option.

2009 was the year they did the 'upgrades' so anything since has been classed as a 2009 upgrade version.

They are great playing, great sounding basses. A leap from when i started selling them 8 years ago.

i'd own one, no doubt. Although the Classic 50's is an amazing bass (i have one) for not much more money.

[lojo]

[quote name='iconic' post='956867' date='Sep 15 2010, 08:42 AM']Just been sniffing around and find that there are lots of shops selling MIM P bass's for £429 new, with bag...one shop are calling them 2009 'upgrade'...any reason for this? Are they a year to avoid or something? Or Maybe I thought they would be a lot more money?

Fender's aren't my monkey so not up to speed on them...but this seems like good value to me for a new MIM?

Lake Placid with Maple neck looks peachy...[/quote]

I brought a 2009 LPB with maple neck last year new, after not being able to find a decent priced P 2nd hand and needing to gig, I am very pleased with it indeed, I since have also brought a MIJ of this forum wish has become my first choice P, but this is mainly due to the flats on it rather than it being miles better

The MIM has stayed very stable and has a lovely real P tone

[iconic]

thanks for the help guys,

....the MIM's do have a far better colour selection...all I can find for Classic Vibes is 'dogs cock red' and 'nan's bathroom blue', are there any other colours....also some have bridge ashtrays some don't?

cheers

[Truckstop]

Can you get 6-string Fenders/Squiers?

Truckstop

[Raslee]

I tried a MIM roadworn Jazz and A/B'd against the LPB CV Biffy Squire Jazz and considering the shop had the MIM priced around £900 and the Squire at i think £349 i was left very cold with the MIM. Not only did i prefer just about everything about the CV, i really couldn't see how the roadworn could be priced at £900 - it looked cool and that was just about it - the MIM i played did not compare to the CV quality IMO...great basses those CV's for the price - i love my 59 P but thats another thread somewhere