i'm buying a bass tomorrow, is this one okay?

[cat-eggs]

hi, guys

well let me tell you something.....


i have to get a bass tomorrow because i get like 30% knocked off, but it ends tomorrow and i looked at the basses yesterday but they were closing and i had to leave real quick!!! but i saw one and the guy demonstrated it through a huge amp and eq system and....

i THINK it was called fender precision. not sure. does that sound real?

two hundred fifty nine dollars new. is this a good bass assuming i've got the name right? i would only use it for recording. i'm not a bass player and i don't want to be, i just need it to record with it and i'm looking for reassurance and/or discouragement. like i said, i have to get it tomorrow, so if anybody has some advice or bad news to share i'd be glad to hear it as soon as possible. he also demonstrated a yamaha but it sounded very boring and retarded to me.

thanks, pavos granja

[joro]

If it's an American made P-bass....you can't go wrong....
if it's a mexican P-bass or a Squier....
you could get a better deal....

if it's the real deal....American made...buy it....it would be an investment...

Joe

[bobbo]

I agree with joro. American get it. Is this a used bass or new? Fender precissions sound great recorded I think, and great live.

[cat-eggs]

okay, thanks guys

it's new, but i'm not sure if it's american or foreign... how can you tell? do they say somewhere on them? furthermore, why is american better than foreign?

thanks

[Richard Monroe]

Look on the headstock. It will probably say "made in Mexico".-Richie

[joro]

Originally posted by cat-eggs
okay, thanks guys

it's new, but i'm not sure if it's american or foreign... how can you tell? do they say somewhere on them? furthermore, why is american better than foreign?

thanks

Yeah man...you can tell....look at the headstock...

a Mexican model says "Made in Mexico"...right on the front...
A Squier says Squier....not Fender....

The American made is far superior in the manufacturing process and raw material....older Japanese models (around 1974) are also premium quality products...
Mexican products are inferior in both the quality of the manufacturing process and the raw material or "parts" that are used.....and are assembled by inferior technicians...

now...it doesn't mean that you can't get a good product from Squier or a Mexican made guit but, your chances of having a decent piece of wood improve by going with the tried and true.....

of course...there are some American made Fenders that are lemons too...shit happens.....

You really have to play it to know...
I would take a bass player with you man...
remember...
it will only sound as good as it can with the rest of your equipment...
as you said.... a salesguy demo-ed it through a high end set up....
then it will only sound so good on a high end set up...
play it through a similar set up as you have already......
I am sure they have something similar in the store...

[cat-eggs]

thanks for the info, space honky... that makes sense to me now.

cheap materials / labor / technical skills = cheap guitar.

i actually ended up just getting a cheap squier for 200. it's indonesean. maybe it'll suck, but initial test tracks indicate that it's good enough for me

regards,
paul k.

[Richard Monroe]

You never know, Cat-eggs. I have an Indonesian Epiphone SG that is a pretty good guitar. I've played some Mexican, Korean, Indonesian, and Japanese guitars that were OK (and a bunch that weren't), but I've never played a Chinese guitar that did not suck. I'm still waiting.-Richie

[fldrummer]

When recorded how much of a diffrence is their? I have one made in mexico that I've had for a while just wondering if it's worth it to upgrade to the usa made one.

[gvarko]

I have an older Mexi from 92 and it is rock solid. Sounds great when recorded, although I did replace the stock PU's with EMG's. I would disagree with the earlier statements that all Mexican or foreign guitars are sub-standard. I have owned American and Mexican strats and when they are setup right there is not much difference. You will always get nicer finishes and fret work on higher priced guitars, but is it worth an extra $800?? I certainly don't think so. You will have a better investment in the American, that I agree with. But unless you plan to keep it in a glass case, who cares...

[Resonator]

Originally posted by joro
If it's an American made P-bass....you can't go wrong....
if it's a mexican P-bass or a Squier....
you could get a better deal....

Now, what would be a better deal???

[joro]

Originally posted by Resonator
Now, what would be a better deal???

$189.00 sounds better than $259.00...............ya know?

[87PRS]

I've got a very exspensive instrument to some eyes and I've been playing the thing out since I got it new in '87. Put it in a glass case and look at it, naw I don't think so, and as far as recordings go, you can tell the difference from an old P bass compared to a Jap or Korean or Mexican bass, I've heard the difference on tape of many basses and the tone and sound of a good quality guitar makes alot of difference. The whole instrument is as good as the wood and time put into building it, not to mention the hardware, pickups, neck and detail. If you really think a $189 P bass is equal to a 1967 P bass or $1200 new P bass I'd like to hear some rebuttals here. I'm not saying you can't get some good stage live sounds from a cheap instrument, but for recording and comparison....come on (87 PRS ducks and runs).

[87PRS]

BTW Cat Eggs- Congratulations on getting a new bass!

[joro]

Originally posted by 87PRS
I'm not saying you can't get some good stage live sounds from a cheap instrument, but for recording and comparison....come on (87 PRS ducks and runs).

I agree with you man...... to a point man....
I guess the proof is in the recording.....
click my WWW page and listen to the bass in Blue Ridge Day....
I did that direct into a Mackie with an "SX" Bass (a Fender P-Bass rip-off)...

it was cheap but, it sounds good with the right EQ.......
Like I said...
you can get a decent guit for smaller dollars but, you usualy can't go wrong with a quality made instrument...
I will own a "real" P-bass someday.....once I learn how to play the damn thing....

[87PRS]

Joro, tried to get to your www, wouldn't let me in, signed up but no email, your www on profile comes up error. Come on, I want to hear that SRV blues number you got on there too. Getting to the point is where it's at...check out my www, it's Christian rock, but it's all good.

[joro]

Hi Ralph,
Hey man...I listened to a couple of tunes at your IUMA site...
very cool tunage...I can dig it man...

Soundclick is down right now (nothing unusual....happens all the time...)

Here is another link...
I think there are like 20 or so songs here including those two...
Joe's tunes at IUMA....

Happy New Year man,
Joe

[CMEZ]

First of all, 'older japanese' fender would be more like '84, not '74. In '74, there was no fender japan or anywhere else other than the US.

And, in fact, I have an '86 Jap P-Bass that's a very good instrument. But that was what they call the 'golden age' of jap fenders.

As for getting a P-Bass 30% off, well, whether or not it's Mexican or Jap or American, it's probably still a good deal FOR THE MONEY. It'll be play-able, probably stay in tune to some extent, and give you a representation of the P-Bass sound, which is the most common in all popular music forms.

I'd say go for it.

Chris