Conference napalm::guitar

    I have some catalogs if front of me, here is what they say...
    
    
    Fender Std. P-bass comes in black or artic white but, they show a 
    sunburst one in the picture?!?!?!?
    
    Power J-bass special comes in black, candy apple red, artic white, and
    pewter.
     
    The jazz bass special and j-bass special fretless  come in the same
    colors as the power j-bass.
    
    The standard J-bass comes in black or artic white.
    
    The standard left hand  j-bass comes in 3 color sunburst or vintage
    white.
    
    It lists all necks as rosewood except the "power" j-bass special,
    it lists that as "G.M.R. Tri-Lam"
    
    For Squiers, both p-basses and j-basses come in artic white or black.
    The bullet bass is available in artic white, black, or red.
                              
    All squier basses have rosewood necks.
    
    
    
    Don

      Are you sure you *want* to buy a Fender bass?? For almost the same
    money, you can buy a Kramer ($350.00 price range). I've been playing
    bass for along time and have played alot of different basses. If I 
    wanted to buy a bass today, I would look at everything available. 
    Fender makes a good bass, but for the price, I'd look at Kramer, 
    Ibanez etc. There are plenty of choices within the $300. - $400. price 
    range. Check out all the possibilities and then make your decision. 
    
    JMHO
    
    Fred

     -Didn't you have a series of hassles with your squier before???
    Why in the world would you want to even consider another????!!!!!
    If I were you, I'd check out at least 3 names:
    Ibanez
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Ibanez
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    and  last but not least, Ibanez!!!
    And maybe Kramer,Musicman,G+L......
    
    -Bill(Ibanez_nutz)
    

    Older musicians may remember the time that if you played
    "electric bass" you would say you played "Fender bass."
    
    "Fender bass" was a generic term, similar to Coke, Xerox,
    Kleenex, etc.
    
    Anyhow, they were doing it first, and I personally feel they still
    do it best.
    
    The Squier series is a budget line, isn't it?  I wouldn't look for
    any serious quality there.
    
    Fender Precision and Jazz are frequently looked down on because of
    their warm, bassy tone.  Some say it they sound too "seventies."
    I had the opportunity to play a Fender Precision Elite with onboard
    active electronics and it had a wide variety of sounds, not the least
    of which was a fine, punchy, eighties sound.
    
    And the feel of the instrument cannot be described!  Perfectly balanced
    with a weight that felt "right there."  It was a beautiful instrument
    and I shouldn't have let it go.
    
    Anyways, to make a short story long, I'd stay with Fender.  I mean, if 
    you're going to spend the money, stay with a *real* bass by the people
    that have been doing it longest.  
    
    Prices range from 450-525 for a standard Precision or Jazz to 750-850
    for the Elite series.
    
    Tom, you live in Lowell, right?  It's probably worth a drive up Rt. 3
    to Ted Herbert's Music Mart on Elm St., downtown Manchester.  He is
    an authorized Fender distributor and usually has a decent supply
    on hand.

    
      I played a lot of basses when I was shopping for one. I liked this
    Fender Jazz bass but it was a bit more than I had wanted to spend. I kept 
    looking and found myself comparing everything I tried to this Fender. 
    
    Well in the end I went with the Fender and have been very happy with it.
    It felt right.
    
      My advice? Try them all and go with the one *you* like the best.
    You'll be happier going that route.
    
        Bob

    
    
    Gotta agree with .5  I did the same thing when I was shopping for
    a bass.  Played everything from a Jackson Concert Bass to a Kubuki
    Factor Bass, ended up settling with a real nice Ibanez, probably
    one of the best basses I've ever played!  Try 'em all.
    
    Mr. Ed

    I suppose that people might believe that Fender basses have a '60ish
    '70ish sound, BUT with all the aftermarket toys like EQ and chorus
    effects, that old sound doesn't have to sound like that old sound.
    I agree that a '69 p-bass doesn't sound like a Guild Pilot bass,
    but that old Fender doesn't have to sound like Motown either.
    
    Fred_who_looks_at_a_world_with_endless_possibilities
                                    

    
    I bought a new Precision bass in 1977, which I loved, but I sold
    the next year cuz I needed money.
    
    In 1979 I bought a new Kramer Pioneer (Precision clone) with brass
    plated hardware including the nut, which had a much brighter sound,
    for much less $$$ than I would have paid for a new Fender. I've been
    using the Kramer ever since. I upgraded to Seymore Duncan PUs.
    
    I recently played Brian Kelley's Aria Pro II, with active electronics
    which had a nice sound.
    
    
    Guy
    

    
    
    
    	What about the resale value of Kramers vs Fenders? If I buy
    a gen-u-ine P-Bass, I know I can get a pretty good price for it
    if I sell it. I know that resale probably should have little to
    do with a bass purchase, but since tastes change, and we all don't
    have bottomless pockets, the resale value *is* an important factor.
    
    	BTW, I'm not saying that Kramers don't have resale value, just
    that I don't know if they do. Fender basses definitely do. As as
    matter of fact, the Fender resale value is at once both attractive
    and a pain, since I'm kinda interested in picking up a *cheap*
    used P-Bass :-). 
              
