5 Precision Basses, 5 Prices: What's the Difference? | Reverb 

Whats the difference between a $300 P-bass and a $5k P-bass? $4700

I like the 5 price point idea hope it’s a series

After listening to this very carefully, I can confirm that these are, in fact, all basses.

really appreciate you playing the same riffs throughout. Makes it a lot easier to differentiate between tones

Tone Comparison: 1:43 Squier Vintage Modified P-Bass 3:53 Fender Mexican P-Bass 5:54 Fender American Performer P-Bass 8:07 Fender Custom Shop P-Bass 10:00 Fender '50-'70 Vintage P-Bass

Lads, as someone who's played bass for most of their life, you stop paying for sound quality at around £600-£800, even basses as low as £500 can sound as good as the top tier ones. With Fender P-Basses, and any basses or guitars for that matter, what you're paying all that extra cash for is playability, aesthetics, durability and/or, of course, when/where it's made. (Which, granted, can add more money than is usually worth, but it is nice to know that your guitar was made in a country that actually guarantees workers a fair wage) That Squier P-Bass might sound pretty great, but can you confidently say it looks just as pretty as that American Performer? I guarantee you it doesn't play as well either. My first bass was a squier mustang, and playing it back to back with my Performer P-Bass is like night and day. The neck is smoother, the frets are much more neatly fitted and don't buzz anywhere near as much. It's lighter and feels incredibly solid, whereas I have to be very careful with my Squier, as there are still things that become loose that shouldn't. Restringing that thing was a nightmare. The Fender is also balanced so much better than the Squier, despite being a short-scale that Squier has a fair bit of neck-dive. When it comes to when it's made, that's for collectors. They like to own a piece of history, and a huge portion of these people will pay a large amount of money to do so. These basses are rare, finite, and will never be made or weathered the same way again by a bass made in 2020. Keep in mind, as well, most of these basses aren't sold by Fender themselves, they're sold by other collectors and shops second-hand, so you can't even blame Fender for this one. Are any of these dealbreakers for the Squier? No, of course not, especially not to a beginner, and not to the many professionals I know who use them both outside and inside the studio (I have a mate who swears by his Squier Jazz Bass - he says there's something he feels with it that just makes him play better than more expensive models). Those basses are still, for the most part, well-made, nice-looking and comfortable instruments. It's still a Squier, after all, and they've been doing this for a long long time. But if you have the money to spend on a mexican or american fender, you will be paying for a much sturdier, nicer feeling and ever so slightly nicer sounding instrument. (Of course, some of this can be subjective as well. The best thing to do is to play each instrument available to you within your budget, and make a decision based on individual preference. What looks best to you, feels best to you and sounds best to you should all come first, within your budget.) TL;DR No, these basses aren't all the same, they'll all *feel* and play differently to one another, regardless of how similar they sound.

Everyone: they all sound the same Me: ooh maple neck looks nice

Depends on: 1- the player 2- practice time 3- the comfort of the neck/overall bass for the player, weight of the bass, balance, width at nut, stays in tune 4- did you find a good bass in the series? easier to find a prize paying more $$$, but they exist at lower levels too. Plenty of expensive dogs out there too. 5- sounds great at home, what happens when the whole band fires up? does it get lost? many times it does 6- preamp/amp 7- venue/PA system less important: 1- what you paid 2- brand name 3- color/finish Vintage is a personal preference. Relic or no is a personal preference. Used or new is a personal preference. Fretboard is a personal preference. I went through 5 used MIM Fender basses and finally found one I love, but it took a while of playing them to figure it out. I bought a used American P that I also love, but is a very different animal. Trial and error, time spent using the bass, and remember that your tastes will typically evolve. Watched some guys tearing it up in a bar in Austin a few years back and went up to give them the thumbs up between sets... and 2 guys were playing Squiers! They were unbelievable! An eye-opener for me. Just my opinion!

I've been playing Fender P basses for almost five decades. I've had and tried them all. In my lonely opinion 1974 to 1978 P basses were perfect, probably because I was so used to them. Earlier models where too heavy or too C shaped neck for my taste. Besides, 90's Japanese models are very good also. Not too good experiences with the mexicans, except the Anniversary series with ash body. The around 2010 Am. Std. P Bass with graphite reinforcemente neck is interesting, more like a piano sound, a different instrument. And finally I agree with another comment here by Iptomtom: The Squier Classic Vibe P Bass is one of the best instruments Fender made lately. Excuse my english, I'm from Argentina, in the deep south.

