Do I reeeally need a Precision..?

[HeadlessBassist]

Okay, so I've owned quite a few Precisions over the years, from 2008 American Standard to AVRI to Nate Mendel & early Classic Vibe to Mexican Standard. Latterly, the only one I ever kept and used for about 5 years was the first generation American Professional (the white/mint one that was used in several Andertons videos - yes, that very bass), due to its lovely clear top end from the excellent V-Mod pickup. Sadly, after I left a named 60s band continuation to join another live show, it sat for two years unplayed, so I moved it on as per the rules of basses not earning me money.

 

Oddly, I've never been specifically asked to play a Precision for a session, gig or show of any kind, but it's sort of received opinion that you should have one. Playing wise and sound wise, I've always been more on the Jazz bass side, both for it's relative delicacy and adaptability.

 

What's feeding this line of thought? I played a £5000 Olinto Precision at Andy Baxter's the other day. Obviously I'm not going to pour that kind of money into one, but maybe another 1st/2nd gen American Professional may be on the cards..?

 

Whadda-ya'll reckon?

 

Discuss...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 13 hours ago by HeadlessBassist

[synthaside]

For the longest time ..... I did not need or in fact particularly care for Precisions ....  I prefered the jazz body shape , i prefered the tone and artists who used Rays' ... Or gibson basses.

I suspect it's the " horrid black Argos / Encore P bass with the white scratch plate that every single young bass player round my neck of the woods was using where I grew up has " tainted " me , i don't recall many entry level Jazz options back then ...  unless you had Rich parents ... which not many of us growing up in Hounslow seemed to do.

It wasn't until i grabbed a cheap P bass  for my own wedding gig a squire abroad to save on shipping a bass i figured i'd buy one then flog it back to them used ... they seemed quite happy about it
I played pretty much everything in the store under Euro 500  ..... the Antigua classic Vibe came home and you know what i even paid to ship the bloody thing home ... its great ...

Edited 13 hours ago by synthaside

[BigRedX]

No.

[chris_b]

I bought a Fender Precision in 1969, played it exclusively for 26 years, and still have it. I added Barts in the mid 80's and improved the sound 1000%.

 

A Mike Lull PJ5 has been my #1 bass for 14 years.

 

Everyone's different, but I'd be lost without a P bass of some kind. 

[Geek99]

Yes. 
 

#sorted 

[fretmeister]

If you want one then yes.

If you don't then no.

 

I find a J more versatile overall but sometimes, for my ears, only a P will do.

 

I doubt the audience cares though!

[HeadlessBassist]

3 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

If you want one then yes.

If you don't then no.

 

I find a J more versatile overall but sometimes, for my ears, only a P will do.

 

I doubt the audience cares though!

 

Very true - to the audience and other musicians, "it's a bass."

[BigRedX]

To most of the audience it's a guitar.

[HeadlessBassist]

19 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

To most of the audience it's a guitar.

 

Now you're setting off my OCD about people calling it a bloody guitar! 🤣

 

Edited 12 hours ago by HeadlessBassist

[Steve Browning]

9 minutes ago, HeadlessBassist said:

 

Now you're setting off my OCD about people calling it a bloody guitar!

 

 

Unhappily (for you), Leo's patent calls it a guitar!

 

Re the question - probably not, they're very overrated!! 🙂

 

 

[HeadlessBassist]

Just now, Steve Browning said:

Re the question - probably not, they're very overrated!! 🙂

 

 

Exactly my feeling on the matter, Steve. I tend to think of them as a bit of a blunt instrument, admittedly fantastic for driving rock music, but not a very subtle tool. 

[Reggaebass]

I’ve gone full circle on this, back in the day when I started earning a few quid I bought precisions and loved them, then I got the jazz bass itch and played only jazzes for many years, they gave me the nice lows I preferred for reggae and dub, now I’m into both but really appreciate the sound of the P bass more than I did then, I couldn’t be without either 

[Mrbigstuff]

51 minutes ago, HeadlessBassist said:

 

Exactly my feeling on the matter, Steve. I tend to think of them as a bit of a blunt instrument, admittedly fantastic for driving rock music, but not a very subtle tool. 

I don’t think you’ve spent enough time with one if that’s your opinion. Technique makes up for the lack of electronic sophistication.

[Reggaebass]

1 hour ago, HeadlessBassist said:

but not a very subtle tool. 

I think they definitely can be, if you watch some of Sean Hurley’s videos his effortless playing and tone is just so good , I don’t think you’d get the same outcome if it wasn’t a P bass 

[Lozz196]

As a confirmed Precision man of course I’m going to say yes.

 

But rationally speaking, if you need that sound then yes, because although many basses will get near it, well it’s only near, not spot on. But if it’s just because, well because, then probably not.

[Belka]

Three years ago I bought a Precision because I had some money burning a hole in my pocket and thought, after watching various YouTube videos with Sean Hurley, that all bassists needed one. I put flats on it, as you're supposed to do, and enjoyed playing it for a few months, but after a while I just kind of stopped. Most of my gigs called for a 5 string and when I needed an approximation of a P bass the neck pickup on the Jazz was close enough, so I eventually sold it.

 

I'm currently putting together a parts P to give them another try. This time it's going to be with a maple neck and roundwounds; I think that to make P basses shine in a lot of modern live mixes you need them as bright as possible to be heard (of course I know that for recording this is different and flats sit very well in a properly balanced mix), and the Precision tones I like generally tend to be quite bright anyway.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

no, get a mustang instead — they’re like a precision but more so.

[HeadlessBassist]

16 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

no, get a mustang instead — they’re like a precision but more so.

 

Ha! I sold my Mustang a month ago. Again, lovely bass but I had no practical earning use for it.

[fretmeister]

16 minutes ago, HeadlessBassist said:

 

Ha! I sold my Mustang a month ago. Again, lovely bass but I had no practical earning use for it.

 

Mine are all shorties! Two just P, and one PJ.

 

One P and the PJ have flats, and the other has rounds.

[Beedster]

@HeadlessBassist, you'll find the answer discretely hidden in this........

 

 

[Burns-bass]

I’ve just completed this Basschat parts build and it’s beautiful.

[neepheid]

No, you don't need a Precision.  If you want one, fill your boots.

[Steve Browning]

3 hours ago, HeadlessBassist said:

 

Exactly my feeling on the matter, Steve. I tend to think of them as a bit of a blunt instrument, admittedly fantastic for driving rock music, but not a very subtle tool. 

 

I was only joking. My signature reveals my heavy use of Precisions ( have used my Jazz only to honour its original owner). A Precision does everything I need a bass to do, to put it bluntly. 🙂

 

For me, it's the simplicity but also the variation of what's possible with a combination of technique, strings etc. Purely my own view. I'm not an exciting player, and don't set out to be one.

[Pea Turgh]

5 hours ago, HeadlessBassist said:

 

That is a damn fine colour combo.  I am a P bass with flats sort of a guy, but I appreciate it takes all sorts to make the world go around.

[jd56hawk]

I never bought into that "Every bassist needs a P bass" bs. Some of the best bassists in the world aren't Precision players...I'm sure I don't have to make a list...and I don't have one in my current bass lineup.

Do I need any of these?

No, but they're what I 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦, not what I was told to choose.

 

Edited 7 hours ago by jd56hawk