Fender American Professional II Bass

[thebassist]

They are expensive but the upgrades are pretty decent in my opinion - that said, if you've already got a P and/or J that you're really happy with, these are probably not worth going for.

But I am happy to see tortoiseshell back on the 3-color Sunburst and Olympic White basses.

[Eldon Tyrell]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

@Eldon Tyrell - this is all the Motown you need. Stick a bit of foam under the strings if you must, but they will all do the job admirably. All built from top drawer components and finished by David Wilson. I would argue that the components are a clear step up from what the Fender production line are using, the paint is definitely better, more choice of colours (any colour you like in fact) and they're cheaper. No brainer AFAIC.

Thanks @hiram.k.hackenbacker I will definitely look into it. You are also right with better looking back than forward. With he upcoming 70th anniversary of the P, I just thought Fender would announce something more vintage-ish on the day they announced the Pro II. I guess that will now happen at (virtual) Namm. Just curious to see what they come up with for the 70th. As I mentioned, I thought of getting a used Standard or Pro and put in the Pure Vintage 63 pickup (that I already have) and some flats. (Washing up) sponges are also already waiting to be used 😉

[Eldon Tyrell]

4 hours ago, walshy said:

Thanks man, I have 3 built and ready to rock too! I think building and spec’ if your own is a pretty cool way to get exactly what you want. Love making them too. I’m using black walnut for the bodies, the sound is killer. 

I like what I am seeing here, especially the one in the middle. Very tempting! I have a Spector with walnut wings and another one on order. Great tonewood in my opinion.

[walshy]

13 minutes ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

I like what I am seeing here, especially the one in the middle. Very tempting! I have a Spector with walnut wings and another one on order. Great tonewood in my opinion.

Yeah it’s a beauty. Slab body, Fender CS 62 pups ( I think or Fralins ), Badass II, Gotoh tuners, CTS Pots, nitro paint. Killer bass 🤘

[IanA]

I think they look fantastic, am seriously thinking of pulling the trigger on one of my Jazz goes... I love the Oly white/maple🤪

Looks like there are some small discounts to be had already...

[TheGreek]

On 20/08/2020 at 13:07, Eldon Tyrell said:

The ’63 P Bass profile neck now sports smooth rolled fingerboard edges, a “Super-Natural” satin finish and a newly sculpted neck heel for a supremely comfortable feel and easy access to the upper register.

What we all want. No???

[cetera]

Just pick up a Japanese Fender 62 Reissue P-bass, chuck a set of flats on it and 'Bob's your Uncle! '

Best quality control/value for money/sounding vintage Fender P out there imho.... and you'll have money left to add to the pot for another Spector

 

[Sarlscharisma]

Pricey for me.  I bought a new Fender Jazz American Original 70s for £1689.  Only a few quid more expensive than one of these.

[Eldon Tyrell]

2 hours ago, TheGreek said:

What we all want. No???

Agree. I want it all and I want it now 😎

[Eldon Tyrell]

1 hour ago, cetera said:

Just pick up a Japanese Fender 62 Reissue P-bass, chuck a set of flats on it and 'Bob's your Uncle! '

Best quality control/value for money/sounding vintage Fender P out there imho.... and you'll have money left to add to the pot for another Spector

 

Good point. Should also consider MIJ 

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 9, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Misdee]

I will reserve judgement until I have played one, but it seems to me that Fender consistently shoot themselves in the foot by offering a "standard" range of American-made basses that, more often than not, are not particularly appealing both sonically and aesthetically.

Part of the problem is that they don't want to compete with their own Custom Shop, part of the problem is that they are not very in touch with what discerning players crave from a Fender.  All of this is compounded by their inconsistent quality control. 

The American Standard range was a lot more appealing than the subsequent American Professional range, IMO.  The Am Pro are perfectly ok, but just not very exiting. They should have stuck  with CS pickups , for my taste anyway. .

[walshy]

30 minutes ago, Jus Lukin said:

I'd completely missed this, @walshy!

For me and anyone else who's been snoozing, what's the setup, or is there a thread you can point me to?

Most are walnut bodies, Badass II bridges and either Fender CS 62 or Lindy Fralins. Send me a message if you want specifics on any of the mate.

[Guest]

It’s worth mentioning that when the original American Standards came out in 2008 you could have one new for about £830. They’ve more than doubled in price in 12 years, but are they really any better? I very much doubt there’s any significant improvements - given Fender’s sometimes ropey QA, probably less difference between a 2008 and 2020 than two from the same year...

...and considering the thousands of great, worn-in P-basses available used, you’d have to really, really want a new one to pay double. 

[Eldon Tyrell]

2 hours ago, cetera said:

Just pick up a Japanese Fender 62 Reissue P-bass, chuck a set of flats on it and 'Bob's your Uncle! '

Best quality control/value for money/sounding vintage Fender P out there imho.... and you'll have money left to add to the pot for another Spector

 

Ironically, I already had the perfect bass for Motown (esp. with the 63 pickup I have) but I sold it to finance a Spector Forte. I mentioned it in the "Sellers Remorse" thread that this is the only one I should not have sold 😒 

 

[Eldon Tyrell]

3 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

It’s worth mentioning that when the original American Standards came out in 2008 you could have one new for about £830. They’ve more than doubled in price in 12 years, but are they really any better? I very much doubt there’s any significant improvements - given Fender’s sometimes ropey QA, probably less difference between a 2008 and 2020 than two from the same year...

...and considering the thousands of great, worn-in P-basses available used, you’d have to really, really want a new one to pay double. 

Agree, buying used is the way to go!

