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Post subject: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 2:39 pm
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http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com ... sku=519743

I'm planning to buy a Telecaster bass soon, and the only one I could find (that didn't have Sting's name on it ) was this one made by Squier. But looking at it more closely it has a different 4 saddle bridge not like the original one which only had 2. But of course http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com ... sku=519758 has the 2 saddle bridge, but it's an active pickup. :x Would the 4 saddle have that much of a tone difference?

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 3:01 pm
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Sabre Lane wrote:
If your only concern is the bridge, yes, it would make a difference in tone.... You'd end up with better intonation than with the 2 saddle bridge. :D


That's the thing unfortunately, I want to get as close to the original '51 P-Bass sound as possible.

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:50 pm
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ledzep1968 wrote:
http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Classic-Vibe-Precision-50s-Bass-Guitar-?sku=519743

I'm planning to buy a Telecaster bass soon, and the only one I could find (that didn't have Sting's name on it ) was this one made by Squier. But looking at it more closely it has a different 4 saddle bridge not like the original one which only had 2. But of course http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com ... sku=519758 has the 2 saddle bridge, but it's an active pickup. :x Would the 4 saddle have that much of a tone difference?


Go for the Sting bass if you want that sound! I have one and its really great!

I changed the bridge to one similar to the squier link you posted, and didn't realy hear any difference! I could however get the intonation bang on every string, and thats important to me!

Besides, its the combination of features on the Sting bass that will get you the closest to an original 51! (I have seen necks for tele basses without the sting inlay!)(I think they where usa made!)

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 2:57 pm
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The Squier Classic Vibe 50's Precision is a very nice bass for the money. I've played the Lake Placid Blue version and compared it to some other Squiers and also to my personal Fender 51 RI and also to a used Sting at the same store on the same day. I found the CV 50's P-Bass to be a whole lot of bass for the money and is it's own thing.

The CV 50's had the strongest pickup output of the Squier passive basses I tried that day. The Lake Placid Blue finish is stunning. The neck felt good, the frets were dressed properly and it played more like a $1000 bass than a $350 one. For a long time blue was the only color you could get on this model but I see that Butterscotch Blonde is now also offered but I have yet to see it in person. Fender Japan just never got the Blonde quite right on the Fender 51 RI P-Bass and it will be interesting to see Squier's version of the Blonde. I got my Fender 51 RI in sunburst, which looks like a Sting without body contouring and without the signature inlay.

I think the Squier CV 50's model sounds fantastic right off the shelf and probably would not upgrade anything, but I would add pickup & bridge covers. These instruments not only look great with the vintage covers but the pickup cover protects the pickup from damage. (DO NOT USE THIS PICKUP AS A THUMBREST! To do so will break the pickup.)

I would not put on the Fender '51 style 2 saddle bridge on the Squier CV 50's. Actually I would consider that a downgrade. The 2 saddle bridge has three screws while the 4 saddle bridge on the CV 50's Squire has five and the holes won't match up so you'd be drilling holes. You'd also have to drill four more properly sized holes in the body and install four string ferrules in the back of the body. Too much work and just too much that could go wrong and it is just not worth it.

First, the Fender two saddle bridges will usually intonate in the ballpark. While you can get close, you can't get it 100% spot on to the 12th fret and above. String selection impacts the intonation too. Light and extra-light strings don't seem to synch up as well as mediums, so stay on the heavier side of string selection.

Second, Trying to put a four saddle bridge on a 2 saddle bridge instrument isn't easy either. Notice how far the saddles travel on the two saddle bridge? Compare that saddle travel to the saddle travel available on a Fender USA Deluxe Bridge (3 screw for body through or top loading) which on the surface appears to be a perfect drop in replacement. You'll see that it will fit and look perfect, but on my 51 Reissue P-Bass it did not intonate as well as the original bridge due to limited saddle travel on the Deluxe USA bridge. I wound up finding and installing a pre-grooved Leo Quan BA-III which is also a drop in replacement but discontinued which has much longer saddle travel and it set up correctly at last. The drawback to using that bridge is that even the pre-grooved Leo Quan bridge needs filing down on the G string which is as low as it can go and is still too high.