    	As an aside, how about some comments on other P-Bass clones.
    
    -Tom
    

    My .02 cents; I think when it comes to music stuff resale is
    everything. I like to think when I buy an instrument, I'll get
    my money out of it.
    

    
    	Re-sale is not important to me. I guess it depends on how soon
    	your going to sell it. I've had the bass 9 years and have made much
    	money using it, so I've gotten my money's worth. I haven't seen too 
    	many Kramers for sale, so I don't know what the resale value is.
    
        Also remember this. Selling something used depends on how many
    	others are out there for sale too. I had a tough time selling
    	my Fender P bass at the time, because there were always 10 or 15
    	others for sale. I ended up getting $200 for it and I had wanted
    	$250.
    
    	Guy
    
    	

    I was chacking out basses at my local store and I found a Fender
    Performer. This bass looked nothing like a Fender, had 24 frets
    and Thinner neck than the P and J basses. I liked the way it played.
    Anybody else know anything about these Performers. The merchant
    stated that Fender made them for 1 year and that was it. They got
    it new in late 87/early 88.
    
    Bg

    
    Performers are pretty rare.  There was also a guitar version.  
    
    I believe they were Japanese made.
    
    						Brian

    
    
    	Anybody heard of a new bass by Fender? I believe it called a
    Squier II P-Bass. I haven't seen one, I've only heard of it. It's
    supposed to be a low end bass. 
    
    -Tom
    

    
    Current Fender bass line as far as I can figure it:
    
    Squier (Korean?):
    Squier P-Bass
    Squier J-Bass
    
    Japanese Fender:
    P-Bass Standard
    J-Bass Standard (fretless available)
    J-Bass Special (really a P-Bass with extra pickup and no pickguard,
    		    fretless available)
    Power Jazz Bass (same as Special plus active EQ)
    
    U.S. Fender:
    57 Vintage P-Bass
    62 Vintage P-Bass
    62 Vintage J-Bass
    P-Bass Plus (fine tuning bridge, Lace Sensor P-J pickups, 22 frets)

    
    
    		I just got off the phone with a guy from Manny's in
    NYC and he said that Fender has discontinued the Squier series 
    basses. He didn't specifically say *only* basses, so I'm not sure
    whether he meant guitars too. He also said that the Jazz Bass was
    going to be made in the USA. 
    
    		Anyone know if this is true? 
    
    		The guy I talked to also said that the Squier P-Basses
    were 3/4 scale. I've played squier P-basses and they didn't *seem*
    to be any shorted than normal. Was the guy right? If so, what does
    2" shorted scale do sound-wise?
    
    -Tom
    

    
    
    	Anyone know where the "authorized" Fender dealers in the E.
    Mass/So. NH area are? I'm looking to pick up a used squier p-bass
    cheap (~$200). I'd settle for a new one if I could get it in my
    price range :-). 
    
    	If anyone sees any Squier P-basses, I'd appreciate it if 
    you'd pass the info along..
    
    =Tom
    

    
    
    	I borrowed a Squire bass one night from the Dumpster Bunnies
    	at a gig when my Kramer had a bad input jack. The scale didn't
    	feel any different......
    
    	File this next part under WHO CARES.
    
    	I found an old tape of me playing my Fender P bass. I've decided to get
    	another one, just for "that sound".
    
    	Guy
    

	Music Workshop, Salem, NH does Fender. So does Ted Herbert in
	Manchester NH.

    
    
    	I just picked up a Japanese Fender P-bass for $279 (no case)
    from Sam Ash (mail order, of course :-)). This was by far the
    lowest quoted price, out of the 7 or so place I called. The prices
    varied from a high of $399 to $279. Also the guy I talked to said
    that Fender prices just went up. 
    
    	I always wanted a P-bass, so I'm a happy camper. :-).
    
    -Tom
    

re .20

Where is Same Ash?  Do you have a phone number? 

    
    
    	Sam Ash is in NYC. The number is: 
    
    		(800) 4-Sam Ash (cute huh?  :-))
    
    -Tom (I'm Psyched!)
    

    
    Do they have a mail order catalog?  Can I just call the number
    and they'll send me one or what?
    
    Mr. Ed...looking for some more Hartke Cabs!
    

    
    
    	I don't know about a catalog. It's a toll free number,
    I'd just call and see if they've got catalogs.
    
    -Tom
    
    

>    		(800) 4-Sam Ash     

A lot of DECies must read this notes file.  This number has been busy for the
last two hours.

    

    
    
    	Does anyone have any information about Telecaster Basses? 
    I'm thinking that I might want to pick one up, but really don't
    know all that much about them. So:
    
    	1. Which model (single coil vs. humbucker) is considered better? 
    	2. How much would one go for? 
    	3. Does anyone actually have one that I could take a look at? 
    
    -T
    

    Re 1536.26:
    
    >>	1. Which model (single coil vs. humbucker) is considered better? 
    
    	   I have a single coil that I like.  The single coil is the 
    	   earlier model-- it may have more snop appeal-- I don't know.
    
    >>	2. How much would one go for? 
    
