If you want a classic Fender P-Bass sound, the best instrument to use is a Fender P-Bass. I've played copies and other instruments with the P-Bass pickups, yet they still don't sound like the original. It has this certain growl to it went cranked that you'll know when you play it. To me, it's the best when equipped with Fender flatwounds. It is also a very versatile instrument. You can play anything from country to metal and sound good.

Pretty basic set up, which is nice. I like the simplicity of it. I usually tweak my amplifier for tone settings and leave my tone and volume knob wide open anyhow.

If you can play the bass, you can play this instrument. It feels just right to me, although if you have smaller hands you may want to consider a Jazz Bass, since the neck is thinner on those. If you do, it won't have that P-Bass sound, though.

Here's where it gets iffy. When I first got the bass, I thought it was perfect then I really noticed a major problem with it: The fret ends were sharp and protruding. When I slid my hand on the neck, it would cut my hand. This impeded my ability to play it, so I had to get it fixed. I've come to understand that this can be a common problem because of the wood on the neck drying out (especially in the climate where I live,) but this was a huge hassle. I've never encountered this where I previously lived, but I also live in a more humid enviroment. The bridge is not that great, also. I might be able to live with it, but I may upgrade to a Badass bridge in the future. The tuners seem to be fine, so no problems there. The pick ups sound excellent, to me. Of course, sound is relative to one's taste. Another thing I should point out is most instrument that you buy in a shop or online are often not set up correctly. You may have to have this done, but this is not usually a reflection on the instrument itself. Fortunately, the place where I recieved mine must have set it up prior to being sent, so I had no problem with that.

It's about average value. Sometimes you may find something cheaper that you like better. It's really one's own taste. How much do you want to spend?

When I first contacted Fender they just played the blame game with the company I got the bass from. When I contacted the company, they just blamed Fender. It was an issue of how the instrument was stored, apparently. Needless to say, it did not resolve anything and eventually I just took it to a local shop and had it fixed.

In spite of the problem I had, I still love this instrument. Maybe with a bridge modification, it will only get better. I don't regret owning it and enjoy playing it.

Professional Bassist/Musician

Electro-rock

The stock pickups provide warm full bottom, groweling mids and bright highs. No need to switch them out unless your really out for something specific. This bass has an all around "do anything" sound.

Simplicity. One tone, one volume. I can focus on my playing and not fuss over settings on the guitar. The contoured shape is comfortable and the instrument is well balanced. The stock tuning machines are heavy duty and solid. With four on a side alternate tuning (and tuning back) is smooth and easy.

Just strap it on, plug it in and play. Very easy to use.

Not a fan of the stock bridge but it is basic and does the job. The neck joint is tight and the finish is beautiful. Tone pot was a little loose but an easy fix. Mine has a rosewood fretboard on a matt finished maple neck. It plays well up and down the neck. The tuning machines are heavy duty. Not like some of those scrawny little things. I've had tuning pegs strip out before. Not likely that will happen with these bad boys.

Well worth the price at $425. I would have liked to see an upgrade on the bridge though.

Not needing any support is the best kind!

This is a standard quality bass guitar. If all you're needing is quality sound and comfort to play. This baby is ready to go to war! It's look is conservative and classy.

Active Musician

Rock

Mine is a 2006 model with the anniversary medallion on the back of the headstock which I bought used from a guy with way too many basses. He had three of these same models alone. For a passive bass it has a strong output. I am not going to fool with the Quarter-Pounder or any other pickup modification as I've played this same model with the Quarter-Pounder and frankly I like the smoother stock pickup voicing. The other electronics, including the tone control are clean sounding, tight and very linear. My usual set up is to feed my two basses to a Whirlwind Selector A/B switch which feeds an Aphex Bass Exciter that feeds an Aphex Punch Factory compressor that goes either direct to a mixer or to an Ampeg B2RE head or a Peavey Century 200 head depending on what I'm doing and I use different cabs depending on the situation but the usual gig stack is one 2x10 Delta Avatar and one 1x15 Neo Avatar cabs. This bass sounds very professional and you could easily mistake it for a 70's model except for the rosewood fretboard which was an option back then.

Mine was already modified when I got it. The original owner put on a 62 reissue tortoise pickguard. I decided that since the vintage pickguard was already there I would vintage it out cosmetically I put vintage reissue pickup and bridge covers on it when I restrung it. The frets are smooth with no rough edges. Tuners are smooth. The rosewood board looks and feels good. The pickup is nothing special but typical which is what I wanted when I bought it. The bridge is the Fender stock bridge which is just good enough. Surprisingly the strap buttons haven't worked loose yet which seems to be a common complaint on this model, but I'm staying alert for it. I like the gold headstock logo script which looks better than the all-black "Fender" on other Mexican Fenders I've had in the past.

