1996 pbass

[Basszilla]

Hi all

 

I have a couple of pbasses which I use for everything these days. 

 

A 2004 black on maple and a 1996 oly white with rosewood. I believe it is one of the 50th anniversary models of that time.  I bought it off someone on here years ago and I can't for the life of me remember who. 

 

Just wondering really, as they sound quite different, what is the 96 based on model wise? What pickups are in them etc?

 

The neck is pretty chunky and it has a much darker round tone than the maple 2004. 

 

Cheers

 

Tim

 

 

Edited April 6, 2024 by Basszilla

[Lozz196]

Fender have changed the voicing on their pickups over the years, the mid/late 90s ones to me have a thicker more balanced sound than the early 200s which followed, which I find to be toppier and more modern sounding. Plus - and contentious to some - I’ve always found that maple necked basses of the same type & series have a brighter sound anyway.

[Basszilla]

Cheers mate, I'm just eager to find out the specifics of this particular bass I guess. Cracking bass regardless 

[OliverBlackman]

4 hours ago, Basszilla said:

The neck is pretty chunky and it has a much darker round tone than the maple 2004.

What you’ve described is the difference in sound between maple and rosewood fingerboards. The pickups would have been an iteration of the US pickups used at the time, although now I believe they give them a vintage voicing.

[Jono Bolton]

Without pictures it's hard to say, but IIRC every Fender (and Squier) produced in '96 had a 50th anniversary sticker on the back of the headstock. Chances are it's just a standard production P Bass of the time, rather than something specific produced for the 50th anniversary.

Edited April 7, 2024 by Jono Bolton

[Skin Lewis]

50 minutes ago, Jono Bolton said:

IIRC every Fender (and Squier) produced in '96 had a 50th anniversary sticker on the back of the headstock.

 

Yes, my '96 Made in Japan Jazz had one:

 

 

[Chiliwailer]

15 hours ago, Basszilla said:

Hi all

 

I have a couple of pbasses which I use for everything these days. 

 

A 2004 black on maple and a 1996 oly white with rosewood. I believe it is one of the 50th anniversary models of that time.  I bought it off someone on here years ago and I can't for the life of me remember who. 

 

Just wondering really, as they sound quite different, what is the 96 based on model wise? What pickups are in them etc?

 

The neck is pretty chunky and it has a much darker round tone than the maple 2004. 

 

Cheers

 

Tim

 

 

This picture is from one of the ‘96 Fender Frontline magazines. States a vintage pup. 
 

https://fcat.no 

 

 

[Baloney Balderdash]

11 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

This picture is from one of the ‘96 Fender Frontline magazines. States a vintage pup. 
 

https://fcat.no 

 

 

Vintage voiced pickups could mean either 50's, 60's or 70's pickups though, which all got a different general basic character to each other, plus then variations within those.

 

Edited April 7, 2024 by Baloney Balderdash

[Chiliwailer]

Here’s another page that introduces the new range, FYI @Basszilla

 

https://fcat.no/catalogs/FMIC/Fender.FMIC.1995.Frontline.Vol.16.Summer.1995.pdf

Edited April 7, 2024 by Chiliwailer

[Chiliwailer]

6 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Vintage voiced pickups could mean either 50's, 60's or 70's pickups though, which all got a different general basic character to each other, plus then variations within those.

 

Back then they used the same pup for the 57/62 reissues. 

[Basszilla]

17 hours ago, Jono Bolton said:

Without pictures it's hard to say, but IIRC every Fender (and Squier) produced in '96 had a 50th anniversary sticker on the back of the headstock. Chances are it's just a standard production P Bass of the time, rather than something specific produced for the 50th anniversary.

Thanks for that. Yes I've read it was just a standard before, it does indeed have the sticker on the rear of the headstock. 

 

A previous owner has fitted a badass bridge to it, been wondering whether to reverse the mod. 

[asingardenof]

On 07/04/2024 at 00:05, Jono Bolton said:

Without pictures it's hard to say, but IIRC every Fender (and Squier) produced in '96 had a 50th anniversary sticker on the back of the headstock. Chances are it's just a standard production P Bass of the time, rather than something specific produced for the 50th anniversary.

Can confirm my Squier P is from 96 and has the 50th anniversary sticker on it.