Vintage Fender Precision

[JamesBass]

So after trying out a 66 P in London about a month ago, I have got SERIOUS GAS for a vintage P, or at least a P that covers that more mellow 60s tone. Sadly the P I had my eye on is now nowhere near my financial reach after having to purchase a new car!

How can I get that vintage feel and tone without resorting to robbing a bank?!

[Hobbayne]

Well, I use Seymour Duncan SPB1 pickups on my bitsa P Bass. I get close to a vintage tone with these, but a lot of it is in your fingers and amp settings.
[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/bass-pickups/pbass/passive/spb1_vintage_fo/"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/bass-pickups/pbass/passive/spb1_vintage_fo/[/url]

[basshead56]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1400448178' post='2454010']
How can I get that vintage feel and tone without resorting to robbing a bank?!
[/quote]

Knocking over something easier - an armored truck maybe?

Have you tried any 70's models?

Some are OK, some are terrible and make you question the QC they had back in the day BUT some of them play brilliantly, look the part (in terms of vintage) and are relatively inexpensive by comparison.
You can always mod the pickups to make them sound a bit more 'old school' if required and add chrome covers, thumbrests or a tort pg for aesthetics.
I have quite a few 70's Precisions. A couple are totally mint and 100% original (both are 78's), the others have had some mods done in places (either by me or the previous owners). My black/maple/black 73 looks really 'vintage' because the maple neck and headstock have got that lovely aged amber look you get in an instrument that has been in its fair share of smokey pubs over the last 40 years! I usually get a few questions about it when I take it out gigging.

Plenty of early to late 70's P's on here in the for sale section. Have a look around
Good look on the quest - nowt like getting that first vintage Fender!

PS: If cash is a real issue, check out the Squier Classic Vibe 60's Precisions. Serious vintage tones and vibes there. I'm definitely in the market for one of those wee beauties!


Cheers
Colin

Edited May 18, 2014 by basshead56

[JamesBass]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1400449438' post='2454027']
Well, I use Seymour Duncan SPB1 pickups on my bitsa P Bass. I get close to a vintage tone with these, but a lot of it is in your fingers and amp settings.
[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/bass-pickups/pbass/passive/spb1_vintage_fo/"]http://www.seymourdu...pb1_vintage_fo/[/url]
[/quote]
I'm able to dial my more modern P Bass in to a vintage tone with EQ on my amp as well as how I play but I'm looking for that more rounded tone. This P I tried out was just sublime! It could do any tone you wanted, the tone pot went from deep and warm to bright and thunderous and anywhere in between! I could also swap out the pickups and the wiring from my P but I use it a LOT in my punk band as it's perfect for that sound with the more middy pickup.

[JamesBass]

[quote name='basshead56' timestamp='1400449822' post='2454030']
Knocking over something easier - an armored truck maybe?

Have you tried any 70's models?

Some are OK, some are terrible and make you question the QC they had back in the day BUT some of them play brilliantly, look the part (in terms of vintage) and are relatively inexpensive by comparison.
You can always mod the pickups to make them sound a bit more 'old school' if required and add chrome covers, thumbrests or a tort pg for aesthetics.
I have quite a few 70's Precisions. A couple are totally mint and 100% original (both are 78's), the others have had some mods done in places (either by me or the previous owners). My black/maple/black 73 looks really 'vintage' because the maple neck and headstock have got that lovely aged amber look you get in an instrument that has been in its fair share of smokey pubs over the last 40 years! I usually get a few questions about it when I take it out gigging.

Plenty of early to late 70's P's on here in the for sale section. Have a look around
Good look on the quest - nowt like getting that first vintage Fender!

PS: If cash is a real issue, check out the Squier Classic Vibe 60's Precisions. Serious vintage tones and vibes there. I'm definitely in the market for one of those wee beauties!


Cheers
Colin
[/quote]
Cheers Colin, I have had a look at some of the 70s P's on offer but sadly they too are out of the price range for the foreseeable future, really looking for that pre-CBS - Transition vibe. The P I tried out was a mint 66, and as I mentioned in my other post it was just an utter dream to play, the neck depth and width was perfect, the tone pot did it all and it just looked the absolute muts!

[Marsy]

Have you considered a Fullerton reissue? They're reckoned to be rather close

[Dingus]

Even '70's P basses are selling for a lot of money nowadays.

Have you tried any more recent Fenders and seen how they compare to a real vintage one, James? Once you put preconceptions and/or prejudices aside( presuming you have any of those things) you might find a newer bass can offer a lot of what you got from the vintage one, except maybe the played-in feel.

A few years ago I went out with a big chunk of cash to get a Precision Bass , and ended up getting a brand new American Standard one. Felt great, played great, sounded great to me . Job done with money left over. Maybe you could look at some vintage reissues from Fender, or something like a used USA Lakland Bob Glaub . A lot of folks think they capture the vibe of a pre-CBS Fender particularly well, but with more solid and reliable build quality.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Dingus

[JamesBass]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1400450803' post='2454054']
Even '70's P basses are selling for a lot of money nowadays.