           Beats me.  I haven't seen one for sale in quite a while.  Mine
    	   is actually a '68 tele bass body and electronics with an early
    	   70's P-bass neck.   I got the body for free (it was left in the
    	   attic of a house my parents bought), and picked up a used p-bass
    	   neck for $80.00.  I refinished the body and put it together.
    
    >>	3. Does anyone actually have one that I could take a look at? 
    
    	   Sure, if you're ever in the Detroit area...
    

    
    	For some reason, the Telecaster basses were never popular.
    	A friend had one in 1969. It played and sounded nice.
    	He sold it last year for pratically nothing about a week 
    	before I happened to call him :-(.
    
    	Guy
    

    
    	I'm not even sure I really want one. What got me started on it
    was that I saw the "Sun Rhythm Section" at the Lowell Folk Festival
    a few weekends ago and the bass player (Stan Kesler) was playing
    an *original* 1955 P-Bass, which of course the single coil style
    tele basses look like. 
  
    
    -Tom

    	When I was actively playing bass, I had one that had "Telecaster"
    on the headstock, but the body looked like a strat-type body.  It had a
    single pickup and I replaced the bridge with a Badass II.  I was not a
    connoisseur of fine instruments at the time, but it was just fine for
    me.
    
    	I sold it for $225 a few years back to buy more synthesizers.
    
    	Dan
    

    The last time I was in Daddy's in Shrewsbury, they had a Tele Bass in 
    stock with a humbucking pickup. This one had a Badass bridge, and the
    holes from the original bridge were visible. The condition was okay but 
    not great. I recall they wanted about $600 for it. It was hard to judge
    how it would play with a string-change and some adjustment to the action. 
    Off the shelf it played terrible. The case was also quite beat. IMHO 
    Daddy's is not a great place to find vintage instruments. They rarely get 
    anything worthwhile, and when they do they place a very high pricetag on 
    it. If I were looking for a vintage Fender Bass (or any vintage instrument
    for that matter) I would go straight to Mr. Music in Allston Ma. That
    is where I bought my '83 Jazz Bass. 
    
    I've always been interested in Tele Basses. The single-coil model appeals
    to me more than the humbuck. It is the closest thing to an original Slab
    Precision. Not the most versatile bass in the word, but capable of
    producing the great Fender Bass sound, and applicable to just about any 
    type of playing.
    
    Mark
    

    Re: .31
    
    Daddy's used prices are seldom grounded in reality.  I saw a Japanese
    J-bass with Alembic pickups going for $550, used.  Considering that the
    bass brand new is a $400 item, that was way out of line.  Their prices
    are based on trade-in discounts, so that nearly identical pieces in
    their stock may have vastly different prices, and some new gear will
    actually be priced just a few $$ over a used piece in the same store!
    
    Single coil Tele basses have gotten pretty rare, I very seldom see them
    around, although since the last ones were made around 1970, that's not
    too surprising.  Other basses of similar vintage, like Gibson EB1
    reissues, for instance, are equally hard to come by and usually in only
    fair shape, since basses that sell for low $$ tend to get bought by
    people with little $$, like kids who will beat on the thing
    unmercifully.
    
    Actually, what you need, Mark, is a 1963 Gibson Thunderbird IV....
    white, of course....  8^)  8^)  8^)
    
    							Brian

    Now that you mention the Gibson Thunderbird Bass, there was an ad in
    one of the Guitar rags a while back for a Rock memorabilia auction
    which took place in England. Pictured in the Ad was the Gibson
    T-Bird bass which was used by the Yes bass player on "The Yes Album".
    The bidding for this bass started around $2500.00. This is the same 
    auction where one of Jimmy Hendrix' Strats sold for >$200K.
    
    I always thought the Yes Bass player used Rickenbacker basses exclusively
    (Especially on "the Yes Album"). The bass playing in "Seen all good
    people" and "Starship Trooper", etc. all sound like they're done on a
    Rick bass.
    
    Mark
    

    
    
    Anyone know wood is used in a "typical" Fender Bass?
    
    

    
    Re -1.
    
    >Anyone know wood is used in a "typical" Fender Bass?
    
    Yes.
    
    8-) Sorry,couldn't resist it !!
          

    
    Most of the current imported Fender basses use basswood, except for the
    Squire II series which must be made out of balsa wood or something, as
    Fender conspicuously leaves that data out of the catalog.
    
    US made instruments tend to be made from alder or poplar.  
    
    One wood Fender seems to have avoided is mahogany, which was used in
    many Gibson and Guild basses.  
    
    						Brian

    Just for the record...
    
    Mahogony is a good wood for guitars because it handles moisture so
    well. The word warpage is not included in it's vocabulary.....but
    because of the extremely loose grain, it requires a filler before it is
    stained. This explains why most furniture etc. that is made from
    mahogony is very dark in color...ie. whatever color is used to stain
    it, must cover the filler. 
    