[Eldon Tyrell]

32 minutes ago, Misdee said:

I will reserve judgement until I have played one, but it seems to me that Fender consistently shoot themselves in the foot by offering a "standard" range of American-made basses that, more often than not, are not particularly appealing both sonically and aesthetically.

Part of the problem is that they don't want to compete with their own Custom Shop, part of the problem is that they are not very in touch with what discerning players crave from a Fender.  All of this is compounded by their inconsistent quality control. 

.. and still they are going very strong (obviously helped by the pandemic and a large number of new hobbyists but still). 

https://www.nme.com/news/music/fender-to-sell-more-guitars-in-2020-than-any-other-year-in-history-2750069 

They have a very strong brand (quite some people prefer to read Fender on their headstocks instead of XYZ), come up with some "new" and "exciting" new features (i.e., copying what other companies have been offering for quite some time), some "new" names for already existing finishes (e.g., I read on TB that the new dark night finish was already part of the programme (under a different name of course) back in the late 80s/early 90s, rename their product lines every few years (e.g., Am standard - Am Pro - Am Pro II) to make it "fresh", a few tweaks here and there and that's pretty much it. Job done. I also doubt that their target mark is really open to too much innovation and change (Fender Dimension, anyone?). Quite a success story if you think about it. Two iconic models that have been around for 60 (J) and 70 (P) years without too much change apart from some small changes and a lot of marketing blurb. I mean you could put the 2020 Pro II into a music store back in 57 and it would not look displaced. Can't really say that about too many other products. Pretty amazing, don't you think?   

[Eldon Tyrell]

50 minutes ago, Misdee said:

Part of the problem is that they don't want to compete with their own Custom Shop, part of the problem is that they are not very in touch with what discerning players crave from a Fender. 

I am sure Fender know their target market quite well and it probably does not consist of mainly TB/BCers 😉

Reminds me of what Sterling "Big Poppa" Ball once said (back in 09):

"One thing I will tell you. In order to find a home or niche you have to have segment and position that is product driven. Trying to do everything will assure you a new career in hospitality...."Do you want fries with that?"

I wake up every day knowing that I cant make everyone happy...I hope that I can make enough people happy so I can continue to provide for my team and give the world a few extra choices." 

[Lozz196]

Agree, they’ve got to introduce variations to their main models to keep things fresh and competitive, however have to keep them near to the originals and not lose sight of that’s where the popularity is. Some variations will be more popular than others, that’s inevitable.

[dannybuoy]

5 hours ago, cetera said:

Just pick up a Japanese Fender 62 Reissue P-bass, chuck a set of flats on it and 'Bob's your Uncle! '

Best quality control/value for money/sounding vintage Fender P out there imho.... and you'll have money left to add to the pot for another Spector

 

And by sheer coincidence, this just popped up today:

https://bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Fender_Precision_CIJ_3_TSB.html

Edited October 14, 2020 by dannybuoy

[afterimage]

 63 pickup is excellent 

[Misdee]

3 hours ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

.. and still they are going very strong (obviously helped by the pandemic and a large number of new hobbyists but still). 

https://www.nme.com/news/music/fender-to-sell-more-guitars-in-2020-than-any-other-year-in-history-2750069 

They have a very strong brand (quite some people prefer to read Fender on their headstocks instead of XYZ), come up with some "new" and "exciting" new features (i.e., copying what other companies have been offering for quite some time), some "new" names for already existing finishes (e.g., I read on TB that the new dark night finish was already part of the programme (under a different name of course) back in the late 80s/early 90s, rename their product lines every few years (e.g., Am standard - Am Pro - Am Pro II) to make it "fresh", a few tweaks here and there and that's pretty much it. Job done. I also doubt that their target mark is really open to too much innovation and change (Fender Dimension, anyone?). Quite a success story if you think about it. Two iconic models that have been around for 60 (J) and 70 (P) years without too much change apart from some small changes and a lot of marketing blurb. I mean you could put the 2020 Pro II into a music store back in 57 and it would not look displaced. Can't really say that about too many other products. Pretty amazing, don't you think?   

I take your point entirely, and yes, Fender will proliferate no matter what.

I just mean that there is no real reason why Fender can't make basses like they used to, just better . And Fender players mostly prefer their basses how they used to be at some point in the past. I am perfectly happy to have a new one, but they could incorporate the better things about the old basses with the best things about the new basses. Then I would be even more of a Fender fan. 

[EmaTheMirror]

3 hours ago, FDC484950 said:

It’s worth mentioning that when the original American Standards came out in 2008 you could have one new for about £830. They’ve more than doubled in price in 12 years, but are they really any better? I very much doubt there’s any significant improvements - given Fender’s sometimes ropey QA, probably less difference between a 2008 and 2020 than two from the same year...

...and considering the thousands of great, worn-in P-basses available used, you’d have to really, really want a new one to pay double. 

This to me says enough.

And I've given up trying to talk about that on TalkBass with US members who are throwing in costs of petrol in different economies and so on and seem to me both rather defensive and missing the point.

Really nice new colours anyway, IMO.

[Eldon Tyrell]

4 minutes ago, EmaTheMirror said:

This to me says enough.

And I've given up trying to talk about that on TalkBass with US members who are throwing in costs of petrol in different economies and so on and seem to me both rather defensive and missing the point.

Really nice new colours anyway, IMO.

Wow, this is hilarious. I understand that there are costs for shipping basses over the pond, have local distribution etc and that's why I got used to $=£ prices. However, this is getting ridiculous now 🥴

Definitely buying used!

[Guest]

Does the US price include sales tax? Probably not, which may account for the difference