Well it couldn't get much easier to use unless you broke off the tone & volume knobs. It is a tad heavier than my number one player. But it has better balance and settles into a good playing position and stays there. There isn't a lot that can go wrong unless you break a string, which I in fact have already done on this bass. I think the last string I broke was in 1972.

Good and bad here. Fit and finish is outstanding. This one is in white and it was flawless when I got it. Neck pocket really tight. No imperfections in the finish, hardware and everything was tight. F&F alone would be a 10. The electronics are really quiet and the pots are smooth and noiseless while the pickup sounds exactly like a P-bass should, so a 9. The Fender stock bridge is a lightweight but no more so than on any of the other Fenders with the stock bridge design so an 8. Since I've covered the bridge with a vintage style cover it is out of sight and out of mind and I'm not going to worry about it. The ONLY issue is the neck which just doesn't want to adjust right for me. I loaded Thomastik-Infeld IN344 strings on it which are below average tension and yet I can't get it to play as well as my number one. Don't get me wrong, it is playable. It just isn't as buttery as the action is a tad higher. I'm going to get it to a real good tech I know and see what he can do to improve it, so it gets a 5 on the neck since I have to spend money to get a real good luthier/tech to make some adjustments. I figure an average of 7 overall on quality. Instruments vary and yours could be better or worse.

For the money you get a Fender that looks great and sounds predictable without spending a whole bunch of money. I've spent lots more on USA Fender basses that I didn't like as much. If you MUST have a Fender P-bass (and for certain things you need one) this one will do just fine.

I can't comment on Fender support as I bought this one used so it isn't covered. I've never used Fender support even on new instruments and I don't even fill out the warranty cards. By the time I think of it, the 10 day limit is past.

No denying that Fender basses are appealing. The history is there. Lots of top players play Fenders, but most of those top players are playing vintage Fenders which cost more than my car or Custom Shop Fenders that are out of most people's price range. The problem is that Fender isn't mass producing those instruments. They are mass producing instruments that look great but tend to vary wildly in their playability. I've had four USA and Mexican Fender basses over the past two years. I've owned 22 basses or so in all and all but three were Fenders. My opinion now is when I want to buy another Fender I'll buy a Mexican or Japanese because the USA instruments are no longer worth the extra money for an average player in a local band. The Mexican and Japanese instruments are real quality basses. You can customize a Mexican to make it uniquely yours without worrying about messing up the "collector value." Frankly, no Fender basses currently in mass production, including the USA basses, are going to be "investments" as they are turning out so danged many of them. I can no longer justify buying a USA Fender by saying it is an "investment." It is like buying a Lincoln instead of a Ford and calling it it an investment. The Mexican bass has really arrived.

In a band

Old School R&B, Carolina Beach, Classic Rock

just plain amazing and the tone control is magnificent

it does everything that you could want from a bass

Perfect condition from the moment it came throgh my door

worth every penny

Never needed to

Marvelous in black

Band

Punk rock

This bass has a very good sound you can get the deepest of lows,awsome brights and some really nice mids. The pickups don't buzz. I have played P basses before but the minute I plugged mine in it just hit me with sound, this bass has got a nice punch to it. The volume and tone controls were very responsive. You can play just about anything on here.

Very good all around features. I replaced the bridge on this just like I did on my Fender Standard Jazz. I put on a Leo Quan BADASS II bridge. This is just my personal preference nothing is wrong with the standard bridge. I wish it was available with a maple fretboard.

Slight modification done replacing the bridge. One of the easest basses to play. Very playable perfect for pickers.

Very sturdy,finish great, it will last me a long time, if anything breaks(which I doubt)I would replace anything on it to keep playing it.

Would suggest this any picking bass player.

Have not dealt with them.

AWSOME, I get complements on it all the time and no other p bass I've played has as great a set of pickups-one in a milliion.

Hobbyist,Soon to be active musician

Punk,grunge,and bluegass.

good sound, nice to play.Great on highs, though not particularly good on low notes. sounds great in band situations, but a good amp is neccessary for the best sound

not much included with guitar apart from carry case. good use of materials.

very good, finish good, can depend on it, good for "on the road".

good compared to other prices.

no.

ITS A FENDER

rock, jazz,

Sounds great. Sounds like you'd want a bass to sound.

Pfft, has all the features I need.

Simple, yet beautiful.

I've had no issues with mine. Other than the few finger smudges on the finish, of course. :) No complaints, though.

Very low price, comparitively. Great quality for a low-price bass.

I'd say Fender is very reliable, and that we can trust their products. Well, I can. ;)

Looks soo sexy. Hah. Sleek shape, and great selection of colours. What else could you want?

