philw Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 All, After something like 30 years of fiddling around on bass I thought it was time I got a fretted Precision (I did own a fretless Jazz/Precision hybrid for a while but that didn't count). I don't have much to spend, maybe up to £300, so it'll no doubt have to be a Squire – either new or previously loved. I'm confused about necks however. To my eyes, the best looking Squire Precision around at the moment is the Classic Vibe 50s P Bass. I love both the tele style and the maple fingerboard. Trouble is, having tried one I really didn't get on with the chunky neck (I play a fretless Wal mostly). So who can guide me through necks fitted to Squire Precisions? What about the Vintage Modified Precision Tele Bass? What about the Mike Dirnt? And if I were to stay away from the Tele style what should I be looking for? Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasher80 Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 The P Bass Special has a Jazz neck on it, not sure if that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I built my own precision with maple a jazz neck from scratch from bits sourced from ebay and the result is rather good for around the £300 mark. It's a lot of fun to do too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 There's a Jap one that's just popped up in the Classifieds, jump all over that one if it's in budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soloshchenko Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Unfortunately mate, that's generally the nature of the beast. I find P necks are often very chunky compared to Jazz necks and I don't get on with them much either. I play an SX P bass and the neck is huge compared to my MIM jazz bass. Maybe look for cheap deals on Warmoth and build your own? I think their J necks fit all the P bodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I find the neck on my Squier tele bass to be a bit thin for my liking. If the other one has a tele headstock and is chunkier I'd cheerfully swap, its a bit used, but has got a fair bit of birdseye in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='641085' date='Oct 30 2009, 01:54 PM']I find the neck on my Squier tele bass to be a bit thin for my liking. If the other one has a tele headstock and is chunkier I'd cheerfully swap, its a bit used, but has got a fair bit of birdseye in it.[/quote] This is my problem. Precision necks vary considerably between models, trouble is, apart from knowing that the Squire Classic Vibe 50s neck is too chunky for me, I'm not sure how the rest of them measure up. I might consider a swap Mr. Fox, but I'd rather exhaust the other possibilities first. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 [quote name='philw' post='641113' date='Oct 30 2009, 02:21 PM']This is my problem. Precision necks vary considerably between models, trouble is, apart from knowing that the Squire Classic Vibe 50s neck is too chunky for me, I'm not sure how the rest of them measure up.[/quote] Figure out which dimension you are concerned about, and ask people with them to measure up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasher80 Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 [quote name='philw' post='641113' date='Oct 30 2009, 02:21 PM']This is my problem. Precision necks vary considerably between models[/quote] Yeah, i've found this - although the CIJ 62 Precision i recently acquired is pretty much bass nirvana for me, the neck feels like it was custom made for my hands - although as you rightly point out, some a a lot more baseball bat like than others. But as a Precision player coming from a Jazz, it's a really nice comfortable neck and i'm pretty certain this one's a keeper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I don't know how accurate the CIJ neck is, although I do find the CIJs generally very reliable. However, the real 60's Precisions necks are mostly less chunky than the 70's and later versions. The headstock to neck detail was also different in the 60's Ps. I would look at the reissues and a secondhand CIJ would be an excellent choice. Davo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metal-Mariachi Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Fender and Squire give the dimensions on their web site. [url="http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?section=basses&cat=precisionbass"]http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?...t=precisionbass[/url] [url="http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?section=basses"]http://www.squierguitars.com/products/sear...?section=basses[/url] Click on the specifications I found the 1.65” width of the MIJ ’51 reissue to be a very nice neck. It is a tad wider 0.15” than the Jazz bass, but has rounder contour. Switching between a ’70 Jazz and the ‘51 isn’t a big deal. The Mark Hoppus has a wide 1.75” width, flat but wide enough to be anointing to me. I replaced the P neck with a Jazz neck on mine. I’d suggest you just try out as many as possible and I’m sure you’ll find one that feels and sound right to you. MM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Steer clear of the Mike Dirnt sig if you have trouble with chunky necks. I tried one and found it to be huge but then I have small hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 So I tried a couple more Squire Precisions today (thanks GAK). First, the Vintage Modified Precision TB neck felt great: reasonably chunky but not so much it was a problem, far better than the impossibly baseball bat like 50s Classic Vibe Precision. Only issue with the Vintage Modified is an unremittingly dark (but very ballsy) tone thanks to the single neck position humbucker – at the right price I could be convinced. Then I tried the Mike Drint and I'm really struggling to come up with anything positive to say. Weedy tone, and genuinely horrible neck (a poor setup and a non-functioning tuning machine didn't help). Unattractive looking instrument too. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 [quote name='philw' post='643872' date='Nov 2 2009, 09:14 PM']Only issue with the Vintage Modified is an unremittingly dark (but very ballsy) tone thanks to the single neck position humbucker – at the right price I could be convinced.[/quote] Dimarzio model 1 will sort that, but the spacing is a bit wrong so you'll have to get a narrower bridge (one on it is a weakness too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocco Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 is there not a modern shape vintage modified too? i just googled it and it came up with what has become the standard precision shape aswell as the EB-3 style humbucker equipped one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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