sixdegrees

Thanks Colin for pointing out the 'fretted at the last fret' as a salient piece of info. And thanks Mark for the measurements. So the original 2.8 mm and 2 mm seems about right.

I watched that a few minutes ago. But it doesn't give any reference points. Discreet, do you fancy dashing off to measure yours?

Can anyone recommend a standard pickup height for a USA Precision pup? I've read in my manual that it should be around 2.8 mm at the E string, and 2 mm at the G. But this seems very close to be a standard height (not that I'm complaining too much - I like the pups close to the strings as it suits my playing style). And I know that the key is to use your ears and adjust to suit personal style, but I wanted a reference point to start at before I make the tiny tweaks. Thanks in advance.

At this price (the seller's probably priced it to accept 250) it won't be around for long. If only I were closer to Brighton. http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/fender-p-bass-precision-bass/99637701

The advice I'd give regarding Fender MIMs is to never buy blind. You MUST play them before parting with your money. I'd been after a Precision and it took me 4 months of trying them out before I found one that called out to me. When buying a bass - If you're not sure, don't!

[quote name='Looper' timestamp='1333314007' post='1600024'] Very pricey "buy it now" for a standard mex then! [/quote] Definitely. The scratchplate would be after-market too, as the original would've had a white one. I own a MIM Jazz almost identical to this and it's sound and playability is pure buttery peachiness! I picked it up after the previous owner had upgraded it with a Gotoh 201 bridge, Schaller tuners, 500k pots, USA Noiseless pickups, new scratchplate, and thumb-rest. It dates from 2004 and is a really good one. I paid 320 for it with a hard case.

It's a Made In Mexico Standard that's been modded with the addition of a thumb rest, pickup cover, and bridge cover. This isn't a reissue. The build quality was pretty good around that time but, as with all MIM's, the quality varies a great deal. So the 'better than USA' is pure marketing bullshit on the part of the seller. And anyway, genuine 62 reissues were crafted in Japan.

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1333290382' post='1599596'] Wedding in a big marquee overlooking the Purbeck hills. Great setting - easy setup - a crowd that were well up for it and [u][i]loverly ladies in skimpy outfits[/i][/u]. What is there not to like? [u][i]Home by midnight[/i][/u]. Win win win. [/quote] 'Lovely ladies in skimpy outfits' and 'home by midnight' don't really go together as a 'win' situation!

Played the gig from hell last night. 11 pm til 2 am. And you can guess the state of the punters by that time. The band that played there last week were greeted with a fight, complete with bloodied pool cues, and this is pretty much par for the course at this particular pub. We went with an open mind. Luckily, the worse thing that happened was when someone thought it would be a good idea to put ice on top of my rig, mid song, while shouting 'play some Metallica, Gandalf!'. He shut up when, in a disgusted rage, I picked the ice off my rig and threw it at him. But we ended up playing Metallica anyway.

I wish I'd seen this a couple of days ago. Playing a gig tonight in the roughest pub I've ever known. So taking minimal gear, no floor-toys, yet have to play a couple of songs in drop D. This gadget would've been perfect.

Another vote against mixing speaker sizes. Although the 1x15 + 4x10 is a very popular classic combination. So it must work for some people.

Ampeg SVT 7 Pro. Only had it a few months. But having thought about it, I did raise the pickup height on my new Precision, and was digging in on the Jazz having dropped the tuning. So I think I'm to blame...

Thanks. All the setting were exactly the same as usual. Nothing knocked or altered. The clip light was coming on for pretty much every note played - with the gain past 10 o'clock. But when I pushed it to 1 o'clock the clipping led was no more active than at the lower setting. Weird.

Last night at rehearsal I noticed that the gain light kept clipping on my usual settings. I was using a new bass, so thought it may be that the pickups are a little hotter. But when I used my old faithful go-to Jazz the same thing happened and I had to keep the gain ridiculously low to stop it blinking at me. We were rehearsing in a smaller room than usual and I wondered if this would make a difference? Also, the lead I was using was quite cheap (same as I always use. And I know I really should upgrade them!). So would so much noise (drums, guitar, keys, vocals) in a small space affect the input? If so, would expensive shielded cables cut out the unwanted interference?

Just for the record, I paid 330 for it. Took it to rehearsal tonight and...BUTTER! Only on the odd string-skipping riff (Keep the Faith, Money) did I notice the width of the neck. It really cuts through too. I used the tone control wide open for most of the evening but rolled it off for the motown/bluesy stuff. I found that this is such a versatile bass. One pick up, one tone control - perfect. And none of the annoying tinny 'clang' I've experienced with other Maple FB Precisions. I'll have to report back in a couple of weeks as I'm playing a gig this weekend where stab vests take priority over shiny new basses...

Got it! It was a nervous nights sleep after deciding I definitely wanted it (I thought it might have gone having been advertised since before Christmas). But even knocked another tenner off the price, which went towards a set of strap locks. Now for a quick wipe over and a tweak with a screwdriver and it's off to rehearsal tonight! Cheers for all the comments guys.

I'll be taking most of the advice offered and buy it first thing in the morning. The advice about not spending the other half on women I choose to ignore. Thanks very much guys.

To add to the Ashdown comments (seems I created a bit of a monster) - the 10" speakers are better than the 15". I believe that's where most of the wooliness comes from. JJ Burnell and Bruce Foxton are both aggressive pick players which will bring out more of the percussive attack, and JJ uses a signature head that's custom voiced to his spec (and doesn't have the horrid pre-shape). And with regard to cleaning up the low end - I used an old Trace Elliot SMX dual compressor with my Ashdown which worked a treat. Although it did add a little unwanted finger noise. The first thing I would do if I used an Ashdown would be to disengage the pre-shape and eq from there, while using the valve drive knob to add grit and warmth.

340 actually! And, I kid you not, the guy selling it thinks it's a Standard MIM with a replacement plate. So I could probably knock him down claiming that I want to get the 'original' one back on it. Edit - and only spending half my budget means the other half can be spent on women.

Thanks mate. Do you feel the difference in the neck profile, or is that something you prefer?

I've been looking for a black/maple P bass for a while with a budget of up to 700 quid. I've just been offered a 50s P in black/maple (complete with the bloody awful anodised pick guard) for 340. I'd describe the condition as 'ex-demo'. Trouble is, I have concerns over the slotted truss rod, wider neck, vintage radius...the scratch plate I can live with! So, does anyone have experience of these basses? To me, it sounds better than a standard MIM and the finish is superb. But I still have reservations. Someone help me out!