I think the Squier CV 50's bridge is great as I prefer four saddles for intonation purposes and that bridge is part of the reason the CV 50's model is more expensive than the TB model.

Now as to the Squier TB bass, yes it has the 2 barrel bridge. But it also has a PASSIVE pickup that is Squier's version of the big chrome humbucker which replaced the single coil pickup on the 1972 Telecaster bass update. This humbucker was originally designed by Seth Lover, who prior to designing this new pickup for the Telecaster's update in 1972, had also had designed pickups for Gibson. Both Telecaster versions had a unique voice and each have their devotees but the single-coil version usually brings higher prices. While I have played the Fender Telecaster Bass with the humbucker I've never played the Squier TB.

If the Squier TB runs true to the characteristics of the Telecasters then the humbucker pickup on the TB will sound deeper and darker while being more immune to RFI.


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 11:45 am
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Thanks Brotherdave! That cleared up a lot of things!

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 12:26 pm
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They have a new version of the Squier Classic Vibe 50's precision,its now availible in another color than the LPB(its a little brite but hey..its a Fender)I did'nt see anyone mention the Japanese 51 p-bass(did I miss it)it has all the same characteristics as the Sting bass but without the little 12 fret sig.Not sure of the the bevel cutouts.
Its not in last years catalog it got dropped cause its the same bass a s the Sting but not the sig version,Its a great bass Butterscotch Blonde and 2 color Sunburst 1 piece maple neck,I always put in a Dimarzio doubleblade pick-up used on Telecasters,they drop rite in not mods and really open the sound up,removing those overtones and hollow mids and highend twang,Its hard to believe and I too did'nt believe it but my buddy at his music store said if I change it out and dont like it he will put it back and pay me for the pickup back(though I never paid for it in the first place)and it was perfect really even sound.
It had the reverse tuners which were a bit stiff at first but got better in time,and once the bridge up-grade was done(I used a standard american string through bridge untill I put on the BADASS111 string through),they can be found used for like 600.00$ U.S..
I even like the Mike Dirnt bass,very well made but it has a humbucking split p-bass but really is s well made bass,the only Mex made I would recommend,I recommend the Japanese made 51,its a few hundred more but its MIJ Fender over a Indonesian made Squier, BETTER A USED CADDI OVER A NEW HYUNDAI :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 12:33 pm
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lawsuitbass wrote:
They have a new version of the Squier Classic Vibe 50's precision,its now availible in another color than the LPB(its a little brite but hey..its a Fender)I did'nt see anyone mention the Japanese 51 p-bass(did I miss it)it has all the same characteristics as the Sting bass but without the little 12 fret sig.Not sure of the the bevel cutouts.
Its not in last years catalog it got dropped cause its the same bass a s the Sting but not the sig version,Its a great bass Butterscotch Blonde and 2 color Sunburst 1 piece maple neck,I always put in a Dimarzio doubleblade pick-up used on Telecasters,they drop rite in not mods and really open the sound up,removing those overtones and hollow mids and highend twang,Its hard to believe and I too did'nt believe it but my buddy at his music store said if I change it out and dont like it he will put it back and pay me for the pickup back(though I never paid for it in the first place)and it was perfect really even sound.
It had the reverse tuners which were a bit stiff at first but got better in time,and once the bridge up-grade was done(I used a standard american string through bridge untill I put on the BADASS111 string through),they can be found used for like 600.00$ U.S..
I even like the Mike Dirnt bass,very well made but it has a humbucking split p-bass but really is s well made bass,the only Mex made I would recommend,I recommend the Japanese made 51,its a few hundred more but its MIJ Fender over a Indonesian made Squier, BETTER A USED CADDI OVER A NEW HYUNDAI :lol:



You mean the Fender Japan OPB51-SD? I looked into that. Unfortunately $1,600.00 is out of my price range. Maybe when I win the lottery. :roll: :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 1:01 pm
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1600$ I saw one used at Sam Ash last month for 600.00$,this is the Japanese model from the new line,not the earlier 90's ones that are considered the crem'de-la'crem models,the one I mean is the same model specs and all but are the new Made In Japan NOT the coveted Crafted In Japan older models,these were never 1600.00$,I owned 2 of them and simply would never pay that for ANY Fender,UNLESS A VINTAGE ONE(even then only IF i am rich) :mrgreen: look around,they r there

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:48 pm
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lawsuitbass wrote:
....it got dropped cause its the same bass a s the Sting but not the sig version....


