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]

[M@23]

That was great. To be honest, they all sounded mega. Surprisingly, I liked the tone of the '77 least, not to say I didn't like, it has some serious attitude! Thanks for sharing!

[dannybuoy]

Ha, I thought the '77 sounded the best! Then the USA, then the MIJ - the MIM sounded terrible.

Edited October 2, 2014 by dannybuoy

[SmallDawg]

The MIM 96 and USA 98 sound identical. The USA 77 has a lot more growl in it and is definitely my favourite of the lot, really love that tone. The Japan 95 sounded a bit too dark for my liking but I still liked it more than the 96/98 MIM/USA models.

1: USA 77
2: Japan 95
=4: Mexico 96
=4: USA 98

[uk_lefty]

USA 77 won it for me too! Really good comparison. Good to hear the alder bodies properly alongside the basswood bodied Japanese model.

...and they've done one for Jazz basses too ... (and the Japanese Jazz wins)

Edited October 2, 2014 by uk_lefty

[Machines]

Great video which generally told me there isn't much difference between them. The 77 was indeed a lot brighter and possibly had a a lower action but I think you could have done the same with any of them with a little EQ.

The others did have very subtle differences, but nothing you'd ever notice as soon as you were playing with others.

[madshadows]

I liked the 77 best, just sounded better than the rest to my ears !

Great comparison video

John

[Bassman Steve]

That showed the difference a maple board makes, brighter as I would have expected.

Interesting comparison indeed otherwise.

[Happy Jack]

Excellent video, which proves for once and for all that a Precision always sounds like a Precision. I see that as a good thing.

For personal preference I went with the 1977, which also did a great job of demonstrating why you should never use sh*t-Glo as a colour for bass.

[tom1946]

77 is quite good. My MIM doesn't sound like that one did, mine sounds more like the 77 tbh.

[uk_lefty]

I think both the P and J comparison videos demonstrate more difference between body and fingerboard woods than comparative price or country of assembly IMHO. Ash/ basswood/ alder body, rosewood or maple fingerboard... Interesting stuff.

[uk_lefty]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1412323808' post='2567773']
For personal preference I went with the 1977, which also did a great job of demonstrating why you should never use sh*t-Glo as a colour for bass.
[/quote]
"Sh!t-Glo" love it

[police squad]

MIM and USA sound the same until the tone is rolled right off, then the 98 is a little brighter.
The 77 is totally different. Ash body and maple board. Much more zing to the sound and a little less mid. In fact, fkn lovely.
The japan basswood sounds a little darker, just a tad though, than the MIM or USA 98.

As Happy Jack said, they all sound like a precision. I would happily gig with any of them. Billy Sheehan would probably take the '77

[Lozz196]

[quote name='SmallDawg' timestamp='1412277158' post='2567485']
The MIM 96 and USA 98 sound identical. The USA 77 has a lot more growl in it and is definitely my favourite of the lot, really love that tone.

1: USA 77

[/quote]

Pretty much my thoughts there too. I liked the other 3 equally, though am going to listen to this with my proper speakers tomorrow, so may get a better view of them, but the 77 def wins for me.

Now having listened through better speakers, the 77 is still tops. The US gets the vote over the MIM as it has a bit more articulation to the sound. The MIJ comes last I`m afraid pickstyle, but 2nd when played fingerstyle.

Edited October 4, 2014 by Lozz196

[dannybuoy]

I thought the MIM sounded really flat and dull compared to the MIA here. Mostly down to the pickups I would assume.

I know MIMs used to come with ceramic pickups instead of alnico, anyone know if this is still the case?

[Telebass]

I have a MIM with '94 American Standard pickups. Couldn't hear any difference when I fitted them.

[Mykesbass]

77 is the only one that sound very different to the others to me, but not really what I would be after. Probably on 100% tone would go Japan, Mexico, USA, 77, but really, with the exception of the 77 as Machines said, I doubt you would notice the difference in a band setting.

[Wilco]

Thought the MiM & the US 98 sounded virtually identical - really nothing noticeable in it & no difference you would hear in a band context. The MiJ sounded a little 'muted' to me. Hands down winner was the Ash bodied / maple necked 77 - superb.

Excellent video btw.

[miles'tone]

The '77 sounds the nicest to me too. Interesting because a lot of people write off Fenders from this time period as being the worst (Q.C, materials etc..)

I could certainly live with that one!

[Lozz196]

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1412457769' post='2569118']
The '77 sounds the nicest to me too. Interesting because a lot of people write off Fenders from this time period as being the worst (Q.C, materials etc..)

I could certainly live with that one!
[/quote]

Yep, so many write off 70s Fenders, but I`ve only seen/played good ones. Admittedly they can be heavy - my 78 is 10lbs, and a mate of mines 77 weighs a staggering 13lbs, but I`ve never seen this as a reason for them being "bad" basses, if they both sound and play well.

[stingraybassman]

Dat 77, Dayum! Even with the tone off you can hear the snarl desperate to get out.

USA shades it over the MIJ and the MIM for me.

Slap sounds amazing on the MIJ which surprised me as it didn't do a lot for me in the rest of the video.

[petergales]

I like rosewood boards and you can definitely hear the difference in the video. Great idea to do something like this