So I just bought a bass that Basschat (and I) appear to not like.....

[Beedster]

48 minutes ago, JapanAxe said:

I’m sorry but this thread is making me feel quite nauseous. Single coil pickup mounted right next to the bridge? It’s a BASS guitar goddammit!

 

*shuffles off clutching well-worn Precision, disturbing small birds nesting in beard*
 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you love it @Beedster!

 

Ha ha, I suspect you'll find some solace here then ......

 

 

[Clarky]

Hahahaha. A few choice quotes from that 2013 thread:

 

Me: "That looks like a £90 children's starter bass. Who would pay up for that?:

 

@wateroftyne: "it makes me want to sick up a little bit"

 

@Happy Jack: "Where exactly is this closet? And how can I avoid getting too close to it?"

[Beedster]

36 minutes ago, Clarky said:

Hahahaha. A few choice quotes from that 2013 thread:

 

Me: "That looks like a £90 children's starter bass. Who would pay up for that?:

 

@wateroftyne: "it makes me want to sick up a little bit"

 

@Happy Jack: "Where exactly is this closet? And how can I avoid getting too close to it?"

 

I'm taking each and every one of those posts personally  

 

It's a genius thread though, I imagine phones ringing at 2.30am in Corona on a cold January 2013 morning calling FCS decision-makers into a 3.00am emergency meeting "Guys, the Precision Pro is getting beaten up by the Limies, we're gonna have to pull it before it brings down the whole damn Custom Shop' 

[LukeFRC]

4 minutes ago, Beedster said:

"Guys, the Precision Pro is getting beaten up by the Limies, we're gonna have to either pull it before it brings down the whole damn Custom Shop or do one in sunburst and tort to get WoT onside again' 

Corrected

[Clarky]

PS, for those with long memories, that 2013 thread is BassChat comedy gold. Featuring the demented ramblings of the multiple times banned Inti/Redburst/whatever (kept changing profile name after being banned)

[Beedster]

50 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

Corrected

Genius Luke   

[Beedster]

48 minutes ago, Clarky said:

PS, for those with long memories, that 2013 thread is BassChat comedy gold. Featuring the demented ramblings of the multiple times banned Inti/Redburst/whatever (kept changing profile name after being banned)

 

It really is a very amusing thread, probably less so if you owned one of the basses in question at the time and were hoping to sell it

 

I wonder if that gentleman is still here, there's a couple of candidates.......... 😉

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Clarky said:

Hahahaha. A few choice quotes from that 2013 thread:

 

Me: "That looks like a £90 children's starter bass. Who would pay up for that?:

 

@wateroftyne: "it makes me want to sick up a little bit"

 

@Happy Jack: "Where exactly is this closet? And how can I avoid getting too close to it?"

 

Although I think this wins the prize 

 

@discreet "Two 51-type pups at neck and bridge is not too crazy an idea, and is in fact very original, but Fender really have dropped an orb with the overall design of this, imho. I think they must scour the forums to see what's hot - then do the exact opposite. It's the only possible explanation"

[Beedster]

1 minute ago, Beedster said:

 

Although I think this wins the prize 

 

@discreet "Two 51-type pups at neck and bridge is not too crazy an idea, and is in fact very original, but Fender really have dropped an orb with the overall design of this, imho. I think they must scour the forums to see what's hot - then do the exact opposite. It's the only possible explanation"

Although the best double act prize goes to

 

@redstriper "I like it"

@wateroftyne "Thanks goodness, at least Fender will now have the option of giving them away"  

 

[redstriper]

I still like it.

[ped]

I quite like it. I couldn’t find any sound clips so I’d be interested to hear it if possible when it arrives. 

[Beedster]

22 minutes ago, redstriper said:

I still like it.

 

Good man, I like you 👍

[Beedster]

19 minutes ago, ped said:

I quite like it. I couldn’t find any sound clips so I’d be interested to hear it if possible when it arrives. 

 

Absolutely @ped, although I quite literally haven't played electric bass since late 2021 so I suspect my playing will be even more agricultural than usual  

[Beedster]

And for full disclosure (and to explain art of the title of this thread).....

