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What P? (decided on MJT!)

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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7731
    edited February 2020
    Could look out for a Mark Hoppus signature ff you want a narrow neck
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  • When back in uk.Try as many as you can. Make notes if you can. Try some outside your budget incase you can find them used.

    What's importing by mail order like if you can't find what you fancy locally.
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26749
    edited February 2020
    When back in uk.Try as many as you can. Make notes if you can. Try some outside your budget incase you can find them used.

    What's importing by mail order like if you can't find what you fancy locally.
    Yeah, good plan if I can get an afternoon free from family I honestly don't think the neck size will bother me hugely, but if I can check that quickly in PMT Norwich then order exactly the right thing to be shipped after a bit more research that's ideal.

    Importing is easy - I’ve only had a guitar come in once and that was used via Reverb, but had a whole drum kit from Andertons last summer and have used Coda, Gear4music and Thomann for big stuff in the past too. Never cheap on shipping, but I don’t pay the 20% VAT that I would in the UK, so it usually works out similar enough to UK pricing overall. If I can get an idea of roughly what neck I like I’m usually happier mail ordering than bringing things back on planes.

    The only issue is knowing what you want. Actually the main thing I didn't like with the LP Custom I got off Reverb was the hilariously large neck. It sounded epic, but I couldn't get used to it. 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23925
    45mm for a 4 string is stupid.
    Many 4 strings are 45mm. The Ray 5 string is 44.5mm

    There is just no need / benefit for 45mm on a 4 string at that end of the neck. Unless you've got meathooks for hands it gets tiring very quickly.

    The old Fender Urge 2 Stu Hamm sig model is quite understated but has a full set of J and P pickups. It's incredibly versatile and has a really comfy asymmetric neck with a 40mm nut - between Jazz and P sizes. The switching means you can just use the P, just the Js (with a balance still) or all 3 at once. It will get every tone a P or a J will get.

    They really are excellent and come up cheaper than many others.
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    A nut width of 44 or 45mm (properly, 1¾ inches) yields a string spacing of 10mm centre to centre. This dimension is derived from the contrabass. 
    Be seeing you.
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  • jpfampsjpfamps Frets: 2723


    I've mellowed over the years tbh.. I quite like the 70's P profile and I don't mind a wider jazz profile these days either.

    Can't stand lacquered boards tho :)
    I don't mind the lacquered boards; my P-bass in a '74 maple board.

    I'm aiming to get a friend of mine to assemble a 55/56 style P-bass later in the year (when the weather is better for spraying).

    I find Jazz basses very hard work.

    In my opinion you need a very good reason not to have a P-bass.
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  • jpfamps said:


    I've mellowed over the years tbh.. I quite like the 70's P profile and I don't mind a wider jazz profile these days either.

    Can't stand lacquered boards tho :)
    I don't mind the lacquered boards; my P-bass in a '74 maple board.

    I'm aiming to get a friend of mine to assemble a 55/56 style P-bass later in the year (when the weather is better for spraying).

    I find Jazz basses very hard work.

    In my opinion you need a very good reason not to have a P-bass.
    This is where I am right now. I don't play bass that much and I'd like to a lot more. My current jazz is fine but literally 90% of all the music I have ever loved has had a Precision on it, so it's a no-brainer. My only questions are the neck size and how much I have to spend to get an overall fti & finish (and colour..) that doesn't make me itch.

    I'm also not against an MJT (or similar) - I've done plenty of kit building in the past so if I can work out what I want it might be a cost effective way of getting something really nice and "vibey"
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26749
    edited February 2020
    Has anyone got any experience of Nash basses? They look really good and have a middling nut width which I'm pretty sure I'd like. Their guitars I've played have sounded good but had square-edged fretboards, but I'm happy rolling my own rosewood if needed, so if they're otherwise good it could be a good option? 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    edited February 2020
    a middling nut width
    You just described the Squier Vintage Modified P Bass. (Well, the PJ version before they changed the headstock decal and renamed the series Classic Vibe.)

