thebrig Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 I asked this question today on the Facebook Precision Bass Lovers group, so I thought I would ask the great BC community as well. Not sure if this has been asked before, but what makes a Precision bass a Precision bass, is it just the shape? The reason I ask is because there are so many different pickup configurations such as a single-coil, a single split-coil, a single split-coil + jazz, humbucker, soapbar, etc, most have a P neck, but some have a J neck, then there are the headstock and pickguard variations, active, passive, and so on. Because of all these variations, they would surely all sound so different, but they are all called a Precision bass, so is it all down to just the body shape? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Body Shape 'n Split Coil... anything else is P Bass+ 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nail Soup Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Not sure we could even agree on what makes a bass a bass. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 1 minute ago, PaulThePlug said: Body Shape 'n Split Coil... anything else is P Bass+ Absolutely - except I'd say that anything else is no longer a Precision. It might be as good as a Precision, or even (however unlikely this might be) better than a Precision, but take away the simplicity of the standard Precision and it becomes something else. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Shape, number of knobs, split coil single pickup. PJ is a PJ, P with a J neck is just that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Dare I say frets? 3 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_c2 Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 I would say: 1. Split coil pickup in the right place 2. Body style 3. Thick-ish neck and...... 4. Made by Fender or Squier. Anything else is either slightly less than, or with more pickups a little bit more than, or a variation of, a Precision. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Body shape. You can put all sorts of pickups, numbers of strings etc on a P bass, but it's the body that defines the instrument. Put a P pickup on a Ric and it's not a P bass!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr4stringz Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said: Body Shape 'n Split Coil... anything else is P Bass+ That’s it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 A Fender factory, or a Squier factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 3 hours ago, PaulThePlug said: Body Shape 'n Split Coil... anything else is P Bass+ So the original P bass isn't a P bass? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 If 50% of BC readers slaver over it, it's a P bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 50 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: So the original P bass isn't a P bass? Isn't the body silhoeuette the same, Slab v Contour... either shape head stock allowed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 17 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: Isn't the body silhoeuette the same, Slab v Contour... either shape head stock allowed The other part - no split pickup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 ah yes... well, we will let that in as well then... as it asked nicely... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 The split pickup in the traditional spot. Only the pickup. It can look however it likes but the only bit that matters, the single defining characteristic, is what you hear coming out of the speaker. Brand doesn't matter a jot. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Venal Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 4 hours ago, headofire said: Im going with, 1 split coil hum-cancelling pickup in the right spot (not reversed), two knobs, 43.75 mm at the nut, Depth at 1st fret 20.25mm.. a wide and slim C profile with a 7.25" radius. Anything else is a sandberg. The rest only matters in videos. That would mean a lot of fender precisions aren't actually precisions though, including some pre CBS golden era vintage stuff. They made em with 1 1/2", 1 5/8" and 1 3/4" nuts didn't they? A, B and C neck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Venal Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 3 hours ago, Bassfinger said: A Fender factory, or a Squier factory. Yeah I think the only difference between a "P Bass" or a "P style bass" and a "Precision Bass" is it has to be made by fender to be called the latter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Whatever Leo says it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 5 hours ago, Drax said: Not having any luck searching DiMille patent 1925. Anyone know what that's about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 1 hour ago, Downunderwonder said: Not having any luck searching DiMille patent 1925. Anyone know what that's about? Patent for a Mandolin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 22 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: Patent for a Mandolin Google fails me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 Didn't the 'precision' bit arise from the fact that it was fretted, unlike a double bass, notwithstanding other design elements? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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