 

[Chiliwailer]

On 09/10/2022 at 13:37, Beedster said:

 

@Ed_S you get the prize

 

I came very close to buying one a few years back when I was looking for a bass with twin singe coils (and was thinking of installing a pair of those Nordy SCs in Jazz Bass cases and install in a Jazz body, but I couldn't get the PUPs in the UK at the time so gave up). The bridge doesn't work for me so I'm going to find something a little more Fender. 

 

It ticks a lot of the boxes I wanted ticked in an electric bass at present, bit of a gamble but c'est la via ......

 

Good score Chris 👍

 

I have a tiny bit of history with this bass - I remember when one of the big stores had it new (GAK or Coda, or was it actually BD maybe? Can’t recall). It had a Pearl plate that made it look hideous so they couldn’t sell it and the price went down to an absolute steal, I was very tempted. I saw it sell again after and kept interested, then a very good mate bought it. He came over on Sunday, and I was keenly waiting to finally play it, but he reluctantly p/x’d it earlier in the week when he saw a bass he couldn’t refused. So I still haven’t bloody played it after stalking it for years! 
He says it’s lovely - enjoy pal 😊 

[Beedster]

21 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

Good score Chris 👍

 

I have a tiny bit of history with this bass - I remember when one of the big stores had it new (GAK or Coda, or was it actually BD maybe? Can’t recall). It had a Pearl plate that made it look hideous so they couldn’t sell it and the price went down to an absolute steal, I was very tempted. I saw it sell again after and kept interested, then a very good mate bought it. He came over on Sunday, and I was keenly waiting to finally play it, but he reluctantly p/x’d it earlier in the week when he saw a bass he couldn’t refused. So I still haven’t bloody played it after stalking it for years! 
He says it’s lovely - enjoy pal 😊 

 

Thanks Dan, small World mate!

 

Someone on TB suggested there's not many of these around as the result of so many people being really put off by their looks at first (and the promo shots by Fender managed to make it look pretty cheap). But I knew the moment I saw it that it was the bass I was looking for. In the context of my post about the Fender Custom Shop above it's a real custom shop instrument, that is, a bass I might have specified as custom build variant of a standard model if I could ever have afforded to do so with FCS (OK, I'll be honest and say that the ideal for me would have been a black '55 Precision albeit with the added bridge PUP, but frankly this is so close as to make no difference to me, although it's odd that the twin PUP SC Precision is not something I've seen from FCS, while I've seen a few with double mudbuckers).

 

I stand by a lot of what I said about the Fender Custom Shop above, many of the instruments I've owned or played haven't been of better quality as an instrument than their standard run USA models/MIJs, with many of the Custom Shop upgrades being cosmetic rather than structural/functional. But in this case I'll be more than happy if the quality is standard USA/MIJ with the added bonus of a custom PUP configuration. 

 

I'll keep y'all posted 👍

 

[Beedster]

This in black would be the ideal albeit with the back PUP slightly closer to the bridge 

 

[Chiliwailer]

13 minutes ago, Beedster said:

 

Thanks Dan, small World mate!

 

Someone on TB suggested there's not many of these around as the result of so many people being really put off by their looks at first (and the promo shots by Fender managed to make it look pretty cheap). But I knew the moment I saw it that it was the bass I was looking for. In the context of my post about the Fender Custom Shop above it's a real custom shop instrument, that is, a bass I might have specified as custom build variant of a standard model if I could ever have afforded to do so with FCS (OK, I'll be honest and say that the ideal for me would have been a black '55 Precision albeit with the added bridge PUP, but frankly this is so close as to make no difference to me, although it's odd that the twin PUP SC Precision is not something I've seen from FCS, while I've seen a few with double mudbuckers).

 

I stand by a lot of what I said about the Fender Custom Shop above, many of the instruments I've owned or played haven't been of better quality as an instrument than their standard run USA models/MIJs, with many of the Custom Shop upgrades being cosmetic rather than structural/functional. But in this case I'll be more than happy if the quality is standard USA/MIJ with the added bonus of a custom PUP configuration. 

 

I'll keep y'all posted 👍

 

Remember that 55 black over sunburst you got from me? That was an incredible example of a CS bass, brilliant. I totally agree, there are some pretty average CS basses out there too, but the stand out ones do stand out.  
 

