Paul S Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 You could always go the middle route and look at 80s MIJ Precisions. I've not handled a bad one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 2 hours ago, Paul S said: You could always go the middle route and look at 80s MIJ Precisions. I've not handled a bad one. To be fair you don’t really need to limit it to 80s - any Japanese fender … 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickA Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 (edited) 17 hours ago, Dazed said: Yahama have a vibration process I've seen that. Marketing I guess. Bet you'd never tell the difference. Ps:. There's a thread here somewhere in which one of our number went into a Newcastle music store and insisted on trying every precision in the shop from expensive US made all the way to squires. They did NOT buy the most expensive. Try that in Wunjo or the Gallery and you could try all the £1000s costing genuine 60s and 70s models too. Best done blind-fold probaby Edited January 9, 2022 by NickA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skin Lewis Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 (edited) If you particularly want an American Fender, I guess you have 3 options: new, vintage, or Custom Shop. The new pro II ones are jolly good, at least the 3 I tried were. Pretty consistent too. Custom Shop: you have to try one first, and be prepared to pay, and to travel. And be prepared to keep it for a long time if you buy new, as soon as you open the box, it will lose a grand at least. As for 70s ones, as a touring tech and player, I saw very few good ones. Some were dogs. My own '78 weighed 10lbs and had a neck that gave me a serious RSI. An AVRI would be a much better bet. Whatever, taste and try before you buy. I'll be looking for my perfect Precision til the end of my days, meanwhile I've settled on a Nash 63. Edited January 9, 2022 by Skin Lewis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 Buy the bass that sounds good to you, feels good to play and that makes you happy when you pick it up. A happy bass player will sound much better than the best gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 8 hours ago, LukeFRC said: To be fair you don’t really need to limit it to 80s - any Japanese fender … To be fair, they're always pretty good but not necessarily great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 2 hours ago, Skin Lewis said: As for 70s ones, as a touring tech and player, I saw very few good ones. Some were dogs. My own '78 weighed 10lbs and had a neck that gave me a serious RSI. An AVRI would be a much better bet. “An AVRI would be a much better bet.” Exactly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belka Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 15 minutes ago, peteb said: To be fair, they're always pretty good but not necessarily great! They're generally always made well often with better tolerances that Mexican or even American basses, but sometimes the sound can be lacking. The pickups sometimes can be quite lifeless, and the common use of basswood in the bodies tends towards a more nasal sound, which can sound great if that's what you like, but might not be everyone's cup of tea. '70s Fenders can get a bad rap and I'm sure quality did slip compared to pre-CBS, but they often sound great. A lot of people say to stick with the early '70s ones only, but to my ear at least the best sounding ones are '77-'80. They changed the pickups around this time and they generally sound excellent. They can be very heavy however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 This just turned up in the F/S section. Ash is a good guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belka Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 6 minutes ago, gareth said: “An AVRI would be a much better bet.” Exactly The AVRI '60s Jazz bass and the Precisions sound great to me, but the '70s one I found fairly lacklustre. Didn't sound much like a real '70s Jazz bass. Same with the Vintera. The '60s one sounds much closer to the original than the '70s one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 2 minutes ago, Belka said: The AVRI '60s Jazz bass and the Precisions sound great to me, but the '70s one I found fairly lacklustre. Didn't sound much like a real '70s Jazz bass. Same with the Vintera. The '60s one sounds much closer to the original than the '70s one. Yes I agree Im talking 57 and 62 AVRI p basses and 62/64 jazzes The Fullerton era ones are close to what is now custom shop which are also good 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 3 hours ago, Skin Lewis said: If you particularly want an American Fender, I guess you have 3 options: new, vintage, or Custom Shop. The new pro II ones are jolly good, at least the 3 I tried were. Pretty consistent too. Custom Shop: you have to try one first, and be prepared to pay, and to travel. And be prepared to keep it for a long time if you buy