Fender 50's Classic P Bass - Any Thoughts?
- Thread starter jimfog
- Start date
the newer fender p's can be a bit inconsistent.
I have an '03 highway one p-bass that I absolutely love to death and its their "low end" series of MIA instruments. I have played a couple american standard p's and they just diddnt feel or play as good as mine does, and mine was almost half the price!
My dad has a 60th anniversary diamondp-bass that SHOULD be a better bass than mine but I still like playing mine better.
So just play a bunch and see what you like the best.
I have an '03 highway one p-bass that I absolutely love to death and its their "low end" series of MIA instruments. I have played a couple american standard p's and they just diddnt feel or play as good as mine does, and mine was almost half the price!
My dad has a 60th anniversary diamondp-bass that SHOULD be a better bass than mine but I still like playing mine better.
So just play a bunch and see what you like the best.
Nice looking bass!! 
The '50s Classic has seemed to be more consistant in build quality than some of the other lines, although Fender has apparently upped the quality control across the whole company (even Squier) in the last year or so.
I'm not a BAII fan at all, especially for a vintage-flavored bass, but if you dig it, that's all that matters. Enjoy!
The '50s Classic has seemed to be more consistant in build quality than some of the other lines, although Fender has apparently upped the quality control across the whole company (even Squier) in the last year or so.
I'm not a BAII fan at all, especially for a vintage-flavored bass, but if you dig it, that's all that matters. Enjoy!
jimfog
Senior Member
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Thanks!
I bought it with the replacement bridge installed, but it came with the original as well.
What don't you like, specifically, about the BA?
- Jim
The look, the weight, and the change in tone (sharper attack, most noticeably) - so pretty much everything about it.
If you like it, that's cool. There are plenty of people who dig the BAII. I'm just not one of them.
Enjoy your new bass
musicofanatic5
Member
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F'me, the cheapo stock bridge goes further to get the dead-ass thud I like in a Peebass. The Baddass product adds "hi-fi", which I am not after.
Anything that looks (and hopefully sounds) like a late fifties Fndr bass is "oke" with me.
The Golden Boy
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You hear a difference with the Badass?
Granted, my only before/after experience with the Badass is on one bass with one bridge- I lost one of the saddle height screws for my bent piece of metal bridge on my Jazz, so I used that as an excuse to "upgrade" to a Badass. Everything says the Badass is a "better" bridge- I didn't hear the difference at all. Over the past 10 years I've swapped the bridge out many times- sometimes putting fresh strings on, sometimes with the same strings... I can't tell a bit of difference- other than that bright chrome block being on there. I don't even notice the extra few ounces of weight.
I've said that the Badass is a fine replacement bridge if you have problems with your existing bridge- screws fall out, pieces crack, won't intonate... something like that. But I don't hear any sort of 'upgrade' to the sound- I fully believe that there are some basses and some bridges that this might make a sonic difference- however I believe there are more people that are willing to throw money at a problem that doesn't really exist (ie 'bent piece of metal' bridge being somehow 'inferior').
Granted, my only before/after experience with the Badass is on one bass with one bridge- I lost one of the saddle height screws for my bent piece of metal bridge on my Jazz, so I used that as an excuse to "upgrade" to a Badass. Everything says the Badass is a "better" bridge- I didn't hear the difference at all. Over the past 10 years I've swapped the bridge out many times- sometimes putting fresh strings on, sometimes with the same strings... I can't tell a bit of difference- other than that bright chrome block being on there. I don't even notice the extra few ounces of weight.
I've said that the Badass is a fine replacement bridge if you have problems with your existing bridge- screws fall out, pieces crack, won't intonate... something like that. But I don't hear any sort of 'upgrade' to the sound- I fully believe that there are some basses and some bridges that this might make a sonic difference- however I believe there are more people that are willing to throw money at a problem that doesn't really exist (ie 'bent piece of metal' bridge being somehow 'inferior').
Bassomatic
Member
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Having owned a Badass II equipped Fender for *many* years, I'd have to agree with Golden that the tonal differences between it and an original Fender bass bridge are minimal to non-existent. You want a bridge that makes a huge difference? Go 2-Tek.
Agree completely with the observation regarding Fender's inconsistency of late. Briefly owned a Highway One P that killed (just not a P guy, at the end of the day). I've played lots of higher end MIA Fenders that sucked, and cheap imports that played great. Sometimes it's a simple matter of a good setup, and sometimes the instruments just seemed flawed.
I will never buy another Fender without playing it first (although I've been very lucky a few times in the past, specifically with a couple of Roscoe Beck fives and the aforementioned Highway One.
Agree completely with the observation regarding Fender's inconsistency of late. Briefly owned a Highway One P that killed (just not a P guy, at the end of the day). I've played lots of higher end MIA Fenders that sucked, and cheap imports that played great. Sometimes it's a simple matter of a good setup, and sometimes the instruments just seemed flawed.
I will never buy another Fender without playing it first (although I've been very lucky a few times in the past, specifically with a couple of Roscoe Beck fives and the aforementioned Highway One.
davess23
Gold Supporting Member
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- 6,709
I'm not really a bassist by training, just a guitar player who doubles on bass, and I recently bought a 50's classic P-bass. Here are my impressions after about 3 months of playing the thing.
First, I'm very pleased with the quality of build and materials in this bass, especially since so many people knock the MIM Fenders. The decision to go with it wasn't made on price, but on whether it played and sounded the way I wanted it to. (Actually I was a little hesitant to buy it because it was MIM, but after playing it for a couple of hours and checking it out carefully I figured I'd be nuts to say no.) I own mostly high-end guitars, and I know better than to go with "almost as good" but this thing passed the test. It's simply a well-made musical instrument.
Second, I don't much like the counter-intuitive reverse nature of the tuners. Not a deal breaker, obviously, but a nuisance.
Third, the neck is a big-ass, wide, traditional P-bass neck. I like it that way, but some may not.
Fourth, the pickup is good, a little hotter maybe than the one on a 70's P-bass that I compared it with, but not all that different. No issues there.
I was told that the finish is heavy on these basses, and maybe it is (haven't dinged it up enough to know, really) but the body seems resonant enough.
I believe the bridge is the same one on the American version. I see no need to swap it out for a Badass, but then again as I said I'm not all that savvy on basses.
First, I'm very pleased with the quality of build and materials in this bass, especially since so many people knock the MIM Fenders. The decision to go with it wasn't made on price, but on whether it played and sounded the way I wanted it to. (Actually I was a little hesitant to buy it because it was MIM, but after playing it for a couple of hours and checking it out carefully I figured I'd be nuts to say no.) I own mostly high-end guitars, and I know better than to go with "almost as good" but this thing passed the test. It's simply a well-made musical instrument.
Second, I don't much like the counter-intuitive reverse nature of the tuners. Not a deal breaker, obviously, but a nuisance.
Third, the neck is a big-ass, wide, traditional P-bass neck. I like it that way, but some may not.
Fourth, the pickup is good, a little hotter maybe than the one on a 70's P-bass that I compared it with, but not all that different. No issues there.
I was told that the finish is heavy on these basses, and maybe it is (haven't dinged it up enough to know, really) but the body seems resonant enough.
I believe the bridge is the same one on the American version. I see no need to swap it out for a Badass, but then again as I said I'm not all that savvy on basses.