Loving that lick you were playing when you “rolled the tone off”

Alternate title: The cheapest P-bass you can get sounds exactly like a '58 Precision.

SOUND SAMPLES Tone on ----------------- Squire: 1:43 Mexican 3:53 American Pro 5:53 Relic 8:06 '58 9:59 Tone off ---------------- Squire 2:23 Mexican 4:28 American Pro 6:31 Relic 8:40 '58 10:36 Jazz pickup --------------------- Squire 2:53 American Pro 6:57

I played a 62 P Bass for nigh on 40 years which was my dream bass. I defretted it myself, didn't bother filling the fret slots and played it as a fretless for a while before having it refretted---I just didn't know any better!

I bought a PBass Player Series (maple fingerboard). I'm very happy, Great bass.

Best value for quality: Japanese Fenders. When the first batch of Japanese Fender copies came over, the luthiers at Fender were literally shocked at how well the were made, and how true to vintage spec they were. That's why they cut a deal to put the Fender name on em. I have a Japanese PB70 Fender p-bass. It plays and sounds great, and the craftsmanship is superb. They're going up in value, because words been out for years now, but you can still score them for around the cost of a new Mexican one, just have to keep your eyes open.

Let's see the telecaster version of this. My first electric guitar is a squier telecaster and it's still kicking.

I bought my MIM P 26 years ago for what the Squier stuff costs today. The best thing I did for it was replace the bridge followed by replacing the pickups a couple of times because... reasons. Thousands of hours on this instrument and it plays as well today as it did when I slapped cash down on the counter of the local music store. The player series today is a great value just like mine was then. Everybody else says "get a good amp" and they aren't wrong - 200w min with a headphone jack so you can practice at night.

When I was first starting off as a bass player, I bought a Squier P-Bass that looked almost exactly like the Mexican Fender that Jake plays in this video. I knew almost nothing about making adjustments to the bridge or the action, so the sound and playability of it certainly could have been adjusted, but it had some clear limitations. Around that time, an older gentleman I knew lent me his late-1960's model American Fender P-Bass for a gig, and while the sound of it was overall an improvement over mine, the playability of it was astronomically better. It was like going from Steak-Ums to chateaubriand. So, I mean, ultimately a car is a car, but the experience of driving it can vary widely for the driver depending on what they pay for.

I started on a p-bass and its a good way to start, but from experience the pj bass is the most flexible and nice sounding to me, and the cheap squier models do nicely. although everyone has a specific style and i recommend to try every type of bass you can before settling, pj just happens to be mine.

I gotta say, that custom shop bass brings the heat. The only thing I'd change is putting a good set of flatwounds on it! Nice video. Wouldn't mind seeing more of these.

gotta be honest i don't see a damn thing wrong with the squier. put whatever pickups you want in it, and you never have to worry about anything except your ego!!!

i mean the squire/first bass you showed blew my mind. that is pretty much the EXACT tone i’m going for right now. can’t wait to see the higher end stuff. (do more of these) after watching. The squire and custom shop are the ones that stand out to me. Great video btw make more.

Great video I have been thinking of buying my first bass and this video helped a lot!

Great vid for a newbie over here like me that has no idea about bass but is looking to buy and learn. Thank you!

Left out Fender Japan, which are some of my favorites. Thanks for the demos.

I'm actually impressed with the Squire. I was thinking about getting a Mexican P but this video has me reconsidering. It sounded really good and I like how you get the extra J pickup like on the American one.

Buy a cheap bass and spend the extra cash on a good amp and teacher to sound good

Good day, the one thing you missed on all the bass's is the nut size. Very important to us viewers, thanks.

Skipped over the Squier CV series, which is one of the best things Fender does IMO

You missed the best one: The American Professional (about $1500). Probably the greatest best I've ever played , vintage or new.

I'm touring with two Squier CV '60 P-Basses made in China. Great tone, solid hardware, very reliable. Excellent value for money!

I have 2 Squier P basses and they are both fantastic instuments.

That face after giving dem puns at the end

0:17 It was one of the first electric basses: it was the first commercially-successful electric bass full stop, given that the Tutmarc basses never seem to have caught on.

Long time P-Bass owner since the late '60s. Rosewood fret board, love the split pups. I also have a Fender Professional Jazz Bass (2019 model). Use flats on both. Both are great but my ear prefers the tonality of the P bass. It is all personal preference and what fits in your budget. Buy used to make the money go further IMHO.