    Neck width at nut = 40mm, whereas the VM/CV Jazz is 38mm. The Chris Aiken signature bass is also 40mm.



    fancying a proper P bass ... not looking to emulate Billy Sheehan
    There is a way to do both.

    Track down a pre-owned Yamaha Attitude Plus or Standard. Upgrade the bridge, the pickups and electronics. I was going to include the Attitude Special on my list but the prices on these are getting insane. 

    then there’s the other bit of me that thinks “fuck it, buy a Rick”.
    The Attitude Standard Bass employs a three-way lever selector switch and is routed for P and J sized pickups. IMO, that makes it an ideal host for the Oil City Hardman and Overkill pickups.



    Be seeing you.
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  • a middling nut width
    You just described the Squier Vintage Modified P Bass. (Well, the PJ version before they changed the headstock decal and renamed the series Classic Vibe.)

    Neck width at nut = 40mm, whereas the VM/CV Jazz is 38mm. The Chris Aiken signature bass is also 40mm.



    fancying a proper P bass ... not looking to emulate Billy Sheehan
    There is a way to do both.

    Track down a pre-owned Yamaha Attitude Plus or Standard. Upgrade the bridge, the pickups and electronics. I was going to include the Attitude Special on my list but the prices on these are getting insane. 

    then there’s the other bit of me that thinks “fuck it, buy a Rick”.
    The Attitude Standard Bass employs a three-way lever selector switch and is routed for P and J sized pickups. IMO, that makes it an ideal host for the Oil City Hardman and Overkill pickups.


    Ta. No intention of something that does both, I just want a P with all the restrictions that entails.

    Im pretty sure I like the 40-41mm thing in theory, but happy to spend more than Squier money if I can get confident on neck sizes, and I like nitro if I can get it, so stuff like the Nate Mendel or Nash models with that sort of nut width are currently top of the list.
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • PMT Norwich today. Tried an American Pro P with a comfy C neck and 41.3mm nut width. I could be very happy with that sort of profile. 

    I also picked up a Ricky 4003S, which is 43mm apparently, but a flatter D shaped profile. If it hadn’t been 3k with maple fretboard and fire engine red finish I’d have been very tempted!

    Both were honestly very comfortable, which leads me to worry much less than I previously had about neck size, as long as everything else ticks the relevant boxes and is set up properly. Still keen to avoid 44mm+ just as it isn’t necessary, but otherwise it’s game on :)
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23925
    Still try a Sandberg.
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  • Still try a Sandberg.
    I will if I can find one. Not sure how easy that will be given my geography!
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23925
    Good point!

    I've been blown away by them.
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  • The Nate Mendel signature p bass has a slimmed down neck. Might be worth a try.
    The Swamp City Shakers
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  • So today I got my hands around a Vintera series 50’s Precision. Lovely instrument and not too heavy but the neck was too wide at 44.5mm and no rolled edges. 

    So I’m clear on 43mm being ok as long as the rest is ok, which means most things are potential options. 

    The fly in the ointment is I’m now slightly obsessing about Rickenbackers and listened to Rubber Soul yesterday which didn’t help in that regard... I’m quite sure the correct answer is “Why not both?!” but there is still an initial question of “which one first”
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    listened to Rubber Soul yesterday 
    A fair proportion of that is the Höfner.
    Be seeing you.
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  • listened to Rubber Soul yesterday 
    A fair proportion of that is the Höfner.
    Yeah, but a lot of the good stuff and most of Revolver was a 4001

    I’m sure I’d be quite happy with a little Hofner eventually as well!
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23925
    listened to Rubber Soul yesterday 
    A fair proportion of that is the Höfner.
    Yeah, but a lot of the good stuff and most of Revolver was a 4001

    I’m sure I’d be quite happy with a little Hofner eventually as well!



    You are coming over to the dark side!

    Now get yourself this and learn some proper stuff from the master

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1495052923/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    I wish that there were a similar book about David Hood.
    Be seeing you.
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