Hobbyist.

Anything.

okay I've always had a thing for Fenders dont ask me what it is but they make some of the most beautiful guitars/basses I've ever laid eyes on, I had never played one, up untill a couple of weeks ago, but I had always been very familliar with the tone of a P-bass, that growl and thumping low end stand out in the crowd, and the single/split coil pickup has a very unique tone in and of it's self

okay it's a bear bones bass, nothing more than what you need, it's simplistic, which I enjoy greatly, you dont need more than one volume and one tone for one pickup, but then people complain beacuse it dosent look like something outta star trek, you dont need more knobs than you can shake a stick at, just bear bones is fine with me

okay another reason I love fenders is beacuse of the C shapped neck, they are the ultimaye gigging bass, so comfortable you could play a four hour gig and really not get to fatuged

okay it's a FENDER 'nuff said, (Amazing guitars/bass comfortable reliable if treated with respect, people who throw they're instruments around and treat them like garbage should be shot)

okay my whole schtic is that I've wanted one from the get, but when I got my pay check from working the state fair, it was just enough for the guiutar and I couldn't affor the shipping ensurance polocy and it would have been my luck that the neck would have wound up breaking durring shipping and I wouldn't have been abel to send it back to get a replace ment, but now I see it here for this price and I'm kicking myself and will be until I get a steady job and can afford to by one

never had to deal with them though I did own a squier Telecustom for a short while before I took it back, (it just didnt sit well with me, "It wasent me")

okay P-basses are world renoun beacuse of guys like Mark Hoppus, who I look up to so mutch, but look it's a bear bones nothing more than you need and it sounds so beautiful, it's my dream bass, when I buy it all I'll need to be complete will be my dream girl, and I'll never be happier

Hobbyist, Active Musician, in a band

punk, metal, punk-metal, hardcore, metalcore, blues

From round tones to hard drive it fills all the spaces required or,when off on an adventure. Incredible action both sending out and coming back. Fender Jazz,accept no substitutes--well, maybe a Precision. I'll stay with the Jazz thank you.

Perfect. Now I have to upgrade amps. Oh, they're Fenders too. Fender stayed faithful when others took the low road of cuting costs to sell more. Features I wish? 2 for 1 sales. Its not parts it's all for one and...well you get it. I wish it had an automatic tuner.

It takes work. Its a relationship. It's confidence; It's in there. Like a woman, shouldn't be TOO easy. You do have to go in and find it'

What?! I would never leave it on the road. Ibanez/active as backup. Astute construction. Theywent for power. It was THE Base. (Could Derrick Jeter steal second BASS)? Heard Fender, played Fender, got fender. Instantly THE Base. (Shoes, fish, beer...Base ale)?

Upper "public" end. Worth every buck and then some.

Haven't had to,. Usual check-ups, new strings, like that.

Wouldn't care if it was paisley. (But, it would get some heavy acrylic). Had four Bases before. Shouldn't count the acoustic. Itmoved right in, took the big office. My bride is the "slide". It's very cooperative--up and down all strings.

Growing, aspiring. Playing 11/2 Years. Showing promise: learningdiscipline, Have some good ideas.

16 Wheeler (R&R),plus ME. Love to play with sitar. Whatever moves me.

out of any bass i've played, this is by far the sweetest sounding one.

It isn't much for features, but it's THE bass it doesn't need any features

it's very durable, i play it in my room which is very small, i've whacked it on many an objects...including the walls and it keeps on rockin'. Only thing about it is on mine the bridge is a bit messed up, mostly due to my friend slappin' and poppin' the strings...it's a precision it's not made for that. If you like that, buy a JAZZ!!! OH and one of the knobs was loose, very elementary to fix...no big beef there.

price and precision, "who'da thunk it?" for soemthin with a down to earth cost, and an awesome sound like that, i'm sure it's the best value out there.

VERY SEXY IT IS!!!! i have one, and i want another. the smooth curves, playability, balance. It's better than that super model you want, cause this thing is in your league!!!

Classic Rock, Alternative, Punk, Rock,

I believe it has a very nice sound.....if you give it more treble....it gives a nice treble sound....give it more bass and it comes out with a good deep resonant bass sound....overall it works well

i play the bass in our high school jazz band and the one i use is like 25 years old and it is still in tip top shape.....if that doesnt show quality make...i dont know what does....

i think this is very well worth it.....it is spectacular quality for not that much money....compared to others who are good quality but cost 1000 bucks or more....

Rock and Alternative

It gives you that wonderful throbbing grungy sound! Play loud enough and your heart skips a beat! You don't just play it, all your emotions flow through a wall of intensity....what a gorgeous, dark and rich sound.....Mmmmmm P-Bass...!!!

