I love the colours on that fender ultra, but a) I’m not fussed about active, and b) it’s bloody expensive for a p/j precision. I know it’s top of the line etc, but I think I’d rather just find a similar colour setup for a few hundred.
Though saying that, they do finance, so it’d be around £30 a month…
But even my addled MBD disease is realising that I can’t pay 2k for some nice colours!!
Yeah, it is funny how many of us (I guess) get drawn to a bass initially by its looks, but, of course, we also realize that we shouldn’t buy a bass just because of its color scheme or shape. It should be the deal closer once you’re convinced it sounds and feels good as well.
That said, there are some basses I would NOT consider solely based on how they look 
Agreed.
Though it’s difficult. It has the 2 types of pickups, so tone is covered. It has the maple fingerboard with a satin finish on the back. It has the amazing colours and all the bells and whistles that a fender ultra comes with. I’ve played a few pre-war in shops, and they all sounded fantastic.
ARGH.
Well, then it seems settled 
If it checks all the boxes, spending that amount of money can be justified - it is a well-built, high quality instrument and great to own (and play) for sure!
nononono - we can’t do this again!!!
Saying that, I have still got the tab open and I seem to be unable to close it 
Well, as someone else said “You’ve come to the wrong crowd if you want to be talked out of it!”
I’d say that much: if it doesn’t have the be a Fender, you certainly can get great PJs for less. But, if the Fender “seal of quality” and the available combination of materials and colors is something really important, well, then… 
Still can’t decide
Have been looking at the next best thing - satin neck, himass bridge, pj setup, and the closest I can find is this - the Mexican deluxe active precision -
That’s £900. But I really don’t like dark guitars. I know that sounds daft, but I just don’t like them 
If I could find the same colours and equivalent robustness in a different model, I’m all ears. But I can’t seem to find any red sunburst basses with a pj setup
Oh and a modern D shaped neck
Totally fair… it’s your money, and that means you are calling the shots. Nothing daft about it 
Yes, well, as I said, if this is the one (and the only one shy of a custom job) that ticks all the boxes, then that makes the decision easy
Maybe you could check out Sandberg - they have a ton of customization options for their basses. I did a superquick spin on their configurator (2 minutes max) and got this - if you give it more time I am sure you could “improve” it to your liking. However, that’ll also set you back around 1800 or more euros 
Yeah, I thought about tongue oil as well, but having no idea the impact on the physical integrity of the neck-- I thought I’d let someone else try first. 
Yeah, and by the time you plunk down the cash for the Ultra, you’re almost to the Mod Shop anyway. So, if you’re gonna shell out that much, you may as well get what you want!
Thanks - that’s a good idea too - I’ll have a play about and see what I can come up with on multiple brand sites.
This is all starting to sound very expensive.
AGAIN!
Yeah, I was thinking that too!!
I just customised a Sandberg one and it’s pretty much the same price! Well, maybe 100 euros less.
If only I hadn’t seen that bloody fender ultra
Oh my ! 
pre-war Fender ? the first Fender (Broadcaster) was released in 1948, and the first bass (Precision) in 1951 …
Pre-Covid-War
Well, been looking at multiple custom options and replacements, but because of what I want, I am going to have to pay for it. So I’ve just gone with the fender.
Now, what did T_Dub say about where to put everything in my room! I’ll have to take his advice and make room for another.
you could look at the Sire P-style basses, they have some similar finishes. but that’s active basses with a complicated preamp.
