ive done a search and remarkably cant find a dedicated precision thread. theres plenty on Fender Precisions, or P vs PJ, or should i get a squier etc, but i cant see one discussing the variety of Precisions. so ill start one
for context, i have a pink ashdown PJ that looks lovely, but ive just got an itch for the simplicity of a pure precision, no PJ choices. do one thing really well rather than a few adequately well if you see what i mean.
me? i like the old 70s punk sound, dirty scuzzy thumping sound. and i like light pastels or sparkly pink/silver colours, something that sounds good AND looks good.
ive been offered a fender player in daytona blue for a good price but the colour doesnt do it for me, and i guess my preference would be for something lesser well-known but still top quality rather than just the Fender name. Tokai Hard Puncher? G&L LB-100? Sandberg VS4? Sire P5/P5R? (yes ive been on chatgpt )
im new to this game so keen to learn more about the many different makes and sound nuances.
id be interested in your thoughts, recommendations on anything else that may fit, or just general precision considerations anyway.
my personal budget is only around £500, but like i said, this isnt just about finding me a(nother) bass, its just a general Precision thread, likes, dislikes, colours, pickups, that type of thing. me getting a sparkly new precision in my sweaty hands is just a side benefit
Nothing wrong with a good old P-bass. You should absolutely get one
However - I wouldn’t say that a P/J is worse than a P in any way. Specifically - a P/J can sound exactly like a P-bass by simply balancing all the way to the P pickup. It’s usually in exactly the same position. So at worst, you can make a near exact replica of a P-bass tone on most P/J basses.
I highly suggest checking out the Harley Benton MV-4P P bass in Shell Pink. It’s only 228 € at Thomann (VAT included) and is one of the higher end Harley Benton basses (much higher quality than you would expect for that price).
i guess my analogy would be a mountain bike one. i like the simplicity of a skinny steel singlespeed with rigid forks. yes i could just keep my multi geared bike in 32/16 say and never change gear and hey presto, its the same but more versatile, ive got other gears if i need them. but it isnt the same if you see what i mean
Then again, I have owned an excellent Fender Japan P-bass before, but it’s gone and I still own two P/J basses, if you know what I mean here. They are neat but really don’t being anything new to the game if you already have a P/J you love.
@howard is correct. You roll the P pickup all the way up and the J all the way down, its going to sound like a P bass most of the time. I get it though. I’ve got 2 Precision basses with a third on it’s way. For the budget you’re working with, I’ll say it again in this dedicated thread for them, I’d take a hard look at the Yamaha BB300’s. It’s a reverse P which imo lends itself better to old school punk / post punk. Peter Hook of Joy Division’s bass for the last 45+ years is a Yammie reverse P (not the 300 though). The only downside is that they only come in red or black.
I gig with a Fender Japan P-Bass as my main. From the international color series in Morocco Red. Built in 2023 in the mid to late 70 styling, decent pickups, thinner u neck profile, Maple fretboard and neck. 100% p-bass tone. I picked it up used/excellent for under $900 USD. I’d buy it again at full price and never sell it. Probably a little more than your budget but they’re worth it.
Fender Japan makes way more interesting instruments than Fender USA, IMO. I love the Competition Stripe models.
I had a Hybrid II P-bass and it was outstanding, really well made, I suspect by Fujigen. Fender supposedly has their own Japan factory now but I see no evidence of this and suspect Fujigen is still manufacturing for them. Mine looked exactly like this:
You would know more than most from what I can tell. I know that my bass is very well made, and only a simple truss rod adjustment was needed to set it up. Frets work was impeccable and certainly on par with or better than the USA/Mexico models I’ve handled. I have a Mexico Player as a backup that I got on black Friday sale and its nice as well, but the Japan for whatever reason is what i play the most by a long shot.
There’s a difference between Precision and PJ not only tone but physical difference.
Most PJs of many brands and model comes with the Jazz neck profile. If you are not sensitive to the nut width and string spacing then it’s ok but I’m super sensitive to that and prefer P or wider in general then I’d notice.
By the way, according to my serial number JD prefix means dyna gakki factory which i believe is where modern fender Japan stuff is coming from or so they say.
I measured from the nut to the center of the split pickups on my BB300 vs my BB734. On the 300 the center is 5mm further down, 725 mm vs 720 mm. That and the reverse-P layout means the EA pickup is quite a bit closer to the bridge.
I’m not good enough to make any qualitative judgements and there are many other factors like strings, pickups and electronics but in passive mode the biggest difference I noticed was the 734 has more range to the tone knob in straight P mode. And then it has a bunch more tricks it can play.
That said the simplicity of one volume, one tone has a lot going for it, much less fiddling. Both basses are great it’s just that the BB300 has a much more focused sound.
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