Apply peer pressure! Help me decide between these two black & white MIJ P Basses.

[SumOne]

I've been offered part-exchange from Bass Bros and have narrowed down my new Bass to these two:

 

• 1993 Fender Japan PB-57 Precision Bass Reissue MIJ.  https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1993-fender-japan-pb-57-precision-bass-reissue-mij/
• 3.9kg
• £799
  • + Lighter, cheaper
  • - More scrapes, including a chunk out of the back of the headstock.

 

• 1985 Fender PB-62 Precision Bass Reissue MIJ. https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1985-fender-pb-62-precision-bass-reissue-mij/
• 4.2kg
• £875
  • + Older (I guess in some ways that's a good thing, not necesserily though), fewer scrapes, Rosewood which I think I prefer the look of and if it is to be believed about it being a bit less bright sounding than Maple then that suits me better.
  • - more expensive, heavier.

 

Although they are a 57 vs 62 aparrently there isn't actually difference in nut width and neck profile etc on these two MIJs, they sound and feel similar and according to Bass Bros it is pretty much down to the look of maple vs rosewood. Any evidence a mid 80s MIJ being better than and early 90s? Otherwise it's a bit 'spot the difference' from the photos and I can't decide, perhaps adding some peer pressure can help persuade me one way or the other?!*

 

I don't think it's an issue for either of them but I plan on adding a Hipshot drop D tuner.

 

*I know the stock/sensible answer is to try them out, but it's nearly a 4hr round trip and I'd need to go in a weekday and book a day of holiday, and the petrol will be significantly more than the £20 delivery cost so postage is much more convenient. Bass Bros are trustworthy and tell me both are fine as far as frets/electronics/truss rod etc. and surely can't go too far wrong with a MIJ P Bass?  

Edited September 8, 2022 by SumOne

[Reggaebass]

I’ve never had either so I’m not a lot of help, but the rosewood one looks nicer to me 🙂

[velvetkevorkian]

Unless 300g and £75 is a deal breaker I'd get the one you like the look of more.

[paul_5]

Rosewood for a P bass would be my preference, weight can be mitigated by a stretchy neoprene strap, but tone can’t be.

[SumOne]

On looks alone I'd probably sway towards the Rosewood....lower cost and weight then sways be back to Maple though. First world problems!  

[Steve Browning]

I'd go rosewood. I suspect it's a US version (looking at the tuners). It'll have US spec parts on it.

[Bassassin]

Pricing here is predicated on the notion of older = better, which given that they're both Fujigen basses, is nonsense. And FWIW an MIJ 'E' serial isn't specific, it's 85-87, if you want to split hairs.

 

My opinion - maple looks better, lighter is always better, and the £75 saving buys you a black/white/black pickguard and cream pickup covers to transform the aesthetics from generic P bass to ultimate rock monster P bass. Which you should definitely do.

[neepheid]

Rosewood one looks nicer to me, but it's purely an aesthetic choice.

[Guest]

A third option would be to wait for a lighter PB-62. Bassbros list them regularly and they go as light as 8.0 lbs.

 

That 2015 one I've linked to was mine for a day* and the build quality was wonderful, better than my USA G&L, just immaculate. If I still had it, it would now have a set of La Bella flats on it, it had that kind of character.

 

*to my intense embarrassment, I learnt that reaching round the extra curve of a vintage style radius causes real bother all the way up in my damaged shoulder — the problem was solely with me

[Bigwan]

Toss a coin. You'll find you've subconsciously made up your mind already depending on whether the result pleases you or not.

 

If not, maybe neither of them are for you.

 

If it were me I'd go maple because I have the rosewood P thing covered.

Edited September 8, 2022 by Bigwan

[SumOne]

10 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

A third option would be to wait for a lighter PB-62. Bassbros list them regularly and they go as light as 8.0 lbs.

 

That 2015 one I've linked to was mine for a day* and the build quality was wonderful, better than my USA G&L, just immaculate. If I still had it, it would now have a set of La Bella flats on it, it had that kind of character.

 

*to my intense embarrassment, I learnt that reaching round the extra curve of a vintage style radius causes real bother all the way up in my damaged shoulder — the problem was solely with me

 

Yeah, you might be right - I get an idea in my head and then rush in. My current Bass is 3.3kg which I've got used to so perhaps my best choice is 'none of the above'.

 

 

Edit: One thing that put me off unusually light P Basses is the risk of neck dive as I assume the weight saving is in the body and they are still using pretty much the same neck/headstock/tuners as the heavier ones. Did you notice that happening with that 8lb (3.6kg) one?

Edited September 8, 2022 by SumOne

[Paul S]

Black one with maple neck, stick a bwb scratchplate on it, that is all.

