MIJ Fender P Bass Help

[Rhys]

I've emailed Ishibashi about finding me a P Bass and they've found me a PB57-60. I was just wondering what the difference is between a STD PB and the 57 reissues? Is there a notable difference? Do they make Standards in Japan?

[Magnolia]

[quote name='Rhys' post='40754' date='Aug 3 2007, 08:36 AM']I've emailed Ishibashi about finding me a P Bass and they've found me a PB57-60. I was just wondering what the difference is between a STD PB and the 57 reissues? Is there a notable difference? Do they make Standards in Japan?[/quote]

John at [url="http://www.fareastguitars.co.uk/usedpb3.htm"]Far East Guitars[/url] has one of these in stock. It may be worth emailing him. Can't answer your question tho sorry.

Nick

Edited August 3, 2007 by Magnolia

[OutToPlayJazz]

Just looked at The Guitar Emporium (another Japanese importer) & the difference seems to be about £90 more for the vintage one. You seem to get a maple neck (worth it!), vintage japanese p-pickups & bridge. Both have the basswood body. It's another £120 to get into the alder body variety. Have a look at the link, all the specs are there

[url="http://www.guitaremporium.co.uk/index.php?f=data_fender_japan_new_guitars&a=3"]http://www.guitaremporium.co.uk/index.php?...guitars&a=3[/url]

[Sharkfinger]

[quote name='Rhys' post='40754' date='Aug 3 2007, 08:36 AM']I've emailed Ishibashi about finding me a P Bass and they've found me a PB57-60. I was just wondering what the difference is between a STD PB and the 57 reissues? Is there a notable difference? Do they make Standards in Japan?[/quote]

Not sure what you mean by STD PD. A "standard" P bass? Not even sure there is such a thing. Experts?

If you're going to go for a '57 re-issue, you might as well go the whole hog and get one with a different body wood. The one that was suggested is basswood and while there's nothing wrong with that IMO, this one has a more "authentic" alder one.
[url="http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/?wb_url=http%3A%2F%2Fishibashi.co.jp%2Fwebshop%2Fguitar%2Ffender-j%2Fpb5770us.htm&wb_lp=JAEN&wb_dis=2"]http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/...EN&wb_dis=2[/url]

I guess one of the biggest differences between the '57 and the other copied Fender P, the '62, is the fingerboard material. In the '62 it's rosewood, which gives it a warmer, fuller tone, I'm told. I only have a '62 RI so I can't compare.

Here's a '62 on ishibashi:
[url="http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/?wb_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ishibashi.co.jp%2Fwebshop%2Fguitar%2Ffender-j%2Fpb6270us.htm&wb_lp=JAEN&wb_dis=2"]http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/...EN&wb_dis=2[/url]

[OutToPlayJazz]

Sharkfinger, apparently there is a japanese standard if you look at my link I didn't know, either!

[url="http://www.guitaremporium.co.uk/index.php?...guitars&a=3"]http://www.guitaremporium.co.uk/index.php?...guitars&a=3[/url]

[Rhys]

Thanks guys. I'm just after a PBass as close to a USA standard as i can, seeing as i can't really afford the hefty pricetag on one. I wanted a black guitar with a white scratchplate with a maple neck. The 57 comes to £334 new if i worked it out correctly.

[Dood]

Don't forget that most of these have differing neck profiles. The 57's are wide and flat. The 62's are rounder and the &0's are said to be the most like a Jazz neck. That certainly seems to be the case with my CIJ anyway.

I reckon the 'standards' and less descriptive models could frankly have any neck profile and I don't think you could be sure until you try 'em out. The reissues (certainly the Japanese 'US' models) feature US design pups.. I couldnt comment on where the pups for the standard models come from.

Having owned some different P basses, I'd naturally gravitate to the higher spec Jap basses like the PBxxUS-88 models for example.

[Rhys]

[quote name='Sharkfinger' post='40792' date='Aug 3 2007, 09:50 AM']If you're going to go for a '57 re-issue, you might as well go the whole hog and get one with a different body wood. The one that was suggested is basswood and while there's nothing wrong with that IMO, this one has a more "authentic" alder one.
[url="http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/?wb_url=http%3A%2F%2Fishibashi.co.jp%2Fwebshop%2Fguitar%2Ffender-j%2Fpb5770us.htm&wb_lp=JAEN&wb_dis=2"]http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/...EN&wb_dis=2[/url][/quote]

I'm looking into this right now. If i worked it out £410, not too bad.

Cheers everyone!

[vegas_hooker]

I ordered a CIJ 57 reissue with the US pups and all that jazz.

I can agree with dood on the neck profile...wide and flat, which with small kid hands like me was a challenge at first but now i dont really think about it.

If im honest, i really couldnt tell you that the wood makes a hell of a difference to the bass' sound or not since this was my first real 'big' bass outside of copies and no name basses. Im sure some with more travelled ears and bigger wallets will attest to the differences between woods used though.

The pups were actually a lot better than i was expecting. Im not sure if they are actual US spec or just branded as such to suck in mugs with more money than sense, but i found them to be pretty warm sounding pups with plenty of clarity and thud (as you would expect from a P bass.
Personally i had mine switched to SD quarter pounders as i play with more than a lot of OD/dist and the SD's carry a lot more mids to my ears. Thats not to say i disliked the stock US pups, They just didnt have the volume i needed.

One thing i cannot stress though is to buy a badass bridge for it. It might be japanese but the bridge is still sh*t.