Fender Precisions - they're fantastic

[WonderHorse]

After being a devout Jazz bassist for the past two years or so I'm beginning to want a Precision again.

Not long joined a punk/ska band and I long for the P bass sound to sit in the mix.

[OutToPlayJazz]

Okay, finally found one I like. Picked up a lovely American Vintage 62 RI in vintage white/tort yesterday and it's got a lovely wide open growling tone and not the usual horrid nasally sound most Precisions on rounds usually produce. Very very impressed, especially with the stunning build quality and the lovely flat but wide 44.5mm neck. Beautifully polished rosewood board as well. Pics in the porn section when I get round to it.

Edited April 21, 2010 by OutToPlayJazz

[Florida_RRoe7_A]

I bought a Fender Amer. P bass five string. It is a beast and really rings out. It's not for everybody but since this is my first five string I have to get used to it but no problem as to the sound it gives. Fender basses are like power tools ( drills, saws etc. ) and designed to get the job done. When you play in a band and need to establish the bass and be heard, Fender does the job. I am no soloist or fancy player, I learned on the String Bass and even if I no longer play one , the Fender does the job of the string bass and more !!!!!

[lojo]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='813627' date='Apr 21 2010, 11:53 AM']Okay, finally found one I like. Picked up a lovely American Vintage 62 RI in vintage white/tort yesterday and it's got a lovely wide open growling tone and not the usual horrid nasally sound most Precisions on rounds usually produce. Very very impressed, especially with the stunning build quality and the lovely flat but wide 44.5mm neck. Beautifully polished rosewood board as well. Pics in the porn section when I get round to it.[/quote]

congrats, I really want a 3TS 62 (supposed it will have to be RI!) with flats, so nice to hear you where sold on one

had you tried other 62RIs and not liked them as you state or was it other types of P, also was it new?

[tredders]

[quote name='lojo' post='814086' date='Apr 21 2010, 06:54 PM']congrats, I really want a 3TS 62 (supposed it will have to be RI!) with flats, so nice to hear you where sold on one

had you tried other 62RIs and not liked them as you state or was it other types of P, also was it new?[/quote]

If you're in the market for a 3TS 62 RI, drop Simon (OldGit) a PM. He gets in Japan-only P basses for decent prices. I bought a gorgeous 3TS '62 from him last week, and can't tell the difference between it and the "real" US '62 RI I had last year. Well, apart from the price of course

He might even have one for sale at the moment....

Cheers

Tredders

[OldGit]

[quote name='tredders' post='814121' date='Apr 21 2010, 07:21 PM']If you're in the market for a 3TS 62 RI, drop Simon (OldGit) a PM. He gets in Japan-only P basses for decent prices. I bought a gorgeous 3TS '62 from him last week, and can't tell the difference between it and the "real" US '62 RI I had last year. Well, apart from the price of course

He might even have one for sale at the moment....

Cheers

Tredders[/quote]

Cheers Mark .. Not got one at present but they do come up quite often.. I do have a 62 RI Jazz on the way but this is about P basses

I suspect the ding level's a tad higher on the Japanese one than your US one That was pristine and gorgeous! ..

[lojo]

[quote name='tredders' post='814121' date='Apr 21 2010, 07:21 PM']If you're in the market for a 3TS 62 RI, drop Simon (OldGit) a PM. He gets in Japan-only P basses for decent prices. I bought a gorgeous 3TS '62 from him last week, and can't tell the difference between it and the "real" US '62 RI I had last year. Well, apart from the price of course

He might even have one for sale at the moment....

Cheers

Tredders[/quote]

Cheers for this

[OutToPlayJazz]

[quote name='lojo' post='814086' date='Apr 21 2010, 06:54 PM']congrats, I really want a 3TS 62 (supposed it will have to be RI!) with flats, so nice to hear you where sold on one

had you tried other 62RIs and not liked them as you state or was it other types of P, also was it new?[/quote]

I've had numerous cheapies in the past, a Mex Standard, both 50's & 60's Classic Vibes, one of the new American Standards, but I never truly liked the sound of any of them. I first played mine at Peter's last fall & the sound hit me between the eyes with how totally different it sounded to most other Precisions. Much more growl and clarity and none of the usual nasal mush I'd normally associate with the Precision.

It's about a year or so old, this one. I've temporarily put some EB Slinky strings on but as soon as the DR FatBeams arrive, the EB's will be consigned to the trash. Much too harsh for this lovely soulful bass.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='817201' date='Apr 24 2010, 02:33 PM']I've had numerous cheapies in the past, a Mex Standard, both 50's & 60's Classic Vibes, one of the new American Standards, but I never truly liked the sound of any of them. I first played mine at Peter's last fall & the sound hit me between the eyes with how totally different it sounded to most other Precisions. Much more growl and clarity and none of the usual nasal mush I'd normally associate with the Precision.

