sixdegrees Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 I've been looking for a black/maple P bass for a while with a budget of up to 700 quid. I've just been offered a 50s P in black/maple (complete with the bloody awful anodised pick guard) for 340. I'd describe the condition as 'ex-demo'. Trouble is, I have concerns over the slotted truss rod, wider neck, vintage radius...the scratch plate I can live with! So, does anyone have experience of these basses? To me, it sounds better than a standard MIM and the finish is superb. But I still have reservations. Someone help me out! Quote
Ghost_Bass Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 I have one, sounds lovely and plays very well. Yes, i also agree it sounds better than a Standart MIM and even a few USAs. Love the pickguard though... Quote
sixdegrees Posted March 27, 2012 Author Posted March 27, 2012 Thanks mate. Do you feel the difference in the neck profile, or is that something you prefer? Quote
jezzaboy Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 (edited) For £350???? They usually go for around the 400 to 430 mark on here. That bloody awful scratchplate would cost about 50 to buy on it`s own I have heard nothing but good things about these and I played one a while back in a shop and was impressed. But I would say that with a 700 budget you could get a used US 2008+ model for around the same money. Jez Edited March 27, 2012 by jezzaboy Quote
sixdegrees Posted March 27, 2012 Author Posted March 27, 2012 (edited) 340 actually! And, I kid you not, the guy selling it thinks it's a Standard MIM with a replacement plate. So I could probably knock him down claiming that I want to get the 'original' one back on it. Edit - and only spending half my budget means the other half can be spent on women. Edited March 27, 2012 by sixdegrees Quote
guybrush threepwood Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 I play one, and absolutely love it. Compared it to a standard MIM and 2 MIAs in the shop, and to my ears it was the best sounding; the MIM sounded dreadful, and the MIAs were far too clanky and 'modern' for my taste in a Precision (although this is strange as looking under the scratchplate reveals US pickups...) I also love the neck, and I'm a fan of the jazz profile! It's chunky, but thin front to back, not too dissimilar to a Stingray neck. Very comfy. I have put a black scratchplate on mine though... but mine's the honey blonde colour, and with the gold it just looked like, well, babysick. The slotted truss rod isn't too much hassle really, but I've had quite a few Fenders with this style of nut, so I'm well practised in making an adjustment without taking the bass to pieces. Quote
Lozz196 Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 I had one, and the build quality was excellent, as was the sound, and playability. The wider neck took a couple of days to get used to, but from then on no worries. To be honest, at £340 I`d just buy it. If you don`t like it you will easily be able to sell it on on here for that, or even a bit more. Quote
KiOgon Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 [quote name='sixdegrees' timestamp='1332858727' post='1594049'] 340 actually! And, I kid you not, the guy selling it thinks it's a Standard MIM with a replacement plate. So I could probably knock him down claiming that I want to get the 'original' one back on it. Edit - and only spending half my budget means the other half can be spent on women. [/quote] The 1&3/4" nut + the vintage style frets are what make these so good to play IMO, at that price buy it quick you can't go wrong. If you want some serious advise - don't waste the other half on women just get another bass or a cab, something you can rely on Quote
Cosmo Valdemar Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 If I was buying a Precision, this would be my first choice. Utterly glorious neck, my favourite ever. Quote
sixdegrees Posted March 27, 2012 Author Posted March 27, 2012 I'll be taking most of the advice offered and buy it first thing in the morning. The advice about not spending the other half on women I choose to ignore. Thanks very much guys. Quote
sixdegrees Posted March 28, 2012 Author Posted March 28, 2012 Got it! It was a nervous nights sleep after deciding I definitely wanted it (I thought it might have gone having been advertised since before Christmas). But even knocked another tenner off the price, which went towards a set of strap locks. Now for a quick wipe over and a tweak with a screwdriver and it's off to rehearsal tonight! Cheers for all the comments guys. Quote
Lozz196 Posted March 28, 2012 Posted March 28, 2012 [quote name='sixdegrees' timestamp='1332943644' post='1595233'] Got it! It was a nervous nights sleep after deciding I definitely wanted it (I thought it might have gone having been advertised since before Christmas). But even knocked another tenner off the price, which went towards a set of strap locks. Now for a quick wipe over and a tweak with a screwdriver and it's off to rehearsal tonight! Cheers for all the comments guys. [/quote] Nice one, make sure and give us an update to your thoughts after the rehearsal. Quote
Jono Bolton Posted March 28, 2012 Posted March 28, 2012 Well done, £340 is a great price! I tried one in the old Sound Control up here in Glasgow and it was fantastic, great sound, lovely quality and I really loved the chunky neck. I ordered the black one that was showing as 'in stock' online, only to get an email back telling me it was out of stock and wouldn't be back in for a couple of months. I cancelled the order and subsequently built a bitsa Jazz, and I still regret not having a little patience and waiting longer for a cracking bass Quote
mckendrick Posted March 28, 2012 Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) [quote name='sixdegrees' timestamp='1332857457' post='1594015'] I've been looking for a black/maple P bass for a while with a budget of up to 700 quid. I've just been offered a 50s P in black/maple (complete with the bloody awful anodised pick guard) for 340. I'd describe the condition as 'ex-demo'. Trouble is, I have concerns over the slotted truss rod, wider neck, vintage radius...the scratch plate I can live with! So, does anyone have experience of these basses? To me, it sounds better than a standard MIM and the finish is superb. But I still have reservations. Someone help me out! [/quote] Lovin' the pickguard, boss.... don't alter it. Keep it as it is and you'll get a lot more than your £340 for it if and when you decide to sell. That is a steal. Try and get used to it, tho'... it'll reward you in time. Great basses, those. Edited April 13, 2012 by mckendrick Quote
sixdegrees Posted March 28, 2012 Author Posted March 28, 2012 Just for the record, I paid 330 for it. Took it to rehearsal tonight and...BUTTER! Only on the odd string-skipping riff (Keep the Faith, Money) did I notice the width of the neck. It really cuts through too. I used the tone control wide open for most of the evening but rolled it off for the motown/bluesy stuff. I found that this is such a versatile bass. One pick up, one tone control - perfect. And none of the annoying tinny 'clang' I've experienced with other Maple FB Precisions. I'll have to report back in a couple of weeks as I'm playing a gig this weekend where stab vests take priority over shiny new basses... Quote
Ghost_Bass Posted March 28, 2012 Posted March 28, 2012 Good man! You got yourself a nice bass. I got along with the neck very well from thr first day but i've been playing 5 stringers for almost ten years now so there's no such thing as a thick 4 string neck for me Quote
.jpg.518c69c2d9e1581799f3c11301dc2da5.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.