Fender Precision Sound

[Bassimist]

Hello Everybody, 

I just want to share a recent experience of mine with Precision Basses. I recently started playing bass and the precision is my favourite shape and I love the deep sound. So I bought a Deluxe Precision (mex made). For the ones less familiar with this model is a PJ configuration, active/passive, with a heavy mass bridge. Amazing instrument, very well finished, super confortable. Trying to describe the sound of this bass: very bassy, a lot of low freq, not very punchy but very deep like putting a cloth over a speaker. 

Then one day I tried a RoadWorn precision... and was blown away! I had to buy it (although I don't need two basses... ). I'm not a fan of relic jobs, specially fiesta red colours, but this bass sounded completely different than my Deluxe. It sounded super powerful, punchy and very transparent. The exact opposite of the Deluxe. 

One would think that the pick ups are making all the difference. But actually I feel more this difference when playing acoustically (although plugged in is also very noticeable). They are both equipped with flat wounds (not sure what make and how old they are). They are both made with similar woods, they have very similar necks, tuners, dimension is probably exact the same, but they differ greatly on the bridge. The RoadWorn has a very simple light cheap bridge. 

Is the heavy mass bridge really "eating" all the top end of my Deluxe sound? Can flat wounds sound so radically different? Or is it possible that the sound can be so extremely different from instrument to instrument even with the same wood choice? 

Let me know your thoughts!

Edited December 5, 2019 by Bassimist

[Bassimist]

Deluxe bridge

[Bassimist]

RoadWorn bridge:

[therealting]

Are you running the EQ on your Deluxe completely flat?

[Bassimist]

Yes, completely neutral. But even unplugged I can hear the difference. Maybe the strings are the answer. I have no experience with bass strings and the way they can shape the sound. 

What do you think?

[jrixn1]

18 minutes ago, Bassimist said:

Deluxe bridge

RotoSound Monel "Jazz Bass 77"

[jrixn1]

19 minutes ago, Bassimist said:

RoadWorn bridge:

Perhaps TI Jazz flats.  Do you have photo of the headstock end?

[jrixn1]

Just now, jrixn1 said:

Perhaps TI Jazz flats.  Do you have photo of the headstock end?

Do they feel horrible and floppy?

[Bassimist]

Wow, I'm impressed! In fact the Deluxe has Rotosound strings but I have no idea what model or gauge. I bought it second hand. I have no idea about the Roadworn. None feel bad, the Rotosound feel very smooth and I think there is a little less tension but might be wrong. 

 

[Bassmingo]

The neck profile, radius, width and fretwire will be completely different on the roadworn compared to the deluxe so the dimensions are not exactly the same. That may have some bearing on your opinion. 

[ezbass]

The Roadworns are finished in a very thin nitro cellulose which will certainly make a difference acoustically. Also the infamous BBOT (bent bit of tin) bridge does seem to work really well on P basses as opposed to J basses, where hi-mass seem to be de rigeur.

[therealting]

It looks like they both have different types of flatwounds, by the colour of the silks at the bridge end. That will be a big factor.

Can’t see the fretboard of the roadwork, is it also maple?

[Bassimist]

Thanks everyone for the insight.

I never considered the finish to be tone shaper. But yes, the Roadworn has almost no finish, it's very very thin. The Deluxe has a glossy finish all over. 

Another factor could be the weight. With the extra pick up, knobs, pcb's, bridge, the Deluxe is a lot heavier. Could that be a factor? 

7 hours ago, therealting said:

It looks like they both have different types of flatwounds, by the colour of the silks at the bridge end. That will be a big factor.

Can’t see the fretboard of the roadwork, is it also maple?

 Yes they are both maple boards. The strings are definitely different although they are both flat wounds. Can different brands sounds completely different? They are not cheap to buy until you find the ones that fit your sound...

Thanks

Edited December 6, 2019 by Bassimist

[Highfox]

I think a PJ and a P bass will always  sound different from each other anyway. Less full wood on the PJ body for example having the extra pickup routed, IMO.

and yes the make and gauge of flats will play a major difference as well.

[karlfer]

P/J will nearly always have the Precision pup in a slightly different position.

As I understand it the Deluxe will have a 1.5 inch nut, the RW 1.75 inch, completely different necks, that will have an impact.