Currently I’ve got a CS 64 Jazz and a great example of a Mexican 50s Precision with a Fralin pickup. The Mex is wonderful, and easily keeps up with the CS, and doesn’t make me want to get a CS P Bass (well, just yet anyway 😂). I bought the CS Jazz on a 0% card, and will see how I go before committing - it’s an excellent bass, can’t fault it, and feels reminiscent of an original 64 I used to own, though I can’t say it’s ‘worth’ the extra £ spent on a decent Mex 60s Jazz. But it’s fun to own right now, so there! 😝

[Beedster]

2 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

Remember that 55 black over sunburst you got from me? That was an incredible example of a CS bass, brilliant. I totally agree, there are some pretty average CS basses out there too, but the stand out ones do stand out.  
 

Currently I’ve got a CS 64 Jazz and a great example of a Mexican 50s Precision with a Fralin pickup. The Mex is wonderful, and easily keeps up with the CS, and doesn’t make me want to get a CS P Bass (well, just yet anyway 😂). I bought the CS Jazz on a 0% card, and will see how I go before committing - it’s an excellent bass, can’t fault it, and feels reminiscent of an original 64 I used to own, though I can’t say it’s ‘worth’ the extra £ spent on a decent Mex 60s Jazz. But it’s fun to own right now, so there! 😝

 

I was thinking of that very '55 when I wrote about the double PUP version Dan, yes that was lovely although at the time I didn't appreciate how lovely!

 

Funnily enough, and something I forgot to mention, is that the Precision Pro is sporting a pair of Fralins as well, never a bad thing! 

[Chiliwailer]

3 minutes ago, Beedster said:

 

I was thinking of that very '55 when I wrote about the double PUP version Dan, yes that was lovely although at the time I didn't appreciate how lovely!

 

Funnily enough, and something I forgot to mention, is that the Precision Pro is sporting a pair of Fralins as well, never a bad thing! 

If only we could them all, that 55 would have stayed for sure. 
 

Yeah, I’m addicted to Fralin these days! 

[LeftyJ]

I would be very interested in that pickup combination, it looks cool and I bet it sounds huge! I've been drooling over this RS Guitarworks Contour Bass '54 for years, which likely inspired the Squier Paranormal 54 Jazz. I think they look incredible, as if old Leo actually designed and built the Jazz Bass in 1954.

 

[Beedster]

14 minutes ago, LeftyJ said:

I would be very interested in that pickup combination, it looks cool and I bet it sounds huge! I've been drooling over this RS Guitarworks Contour Bass '54 for years, which likely inspired the Squier Paranormal 54 Jazz. I think they look incredible, as if old Leo actually designed and built the Jazz Bass in 1954.

 

That’s a beaut 👍

[Beedster]

So, it arrived today

 

First up, many thanks to Mark at BD for getting it to me on the day I asked it to get to me, the hardest part of buying anything these days is the courier stress. Great comms and great service guys, thanks

 

Second, wow, this is a very very well engineered instrument, the neck pocket is more what I associate with EBMM (in fact the neck itself is very EBMM in terms of profile and playability, both the fretwork and the lovely oiled finish on the back remind me of the lovely BFR 'Ray I had a whole back). The finish really is NOS with some very discrete checking and rubbing, and the bridge in the flesh is nothing like as noticeable as in the photos. It's pretty light and the action is absolutely spot on. 

 

So how does it sound? I don't have an amp at present so will have to run run it through my desk and monitors tomorrow to get a sense. But even unplugged I can tell it's very responsive and resonant, and I doubt the Fralins are going to make things worse somehow 👍

[Beedster]

So, played this in anger through a rather large Mesa rig at the weekend and it did not disappoint. It has that wonderful clarity and character that comes with the classic Precision SC but being able to blend the two PUPs brings a whole new World of tone to the party. It's also incredibly resonant, light and playable. Only quibble is that the roll-off on the tone is extreme to say the least, moving from twang to dub within a few degrees, so I'm going to take a look at the circuit in the near future.

 

Gut feel is that we're going to see a few more Twin SC Precisions, it works very nicely. Full review with pics and clips to follow 👍  

[redstriper]

It reminds me of my old bass which I remember Beedster once described as fugly - fair comment but it suits me