It's about a year or so old, this one. I've temporarily put some EB Slinky strings on but as soon as the DR FatBeams arrive, the EB's will be consigned to the trash. Much too harsh for this lovely soulful bass.[/quote]
I just picked up a '62 reissue as well. I have to agree with Rich there is something soulful about it which I've never quite managed to reproduce from other Precisions I've had. I bought it from Beedster (Chris) who reckoned it really was close on feel and sound to his original '64.

[faceman]

*Will not spend student loan on AV Precision* How do the '57 and '62s differ, apart from the neck? Also what price do they knock around for second hand?

Also, how do P-basses cut through live? I'm going to be giving mine a go with my LMII and Ampeg 15" cabinet and am wondering what sort of EQing will be needed to get that beautiful deep growly sound through the mix.

[OldGit]

[quote name='faceman' post='817475' date='Apr 24 2010, 07:46 PM']*Will not spend student loan on AV Precision* How do the '57 and '62s differ, apart from the neck? Also what price do they knock around for second hand?

Also, how do P-basses cut through live? I'm going to be giving mine a go with my LMII and Ampeg 15" cabinet and am wondering what sort of EQing will be needed to get that beautiful deep growly sound through the mix.[/quote]


Dunno about the AV's specifically but the 57 has a single piece neck (ie the fingerboard is not an addition to the neck as a rosewood and modern maple one are)
57's also have single ply scratchplate. I think the AV 57 has the gold anodised aluminium one. The sunburst is a two colour one so there's no red in it.

The 62 has the rosewood board, three ply scratch plate and the sunburst is three colour with red..

Not sure what the neck dimensions are like on the US re-issues but real 57 and 62 P basses have 3 different neck profiles; A, B and C. C types have very wide necks (like about 44mm at the nut) that can take a fair bit of getting used to.

Re Eq Not sure about the speaker's influence but with an LMII I'd suggest starting with the eq flat and try the filters first.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='OldGit' post='817518' date='Apr 24 2010, 08:08 PM']Not sure what the neck dimensions are like on the US re-issues but real 57 and 62 P basses have 3 different neck profiles; A, B and C. C types have very wide necks (like about 44mm at the nut) that can take a fair bit of getting used to.[/quote]
'62 is 44.5mm (1.75") at the nut

[quote name='OldGit' post='817518' date='Apr 24 2010, 08:08 PM']Re Eq Not sure about the speaker's influence but with an LMII I'd suggest starting with the eq flat and try the filters first.[/quote]
Agreed.

I think the Precision is actually very good at cutting through but start at flat and definitely a little VLE and VPF before anthing else. I think you may not need much eq.

[faceman]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='817558' date='Apr 24 2010, 08:36 PM']'62 is 44.5mm (1.75") at the nut


Agreed.

I think the Precision is actually very good at cutting through but start at flat and definitely a little VLE and VPF before anthing else. I think you may not need much eq.[/quote]

Cool thanks guys! I know from experience that Jazzes can be harder to cut through the mix but I can't wait to give the CV P a go. I've seen something about Japanese reissues and Mr OldGit. Could you enlarge either here or in a PM?

Thanks!

[OldGit]

[quote name='faceman' post='817563' date='Apr 24 2010, 08:40 PM']Cool thanks guys! I know from experience that Jazzes can be harder to cut through the mix but I can't wait to give the CV P a go. I've seen something about Japanese reissues and Mr OldGit. Could you enlarge either here or in a PM?

Thanks![/quote]

PM'd!!

[OutToPlayJazz]

What a difference some decent strings make!

I put some temporary new EB Slinky strings on the AV 62 Precision last week and they were not only too harsh, but had far too much tension as well. I received my DR FatBeams this morning and popped them on, did some slight adjustment of string height and the difference is astounding. I avoided the temptation to go 40-100 like on my Jazz and went for the 45-105 set. (Some of you will know well that DR strings are compression wound and feel a little softer than some other brands. DR 45's feel more like 40's and 40's feel more like 35's, etc.)

The bass now has a massively rounded bottom end to the sound, but the same overall crystal-like clarity. Seriously impressed with this one!

[tredders]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='819768' date='Apr 26 2010, 06:40 PM']What a difference some decent strings make!

I put some temporary new EB Slinky strings on the AV 62 Precision last week and they were not only too harsh, but had far too much tension as well. I received my DR FatBeams this morning and popped them on, did some slight adjustment of string height and the difference is astounding. I avoided the temptation to go 40-100 like on my Jazz and went for the 45-105 set. (Some of you will know well that DR strings are compression wound and feel a little softer than some other brands. DR 45's feel more like 40's and 40's feel more like 35's, etc.)

The bass now has a massively rounded bottom end to the sound, but the same overall crystal-like clarity. Seriously impressed with this one! [/quote]

Funny you should say that as I was going to go out and get some new strings for my '62 RI tomorrow. I was planning on flats (as usual) but keep reading good things about Fatbeams. What are they like? Are they low tension? I'm after a sort of traditional Motown sound....