Seems like it will go on forever ( touch wood!! )

Definately value for money

If you treat ya bass right, it will treat you right!

Punk band

the sound of this bass is perfect. the bass sounds good playing any type of music from jazz to metal.

this is the downside not many features but all you need to sound good is included.

2 knobs 1/volume 2/tone

its a great quality instrument for the price. very solid.

expensive but really worth it overall

never needed them

modern and very sweet i have a 2003 blue/green sea foam color its sweet in this custom color.

high school jazz band student

jazz,rock,metel,alternative

The sound on this bass is great. With my Gallien Krueger bass amp its even better.

When you buy this bass buy dunlup strplocks. After about 6 months or so the strapbottons on this bass will not tighten. other than that its very well made.

well ,You etheir dont know how to play bass or you dont.

Vey well made, only real problem was that strapbotton thing. Will by anthor one if stolen.

This bass will last me decades a must buy for anybody who like the ramones

Best sevirce is if u dont need any.

I wanted this bass when a learned that Dee Dee Ramone used it. Only wish fender sold mid to late 70's reisues.

Active Musician

Punk rock

The sound was alright. It sounded quite different than my ibanez on my fender bassman, with the same stettings.

the stregnth to this bass is the features, or lack thereof. the simplicity of the bass makes it a great all around bass. and it has besome an american legend.

again, simple. you cant go wrong with simple.

this is where my problem is. My bass has spent more time broken or in the shop, than in my house or my hands. The pickups are garbage. a month within me buying it, brand new, the pickups were shot. i hat to get them replaced.then the (original) electronics went. Later my neck wouldn't adjust correctly, i even took it into a professional, and still, it took almost a month to get right. Fender refused to pay for the pickups telling me it was my fault. when at the time it was sitting in my (hardshell) case for 25 days out of the month.

instrument itself is decent. but electronics are garbage. prepare to buy new pickups.

again, told me the pickups were my problem, refused to pay. customer service leaves me hanging.

very appealing. simple, clean. legendary.

Active Musician

Alternative, Metal, Blues, Jazz, Punk, Hardcore.

i love the sound of this bass. classic p-bass sound. I dont have a very high-end amp, but it still gives a great tone through it

this bass has an alder body, maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. i dont know how different wood would effect the sound, but it sounds great as it is.im a simple guy, so i love just the two knobs.

first day i had it, i was able to play extremely easily

this bass is perfect. I bought it used, and there was still nothing wrong with it. no blemishes, nothing. the fret ends wernt sharp at all. the one thing i can comment on is the fact that the knobs fall off easily, but i like the look of it without the knobs better anyways.

the best bass you could ever buy with this price tag

beginner

alternative, funk

the sound works well for me. coupled with my Galien-Kruger Amp, it's got a nice aggressive bite. I'm also a big fan of Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) and Mike Dirnt (Green Day) who play Fender P's.

I've had several issues with this bass in the first year of owning it. First, there's a bad ground somewhere in the electronics which causes it to buzz. I've taken it to the shop twice to fix this, but they haven't been able to. Second, after a long night of playing, the bridge pieces that support the strings worked all the down the screw, causing the strings to 'fret out' constantly. it was unplayable until my repair-guy set it up (again) and put some 'lock-tite' on the screws. Third, the tone knob just fell off. It's just a simple screw that holds it on. It was easy enough to fix, but obviously a poor design. i'm lucky i didn't lose the knob in a dark bar.

i can't complain too much, because i got a pretty good deal on this. it was on clearance. by buying an amp and a case also, i was able to talk the guy down to $300 for the bass.

i have the black and white version. i like the design. it's an attractive instrument.

active musician

rock, punk, metal

This magnificent bass sounds like a bass should sound. Its pretty much the perfect example. If you need punch, crank the tone. Its pretty much one of my favorite basses ever.

The one thing i dont like about this bass is the fact that it doesnt have very many feaures. But hey, if you want a crap load of knobs, buy a Jaguar bass, or a jazz bass.

It may just be me, but my preference sound is pretty easy to get from this sucker. This is a pretty easy bass to handle.

This cant be any more well put together. But, there is a lot of downfalls in the quality area. My bass came with an extra hole where the thing that holds the strap on goes, and the other one just fell off. Other than those, its a exceptional quality bass.

This works for the price.

I'll never know.

Not too simple, not too complex. I like the sunburst.

5 year musician

Punk, Jazz, Funk, Rock

this bass has a real nice sound. i put new strings on it and it sound really nice. sounds like some expensive bass.

lots of quality for the money.

best bass ever for price

nothing but still good

great quality

worth it

real nice easy to comunicate with

beaytiful in artic white