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Post subject: Whats the 51 P-Bass RI like?
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:49 pm
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Any thoughts or opinions?

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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:31 pm
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Play one and see. The vintage frets are smaller than the medium jumbos most other Fender basses use. (I recommend immediately removing the stock Roundwound strings and put Flatwounds on this and any bass with vintage frets like the 50's Precision Reissue so the smaller frets last a lifetime.)

I did upgrades immediately. The stock bridge takes some tweaking to intonate and many flats don't like body through setups required by this bridge. So I replaced my 51 RI bridge with the Fender Deluxe Bass Bridge which allows for both bridge through and body through setups. This bridge is a drop in replacement. I replaced the single coil pickup with a Lindy Fralin split-coil to reduce noise and make it more gigable. However this changes the tone of the bass to something closer to a second generation bass. I changed the cap to a Sprague 225P 0.047 cap and I'm looking for a Sprague Vitamin Q Paper-In-Oil cap for it now without too much luck. I put GHS 3025 strings on it and finished with the reissue bridge and pickup covers generally available. Now it is a really gig monster. I have two basses I'll keep forever and this is one of them.

I would have replaced the pots with CTS pots, and knobs to fit them but the 51 Reissue has mini pots like the Sting model also has. So to use CTS pots you'd have to rout the control cavity and I wasn't going there especially considering the poly finish.

You will find a difference of opinion between the Sunburst and Butterscotch camps, but everyone agrees good ash, great neck and a good reproduction, but this was not made using original tooling. It is a reproduction!

Also the finish is Poly. I'm seriously thinking about refinishing mine in nitro blond. If I win the lottery I already know who is going to do that for me.

Oh, gotta mention it has reverse tuners like the original. They tune backwards from what you are used to on modern basses.

AND, did I say how nice this neck plays? That is a really good C-shaped neck. I prefer a more flat slab-type radius, but a very playable neck like all the Japanese Fenders.


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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:09 am
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Quote:
Whats the 51 P-Bass RI like?


It likes to be played! :lol:


Mine is stock, except for the added eye candy.
Covers, maple tugbar, oh, & LaBella tapewound strings.

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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:56 am
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Have covers, maple tug, and an Electrosocket jack. Otherwise stock. No hum problems.
Best bass I have.

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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 1:22 pm
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I pretty much agree with what Dave said. Mine is stock except I gave it Fender 9050ML flats and put chrome covers on. I love the neck, love the tone, hate the polyurethane finish. If it came finished in nitrocellulose I'd have nothing to complain about.

The tone is wonderful, similar to a Jazz with the neck pickup soloed but (to my ear at least) has a little more growl.

If you can grab one on ebay do it. Prices have gone up at retail to nearly $1,000 for these but on ebay you can still find them new for $700.


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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:18 pm
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I have one modified like Brotherdave's, except that I didn't change out the cap, and I replaced the output cup with the Electrosocket from Stewart-McDonald, and mine has a Basslines Quarter Pound and Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats (as do all my basses).

It's a great bass, with a slightly hunky neck, a high-crowned fingerboard, and a distinctive, round and thumpy sound. Mine sounds better through a 15" speaker than my split-coil Precisions, with a little less sustain. It kills on old-style rock.

The small frets make the neck feel fast, despite its size (but I'm a P-neck fan, anyway).

Some people complain that they tear up the standard pickup by using it to rest their thumb on -- I don't play that way, so no problem.

It's definitely its own beast. I love mine.

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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 7:27 pm
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I'm a Sting bass owner os I really can't comment on what it is to play a '51 Reissue on a gig, but I like the single coil sound of my Sting bass and I love the small fretwire. I play mine with the stock roundwounds because I think they sound the best and I am not a hard player so I think that the frets will last a long time.

I don't mind the poly finish. I think it looks great and its better for the environment and it will last forever.

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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:34 am
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BCbassman wrote:
I'm a Sting bass owner os I really can't comment on what it is to play a '51 Reissue on a gig, but I like the single coil sound of my Sting bass and I love the small fretwire. I play mine with the stock roundwounds because I think they sound the best and I am not a hard player so I think that the frets will last a long time.

I don't mind the poly finish. I think it looks great and its better for the environment and it will last forever.


I think the Sting is the same bass except it's contoured, has the inlay on the neck and Sting's signature of course. Great sounding/playing bass IMO. And yeah the polyurethane finish wasn't a deal breaker for me either, but if given the choice I'd prefer nitrocellulose.


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Post subject: Pickup Woes
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:24 pm
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lpdeluxe wrote:
Some people complain that they tear up the standard pickup by using it to rest their thumb on -- I don't play that way, so no problem.


Lots of Second Generation P-bass players get in the habit of using the pickup for a thumbrest. Then get a First Generation design and wind up trashing the pickup.

Absolutely do NOT use the pickup as a thumbrest on the '51 RI. That is asking for trouble. I've also seen several of these pickups get destroyed when playing too hard causes the G string to catch underneath the lip of the fiberboard topper and pulls it up and then the alnico pole pieces roll out onto the floor. When this happens the bass will not work again until the PUP is replaced. It isn't that it sounds bad or has a lower output, it is a dead parrot. It has ceased to be.

There is no bringing it back. Sending the pickup to a custom shop for repair would cost more than a new one, so they aren't worth fixing.

Of all Fender basses, this is the one that needs a pickup cover the most. The cover prevents any possibility of using the pickup as a thumbrest and all but eliminates the possibility of popping the top fiberboard off with the "G" or even "E" string. I'm pretty sure it helps with noise reduction too. I love playing right over the pickup but I use covers.