new, as soon as you open the box, it will lose a grand at least. As for 70s ones, as a touring tech and player, I saw very few good ones. Some were dogs. My own '78 weighed 10lbs and had a neck that gave me a serious RSI. An AVRI would be a much better bet. Whatever, taste and try before you buy. I'll be looking for my perfect Precision til the end of my days, meanwhile I've settled on a Nash 63. Always makes me smile when people tar 70s Fenders with one big crappy brush, as if something deeply disturbing happened at the Fender plant on the stroke of midnight on Dec 31, 1969. Still, I guess it helps keep the prices down a little 😄 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skin Lewis Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 4 minutes ago, wateroftyne said: Always makes me smile when people tar 70s Fenders with one big crappy brush, as if something deeply disturbing happened at the Fender plant on the stroke of midnight on Dec 31, 1969. Still, I guess it helps keep the prices down a little 😄 I can only speak of my own experience. I have found that some are very good, many not so. Others experiences will be different I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 1 minute ago, Skin Lewis said: I can only speak of my own experience. I have found that some are very good, many not so. Others experiences will be different I'm sure. My hit rate with 70s Fenders has been similar to yours - in turn, comparable to any other era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 (edited) 41 minutes ago, Skin Lewis said: I can only speak of my own experience. I have found that some are very good, many not so. Others experiences will be different I'm sure. On 08/01/2022 at 16:16, Lozz196 said: Having had 70s Precisions and US Professional 1 basses, although both were good I’d rate the 2013-16 US Standards as better. The best Fenders that I have ever played have been from the 70s (including a few 60s ones I have had a go on). Also, some of the worse have also been from the 70s, although the very worse have been 80s models. All of the 2013-16 US Standards that I have played have all been really good. Edited January 9, 2022 by peteb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 I had a ‘76 P as my main bass for years. It was okay but having bought other things since which are much better, I’d say they aren’t worth the £ s that people now ask for them. Theres no mystic about the 70’s, after all that’s the CBS era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 1 hour ago, Grahambythesea said: I had a ‘76 P as my main bass for years. It was okay but having bought other things since which are much better, I’d say they aren’t worth the £ s that people now ask for them. Theres no mystic about the 70’s, after all that’s the CBS era. Is that a generalisation based on a single bass? I’ve played some pre-CBS dogs, and own(ed) some CBS beauties. There are dogs and diamonds in every era. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LElls Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 On 08/01/2022 at 23:37, Dazed said: Yahama have a vibration process for their high end stuff to reproduce the effect caused by many years of use which may or may not enhance the properties of wood tonality. Must be something to it if they are prepared to invest large sums of money. Sandberg also do the same thing - their Masterpiece basses are incredible but you're approaching a mid late 70s vintage at that price anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 16 hours ago, wateroftyne said: Always makes me smile when people tar 70s Fenders with one big crappy brush, as if something deeply disturbing happened at the Fender plant on the stroke of midnight on Dec 31, 1969. Still, I guess it helps keep the prices down a little 😄 Yes this would be wrong Ive has loads of 70’s precision basses and have kept just two that both happen to be early 70’s sunburst basses - a rosewood and a maple I sold most of the others to Martin Petersen at the Bass Gallery My observations based on these precisions is that on average there is a deterioration through this decade and in to the early 80’s in the following areas:- 1. Weight increases from the ideal 8 to 8 1/2 lbs to over 10lbs 2. The tightness of the neck pocket diminishes 3. The natural resonance when played acoustically diminishes 4. Cost cutting measures increase - single ply guides, three hole bridges, less substantial tuners, etc 5. Problems with body finishes especially black 6. Decreasing attention to body contours so that bodies become more angular Its against this background that I find the early vintage reissue series started in 1982 such a breath of fresh air and a return to form at fender For anyone interested in AVRIs I started this gear thread here And this thread on Talkbass https://www.talkbass.com/threads/fender-fullerton-reissue-club.511899/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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