Precision GAS, around the £600 mark...update!

[Raslee]

Got  a case of the P GAS - missing having one in my arsenal, currently have around £600...may be able to stretch to £700 at a push, happy to go much cheaper too. Lighter the better but it'll mainly be for recording duties. Must be a P, not P/J.

Options I'm liking so far, and in no particular order:

1. Bass Collection Bruce Thomas Bass or maybe one their other P's...don't know a lot about them, any owners out there?
2. The G&L L100's at Andertons...don't know about these either but never owned a G&L.
3. I'd love a Fender Nate Mendel again if one came up.
4. Hang out for a battered USA P...hard work.
5. Would love a Limelight again...miss an old one I used to own.
6. Sandberg P's ? 

Anything else? I'd be buying blind due to lockdown...is this just a case of irrational GAS? I am also hopeless at saving for something bigger a possibly better i.e AV’s etc

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by Raslee

[Lozz196]

I’ve been very - no make that incredibly - impressed with the Player Precisions. Easily within budget, great playing, great sounding basses, and light too, I think mine must be less than 8.5lbs. Def worth checking out imo, and that’s from someone for whom the US versions are king.

[therealting]

Hard to go wrong with a Nate. I’d get one of those, put a tort guard on it, swap in a Nordstrand and call it a day.

[therealting]

Alternatively, 80s Japanese stuff comes in at that sort of price point. Fenders, Squiers, Fernandes, etc.

[ClassicVibes]

G&L L-100 Tribute all day. Makes the Fender Player series look incredibly overpriced.

[Raslee]

9 hours ago, ClassicVibes said:

G&L L-100 Tribute all day. Makes the Fender Player series look incredibly overpriced.

Do you have one? Are they heavy?

[Steve Browning]

10 hours ago, therealting said:

Alternatively, 80s Japanese stuff comes in at that sort of price point. Fenders, Squiers, Fernandes, etc.

This. The quality of Japanese stuff is exceptional. I have owned a good number of them over the years and the build quality has been very high without exception. I've not encountered a bad one. Bought them all 'blind' as well.

[ClassicVibes]

25 minutes ago, Raslee said:

Do you have one? Are they heavy?

I don't own one but a friend does. IIRC his weighs 9.3 lbs. 

[Trueno]

Another GAS inducing thread. I'm a bit of a Fender/Squier brand junkie... but I must say I'd have a closer look at the G&L Tribute... wouldn't even have to swap the bridge out.

[stewblack]

12 hours ago, Raslee said:

Options I'm liking so far, and in no particular order:

1. Bass Collection Bruce Thomas Bass or maybe one their other P's...don't know a lot about them, any owners out there?

My first choice bass if I were auditioning or recording. The P basses from the Bass Centre are very good, the Profile is superb. 

[fretmeister]

The Sandberg VS4 passive is a wonderful bass. I'd still change the pickup though

 

But for your budget - a used Fender American Special Precision would be perfect.

Neck is a little slimmer than a regular US standard / pro etc and it has the risible Grease Bucket tone control (easy enough to turn into a proper tone control with a new capacitor and a soldering iron) but they play really well, and tend to be a little lighter too for some reason.

They are effectively US basses with mex hardware, like the slightly larger / heavier tuning heads etc. All of which can be upgraded in time.

 

I got an immaculate one with a case for £600. It was only 8lb when I got it, now it has Hipshot ultralites on it and is now 7 3/4 lb and has a comfy balance.

Well worth looking for.

[karlfer]

4 hours ago, fretmeister said:

The Sandberg VS4 passive is a wonderful bass. I'd still change the pickup though

 

But for your budget - a used Fender American Special Precision would be perfect.

Neck is a little slimmer than a regular US standard / pro etc and it has the risible Grease Bucket tone control (easy enough to turn into a proper tone control with a new capacitor and a soldering iron) but they play really well, and tend to be a little lighter too for some reason.

They are effectively US basses with mex hardware, like the slightly larger / heavier tuning heads etc. All of which can be upgraded in time.

 

I got an immaculate one with a case for £600. It was only 8lb when I got it, now it has Hipshot ultralites on it and is now 7 3/4 lb and has a comfy balance.

Well worth looking for.

The body is 1/8th of an inch thinner than a US Standard of the time.

[gary mac]

G&L are well worth checking out. I haven't tried a LB100 in the Tribute range but I do own a couple of guitars and they are excellent.