    Bass wood is good because it is soft like pine and does not destroy
    saw blades, drills etc. ,in contrast to oak that will kill a brand new 
    carbide saw blade after a few cuts. The good thing about basswood is 
    that it does not splinter the way pine does and it stains very well. 
    
    pc

    Basswood is very popular in Japanese made Fender vintage clones;
    it's very light and resonant, and seems to closely duplicate the
    properties of the 30 year old alder in vintage Fenders.  However,
    I've spent some time with basswood instruments (Strats and basses)
    and in my experience the favorable first impressions fade rather
    quickly.  What seems like an "old Fender feel" in the store gets to
    feeling "cheap and thin-sounding" after you've had it home for awhile.
    It's actually a little too light and resonant, and doesn't have the
    substance of the alder.
    
    NY builder Roger Sadowsky makes some very fine custom basses that try to
    capture the spirit of the old Fenders, while adding modern conveniences
    in hardware and electronics.  He builds his basses out of alder, swamp-
    ash (generally a light ash) or basswood topped with maple.  This basswood
    topped with maple is the same idea used in the new EVH guitar; the maple
    probably beefs up the basswood tone somewhat.
    
    Most new American made Fenders are alder; however, new Fenders don't
    feel the same as the old ones.  If you ever actually put a good 60's
    Fender bass against any of the new standards or vintage re-issues, the
    difference would be very obvious.  Maybe something happens to the wood
    over time, perhaps a drying out?  Or maybe the wood was just a different
    grade in those days.
    
    Note that Fender did actually build some mahogany Strats in the early
    60's; it makes sense that they may have also built some basses, although
    I've never seen it documented.  It would be interesting to check one of
    these out if they did.

    Here's a question whose answer may seem obvious to anyone who's Fender-
    literate, but since I'm not:

    What's the difference between a Precision bass and a Jazz bass?

    I know some of the physical differences: number and type of pickups, 
    body shape, neck taper, that sort of thing, but what are the differences
    in sound and playability?  I have this idea that a J-bass is richer
    sounding, while a P-bass might be a little punchier; I imagine this 
    difference to be due to their respective pickups.  Any truth to this?
    What else?  Is one or the other better for some types of music than for
    others, IYO?

    Dave

>    I know some of the physical differences: number and type of pickups, 
>    body shape, neck taper, that sort of thing, but what are the differences
>    in sound and playability?  
    
    Umm...  Not to state the obvious, but those *are* all those things which
    would affect it's sound and playability...
    
>    I have this idea that a J-bass is richer
>    sounding, while a P-bass might be a little punchier; 
    
    I think you got it backwards, the P-Bass has a richer, fuller sound to
    me.  The J-Bass is the one with the punchy sound.  Single coil pickups
    and both of the pickups are closer to the bridge (brighter).
    
>    I imagine this 
>    difference to be due to their respective pickups.  Any truth to this?
    
    ...and the pickup positioning.
    
>    What else?  Is one or the other better for some types of music than for
>    others, IYO?
    
    Personal preference I guess.  The J-Bass has a narrower fretboard and
    it makes it less comfortable for me to play 'cause the strings are so
    close together at the nut (fumblefingered as I am).  The P-Bass has a
    wider fretboard and a less pronounced taper to it, and generally feels
    better to my hand.
    
    The most versatile instrument is one that has a p pickup and a j
    pickup.  I have a Fender J-Bass Special which has this configuration
    and the electronics are very versatile, but the J pickup is very noisy
    (if I used it much, I'd consider replacing it).  A friend and I swapped
    necks too, I got a P neck and he got the J neck, we were both happier.
    
    The J type pickups seem more in favor for people that do a lot of
    slapping and popping, where the P style seem more for those that like
    that big fat bottem endy type sound.
    
    Someone who actually plays bass as their primary instrument can
    probably give ya a little better description.
    
    Greg

>A friend and I swapped
>necks too, I got a P neck and he got the J neck, we were both happier.
    
    Wow. I thought the Precision had a shorter scale than the Jazz, Greg.
    But if you did this then they must have been the same. Otherwise the
    intonation would have been way off as you traveled up the fretboard.
    I must have been wrong.

    --Ron

    I think I'd tend to go with "punchy" when describing the Precision;
    the sound is primarily lower mids and really stands out in a band
    mix.  The Jazz bass can get more highs and deeper lows, but lacks
    presence in the middle compared to the Precision.  This is partly
    due to placement of the pickups, but also to the design of the
    pickups themselves.  When the Jazz was introduced, the pickups
    were intended to be less punchy and smoother sounding because
    a lot of P-bass owners were complaining about blowing their
    speakers too often.
    
    As stated, both basses are 34" scale.  The Jazz has an offset contour
    body that balances a little better than the Precision, which is
    slightly neck heavy.  The necks are typically narrower on the stock
    Jazz, but you do see Precisions with factory order narrow necks
    occasionally.
    
    /rick

    re: .40
    
    Lemme see if I've got this right...
    
    A P's pickup is closer to the neck than a J's neck pickup?  If so, it
    certainly should have more bottom end.  And isn't a P's pickup also
    single-coil (just split)?
    
    The J's neck is narrower over most of its length (I assume they're both 
    about the same where they join the body, if you can swap them); is the
    J's fretboard more curved or anything?  I can see that this issue
    wouldn't affect the sound, just that some people would prefer one over 
    the other.
    
    I can see how the P-J pickup configuration would be versatile, though
    it sounds as if you mostly use the neck pickup on yours.
    
