FENDER PRECISION BASS COMPARISON — USA / MEXICO / JAPAN

[guitarbank]

[color=#333333][color=#333333][font=Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif][size=3][font=Lucida Grande]Here is a comparison of 4 Fender Precision Basses, no effects, same strings, clean sound.[/font][/size][/font][/color][/color]
[i]video link: [/i]


[url="http://youtu.be/rgzD3vcrExE"]http://youtu.be/rgzD3vcrExE[/url]


[color=#333333][color=#333333][font=Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif][size=3][font=Lucida Grande]Hope you enjoy it! Waiting for your comments.[/font][/size][/font][/color][/color]

Edited October 2, 2014 by guitarbank

[Conan]

Even with my eyes closed, I liked the US '77 best - but not by much.

They all sound great, which is a testament to your tasty playing!

[KevB]

Yup, me too. I think it's because it has more top end even with the tone rolled off. Is this due to the PU's or the maple fretboard though? All the others are rosewood boards and they all sound a bit 'muddier' to my ears though I'm listening with tuppence ha'penny earphones on a computer

[Conan]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1412262172' post='2567276'] I think it's because it has more top end
[/quote]

Yes, I think it does - but it is that lovely honky midrange that does it for me. That would sit lovely in a typical band mix (IMO)

[ratman]

It's the '77 just ahead of the '95 for me. The OP says the strings are all the same, do you mean they're all brand new too?

[AntLockyer]

I listened without peeking. 77 then 95 for me too. although with a pick the Mex wasn't bad.

[HowieBass]

They all sound good; I was surprised at the degree of difference between rosewood vs maple fingerboard (and received wisdom says maple is snappier which is what I was hearing). Nice comparison and great playing.

[Beer of the Bass]

The 1977 is noticeably brighter and more open sounding than the others. I'm not sure if I'd immediately assign that to it being ash and maple though, as it could just as easily be a differently wound pickup or higher value pots (have Fender always used 250k?).

[Funky Dunky]

This is fantastic, I really loved your video on Jazz basses and I can't wait to see this one. Will watch it tonight and let you know my fave ;-)

[HowieBass]

I thought they were always 250K pots; I think more than a coincidence that all the rosewood boards sounded closer to each other and different to the maple but without opening them all up to confirm the component values it's impossible to say.

[DrBike]

I heard the '77 and immediately thought of JJ Burnel.

[Clarky]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGyrGTuMhzo&list=UUh3BbC85YARDmHksD4nnmNA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGyrGTuMhzo&list=UUh3BbC85YARDmHksD4nnmNA[/url]

re maple vs rosewood, Guitarbank's Jazz bass comparison video reveals the difference again - I am guessing its inherent in the different wood types

[gjones]

I like the sound of the Jap one; it sounds a bit tighter than the others. My own bass sounds like the 77, which is probably because mine has got 70's pickups in it.

Edit: Although I think the 77 sounds great with a pick.

Edited October 2, 2014 by gjones

[rogerstodge]

[quote name='DrBike' timestamp='1412271076' post='2567403']
I heard the '77 and immediately thought of JJ Burnel.
[/quote]
That was my thoughts exactly so the '77 wins for me, great playing also.

[HowieBass]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1412271219' post='2567404']

re maple vs rosewood, Guitarbank's Jazz bass comparison video reveals the difference again - I am guessing its inherent in the different wood types
[/quote]

I used to wonder why a rosewood board should sound different to a maple board with the string in contact with the fret and not the fingerboard itself until I realised that the fret is anchored in the fingerboard and I suppose that contributes somewhat to how a string vibrates.

[jezzaboy]

I am surprised to hear that the US and the MIM sound very similar considering the difference in price. For me, the 77 is a more pleasing sound. Good video.

Edited October 2, 2014 by jezzaboy

[Funky Dunky]

I like the two USA ones best, but all sound great. The MIM sounds a little bit like the tone is all the way off, even when it's not. But another great video and more great playing.

Would love to see a video like this for Stingray basses - ie MM, Sterling, Sub, Sub Ray etc.

[dougieb]

The 77 P bass and 2007 J Bass for me.

[Mr Fretbuzz]

US 98 :-)

[fretmeister]

I'd love to hear it all again with the pickups swapped around.

[Mornats]

I favoured the maple neck US basses (both the jazz and the p). They do sound so much brighter. I too suspected it was the wood combination as the other sounded so much closer to each other.

The US and Mexican basses didn't sound too far off each other to my ears but the US ones sounded just that little bit sweeter and more refined. I found that when I tested a US jazz against the Squire VM jazz I bought. The US model just had that quality edge in the tone. The Japanese P and J just didn't do it for me. I'm usually a big fan of Japanese basses but they both (P and J) sounded a little muddied to me.

Personally I'd love to see a Squire thrown into those comparisons. My Squire compared favourably to the US jazz I compared it against although it was a bit heavier and the US had the edge in sound.

Also, superb playing. I enjoyed the videos for the groove as much as the comparison.

[ezbass]

With my eyes closed I couldn't tell between the MIM and US at all, the Japanese one was pretty much the same too (possibly identical, but they were not side by side); the only one that stood out as being a noticeably different was the '77. I found the '77 to have a bit more bark and a bit more top end, perhaps this difference was down to the maple neck, but it could've also been the resistance rating of the controls. Tone-wise the MIM is an absolute bargain and if the playability is also really good why would one buy the US model?

[iamtheelvy]

Loving the '77! The rest have a good P-tone, but that one seems less... restrained? In the best possible way of course! :-)

[4000]

[quote name='iamtheelvy' timestamp='1412431649' post='2568907']
Loving the '77! The rest have a good P-tone, but that one seems less... restrained? In the best possible way of course! :-)
[/quote]

Yep. A much more lively, open-sounding instrument to my ears. '77 first, then the Jap. Think i prefer the Jap with the tone off. The others sound a bit "meh" to me.

A really interesting vid and comparison; I'm currently in the middle of P comparisons at the moment as for my (probable) next bass I want another P (currently just have a Korean Squier). I used to have a really great very early 70s (?) lightweight maple-necked P and I fancy something like that again. The problem is cost....

Also interested in a Limelight or a Nate Mendel too. Although having said that, has anyone compared a Squier 60s CV with either of those?

Edited October 4, 2014 by 4000

[Matt P]

They all sounded great to me, unmistakably precision basses, the 77 edged out in front for me too, and with that I'm off to take my 77 p-bass out of its case!

Matt

Edited October 4, 2014 by Matt P