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Post subject: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:03 am
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Roadie
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Location: Rhode Island
Thumbing thru the Entwistle book I saw the mini P Bass. I recall in the mid 1990s a Japanese guy "smuggled" a few mini Strats into the country. A fellow dealer sold me 2 of them. I never heard of any other models being made. These were supposedly for the Japanese market only! Does anyone have more info or does anyone have one of these mini Precisions?


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 1:21 pm
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I searched over google & I found this. Look at the page just before the amps.

http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-an ... index.html


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 11:16 pm
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Rock Star
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Location: Albemarle, NC
There was a model called a Precision Bass Junior that was sold in the USA but discontinued several years ago. Alder body, rosewood board and sealed elephant ear import-style mini-tuners. Volume control only, no tone control and a regular sized P-pickup which looked just a tad oversized on the downsized body.

Get this! It had a 28.59 inch scale. By comparison a Stratocaster guitar is 25.5" and a Mustang or Musicmaster Bass is 30". So contrary to what you might see written elsewhere about the 30" scale being the shortest Fender ever made, this 28.59" bass was actually the SHORTEST scale bass Fender ever mass-produced. ALL AROUND it was a very cool little bass.

The street price new was about $380 even 5 to 7 years ago. It came in Torino Red and black and had a body through setup bridge that reminds me a bit of the Mustang guitar. I also saw a white one ONCE. Seems to be more black ones than red ones and the white ones are the most scarce. I played the only white one I ever saw and it sounded surprisingly great and played so amazing I wanted to buy it, but I looked like Paul Bunyan playing a ukelele with it. If you ever run across one, give it a whirl just for fun. Really was a good concept instrument for people with small hands or people that wanted a real P-Bass sound, guitarists needing to lay down a bass track...or idiots like me to just noodle around with at home.

The current Squier Bronco with 30 inch scale plays about the same but doesn't sound nearly as good and the fret finish is not as smooth. The Mustang sounds better than the Bronco for sure, but not nearly as P-Bassy as that Junior did. The P-Bass Junior was probably the best sounding and best playing short scale bass Fender or anyone else EVER made. It was a serious little instrument. Sort of wish I'd bought one just to fool around with at home. It did really sound like a P-Bass but played more like a Strat. I also liked the short scale Duosonic 6-string I had for a while. It played amazing too. In general I think short scale instruments PLAY EASIER.

I still might get a used P-Bass Junior if I ever stumble upon one at a bargain price.

I've also had a go at a Kala U-Bass, which is in fact a baritone ukelele fitted with fat plastic bass strings. It sounds totally amazing and plays like AIR. I'd like to show up at a gig with the tiny ukelele bass and nail a vintage Motown/Atlantic/Stax set. I'm pretty sure the U-Bass could do it but it would be so surreal that people simply would not believe it was really me playing that classic stuff on the tiny ukelele bass. Like the P-Bass Junior, the Kala U-Bass is a for real instrument too. It really is.


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:57 am
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BrotherDave, those U-basses are amazing, aren't they? Close your eyes and you'd swear it's an upright. My daughter plays fretless in her high school jazz band, and can rip off some sweet riffs on those whenever we see one in a store.


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 8:39 am
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Brother Dave;

Thanks for the info. I did a little searching & found a P Bass Junior. It's black but nice & clean & a real hoot to play. Great little bass. I have out on stand right next to my white mexi P that hangs on my wall. Leave them out & you play them more than leaving them in a case! Thanks again!


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:18 pm
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Hobbyist
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Greetings, new to forum.

I just bought a P Bass Jr, which is also my first Fender.
It gets delivered in two days, can't wait to play it.

Is the weight of it fairly light?
Do you have a case for it? I'm hoping my Road Runner hard shell that fits my Gretsch short scale might fit this as well.

It's used, which I was hesitant to buy online, but I have 30 days to return if not happy.
I've only been playing bass for two months and just found out about this bass a few days ago, so I jumped on the one I found for sale since I read they can be hard to find.

Matt


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:18 am
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Location: Rhode Island
It's faily light. It is not as heavy as my full sized mexican P bass. Which is lighter than those late 1970's boat anchores. What color is yours? Most a black from what Brother Dave said. If your planning on getting a full sized P Bass later on don't get to used to it. It's fun to play & sounds great but it's no replacement for a full sized P at least to me it's not. Enjoy it!


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:28 am
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It's black with a white pickguard. If I end up keeping it, I'll get a black pickguard - my favorite color. I don't know about the full sized P bass, we'll see. My first bass was a Schecter. I played it everyday for 1.5 months and never got used to the weight or reaching the first few frets with my short arms, as well as the distance between frets with my short fingers. I imagine I'll revisit that in the future at some point, but I really like the way short scales fit me. Since I'm new at this, I guess I'm going through the "see what fits me best" phase.

I almost ordered a new Mustang, but came across this one and figured I'd give it a try first. Should I not like Jr, I'll probably give the Mustang a try next.
Do you have a case for the Jr? Just wondering if I'll have trouble finding one.

Thank you for the reply.

Matt


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:19 pm
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Rock Star
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They were sold caseless and afaik Fender didn't offer one either. A standard guitar gig bag would be better than an ill fitting guitar case. It will slide around in an ill fittling hard case more than in an ill fitting gig bag.


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:30 pm
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Mine came with an official fender gigbag. Probably a strat gig bag I suppose. If you wbought a strat gig bag it would fit.


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:31 pm
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Oh yeah on the guard you'd have to have one made or make one it's not a standard p bass size.


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:24 am
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Roadie
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Yeah but it would be loose I think the body is skinnier than a mustang or musicmaster


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:13 pm
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Got it today, it is awesome. It also fits right into my hardshell Roadrunner case very well.

Talked to Fender, they said order a custom pickguard.
Pickguards.us has one listed as : Fender Japan P-Bass - Early '90's downsize version
Does anybody know if this is the same as mine -the Mexican one from mid-90's ?

If not, I live in Seattle, so I should be able to find somebody to make me one, many guitar shops around.

Thanks for the info everybody.

Matt


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 6:01 am
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Roadie
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Matt;

The Japanese Downsized version is SMALLER than this Junior. Look at th first post in this thread. I was asking about the mini that's in Entwistle's book it's smaller than the junior. Any local guitar repiar shop should be able to cut you a black guard to fit.


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Post subject: Re: Mini Japanses Precision
Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 6:25 pm
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Sabre Lane wrote:
Wouldn't a Musicmaster or Mustang case fit it?


I think this bass is about 2 inches shorter than either, well at least 1.5 inches so it would not be a perfect fit and sliding around in a hardcase is not a good thing.


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