[krispn]

The RW's are great basses and as Karlfer says the 50's will have a more substantial neck which will do wonders for the tone of the bass. Big fat 50's necks will add more heft (here he goes), more wood to vibrate and impart its thing on the overall sound.

The woods might also have had some more thought put into them - I recall reading something years ago - they didn't 'treat' the woods (use a drying process them) per se but there was something about the selection of the woods for the RW series.

 

 

[hooky_lowdown]

There are many factors to the sound - strings, body and neck woods (poly and nitro finishes), pickups (active, ceramic, alnico) all affect the tone. This is all before even going to an amp and cab.

Generally the strings have the biggest impact on one's sound, then pickups, then woods (Inc finish). Don't always dismiss what might be referred to as cheaper wood bodies, like basswood. Some basses no matter what they are made of, or how they are finished just sound better than others.

[PaulWarning]

I would suggest until you have exactly the same strings on both basses they are going to sound different

[Paddy515]

Swap the strings over bass to bass and if the tones remain the same, thats strings out of the equasion.

[Bassimist]

19 hours ago, Bassmingo said:

The neck profile, radius, width and fretwire will be completely different on the roadworn compared to the deluxe so the dimensions are not exactly the same. That may have some bearing on your opinion. 

Hi Bassmingo, yes you are right. There's a bit more wood in the RW and the frets are skinnier. That's very interesting to think that this details might have such a big impact. 

 

19 hours ago, ezbass said:

The Roadworns are finished in a very thin nitro cellulose which will certainly make a difference acoustically. Also the infamous BBOT (bent bit of tin) bridge does seem to work really well on P basses as opposed to J basses, where hi-mass seem to be de rigeur.

Hi Ezbass, I do believe that the bridge is very important for the sound but the finish in the wood?? that beats me... 

 

11 hours ago, karlfer said:

P/J will nearly always have the Precision pup in a slightly different position.

 

Hi Karlfer, exactly 9,5 mm from the neck on both guitars. 

 

 

 

[Bassimist]

7 hours ago, hooky_lowdown said:

There are many factors to the sound - strings, body and neck woods (poly and nitro finishes), pickups (active, ceramic, alnico) all affect the tone. This is all before even going to an amp and cab.

Generally the strings have the biggest impact on one's sound, then pickups, then woods (Inc finish). Don't always dismiss what might be referred to as cheaper wood bodies, like basswood. Some basses no matter what they are made of, or how they are finished just sound better than others.

 

7 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

I would suggest until you have exactly the same strings on both basses they are going to sound different

 

7 hours ago, Paddy515 said:

Swap the strings over bass to bass and if the tones remain the same, thats strings out of the equasion.

I think the strings are the answer. I will try to get them both with similar strings to see the difference. 

[Bassimist]

20 hours ago, jrixn1 said:

RotoSound Monel "Jazz Bass 77"

 

20 hours ago, jrixn1 said:

Perhaps TI Jazz flats.  Do you have photo of the headstock end?

 

BINGO!!! I just asked the previous owners and jrixn1 was right on the money!!! 

So, we have the Deluxe equipped with RotoSounds 45-105 I definitely feel a lot more tension with this strings. Deep tone. 

RoadWorn equipped with  Thomastik-infeld 43-100. Less tension and more top end on the sound. 

Makes sense!!

[gjones]

As a experiment, swap the strings.

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, Bassimist said:

 

 

Hi Ezbass, I do believe that the bridge is very important for the sound but the finish in the wood?? that beats me... 

 

 

 

The thick polyester finish on the normal models can restrict the resonance of the wood, although not always. But if a difference is heard in the bass acoustically, then this could certainly be a contributing factor.

[grenadillabama]

On 06/12/2019 at 01:54, karlfer said:

P/J will nearly always have the Precision pup in a slightly different position.

As I understand it the Deluxe will have a 1.5 inch nut, the RW 1.75 inch, completely different necks, that will have an impact.

I have the earlier version (without bypass switch). Set "flat=center detent , it is somewhat hot-sounding with more mids and highs. And it has a Jazz-width neck. You can tweek it bassey if you like. Different than average Precision sounds. I have HW 1 Precisions also and they are also worthy basses.