    Thanks for the info, Greg.  Any other opinions or descriptions?  Anyone 
    hate Fender basses, for example?
    
    Dave

    >A P's pickup is closer to the neck than a J's neck pickup?  If so, it
    >certainly should have more bottom end.  And isn't a P's pickup also
    >single-coil (just split)?
    
    No, the "neck" pickup is in about the same location on both basses.
    It's really midway between neck and bridge.  The P pickup is two single
    coils (one for each pair of strings) wired for humbucking.  A Jazz is
    also humbucking when both pickups are on equally loud.  This is why P-J
    setups tend to have a buzzy J pickup, there's no way to wire it up with
    a P pickup to get hum rejection. Some replacement pickups like EMG and
    DiMarzio are fully humbucking individually. 
    
    >The J's neck is narrower over most of its length (I assume they're both 
    >about the same where they join the body, if you can swap them); is the
    >J's fretboard more curved or anything?  I can see that this issue
    >wouldn't affect the sound, just that some people would prefer one over 
    >the other.
    
    Curvature of fingerboards and neck radii on Fenders has varied widely
    over the years, so there's no easy answer here.  Also some "Jazz"
    basses are really Precisions, notably the Jazz Special and Power Jazz. 
    They are just P-basses with a J pickup added.  
    
    >Thanks for the info, Greg.  Any other opinions or descriptions?  Anyone 
    >hate Fender basses, for example?
    
    I do, well some of them: Coronado, Musicmaster are real dogs.  Also
    almost anything made from about 1970 to 1984, poor quality control, fat
    necks good only to use as baseball bats.  
    
    							Freddie Tavares

    re: .42 -< you really should have one of each >-
    
    Yeah, that's how I feel about lots of things.  Unfortunately...
    
    re: .44
    
>    almost anything made from about 1970 to 1984, poor quality control, fat
>    necks good only to use as baseball bats.  
    
    Hmmm...  That probably explains how I ended up with a Gibson bass.  Way
    back when (about 1970) I played a P-bass that had a neck like a tree
    trunk and strings like bridge cables; I decided I couldn't live with that.
    The EB-0 may have sounded like mush, but it sure is easier to play.  %^)
    
    Thanks, all.  I'm toying with the idea of another bass, and it's never
    too early to start dreaming.
    
    Dave

> Also some "Jazz"
>    basses are really Precisions, notably the Jazz Special and Power Jazz. 
>    They are just P-basses with a J pickup added.  
    
    Not to contest your knowledge, Brian, 'cause it's usually much better
    then mine (especially when it comes to basses), but my J Special was
    more like a J bass with a P pickup added (until Tom took the J neck,
    now it's more like a mongrel).
    
    Greg (who likes Fender basses!)                                          

     re: .-1 
     
     I think Brian meant that the body is pretty close to p-bass shaped, 
     rather than j-bass shaped. The Jazz bass special seems like a p-bass 
     with an added pickup and slimmer neck. Seems that way to me, at 
     least. 
     
     By the way, the neck is great. Much more comfortable than the p-bass 
     neck was. Jazz bass specials seem to pretty inexpensive also. I'd 
     definitely consider one if I was in the market for another Fender 
     instrument. 
     
     
    Tom
    
    ---
    Dictated with Dragon Dictate.
     
    

    
    Well, you can always pick up a P-Bass plus, which has the shape and
    feel of a Precision along with both types of pickups.  I usually run
    both pickups at the same time, and the Jazz doesn't seem noisy at all -
    nice bass, made in the US, reasonable price.
    
    Sandy
    

    To anyone in the market for a Fender bass, I highly recommend the
    recent Jazz+ (or is Jazz Special?  I get confused by the variations).
    Anyway, it's the one with Fender Lace Sensors and active electronics.
    Body and neck are standard Jazz design, weight is just about right and
    the neck feels great.  The active electronics seem similar to the Kubicki,
    in fact someone on USENET claims it's the same electronics.  There's
    a passive mode for you paranoid types and the Lace Sensors sound super
    in all modes.  Outstanding, and miles ahead of anything short of an
    original "stackpot".
    
    If I didn't already own a great J-bass...

    Re: .49
    
    It's a Jazz Plus, available in four or five string versions. 
    
    The only thing wrong with it is it isn't a Precision  8^)  8^)
    
    							

    The Jazz Bass Plus I found to be a great rock bass. It's nice and clean
sounding. Nice tone in all modes. It is difficult to get the standard J-Bass
farty tone that the passive/non-Lace basses have, but is not a real problem.


/John

    So, Brian, what is it about P-basses that you like better than J's? 
    Just the neck shape, or is there something else?
    
    Dave

    Re: .52
    
    I have never owned a Jazz Bass.  For years I was anti-Fender since I
    started playing right when they were making what was probably their
    worst stuff ever (1970s).  By comparison, newer brands like Kramer,
    Curlee (remember them?), Hamer, even Peavey, were making basses cheaper
    than Fender but with better features, using a lot of the parts that
    Fender owners were buying to "hot rod" their basses (Badass bridges,
    DiMarzios, Schaller tuners, *shielding*, etc.).
    
