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Fender Precision Sound


Bassimist

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On 05/12/2019 at 22:03, Bassimist said:

Then one day I tried a RoadWorn precision... and was blown away! I had to buy it (although I don't need two basses... ).

You don't. Sell the other one.

Too many people listen with their eyes, but we are better bass players if we listen to our ears. Ignore what the bass looks like, just know you sound good and get on with improving your playing. Become a better player and you'll find an even better bass in a year or two.

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50 minutes ago, chris_b said:

You don't. Sell the other one.

Too many people listen with their eyes, but we are better bass players if we listen to our ears. Ignore what the bass looks like, just know you sound good and get on with improving your playing. Become a better player and you'll find an even better bass in a year or two.

Add in the hands as well, a very important factor imo.

And do agree the OP doesn’t need two basses.....

He needs three!

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Thanks everyone for the input. 

I went one and changed the strings. What a nightmare!!! The two sets have very different tensions so the necks moved a lot (on opposite ways on each guitar) so I had to adjust trust rod, bridge, etc... The wood is still adjusting. 

Conclusions: The huge difference in tone was mainly due to the strings. The RW with Rotosound flats sounds very bassy, deep, smooth. The Deluxe with the TI Flats sounds a lot more transparent, brighter, metallic. So the sound characteristics follow the strings. In the meantime, I can hear that the RW is not as bassy as the Deluxe was and the Deluxe is not as open as the RW was so there is an element of the sounds that is still linked to the instrument (wood, finish, frets, neck, bridge, etc) but I don't think this difference would be audible in a live performance, in a mix. Does it make sense to you? 

This experiment made me realise that the string choice is a journey of major importance in the shaping of my sound. I wish I had known this before buying the RW. Anyway...

My personal conclusion is that I love the feel of the higher tension of the Rotosounds but prefer the sound of the TI. 

Any recommendations for my next set of strings? Maybe I should open a new thread for this...

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11 minutes ago, Bassimist said:

Any recommendations for my next set of strings?

I have TI flats on my passive P bass and D'addario NYXL rounds on my active Jazz. This has been my choice for a few years now.

About 3 years ago I replaced my GHS Precision flats (which I thought were very good) with TI's. There was a chance to buy the TI's at a lower price so, given the reputation, I thought I'd give them a go. I like the sound and the feel. I also looked at Labella flats but decided I preferred the TI's.

I spent nearly 20 years using DR Lo-Riders and Hi-Beams. I thought they had a great feel and sound, until I heard someone using the NYXL's. I bought a set to try them and IMO they work very well with my Jazz, so that's another long term move.

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TIs take a while to get used to with their tension being a fair bit less than most other strings. It’s something I’m going to encounter again as am going to have flats on one of my Precisions. From recall I adjusted fairly easily, especially considering I used them for my current band and my playing style for that is quite hard hitting. Won’t affect it this time though as they’ll be on the bass I’m going to use for learning genres/songs other than punk.

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2 hours ago, Bassimist said:

Thanks everyone for the input. 

I went one and changed the strings. What a nightmare!!! The two sets have very different tensions so the necks moved a lot (on opposite ways on each guitar) so I had to adjust trust rod, bridge, etc... The wood is still adjusting. 

Conclusions: The huge difference in tone was mainly due to the strings. The RW with Rotosound flats sounds very bassy, deep, smooth. The Deluxe with the TI Flats sounds a lot more transparent, brighter, metallic. So the sound characteristics follow the strings. In the meantime, I can hear that the RW is not as bassy as the Deluxe was and the Deluxe is not as open as the RW was so there is an element of the sounds that is still linked to the instrument (wood, finish, frets, neck, bridge, etc) but I don't think this difference would be audible in a live performance, in a mix. Does it make sense to you? 

This experiment made me realise that the string choice is a journey of major importance in the shaping of my sound. I wish I had known this before buying the RW. Anyway...

My personal conclusion is that I love the feel of the higher tension of the Rotosounds but prefer the sound of the TI. 

Any recommendations for my next set of strings? Maybe I should open a new thread for this...

How about D'Addario Chromes which are on the brighter side and higher tension.

 

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6 hours ago, ezbass said:

Ernie Ball Colbalt Flatwounds, I have them on all my basses except one. 

Wonderful strings.  Nearly as nice as proper round wounds!

I have them on my backup fretless and may yet put a set on my best bass too.  

In truth, they feel nicer than rounds and sound really good.    .. quite distinctive though; might change the sound of your bass more than you like; especially if you really want the deep thuddy fundamental of regular flats. 

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