Cheers

Tredders

[OutToPlayJazz]

Yes, back off the tone control about 25% and you're there. The bottom end really is immense with these strings. Can't believe the difference!

I've been using the 40-100 FatBeams on Jazzes & my previous EBMM basses and they've always been really good strings. Long lasting as well.

Ed Friedland did a direct comparison between the Hi-Beams and the FatBeams & decided there really was more bottom end and roundness to the tone on the FB's.

[url="http://www.bassemporium.com/newsletters/0609newsletter.html"]http://www.bassemporium.com/newsletters/0609newsletter.html[/url]

Edited April 26, 2010 by OutToPlayJazz

[lojo]

The new price on these 62RIs is massive, but they sound like the biss

Anyone know if the Jap ones compare, new they seem to be equal to an MIA std P?

[faceman]

I was wondering this as well but I've spoken to Rich and it seems that the Mexican 50s with a new pickup might be a better bet! The Japan ones seem to vary in quality and they are around £500 for a used one (see fareastguitars.co.uk). I'm going to look at 50s Fiesta Red tomorrow and will report back!

[OutToPlayJazz]

[quote name='faceman' post='819839' date='Apr 26 2010, 07:41 PM']I was wondering this as well but I've spoken to Rich and it seems that the Mexican 50s with a new pickup might be a better bet! The Japan ones seem to vary in quality and they are around £500 for a used one (see fareastguitars.co.uk). I'm going to look at 50s Fiesta Red tomorrow and will report back![/quote]

That Mex 50's will sound awesome with a Wizard Thumper or Nordstrand in it!

[OldGit]

[quote name='lojo' post='819813' date='Apr 26 2010, 07:24 PM']The new price on these 62RIs is massive, but they sound like the biss

Anyone know if the Jap ones compare, new they seem to be equal to an MIA std P?[/quote]

I don't think

In my experience the (non-export, japanese market) Japanese ones are fine and a good alternative to a MIM P bass or the Squiers.

Tredders has a Japanese 62RI non-export, has just sold a US vintage 62 and has or had a 1999 US P bass I usd to own.
So ... what do you think, Mark?

I'd suspect the CIJ/MIJ's in general are not a patch on the USA Vintage P bass such as Rich has. However for a third of the price you get what you pay for

[tredders]

[quote name='lojo' post='819813' date='Apr 26 2010, 07:24 PM']The new price on these 62RIs is massive, but they sound like the biss

Anyone know if the Jap ones compare, new they seem to be equal to an MIA std P?[/quote]

I had an American '62 RI a couple of months ago, and it was lovely. Beautifully put together, and massive sounding, although it needed a pro setup cos it left the factory setup like a dog! However, I flogged it after 6 weeks , as it was such a piece of art I was terrified of dinking it. With the nitrous finish, you only had to look at it, and it chipped! I'm not sure it was worth the £1500 list price, though...

I missed it, and recently got a CIJ '62 RI from OldGit (cheers, Si!), and I have to say it compares really really well. From a body finish perspective, the US was a nicer piece of wood, but the Jap pleasantly surprised me - it's a nicer bass than a couple of mid-90's P basses I've owned in the past. If anything, I actually prefer the neck on the Jap, too. It's a bit slimmer than the US one, which suits me. I've used it at rehearsals and it does everything I want from a P bass - sounds nice, sits in the mix nicely, and does everything from the treble-cranked-up Greenday P bass sound, right through to the typical Jamerson fat Motown sound we all expect.

Just need to find some ashtrays for it, and stick some LaBellas on and it'll be perfect....

Edited April 26, 2010 by tredders

[lojo]

Cheers guys, food for thought

I really want this bass, can afford it and would keep it forever ...........

However, as you say, it would be to nice and pricey to take to many places

Which is why at present I only play my perfect mapleglo Ric in the church, and gig my MIM P in front of the party booze drinkers

Edited April 26, 2010 by lojo

[OutToPlayJazz]

Anyway, it's nice to have finally found a Precision I adore! It took a while & I even looked at quite a few vintage ones, but none of them hit me between the eyes like the AV has. As Peter said, he originally bought the bass because it sounded totally unlike every other Precision he'd played. Definitely a Precision, but with that extra added "something."

Happy days

[tredders]

[quote name='lojo' post='819918' date='Apr 26 2010, 08:47 PM']Cheers guys, food for thought

I really want this bass, can afford it and would keep it forever ...........

However, as you say, it would be to nice and pricey to take to many places

Which is why at present I only play my perfect mapleglo Ric in the church, and gig my MIM P in front of the party booze drinkers[/quote]

You should definitely try a Jap '62... they're a fraction of the cost of the American versions, and are quality basses. If you're ever near j.12 of the M40 (between Leamington and Banbury), you're welcome to pop in and have a coffee and a play. I've got a '76 P bass (which is like a boat anchor!) to compare to...