    Then one day somebody let me play their 62 Precision.  Wow.  Not at all
    like the 70s models, lighter, slimmer neck...then I tried out the
    Precision Elite in 85 when it came out, vintage-style dimensions with
    modern hardware (active electronics, fine-tuner bridge, Schaller pegs)
    real nice but I wasn't about to drop $1000.  One year later, CBS sold
    Fender and I picked up a new Elite at a $300 blowout price.   Since
    then, I've become quite attached to it.  I'm used to the P sound and
    find it fits what I need to do.   Besides, Keith Ferguson plays a
    P-bass  8^)  8^)
    
    I do have two other basses which have twin pickups (neither is a J or
    PJ setup, though) and they get that thinner J-bass type sound (without
    the noise, the pickups are humbuckers), but I usually run them with the
    bridge pickup off, as they sound more like a P-bass that way  8^)  8^)
    
    As far as necks go, my Rich is close in feel to my P, the Steinberger
    is way different.  I like a lot of things about the Steinberger but
    have begun to start playing the P again a lot because I like the way
    the neck feels better.  The narrower spacing on the Steinberger (more
    like a 60s "narrow neck" P than a J) felt really uncomfortable at
    first, but now I can go between all of my basses (including a short
    scale Danelectro) easily, although each one makes me play differently
    because of the sound and feel.
    
    #50 was a running joke I have with Rick C., who is a J-bass man.  It's
    sort of the bassist's verion of the Les Paul/Strat debate.
    
    Interestingly, all of Leo Fender's followups like the Music Man
    StingRay and the G&L basses are based on the Precision body and neck,
    not the Jazz.  And while many clones opt for a seond pickup at the
    bridge, most still use a P-type pickup at the neck.  At least one
    manufacturer (Pedulla) has gone from a J-setup to a PJ setup.
    
    
    							Brian

    Jaco played a J-bass

>    Jaco played a J-bass

    
Game Calcagni.

    Re: .54
    
    You might've convinced me if you had reminded me that Dickie Peterson
    played a Jazz  8^)  8^)
    
    I'd rather be Keith Ferguson than Jaco, anyway. 
    
    							Brian

    Thanks for the info, folks, especially Brian.  Interestingly, I had a
    chance to play a Jazz bass this past weekend and really enjoyed it.  A
    friend has a '65 J-bass and he let me play it on a couple of tunes at 
    a jam.  Boy, does it play differently from my Gibson!  I was surprised
    to find I didn't have too much trouble getting around on the
    longer-scale, thick, tapered neck, though if I played it for any length
    of time I'd certainly build up my left hand muscles.
    
    And boy, did I like the sound of it.  Hmmm...  "Honey, could I use the
    checkbook for a few hours?"
    
    Dave

    all seriousness aside...
    
    I've owned both.  Like Brian, I was anti-Fender when I first started
    playing, but my reason was more because EVERYONE played a Fender in
    those days and I had to be different.  Teenage rebellion, and all that.
    Then one day, I had to borrow a bass for a gig and ended up using
    someone's early 60's Precision.  "Oh umm... gee... I guess that's
    all the fuss is about".  I learned the folly of my ways, and
    bought my first P-bass (a factory fretless) shortly thereafter.
    
    For a straight rock or R&B gig, you still can't touch a Precision for
    that big pumping low-mid sound.  For the jazz and weird stuff I play these
    days, the better hi-mid presence of the J-bass is more useful.  And
    although modern Fenders are nice, there's still nothing like a good early
    60's; they're orgasmic.

    
    I saw a P-bass the other day that I can't seem to find any
    information about; perhaps somebody here might know what
    it is. It's a Fender Precision, with the following:
    
    Neck is marked Precision Special. It has the bullet truss rod
    adjustment. However, it has a 4-bolt neck plate instead of the
    usual 3-bolt/tilt thing that I've seen on other bases with
    bullet truss rods. Additionally, the serial number is on this
    plate; 106172.
    
    It has the thumb rest, on top. Rather than plastic, the rest
    appears to be made of aluminum (or its painted) and has "Fender"
    in script embossed on it.
    
    The bridge is not like what I've generally seen on P-basses. 
    Instead, it looks like a Badass, although somewhat less
    massive. It, too, has the Fender logo in script on it.
 
    The tuners appear to be the tulip design, and well used. The
    whole bass looks old, but the bullet truss rod makes me think
    70's. Perhaps an old body with a newer neck? Or, are all the
    above associated with its being a Precision Special? Any
    information would be appreciated!
    
    DAP

    Re: .59
    
    The Precision Special came out around 1979 or so and was made for two
    or three years.  It uses pickups and brass hardware that Fender was
    selling as "hot rod" parts to compete with DiMarzio, etc.  I've seen
    them in red, white and natural walnut.  It should have three knobs,
    volume, bass and treble, instead of the usual two (it has a preamp).  
    
    "Tulip" tuners sound odd to me, like they were put on later.  They
    should be gold-plated like the other hardware if original.  Not sure
    what these are worth today, they sold for about $1100 list.
    