Not quite the same. The bodies are different. The 51 RI has a slab body. The Sting has body contouring. So the Sting is a tad lighter too. I like my CIJ 51 RI just fine now but it took a while to get JUST right.

The stock pickup isn't bad at all. Mine has been changed though to a split coil wound one which makes it usable in more situations where RFI could be an issue to a single coil. This also made it sound more like a 2nd Generation P-Bass.


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 11:26 pm
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The tele bass was a bass that was at first nothing more than original p-bass,after a few runs they changed the "tele"bass into the one we see now,humbucker at the neck, original P-bass h/stock and a few others,so the Sting bass is essentially the same model but w/a signature the perloid at the 12th fret,you cant go wrong with either,play as many as you can,every bass sounds and plays a bit different. good luck

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 2:18 pm
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I need to clear up in my head a couple things.
1. What is the exact type/ style bass that the Sting bass is a reissue of -- or if not a reissue because it has Stings sig on it then what bass is it a so called copy of?
2. What is the model of the Squire bass being talked about? Is it a 51 or a Telecaster bass?

A Telecaster bass is different than an old P bass- it's not an exact copy. The pickguard size is smaller and has more holes.


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 10:14 am
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The Sting is based on the '55-'56 single coil, with white pickguard and body contouring. I believe the only change is the signature inlay on the fingerboard.

I have a '51 RI. I had a difficult time getting the intonation where I wanted it so I dropped in the American Deluxe bridge. No difference in tone that I could hear, but it now plays in tune (I understand that others are perfectly happy with the two-saddle bridge, but I wasn't -- no debate necessary). I think going for the two-saddle bridge would be a step backwards, especially since you may prove to be one of those sensitive souls like myself who can't tolerate the mis-intonation.

I haven't played the CV, but I have had good experiences with Squiers. Play before you buy: that's great advice, whether you're playing a Squier or an Alembic. Every bass is different. Make sure you love the one you end up with.

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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 10:59 am
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ledzep1968 wrote:
That's the thing unfortunately, I want to get as close to the original '51 P-Bass sound as possible.


when you want the '51 sound you better not head for the telecaster-bass.
and the main difference of stings bass (the original) is the ash body and that it's probably '53-'55 dated. (and the 1'000 of hours wood-forming vibes)
i played squier vc's and i didn't like them too much, the smell of cheapness isn't to discuss off.
i understand the lack of money aligned with impatience, but still, if you own a playable bass already save some bucks and get a real mccoy in the end...


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 7:57 pm
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My Sting bass still has the 2 saddle bridge-- and from what brother Dave says about putting the 4 saddle on and the amount of travel of the saddle to intonate it- aw heck-I'l just leave it alone. At best the intonation is barely noticeable as far as the tuning being out. Barely noticeable to a musician that is. The average listener probubly wouldn't have a clue.


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Post subject: Re: Telecaster Bass
Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 11:45 pm
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Buying a new neck from the various licensed by Fender makers requier a little work before it can be mounted to the body,neck bolt holes need drilling,a nut will needed,tuner mounting holes need to be drilled and even a fret-level will be sometimes needed.
It can turn a cheap up-grade into a costly venture,I would check e-bay or get an exact estimate from a few differnt luthiersits probaly more cost efficient to get a used one but its always nice to pickout the exact neck with all the specs you want,so if the bass is worth it and you can see yourself keeping it for along time.
The flip side is a much lower re-sale value when major work is done to the bass or customizing with YOUR favorite options,not everyone wants to buy a bass with someone elses personal up-grades so do some home work and see whos closest to your area and throw the ball around,sometimes they even have body parts/necks in their possesion and may love to dump a neck off,I know a few Licensed by Fender warrenty repair approved Luthiers which makes him able to get any part needed from Fender's Headquaters,and even Headstock decals can be gotten with proof of neck replacement(they want to see the neck in order stop having people using a Fender decal on a non-Fender bass,I would'nt want to see my company getting our Quality control being questioned because of a poor copy.

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