Have you tried any more recent Fenders and seen how they compare to a real vintage one, James? Once you put preconceptions and/or prejudices aside( presuming you have any of those things) you might find a newer bass can offer a lot of what you got from the vintage one, except maybe the played-in feel.

A few years ago I went out with a big chunk of cash to get a Precision Bass , and ended up getting a brand new American Standard one. Felt great, played great, sounded great to me . Job done with money left over. Maybe you could look at some vintage reissues from Fender, or something like a used USA Lakland Bob Glaub . A lot of folks think they capture the vibe of a pre-CBS Fender particularly well, but with more solid and reliable build quality.
[/quote]
I have a modern MIM P and it covers all of the more modern tones perfectly, however I find it a tad too middy and trebly to get a true vintage style warmth from. I did recently play a limited edition Seminole Red 64 reissue and sadly I found it way too bright for what was a vintage tone in my books, plus the example I played was, in my opinion, badly set up. Will look at the Laklands, but am thinking maybe a custom build might be the best bet for me!

[bh2]

Please consider a RW 50's... They are bloody marvelous!

The burst one is super.

[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_road_worn_50_p_bass_2ts.htm"]http://www.thomann.d..._p_bass_2ts.htm[/url]

You'll have vintage vibe a plenty... I've seen them a lot cheaper elsewhere.

Edited May 19, 2014 by bh2

[stingraybassman]

I have a new AVRI 63 precision. Absolutely nails the vintage sound and feel. The tone knob does exactly what you described above.

[KiOgon]

I have a couple of the American Vintage Re-issue P's a '57 & '62, both different, the '57 is Ash body & one piece Maple neck, the '62 Alder & Maple/Rosewood neck. I use GHS Precision flats 50-105 on both, they both have that early P tone & flavour in bucket loads. If the originals are out of your budget, I would suggest trying the AV series, especially used examples - which come up at very good prices - sometimes

[BigRedX]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1400455808' post='2454101']
I have a modern MIM P and it covers all of the more modern tones perfectly, however I find it a tad too middy and trebly to get a true vintage style warmth from. I did recently play a limited edition Seminole Red 64 reissue and sadly I found it way too bright for what was a vintage tone in my books, plus the example I played was, in my opinion, badly set up. Will look at the Laklands, but am thinking maybe a custom build might be the best bet for me!
[/quote]

Put some flats on it. Play it through a valve amp. Turn down the treble.

[Roland Rock]

There was a blind test on here a while back including various Ps and P copies. When the identities were revealed, I was very surprised that what I considered to be the most 'vintage' tone actually turned out to be a modern USA Standard Precision

Edited May 19, 2014 by Roland Rock

[Musicman20]

I would try a new 2014 American Standard P Bass. They now have the 62 Reissue pups in them.

Most P's can be made to sound VERY similar with the right strings, setup, tone knob and amp settings.

[JamesBass]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1400488608' post='2454204']


Put some flats on it. Play it through a valve amp. Turn down the treble.
[/quote]
It goes through my CTM300 as it is but it's my main bass when I'm with my punk band so always has bright new strings on it think I need two Ps setup differently, or alternatively I stick flats on my ric and fiddle with the EQ on the amp?

[JamesBass]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1400488608' post='2454204']


Put some flats on it. Play it through a valve amp. Turn down the treble.
[/quote]
It goes through my CTM300 as it is but it's my main bass when I'm with my punk band so always has bright new strings on it think I need two Ps setup differently, or alternatively I stick flats on my ric and fiddle with the EQ on the amp?

[OliverBlackman]

I've written a similar reply on here a few times but these are just my thoughts. I've played quite a few vintage Fenders, from a 60 to late 70's, and despite the playability and condition differences there was a part of the tone each of them shared that I love. The way I describe it is as a dark, earthy, wet kind of sound. Something closer to the DB tone than modern basses achieve.

Now I've discussed with a few people why modern basses don't share this sound. Lots of people say it comes as the wood ages but I think the most likely reason was that there were less restrictions on what woods could be used in those days and as a result some of the trees cut down to make the guitars were old trees and had experienced different conditions to those coming from india and china, or those that are grown specifically to make newer guitars.

I've tried hundreds of Fender replica's; Tokai, AV's, AC's, Nash, Fender Re-issues and none possessed the tone that I hear from an original vintage Fender. The closest I've come is Thomastic flats and Lindy Fralin P/U's on a standard P. So for me, an old fender is definitely with the money as I can't find anything like it.

[JamesBass]

[quote name='OliverBlackman' timestamp='1400495788' post='2454298']
I've written a similar reply on here a few times but these are just my thoughts. I've played quite a few vintage Fenders, from a 60 to late 70's, and despite the playability and condition differences there was a part of the tone each of them shared that I love. The way I describe it is as a dark, earthy, wet kind of sound. Something closer to the DB tone than modern basses achieve.

Now I've discussed with a few people why modern basses don't share this sound. Lots of people say it comes as the wood ages but I think the most likely reason was that there were less restrictions on what woods could be used in those days and as a result some of the trees cut down to make the guitars were old trees and had experienced different conditions to those coming from india and china, or those that are grown specifically to make newer guitars.