[Sibob]

Yeah ‘57 for me in this instance 

[Jonesy]

1 hour ago, Steve Browning said:

I'd go rosewood. I suspect it's a US version (looking at the tuners). It'll have US spec parts on it.

 

Beat me to it! Although the US models normally have spiral saddles at the bridge on the 62 reissue. It doesn't look like this one does, but I have seen them with regular saddles before so nothing to worry about.

 

I think the 62 is a non export US model with US spec pups in it, so that'd be my choice for you seeing as you prefer rosewood. 

 

I prefer the 57 on looks alone, so I'd buy that and change the pups/guts if needed if it were me.

 

Can you buy both and send the one you don't like back?

 

*

I'm doing this on my phone and pasted this link in by mistake. I now can't remove it from my post, sorry! 😆

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by Jonesy

[Lw.]

What a predicament you've got yourself in! 
The '57 is a curious description when the nut width, tuners, pickguard, bridge saddles, probably neck shape & I can't quite see but possibly the pick-up all look non-57 spec to me. 

The '85 - I don't think I've seen that darker patterning on a maple headstock before, it does look kind of cool though. 

 

I'd probably go for the 80's one if I had to buy blind as it looks in better condition but if I were spending the best part of a grand on a used bass, I'd really like to go and feel them first. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, SumOne said:

One thing that put me off unusually light P Basses is the risk of neck dive as I assume the weight saving is in the body and they are still using pretty much the same neck/headstock/tuners as the heavier ones. Did you notice that happening with that 8lb (3.6kg) one?

 

I don't recall any. I do remember thinking that the tuners weren't equal to the excellence of the woodwork and finish, but I didn't notice them falling away from me

 

BTW, my P-esque SB-1 is only 7.2 lbs, and that has no neckdive either. 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

'57 all day long. I don't like the pattern on the headstock of the '62.

[SumOne]

37 minutes ago, Lw. said:

The '57 is a curious description when the nut width, tuners, pickguard, bridge saddles, probably neck shape & I can't quite see but possibly the pick-up all look non-57 spec to me. 

 

 

The 57 vs 62 thing confuses me as I thought there were a few differences to the originals whereby the 57 has a thicker neck profile, raised poles for the A string, different paint colours and ocasionally a metallic pickguard. I might well be wrong but as far as I can tell there isn't really any difference on MIJ re-issues other than the fingerboard 57 = Maple, 62 = Rosewood. 

[SumOne]

Some good Basschat knowledge going on. A dead heat so far though - that makes me feel better about being indecisive!

 

 

 

 

 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

9 minutes ago, SumOne said:

Some good Basschat knowledge going on. A dead heat so far though - that makes me feel better about being indecisive!

 

 

 

 

 

I think my vote tipped things back to evens - sorry 🤣

[Lw.]

12 minutes ago, SumOne said:

Some good Basschat knowledge going on. A dead heat so far though - that makes me feel better about being indecisive!

 

 

 

 

 

The people have spoken, you'll just have to buy both. 

[gjones]

I used to own a black MIJ P bass with a maple neck and it was lovely. You do have to change the pickguard to black as well though, to get the full effect.

 

So on the basis of looks, I'd go for the maple neck.

[Lozz196]

Having been a maple man for years I`ve recently returned to my rosewood roots. With regards to my own basses there`s added depth & warmth to the sound of the rosewood ones (same basses, same pickups, same strings, same set-ups, 3 maples, 2 rosewoods, sound difference is the same across all 5 of these), so rosewood gets my vote.

[gjones]

5 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Having been a maple man for years I`ve recently returned to my rosewood roots. With regards to my own basses there`s added depth & warmth to the sound of the rosewood ones (same basses, same pickups, same strings, same set-ups, 3 maples, 2 rosewoods, sound difference is the same across all 5 of these), so rosewood gets my vote.

I'm shocked! The Basschat world has been turned upside down!

[SumOne]

19 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Having been a maple man for years I`ve recently returned to my rosewood roots. With regards to my own basses there`s added depth & warmth to the sound of the rosewood ones (same basses, same pickups, same strings, same set-ups, 3 maples, 2 rosewoods, sound difference is the same across all 5 of these), so rosewood gets my vote.

 

That's good to know, thanks. It does seem to be the general concensus that Rosewood sounds warmer - which is the tone I'm after.

 

I once spent ages in Bass Direct trying out three or four almost identical Dingwall Combustions - all brand new with the same strings, pickups, electronics etc. the only noticable difference being maple vs rosewood fingerboards. I couldn't notice a difference in tone (perhaps there was but by the time I unplugged and put the next Bass on it wasn't enough to notice) but I prefered the feel of the Rosewood ones as they didn't seem to stick to the strings so much, although perhaps the stickyness of the Maple lacquer gradually wears off.

 

Rosewood also psychologically feels like it'd be a warmer sound and perhaps players and audiences listen with their eyes a bit. 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by SumOne