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Post subject: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2015 3:05 pm
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After spending a nice day playing my '14 American Standard, I sat & thought was the new US Precision the best that Fender could do. I mean the neck on these are great not only in feel, but with the posiflex rods every note on the 20 frets rings out and a real joy to play. And the body as with all precisions feels comfortable against your body.And the bridge is sturdy & well made, & giving the bassist a choice of either string through or topload. And the machine heads turn so smoothly and hold their tuning so well and even they look nice from a design point.
And I really do like the Custom Shop pickups I have tried other P style pickups & these for me personally sound better. I know that Fender as with other companies will always strive to make their products better, but I can't see what could be done to improve the Precision in it's present form. Again these are only my own thoughts, so if there was something to improve what could it be?

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2015 5:09 pm
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Bob's Your Uncle! I agree that Fender has really nailed down what the modern Precision and Jazz basses should be with the American Standards.

For those that prefer 'the good old days' the American Vintage Reissues are excellent. I just reading about session great Bob Glaub and how he had been gifted a new '63 AVRI Precision. "I'm in love with this thing" he said.

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2015 8:08 pm
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luckman67 wrote:
After spending a nice day playing my '14 American Standard, I sat & thought was the new US Precision the best that Fender could do. I mean the neck on these are great not only in feel, but with the posiflex rods every note on the 20 frets rings out and a real joy to play. And the body as with all precisions feels comfortable against your body.And the bridge is sturdy & well made, & giving the bassist a choice of either string through or topload. And the machine heads turn so smoothly and hold their tuning so well and even they look nice from a design point.
And I really do like the Custom Shop pickups I have tried other P style pickups & these for me personally sound better. I know that Fender as with other companies will always strive to make their products better, but I can't see what could be done to improve the Precision in it's present form. Again these are only my own thoughts, so if there was something to improve what could it be?


I'll agree with you. I like the setup on the Am. Std.'s coming out of the factory. It plays well. Image

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2015 2:03 pm
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I agree, American Std, AVRI and FCSRI have all been outstanding instruments lately. In fact going back through pics it is hard to find a poor one coming across my path since 2010.

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2015 2:37 pm
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affprod wrote:
I agree, American Std, AVRI and FCSRI have all been outstanding instruments lately. In fact going back through pics it is hard to find a poor one coming across my path since 2010.


Last year during my search for "my ideal bass" I stumbled across, various reviews and forum chats regarding how good Fender had made the Precision & Jazz basses over the last few years with the upgrades they had done to them. I wasn't totally convinced so I kept reading as many reviews as I could find many going back years & reviews in bass magazines that I have at home, and it seems that they were all saying the same thing that the Precision & Jazz basses had improved greatly and they have :D .

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2015 7:17 pm
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luckman67 wrote:
affprod wrote:
I agree, American Std, AVRI and FCSRI have all been outstanding instruments lately. In fact going back through pics it is hard to find a poor one coming across my path since 2010.


Last year during my search for "my ideal bass" I stumbled across, various reviews and forum chats regarding how good Fender had made the Precision & Jazz basses over the last few years with the upgrades they had done to them. I wasn't totally convinced so I kept reading as many reviews as I could find many going back years & reviews in bass magazines that I have at home, and it seems that they were all saying the same thing that the Precision & Jazz basses had improved greatly and they have :D .


Yep!

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Last edited by Mr. Nylon on Tue Aug 04, 2015 8:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:42 am
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I'm still INCREDIBLY impressed with my Classic Series 70's Precision I picked up in 2012. I've yet to have to adjust the neck on it, and I've only adjusted saddles due to playing in different bands with various tunings (standard, drop C, etc). Incredibly stable bass, and I get compliments on it every gig. I wish Fender hadn't discontinued this one.

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 2:03 am
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When you make the same product for so many years eventually refinements make it "better." I generally detest overwound pickups and active EQ. The trend has been to more vintage wound pickups and I don't think we will see an active American Standard P-Bass in my lifetime.

Sure today's American Standard has some major improvements over vintage ones, but a 2015 Corvette has refinements over a 1962 Corvette also and yet both are highly desirable. I think today's American Standard Precisions are way more uniform from copy to copy than they were pre-CBS but a really good vintage one is still a great playing and highly desirable bass.