I've tried hundreds of Fender replica's; Tokai, AV's, AC's, Nash, Fender Re-issues and none possessed the tone that I hear from an original vintage Fender. The closest I've come is Thomastic flats and Lindy Fralin P/U's on a standard P. So for me, an old fender is definitely with the money as I can't find anything like it.
[/quote]
THAT IS SPOT ON! That's the sound it had! The dark woody tone that still had just enough treble and mid to help it cut and give clarity when the tone pot was rolled all the way off, and with the tone pot full on it snarled more and had some bite to it! If only it was re-creatable without dishing out the money for an original!

[jezzaboy]

If you are thinking of a custom build, why don`t you give the Bass Doc a shout? I`m guessing that he will know about vintage Fender P basses.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1400489303' post='2454211']
There was a blind test on here a while back including various Ps and P copies. When the identities were revealed, I was very surprised that what I considered to be the most 'vintage' tone actually turned out to be a modern USA Standard Precision
[/quote]
[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1400490039' post='2454225']
I would try a new 2014 American Standard P Bass. They now have the 62 Reissue pups in them.

Most P's can be made to sound VERY similar with the right strings, setup, tone knob and amp settings.
[/quote]

This would be where I`d start, the 2012 onwards series. A very traditional Precision sound. Failing that, the Road Worns are great basses, def worth a look/try.

[Dingus]

Yes, those Fender CS pickups sound great. Another big fan here.

To be perfectly frank , I've owned a fair few old Precisions that people now consider vintage ( late 60'-early'70's era) and some were really nice and very enjoyable basses, and I love the romance of old Fender basses as much as the next man , but I have to be honest and say that I think a great deal of what people attribute to those basses is exactly that, romance. Some people are so in love with idea of the magic that supposedly surrounds these old basses that they think it makes a tangible difference to the sound, far more so than it actually does.

Yes , some old Fenders sound amazing, but so do some new ones if you try a few and find a good one .

[JamesBass]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1400525331' post='2454675']
Yes, those Fender CS pickups sound great. Another big fan here.

To be perfectly frank , I've owned a fair few old Precisions that people now consider vintage ( late 60'-early'70's era) and some were really nice and very enjoyable basses, and I love the romance of old Fender basses as much as the next man , but I have to be honest and say that I think a great deal of what people attribute to those basses is exactly that, romance. Some people are so in love with idea of the magic that supposedly surrounds these old basses that they think it makes a tangible difference to the sound, far more so than it actually does.

Yes , some old Fenders sound amazing, but so do some new ones if you try a few and find a good one .
[/quote]
Very true on shopping round and trying as many as you can find, something I've done a bit of after finding that magical 66 P I tried, sadly my hopes were high for the AVRI64 and it failed to get ANYWHERE near them, it was either extremely boomy or just clanked and sounded horrible in the treble register and I felt the lacquer on the back of the neck was FAR too thick, my thumb was getting stuck in place! Certainly wouldn't have purchased that bass!

Perhaps I should just keep looking and see what comes my way!

[bh2]

Honestly the RoadWorns are the closest you'll get to a vintage fender.

For the price they're great value IMO.

[Paul S]

I would chuck a Squier Silver Series Precision into the pot, too. Affordable, lightweight, superb woody old-school tone. I had one which, straight out of the case, was the second nicest sounding Precision I have ever played (the nicest being my Squier JV0..).

But, for a simple pick-up change - my vote would be for a Wizard Trad. I tried lots and lots of pickups in my go-to bitsa P bass and this ended up being the one that gave me the sound I have in my head as the perfect P bass tone.

[Dingus]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1400526446' post='2454694']
Very true on shopping round and trying as many as you can find, something I've done a bit of after finding that magical 66 P I tried, sadly my hopes were high for the AVRI64 and it failed to get ANYWHERE near them, it was either extremely boomy or just clanked and sounded horrible in the treble register and I felt the lacquer on the back of the neck was FAR too thick, my thumb was getting stuck in place! Certainly wouldn't have purchased that bass!

Perhaps I should just keep looking and see what comes my way!
[/quote]

Exactly right. Just try and find nice Precision. Could be new or could be not so new. And the impression you get when you try out a bass in a shop can be influenced very much by pretty superfluous things, like if the reissue bass had new strings on and the '66 had worn-in ones on it, the old bass will seem more mellow and "vintagey". Stick a brand new set of roundwound strings on the 1966 bass and it could have been a very different story.

The finish on the neck is something that a lot of people are pretty fussy about, with good reason, and that is where basses like USA Laklands and Custom Shop Fenders come into their own, with oil and wax or reliced nitro finishes that recreate the feel of played-in necks. Unfortunately, basses like that tend be be quite expensive as a result. The curent Am St Fenders have a fairly thin satin laquer finish on the neck that reminds me a bit of the late '60's early '70's basses Fender made, before they started going crazy with the very thick polyester laquer in the mid '70's.