    							Brian

    
    Re .60
    
    Thanks for the reply, Brian.....I've read plenty of you in here
    and I was hoping you'd volunteer :-). I own a copy of "The Fender
    Bass" (to indulge my lust of Jazz Basses mostly) but it makes no
    mention of any Precision Special. Now that you mention it, something
    looked different on the pickguard as well; might have been that
    there are three pots.
    
    The color of this bass is sorta a candy color, almost a pale
    burgandy bordering on pink; the pickguard is single-ply white.
    The tuners are definitely (peeling) chrome as is the bridge; no
    brass anywhere. Again, I'd never seen one like it and was mostly
    curious. However, it is available cheap (under $300) and even
    though it needs some TLC its still the cheapest US P-bass I've
    seen lately. What I was really wondering is if it was an older
    body with a replaced neck and could be snarfed for short money :-)
    Stick a J-bass neck on it and smile accordingly......
    
    DAP
     
    
    

    Oh heck, for under $300 buy it!  
    
    The hardware may or may not have been refinished.  If the thumb rest
    and bridge say "Fender" then they were at some point in their life
    *supposed* to be gold-plated!  Also should have a white pickup cover
    (instead of black).  
    
    The book you mention does indeed have a picture of a Precision Special,
    I think they stuffed it onto the page showing the Elites.  The one
    pictured is all walnut (rarest version).
    
    							Brian

    Hey Dana!  As Brian said, at $300, it's REAL hard to go wrong with
    it...
    
    (Nice seeing you writing some notes too!)
    
    Greg

    
    Re .62
    
    Brian....have you considered a position in the exciting field
    of assisting the visually impared? :-). I looked at the Fender
    Bass book again last night and there was not only the picture
    you mentioned but also this big ol' 2-page color spread that
    included a Special (duh, me :-).....matter of fact, it has the
    gold hardware you mentioned. I'm a mite conservative for that
    kind of flash; perhaps my eyes avoided it for that reason :-).
    
    So, this bass is what it's supposed to be....but ain't what I
    thought it was. Hmmm. I need another bass like I need another
    wife and kids....but the place that has it doesn't seem to
    know or care what it is; they just want to outplace it...meaning
    cheap. Hmmm....:-)
    
    re: Greg....yeah, I figgered that rather than lurking around
    the sidelines, I'd talk bass in here some....hell, didn't hurt
    a bit :-)
    
    DAP
    

>Hmmm. I need another bass like I need another
>    wife and kids...
    
    One can never have too many instruments...
    ;^)
    
>    re: Greg....yeah, I figgered that rather than lurking around
>    the sidelines, I'd talk bass in here some....hell, didn't hurt
>    a bit :-)
    
    We don't bite...much.  Well, ok, Buck does, but if you stay arms length
    away and don't bother him while he's eating he's pretty personable. 
    ;^)
       
    Greg

    If you talk real nice to him, Will, maybe he'll pointcha at it instead
    of buying it himself...
         
    Greg

    Well I have slobbered all over the rest of his basses,
    maybe he will let me test drive this one.
    
    
    Will
    
    
      Who is refinancing and does not have the bread...

 
     I have a Fender Jazz Special. The first time I picked it up it felt right,
    played smooth. I tried bass after bass and nothing compared.

     The thing that drives me crazy is:




>    For a straight rock or R&B gig, you still can't touch a Precision for
>    that big pumping low-mid sound.  


      I'd like it to sound like a Precision!


       - Bob

    I rest my case (again!)

    Re: .72
    
    Actually, real men play G&L
    
    agagagagagagagagagagagaga.....

    I thought really real men play MusicMan (MusicMen? =|-0 )

    I'll stick with my '69 P-bass, but would also LOVE to get a G&L too 
    because G&L's have the "tone" I wish I could get from my Fender P-bass!
    
    Rock on,
    	    Fred

    
    
    	Anyone have any information on Fender "Re-issue" (NOT Vintage)
    series basses? 
    
    	I saw an advertisement in this month's Musician magazine, which
    got me to wondering about the quality and price of these instruments.
    
    	 So, anybody have any data on these?
    
    
    Tom  (who's back to some limited playing these days)
    ---
    Dictated using Dragon Dictate (Voice Recognition)
    Dragon Questions? Please Call.
    DTN 264-1347
    

    I played a Reissue P-bass at the Music Workshop (Salem, NH) a few 
    month's ago.  I'm no expert on bass tone (just ask my band), but the 
    tone from this one didn't impress me too much.  For that matter, 
    neither did the American Standard J-bass I also played. 
    
    Come to think of it, though, it could have been the Fender combo bass 
    amp I played them through.  Both played well, however, and the price of 
    the P was attractive.  I'd say the Reissues are worth a look, but don't
    buy one 'til you've tried one.
    
    Hey, glad to hear you're back playing again; we NEED more bass players
    in this conference.  %^)
    
    Dave

    I owned a Precision Lite for a while... 89 to late 93 (I think).
    White, maple neck, active pickups. A great sounding bass, IMO,
    but nothing like the sound (or feel) of a standard P-bass.
    
    It's a totally different animal.
    
    It was nice having a very light bass on a long gig, but that's
    not a great concern to me... hell, I spend 5 or 6 hours with
    my walnut Alembic Europa 6 string hanging on me without fatigue,
    and that thing weighs a ton.
    