A point could be made that Mexican Standards are better lately also, just not on such a uniformly consistent basis as the American Standards. I found most of the Mex Standards I've demoed the past two years to be very good instruments and a few of them are probably more bass than 95% of players actually need. I think having an American Standard is great if you gig or record a lot or if you just have the excess cash. The Mexican Standard P-Bass is not an instrument I look down upon anymore. It has a place too. Same can be said for the Squiers above the Affinity line.

So the general consensus (not just in this thread but about everywhere) is that Fenders (and many Squiers too) seem to have gotten better over the past ten years. I'm wondering why you don't hear that about some of the other brands? Does anyone think other mainstream pro line bass brands like Gibson or Ibanez or Music Man or G&L are better lately than ten years ago? Would like to hear opinions on that and I think I know the answer already.

I honestly do not know how Fender does it at the price point they manage to do on an American Standard Precision. When you look at the retail price of a P-Bass in 1968 ($239.50) and compare it to the American Standard Precision retail price today ($1,349.99) then today's price sounds more expensive. However today's P-Bass is actually cheaper than in 1968 when the dollars are adjusted for inflation. $239.50 USD in 1968 adjusted for inflation is actually worth $1,642.35 in buying power today. That means somehow today's Fender American Standard caliber Precision is cheaper in terms of dollar value by $292.36 in 2015 dollars, or roughly 18% cheaper adjusted for inflation than it was in 1968. That is a very remarkable thing.


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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 2:10 pm
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I agree with you on the Mexican Fender's and a couple of the Squier's, they have gone from strength to strength. If I hadn't been in the position I was to be able to get my US Precision, I was looking at either the Squier Matt Freeman (in black) or if I had enough a Mexican Standard Precision in Candy Apple Red with a maple neck. And I would have been happy with either of them :) .

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 2:59 pm
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The urethane finish, though very durable, is the only thing keeping me from owning both the American Standard Precision and Jazz basses. I just prefer a thin satin (preferably lacquer) finish, such as on the American Special Honeyburst Nitro Satin model. I bought one last year and it is exactly what I like. If Fender would build a similar Jazz model I'd rush right out to get one.


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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 6:50 am
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Quote:
Does anyone think other mainstream pro line bass brands like Gibson or Ibanez or Music Man or G&L are better lately than ten years ago? Would like to hear opinions on that and I think I know the answer already.


I have two Ibanez SR500s that I purchased when I first moved to FL, out of fear the salt air would ruin my Fenders, especially outdoor venues. I still keep one at my north office in Wisconsin.

A buddy of mine liked mine and so purchased a new one of his own. First, it is not the same instrument, and it is only one instrument, so it is not fair to make this a statement about Ibanez, but his new one is not as nice as my older one. For one thing, it takes longer to dial in the tone you are looking for. It still gets there, but requires more fiddling. The neck fit is not as tight, but the neck style is new at the heel which may have something to do with it. And the body just doesn't seem as dense. Not sure if they changed wood, or if the change in color just makes the mind think it is different.

He still has the bass, and likes it, but he is jokingly always asking if I would trade.

Again, it is only one instrument, so I certainly would not make any big deal out of it, but I thought it might be worthy of contributing.

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 3:14 pm
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I have been playing a MIM Precision with some pickup mods for about 18 years. It has been a solid bass, but I recently picked up an '06 Anniversary P-bass, and I cannot believe the difference. Plays better, looks better, and sounds worlds better. I've played a lot of different basses over the years, but I always come back to my P-Bass.


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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 2:28 am
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Went to the local guitar shops last week & tried the US Precisions they had there, just to see if I wasn't making my bass sound better than it was in my mind. But of the few they had they were all consistent with one another, and some of them were the one's pre custom shop pickup basses.
But each one played well and looked well made and every neck felt good & familiar in my hand, which made me realise that I had made the right decision back in January. :D

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 4:40 pm
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Being a lefty in a small southern town I just have to order blind and hope for the best. My 2012 American Standard Fender Jazz was and is soooooo very much better than my 1976 Fender Precision (of course American as that is all there were back then) that I ordered sight unseen in 1975 and waited almost an entire year to get. Compare that to three day delivery on my Jazz!

There is no doubt what-so-ever that today's American Standard Fenders are leaps-and-bounds better then anything I ever saw or played coming out of C.B.S. Fender/Fullerton, California.

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Post subject: Re: The Ultimate Precision?
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 4:48 am
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American-made Standard Precision Bass is the best, if you ax me. I couldn't even tell you how to improve upon it. Some say the Vintages are better, but I don't know. I'm completely blown away by my MiA :P

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