My first P Bass!

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Wed May 10, 2006 11:08 am

I know, I know. It’s actually kind of pathetic. All you hardcore Fender heads can laugh….I deserve it. I’ve been playing bass for 20 years & this is my first P-Bass. I’ve had a MIJ Jazz since 1989 & it’s a great bass but this is my first Precision.
I dunno why. Maybe I always wanted to be different, didn’t want to conform? It coulda been the awful Mako P-bass copy that was my first bass. I’m not sure. I’ve always been a Rickenbacker guy (I have 3) & I also have a Gibson T-bird & a G&L ASAT, but the time just seemed right. I’ve been playing with this singer-songwriter chick lately & the Jazz has been getting a workout, so the progression seemed natural. It’s true – every bass player should have a P in his arsenal. This thing sounds great. I got it off of eBay from the String Shoppe in Columbus OH (good guys BTW). It’s NOS (a 2003 or 2004 as best I can tell); it had all of the case candy & even had the plastic still on the pickguard. It’s a very groovy Inca Silver & I got it for a very good price. It has that S1 switching stuff, but in all honestly I’ll probably have my luthier yank that out. So far I’ve only played it at home through the B100R, but I have rehearsal tonight & tomorrow night with 2 very different bands & I can’t wait to put it through the paces through the full rig.

Plus, in this day & age of eq/knob overkill there is certainly something to be said for ONE volume & ONE tone knob!

Thanks for indulging me this sad tale….check out the pix:

ajish4 · Post by **ajish4** » Wed May 10, 2006 11:16 am

HEy Chris,

CONGRATULATIONS! It really looks great!

I'm right there with you, only I just purchased a JAZZ. All these years, and all I own are Alembics and Rickenbackers. NOW, I have TWO Jazzes. I love em!

By the way, if you decide you want to sell the S1 switching parts, let me know! I'd love to have an active Jazz just for giggles!

I'm having a ball with mine! I went with the jazz for the thinner neck. I've heard the P bass has a much fatter neck.

I'm going to work my way up to a mid 70's RI or something along that line.

ENJOY!

expomick · Post by **expomick** » Wed May 10, 2006 11:17 am

Not a sad tale at all! I love my Fender Precision Bass (1983). while I own and love, make that adore, my 6-string Rick 381 and my
360-12, I prefer the P-Bass to the Rick basses.

Ducking...about...now.

But hey, I'd love to own a Rick bass. Have played a couple before.

shinynewtoy · Post by **shinynewtoy** » Wed May 10, 2006 11:35 am

Like P-Basses... but own a Jazz, and love it. The neck, damn, what a piece of wood. Kinda like going up to the plate at a baseball game holding the bat by the barrel. I like Ricks and Jazzes, now that's the right end of the bat.

But that is a damn nice color... and you're right Chris- when you need that tone, there's no substitute!

fran4001 · Post by **fran4001** » Wed May 10, 2006 2:42 pm

Hey Chris, sweet! Nice Inca Silver, and the black guard looks good, although someday you should try a white one on it. That's sharp too!
I've got 3 Jazzes and 6 Precisions and love them all. Another cool thing to try, if you're feeling "old school" is the bridge cover, some foam under there, and a set of Thomastik flats. Mmmm Mmmm Good!

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Wed May 10, 2006 3:26 pm

Chris, congrats! Love the color, very "flash!"

I might now be the longest-standing non-P-bass owner on the Forum.

Tele bass, check, Jazz Bass, several, never a P Bass, though.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed May 10, 2006 3:48 pm

Steve ... You had one of my p-bass 4-2-5 frankenstien basses ...

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed May 10, 2006 6:41 pm

I played P bass from 1971 until the mid nineties as my first bass (had Rics and Teles also). They are great basses and do sound good and I too like the one vol. and tone although it's nice to have a neck pickup which can roll off the bottom if things get too muddy. I think every bass player should have both a Ric and a Fender in their arsenal. I don't have one now but am in the thinking stage. Incidently not all P basses have thick necks you used to be able to get either an A, B, or C neck on them. C is the normal wide P neck and A is the normal skinny J neck.

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Thu May 11, 2006 3:57 am

Congrats!

Other than a Squire P-bass, that I had for about two weeks, I've never had one. Always wanted an old one but never got around to it. Played a '66 in NYC last year that I could grow old with, but it was a little pricey to say the least!
Maybe someday.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Thu May 11, 2006 4:29 am

I know I had that one, but I don't consider that a P-Bass, it was WAY better

A bass with 2 Jazz pickups and a P-Pickup is not really a P-bass anymore

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Thu May 11, 2006 4:31 am

Yeah...that definitely falls in the "other than P" category!

The neck on mine is pretty nice. Not as baseball bat-esque as other P basses I've played. I don't know the difference between the Fender neck profiles, but it's pretty comfortable.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Thu May 11, 2006 5:33 am

Got my first P bass in '77, a '72 sunburst with tort guard and rosewood board. Long gone.
I've got a P but am loving my white Jazz, playing it a lot lately.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu May 11, 2006 5:43 am

all of my p-basses have 5 strings and 2 pickups ... this is my favorite one ...

http://www.3dentourage.com/425/5%20string%20p%20bass.htm

and this one is cool also ...

http://www.3dentourage.com/425/c5pbass.htm

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Thu May 11, 2006 7:18 am

Jeff,

I'm really liking that quilted P!