    If I were to say anything negative about the P-bass Lite,
    it would be that the body and finish don't hold up as well
    as they would on a harder (and heavier) solid wood body.
    The P-bass Lite uses some composite for the body that's very
    light, but not without its problems in terms of durability.
    For example, the screw that held the hardware for attaching
    the strap used to pull out all the time, and because the
    body material was soft, I would have to use a lot of glue
    to get it to hold, and kept putting in progressively longer
    screws.
    
    On the other hand, I ran over my P-bass light with a truck
    once (honestly). It was in a Fender hard-shell case, which
    got destroyed in the process, but the bass inside was fine.
    This was not an intentional test, BTW, just plain old brain
    damage after a long and arduous gig.
    
    As for suggesting an Ibanez, well, you don't know how funny
    that actually is... :-) :-)
    
    -b

    Dave,
    
    Actually, it could be basswood, now that you mention it. All I
    know is that it was soft, but dense. That does sound like
    basswood...
    
    -b

    If I remember correctly, Danny Daddieco had a Precision Lite that he
    listed in here for sale a few years ago. It didn't seem to sell very
    quickly. He bought it as a spare to carry around in case his main
    squeeze (a Guild Pilot) ever had a problem at a gig. 
    
    In my humble opinion, The Precision lite is a completely differant
    animal than a regular Precision.  The body is much smaller than a
    standard P-bass,and has no pickgaurd (yech). BTW, the Precision lite
    is made in Japan. This will no doubt reduce the resale value. I think 
    your original choice (Precision +) is a far superior instrument. It 
    is like an original P-bass with some enhancements that are often 
    requested by players including the P/J pickup combo, 22 fret neck, 
    and improved weight balance. It is also made in USA! BTW, Fender also
    has an American-Standard Jazz Bass that has been in production for the
    last 4 years. I played a couple of these and found them to be very
    cool basses. The price on an Amer-Std Jazz is considerably lower than
    a Precision+. The Jazz also has the P/J pickups, as well as the 
    improved weight balance. I suggest you check one out before you make a 
    decision.
    
    Mark

    I wasn't aware that the Lyte was Japanese made, that kind of turns me
    off.  However, the fact that it is smaller (and lighter) is what
    attracted me to it.  I've seen pictures of the American Standard Jazz
    basses, and there is something about the shape of them that really bugs
    me.  I do plan to go out and look at them *all*, (I don't make rash
    decisions on this sort of stuff), but right now I think I'm leaning
    toward the standard Precision, since I've played one of these, and
    everything fealt and sounded right to me.
    
    Dave

re: .82

Mark, I think you might be missing the point.  What he's looking for is
a *lighter* bass.  I love my Precision, but it's really hard on the back
over a four hour gig.  If the Precision Lyte sounded 75% as good as a 
normal Precision I would have to give it serious consideration.

Fortunately for me, this largely isn't a concern anymore, as I rarely
play electric bass nowadays.  The upright is a real pain to carry around,
but at least at the gig it stands on the floor. :-)

-Hal

    
    	re: -.1, can you imagine how many more guitars and basses
    	dealers would sell if they bothered to set them up first?
    	The "some like high action and some like low action" 
    	arguement doesn't wash when they just leave it the way it
    	came in.
    
    	Unreal...
    
    

    The P-bass Lyte that I had set up beautifully and held tune
    really well. I don't remember the bridge being particularly
    whimpy, although the machine heads were definitely smaller
    than average.
    
    As for the strings, I used to use medium Smiths on it, and it
    was just fine. As I said, it held tune perfectly, and after
    the initial setup (and since I stuck with the same strings)
    it never needed a truss rod tweek.
    
    I thought the thing had a great sound too... as I've mentioned
    in the past, it was the bass I used in both the recording and
    video of Digital's "Alpha Chip" rock video. Granted, the neck
    gave the thing a guitar feel, but it was still a player IMHO.
    
    As for setting up guitars and basses: I deal with 3 stores
    exclusively. I call and tell them what I'm coming in to
    try and when... and they have it set up for me. They know
    that chances are pretty good when I bother to call them
    that I'm intending to buy if I find the right axe, and
    they make sure it's right for me. Not too long ago, I went
    to a store in Boston expecting to buy one high-end bass
    and walked out with three. So needless to say, they practically
    set up the entire store now when they know I'm coming!!! :-)
    
    -b

    Congrtats Dave.It's always good to here the 'I found my Dream'
    instrument story-especially if it's a Fender! 
    I bought my dream machine last November.A Strat-plus Ultra.Sunburst ash
    body,3 lace sensors(red/silver/blue--bridge to neck),Fender
    tremolo,rosewood neck and locking tuning heads. It was pricey (~1150
    tx.incl),but i've *never* looked back! I love it more every time i play
    it.The clincher was the final inspection stamp/build date...Sept 22..
    my birthday.That's when i new i had to have it.
    Anyways,best of luck with it.
    
    -kev

>>  I played it for so long Saturday night I finally fell asleep and 
>>  woke up several hours later still holding it, then I played it some more.


    Sounds like true love to me!! But, did you still respect it in the morning?
    
    Congrats.
    
    Mark