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Post subject: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:06 am
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Fender has just launched the Pawnshop series, which includes the '51, the '72 and the Mustang Special.

My gripe is that the series suffers a lot from the absence of bass guitars.

Did Fender had plans to release a Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special?

If yes, the Bullet Deluxe would be a nice basis for a Pawnshop bass guitar. This short-scale P-Bass will look better with some juicy touches such as a Mustang split-coil pickup and bridge.

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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:11 am
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It does seem that Fender limits their new bass production. After my recent experience with the American Special basses, I have little faith that these will bw any good.


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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:48 am
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oxfan wrote:
It does seem that Fender limits their new bass production. After my recent experience with the American Special basses, I have little faith that these will bw any good.


Ox, what didn't you like about the American Special? My local store has one, and I thought it was pretty nice. Any specifics you can share?


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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:33 pm
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Yes, check out the thread, I played a bunch of them, I was hot for the Candy Apple Red with the Maple neck. What a huge disappointment. I tried them out at 2 different stores and found some things to hold tree. the neck finish was lossy and the body finish's wereebad on 4 of them. Compared to an American Standard they sounded badand, the frets were sharp on 2.


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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 4:30 am
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MIM Standards now have "mystery" body wood which I suspect is Asian basswood or agathis (or maybe a little of both depending on which is cheaper at the moment). The third rate alder blanks that USED to get trucked from Corona to Ensensada for MIM production have to go SOMEWHERE and that somewhere is now to the "SPECIALS."

Check the MIM specs and you'll see no mention of exactly WHAT wood the bodies are these days. That's because they are using the very cheapest body blanks they can get for the MIM Standards, and frankly THEY DON'T CARE what they are.

Check the Special specs and you'll see alder bodies specified.

I suspect Corona brass got to looking at the growing pile of third rate alder blanks rejected for USA production and everyone was scratching their collective corporate heads wondering how to get rid of the reject woodpile. EUREKA! "SPECIALS" was suggested by some up and coming junior marketing exec as a way to unload the sub-par alder blanks and make a whole sxxx-pot load of money in the process. Charging $950 today for the same wood that went into a $450 instrument 2 years ago is a "NO-BRAINER" marketing decision.

(INSIDE THE SCOTTSDALE BOARDROOM) "Show of hands, all in favor of the SPECIAL project? OK! It is unanimous." (I would bet my Number One that it went down just that fast. TRULY a no-brainer money-maker. I've been in board meetings, I know how this stuff goes.)

The MIM Standard specs used to say alder but not this decade. So since the third rate alder blanks that used to go to Ensenada have to go somewhere....and no doubt were piling up at Corona....we now have "Specials." Isn't that special?

Specials are for people that might qualify for "Special" education. You'd need to ride a short-bus to pay that much money and not go just a tad more and get the REAL DEAL with decent wood, hardware, electronics and the best people making your neck instead of an intern from Beijing that will spend 3 months in Corona and the next 45 years of their life telling 12 year olds how to make Squier necks back in China.

Honest, I really believe this is the same wood you were getting two years ago on a MIM Standard. "Paint it candy apple red and make it shiny. Somebody will buy it!" Fender and made in the USA too! Who can resist $150 off? I CAN!

Folks, I'm telling you on the Specials...buyer beware. They are sub-standard. Also, I say that out of 5,000 of them, there will be ONE that will be a miracle and will play amazing and sound even BETTER than an American Standard....and I'm telling you the fluke like that DOES happen....but....it is a ONE IN FIVE-THOUSAND FLUKE. I am not willing to buy 5,000 of them to find that one.

You are better off with a Highway-One. Wait, those suck pretty bad too.

Just buy an American Standard. Just do it.


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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:00 am
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And to get back on topic....YEP a BULLET would have been an amazing starting point for a Pawn Shop Special. I agree!


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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:26 am
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Nice to see you back Brother Dave. You're exactly right, as usual.

As I always preach from my soapbox, play a bunch. The more you play the more yoi'll see how good or how bad an instrument line is.


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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 9:33 pm
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And you made some great choices! :D


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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 11:19 pm
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Because the Highway 1 is catching some flack in this thread, I'm gonna step up. Maybe I got that one out of five-thousand on my H1, but I will add that mine is the first generation (2004). I've played a few of the newer, different H1s in the last few years, and I haven't liked any of them. Either way, I love my H1.

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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:21 am
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Garbanzo,

The Highway 1 was collateral damage in the discussion of Fender using usins second quality wood. The whole thing started with my ranting about the American Special being bad.

Lots of guys, and probably girls, love their Highway 1's. Doesn't matter what anyone elses opinion is, you know what you like and if you're satisfied, good for you.


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Post subject: Re: Pawnshop Bullet Precision Bass Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:50 am
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I got bugged out a long time ago when my Highway was dogged on,I did some investigating and they were correct,the original were the same necks as the MIM ones with the truss adj at the headstock,the tuners were the little assed ones on a MIM,and it required the last 5 frets to be pulled rosewood removed maple leveled out and re-done,luckily I did most myself but was not to happy.
Now I believe they are graphite re-inforced and body side truss adjuster,bad-ass bridge is better but for the extra 100.00$ go with the A/Standard,I got a used one with pickgaurd plastic still on it with original strings still brite last year for 500.00$,cant get a Mex for that. a little saying I like "I WOULD RATHER BUY A USED CADDILAC OPPOSED TO A BRAND-NEW KIA(insert any low end car you choose,do not want to offend the natives).
Fender is out of control,so many models trying to do anything to get a sale,come now whats with the American Special,70s Pawnshop bass(does that mean a 3 piece body w/non matching grains with a jazz pick-up route done w/a handdrill,or a poorly defretted jazz bass complete with hunks of rosewood missing from the neck couples with equally as poor 3 piece non-matching grained body too? DONT FORGET THE BURN ON THE HEADSTOCK,(you can use it for charcoal if you got lost and need to drink tainted water,just scape off some of the burnt wood and VIOLA"instant charcoal :lol: , GET BENT,Thanks but I will stick to used gear,I love it when instant gratification makes some bozo give up his 1 month old bass cause the new Mark Hoppus with the reversed pick-up is out and rather than sell it on e-bay for most of his money spent,its sold for 300.00$ to get the M.H. bass today!
THANKYOU

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