I have a '63 replica with Seymour Duncan quarter pounders and Rotosound 88 wrapped strings. It gives me an old blues and Jamerson Motown sound that can't be beaten.

Please keep doing the 5 price points!

I do not hear anything different, except the jb pickup in the squier.

Sound quality is one thing that can be easily reproduced with just about any pickup if you're running through a preamp. Once you play one of the upper tiers for awhile, you will end up turning all your budgets into modders, which is fine, because that's fun. There is a significant difference in feel, playability, sustain going from a Squier to an American Performer, which is about as good as it gets for a passive Fender. Anything beyond that will have enhanced electronics and custom cosmetics. All that said, the Squier Classic Vibes are really nice out of the box and look no further for your first guitar, imho. To each their own, of course.

Excellent review of the Fender line. It’s nice to see someone play the bass on the strings that count instead of showing of their chops in the dusty area.

So glad you brought up the Squier, I've had one for 3 years and gig with it moderately. Really dependable and got it for 200 bucks, though don't go under that or you end up in buzz city

Good video idea, but you only payed the Squier over the bridge pickup so it sounds thin. You need to play over the split pickup to get the full voice. The P bass is so wonderfully simple the player has a bigger impact on the tone of the instrument. Higher cost P basses feel better; rolled edges, fret work, body weight, balance, finish. But they don't really sound better. If you are starting out, the Squier VM P bass will serve you well. Spend the rest of what you can on quality amp and a professional guitar setup.

loove it thanx i really appreciate you played the same thing on the different basses

Excellent playing. You do the instruments justice.

“We didn’t get a chance to cover all of our bases...” [dramatic pause] I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, JAKE.

is he playing a particular song, interested in finding out what they are

Awesome discussion thanks for putting this together!

I got one Player Series P-Bass but change it’s neck to a Jazz style; thought the P neck was way to thick. I’m in love with that bass now.

Honestly, P-basses are the best basses for getting away with the cheaper deal. While there might be some difference in sound between the P-bass pickup on a Classic Vibe Squier vs a Custom Shop Fender, the difference is so hard to notice in the mix that it doesn't really matter. All that matters is the feel and the appearance. There's not really any need to spend more than $1500 for your ideal P-bass

Sounds like he’s playing “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”

excellent demos !

There are a lot of used Fender Japan Precision Basses for a good price on reverb, got one for cheap and its great

Absolutely true, I've played well set up Harley Bentons that sound and play well.....Emperors Clothes syndrome.

10:59 young Erlich Bachman (if he played bass) (....maybe he did?)

Nice walking Jazz style playing, especially at the very end w the tone rolled off. Kind of reminds me of a Gibson EB0 bass.

Jesus the one in the end sounds fucking killer, amazing, light years apart from the others with that natural sounding high end. For every other I'd go with anyone, even the cheap squier (with a good amp + player), hell I'd record with 'em.

The first commercially successful electric bass. The definition of electric bass. Thank you Leo.

The Costume Shop look and sounds great.

Squier’s vintage series pickup are a really good quality, I’ll put those up against Fenders standard or Yosemite pickups, in my opinion

I like P Basses, but I have to say that the PJ tones added are pretty cool to hear/have...... Thanks for cool Bass video Reverb Team!

From many years of experience, I can tell you, The Real Key to Great Playability/P.Bass tone, (and ANY Guitar for that matter) you can imagine... *...know, & Make Friends with as Many Guitar Techs/Luthiers as possible!*

Low E bend WITH YOUR PINKY?!? Nice playing Jake! Now I gotta go practice....

I've always gone for the MIM basses. Not too expensive and always sound great, though the playability can be a bit naff. But shop around and find yourself a good one.

I have a Mexican Precision Special I bought new in 1999 (P J pickups, originally active, now passive) and it just feels 'right' to me. I bought a USA special a few years back under the illusion that spending more would mean getting a better guitar, but I never got on with it, it had a dead spot on the fifth fret of the E string, plus a very muddled-sounding open E - I sold it. I think the answer is to find what you like and then practice, and then practice some more! Almost all of the tone you could possible want comes from your choice of strings (I love flats) and your own fingers (attack, timing, muting, bends, etc, etc.)

I can hear the difference even on tiny computer speakers. I've been playing for 25 years. What newbies don't understand is that cheap instruments don't play the same as nicer ones. It's like in Harry Potter where they talk about certain wands resisting the wizard. It isn't just about sound but also feel, and an instrument that feels good inspires you in ways a cheap one can't.