Earlier this week on eBay there was one of those broken pickups minus the topper and alnico pole pieces being sold as being in "GOOD" condition by someone who I am sure knows better because I've dealt with them before and they specialize in Fender parts. They had to know this thing was completely ruined.

I saw a '51 RI bass a few weeks ago with a pickup in the same trashed condition being sold "AS IS" and described as not working due "possibly a loose wire." I think the people selling the pickup earlier this week bought that bass a few weeks ago and are now parting out the guitar because they have a body, neck, electronics, tuners, etc for a '51 listed. Yesterday the broken pickup had been bid up to nearly 16 dollars and trust me, it is not worth throwing away.

Pickup replacements are plentiful from several custom makers and even from Fender, but a pickup cover is way cheaper! With the Squier Classic Vibe 50's P-bass using an almost identical pickup now you also have to be careful when buying one used because it might be a Squier instead of a Fender. People with these Squier basses that upgrade PUPS could be selling their original PUPS as Fender.


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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 10:58 am
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Good advice, Dave. I put the chrome covers on mine for looks, but they are a safety help too for the reasons you said.

One thing about the chrome covers on these, however, is that they won't line up properly with the pickup because the pickguard is not centered and won't allow it. Where the pickguard meets the top of the route hole it is off to the left, so even if you center the cover over the pickup it is off center against the pickguard. As a compromise, therefore, I had to move the cover slightly towards the top (left) of the bass to center it on the pickguard, but if you look under the cover you'd see the cover is shifted to the left a wee bit and actually touching the bottom of the pickup. No one peeks under the cover, however! :wink:


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 10:32 pm
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Mastermold wrote:
Good advice, Dave. I put the chrome covers on mine for looks, but they are a safety help too for the reasons you said.

One thing about the chrome covers on these, however, is that they won't line up properly with the pickup because the pickguard is not centered and won't allow it. Where the pickguard meets the top of the route hole it is off to the left, so even if you center the cover over the pickup it is off center against the pickguard. As a compromise, therefore, I had to move the cover slightly towards the top (left) of the bass to center it on the pickguard, but if you look under the cover you'd see the cover is shifted to the left a wee bit and actually touching the bottom of the pickup. No one peeks under the cover, however! :wink:


Master of the Mold as usual, you are correct sir! You can take a Dremel and reshape the pickguard a bit, however I opted to just move the cover lower so the pickup is nearer the top of the pickup than the bottom. It is not quite centered left to right, but is way more off center top to bottom.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:20 pm
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I love mine. I've had it about a year and a half, and don't see it ever going away. I use flats on all my basses and this one is no different. I'm amazed at the different tones that can be coaxed out of this thing with it only having one pickup.


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Post subject: Re: Pickup Woes
Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:17 am
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brotherdave wrote:
lpdeluxe wrote:
Some people complain that they tear up the standard pickup by using it to rest their thumb on -- I don't play that way, so no problem.


Lots of Second Generation P-bass players get in the habit of using the pickup for a thumbrest. Then get a First Generation design and wind up trashing the pickup.

Absolutely do NOT use the pickup as a thumbrest on the '51 RI. That is asking for trouble. I've also seen several of these pickups get destroyed when playing too hard causes the G string to catch underneath the lip of the fiberboard topper and pulls it up and then the alnico pole pieces roll out onto the floor. When this happens the bass will not work again until the PUP is replaced. It isn't that it sounds bad or has a lower output, it is a dead parrot. It has ceased to be.

There is no bringing it back. Sending the pickup to a custom shop for repair would cost more than a new one, so they aren't worth fixing.

Of all Fender basses, this is the one that needs a pickup cover the most. The cover prevents any possibility of using the pickup as a thumbrest and all but eliminates the possibility of popping the top fiberboard off with the "G" or even "E" string. I'm pretty sure it helps with noise reduction too. I love playing right over the pickup but I use covers.

Earlier this week on eBay there was one of those broken pickups minus the topper and alnico pole pieces being sold as being in "GOOD" condition by someone who I am sure knows better because I've dealt with them before and they specialize in Fender parts. They had to know this thing was completely ruined.

I saw a '51 RI bass a few weeks ago with a pickup in the same trashed condition being sold "AS IS" and described as not working due "possibly a loose wire." I think the people selling the pickup earlier this week bought that bass a few weeks ago and are now parting out the guitar because they have a body, neck, electronics, tuners, etc for a '51 listed. Yesterday the broken pickup had been bid up to nearly 16 dollars and trust me, it is not worth throwing away.

Pickup replacements are plentiful from several custom makers and even from Fender, but a pickup cover is way cheaper! With the Squier Classic Vibe 50's P-bass using an almost identical pickup now you also have to be careful when buying one used because it might be a Squier instead of a Fender. People with these Squier basses that upgrade PUPS could be selling their original PUPS as Fender.
[img]
The solution for me was to manufacture 2 thumbrests, no extra holes and actually works fine. I used birdeyes maple and a couple coats of clear lacquer on them. I also replaced the bridge for better intonation and also flatwound string installed
JF[/img][img][img]http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu90/acs565/Bass/2TR-1.jpg[/img][/img]


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:05 am
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Yeah that works too I guess but seems like a lot of work. For me I just anchor on the E string but I've been doing that for years anyway.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:21 pm
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Thanks guys!

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Gretsch Electromatic Pro-Jet
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Marshall 70's JMP Superbass 100w
Blackstar HT-5


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