[4000]

Personally I’d probably go Limelight, or possibly a lighter Nate.

I’ve never played a G&L with a neck I’ve liked, but YMMV.  Always way preferred Lakland necks (bar the DJ). 

[Eldon Tyrell]

Another vote for the G&L Tribute LB 100. I had the pleasure of playing one last week. I think they are amazing value for money. Very solid, a bit heavy, but great looks (I had the one in natural with a lovely wood grain) and sounds. Unfortunately, the tone pot got severely damaged in transit (the bass comes without a gig bag or hard case and was only bubble wrapped. Lesson learned here: always order one that comes with at least a gig bag, preferably a hard case, or buy one separately), so the bass went back the next day 😞

[Raslee]

3 hours ago, gary mac said:

G&L are well worth checking out. I haven't tried a LB100 in the Tribute range but I do own a couple of guitars and they are excellent.

Yes i'm intrigued by the LB100, just a little concerned about the weight.

[Raslee]

1 hour ago, 4000 said:

Personally I’d probably go Limelight, or possibly a lighter Nate.

I’ve never played a G&L with a neck I’ve liked, but YMMV.  Always way preferred Lakland necks (bar the DJ). 

Yes, this is my preference. I've had a Nate 5yrs ago and it was a great piece of kit. ironically sold when i got my Limelight P.

[Raslee]

9 hours ago, stewblack said:

My first choice bass if I were auditioning or recording. The P basses from the Bass Centre are very good, the Profile is superb. 

Tell me more, this is the 'wild card' bass and I'm sorely tempted....although know I'd lose out if I ended up selling on one day.

[stewblack]

You won't want to sell this! Just ask @Kevsy71, he sold his to me and couldn't bear to be without it. He went and bought another one.

Bruce played with Elvis in the Attractions for many years and used a P Bass which he had extensively modded for much of those years. He had it stolen and recently teamed up with the Bass Centre to have a replacement made. This is no vanity deal where he received a lump sum and they stuck his name on the headstock. He was involved from the beginning. He wanted to capture all the advantages from the way he'd upgraded his original bass. 

At 500 quid this is a steal. Worried about 2nd hand value? Buy one second hand. But you'll wait a long time. People don't seem to want to be parted from them. 

edit: some links

 

Edited April 29, 2020 by stewblack

[skidder652003]

https://classicandcoolguitars.co.uk/portfolio/custom-made-51p/

or this as a curveball, I've tried it at Mark's and its stunning

https://classicandcoolguitars.co.uk/portfolio/1978-yamaha-bb1000-with-original-case/

Edited April 29, 2020 by skidder652003

[Raslee]

39 minutes ago, stewblack said:

You won't want to sell this! Just ask @Kevsy71, he sold his to me and couldn't bear to be without it. He went and bought another one.

Bruce played with Elvis in the Attractions for many years and used a P Bass which he had extensively modded for much of those years. He had it stolen and recently teamed up with the Bass Centre to have a replacement made. This is no vanity deal where he received a lump sum and they stuck his name on the headstock. He was involved from the beginning. He wanted to capture all the advantages from the way he'd upgraded his original bass. 

At 500 quid this is a steal. Worried about 2nd hand value? Buy one second hand. But you'll wait a long time. People don't seem to want to be parted from them. 

edit: some links

 

Cheers mate, I'm liking it...liking it a lot...going to sleep on it...if i make it that far

[stewblack]

6 minutes ago, Raslee said:

Cheers mate, I'm liking it...liking it a lot...going to sleep on it...if i make it that far

Someone smell gas?

 

[Raslee]

10 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Someone smell gas?

 

Quite strong here...I have been eyeing up this before my original post. But then the Fender Player Ocean turquoise is a real looker. Can’t go wrong with a Nate Mendal. Then there was the strong past love for the Limelight.....but will I go through life never having experienced the glory of a G&L - I’m in a GAS pickle you see 😂

[stewblack]

1 minute ago, Raslee said:

Quite strong here...I have been eyeing up this before my original post. But then the Fender Player Ocean turquoise is a real looker. Can’t go wrong with a Nate Mendal. Then there was the strong past love for the Limelight.....but will I go through life never having experienced the glory of a G&L - I’m in a GAS pickle you see 😂

Fork it. Buy 'em all.

[Kevsy71]

Too right Stew! Lee, I love mine - sounds immense with either the stock Elite SS or  La Bella 760M deep talkin' flats - and I'm tempted to buy another so I don't have to keep string swapping!