My Classic 50's P Bass sounds exactly like the relic or the '58 one and it was 800$ new :)

I own 2 Fender P Basses and am nothing but pleased! The tone is AMAZING and the quality of a Fender can’t be beat🔥🤘 P.S. the time knobs actually work - one of the biggest +s in the business :)

Regarding the comment in the beginning about older Squiers, the Squier Precision Special Standard basses have the PJ layout and predate the VM line. Dirt cheap and very good for the money.

That first Squire Vintage model, the red one, sounded absolutely perfect

Skip fast between 2:23 and 10:36, is the huuuughe price difference worth it?

Jake is the reason I keep coming back to Reverb. Great tone, man!

super helpful - thank you!

I'm going to start saying "agathis" the way he does. It makes it sound like my guitar is comprised of dark matter.

9:52 haha "vintageginstruments"

"Roll the tone off" just rolled off his tongue... smooth

Hey quick question. I play a 4 string elite pbass, and would like to play different kinds of music. If I tune it down from standard tuning to drop d often will it affect the neck?

Difference is the price

Custom Shop Precision sounds best.

Well done with this review

what is the black plastic piece i see on the pickguard? is it a finger placement? Is it a grounding screw for less hum?

Don’t bother with the expensive vintage. It’s a trophy only.

The sound to cost difference just doesn't add up, bros.

Great Video, very informative! Im a beginner/intermediate and I own a Classic Vibe Squier, the Fender Special Run series. I think its the best for the money. It comes with a hi mass bridge, better tuning heads and I believe the same pickup thats on the Player Series. What is that 6/8 bass line you played on the 1st bass (squier P/J)? Its the 1st bass line you played! Thanks!

a red squier like that, the PJ config and all, is available second hand in my local trade in store. You know I'm going to pick it up asap

Give J Jamerson a Squire, and you'll get groovin. O yea. Give him that '58 P-Bass, and then, this video is rated XXX omg ears can't handle

Almost everybody that I know that has a squire or a less expensive bass does the same thing.. UPGRADES them to make them more playable. I get it.. Value is perceived.. but I dont get any of these comments about how a more expensive bass is not better. Your justifying it because you dont have the coin.. Stop hating, enjoy what you have but understand that there is better out there. The price is higher for a reason.

Great review. There are some custom builders of P basses that produce outstanding work, like Nash and Kallas. For less than a custom actually. I also read quite a few reviews that some of the Road Worns were right up there with the custom shops, also for a lot less money. Of course as always each bass guitar has it's own life and vibe. I tried over 20 Sandberg basses to find "the one" (Although their quality is so high that there could have been five). There are lots of choices and that's a good thing. On the low end the CV 60's Squire is also highly rated when you spend a few weeks reading on all the forums.

Picked up a used Vintera P-Bass last year for about 50% less than a new one and love the feel and tone - undecided on the anodized pickguard though...

I get where Jacob is coming from, but I have to take umbrage with a few things that inexperienced buyers should be aware of. First... No, Squier doesn't get a bad rap, but has an excellent reputation- even with professional bass players and sometimes even*better* than some of *today's* Mexican models! Look carefully at the red Squier... It has a heavy bridge, not on the MIM (only put on Fender's more expensive basses) and has a ROSEWOOD fingerboard, rather than the low grade Pau Ferro Fingerboard ont the Mexican. The pickups on the Squier may or may not be better than the MIM, but a pickup swap is cheap, especially if you can find top quality used pups. I have a 2011 Squier VM Jazz bass and with new pups and with the Aguilar pickups I installed- AND THE RIGHT STRINGS sounds as good as any $2000 bass in Fender's lineup. As for the new American series... beware that they changed the necks to a *MODIFIED* C neck. Not for everyone as it can displace the thumb and may be uncomfortable (as that neck is in my hands). Additionally MIM basses were MUCH better back in 2010 and 2011. I've got a MIM Jazz 5 which is as good or better as the American Professiona. With a 3rd party pre-amp I'll take my 2010 MIM over an American Elite any day of the week. Lastly, STRINGS make all the difference. If you want the tight sound that you heard in the American basses, all you need is a string swap. D'Addario NYXL's or DR Sunbeams or HiBeams or LaBella Stainless Steel strings (or gauge changes) can get you there. Should you buy an expensive bass? Why not? But just know you can get there for exponentially less money. A lot of what you get from more expensive basses is ego enlargement rather than improved sound or playability- if you're willing to invest a few dollars in strategic upgrades like fret level/crown and setup, pickups and strings. You can add a great active system (drop in) for around $100 and you'd have to spend $2000 more to best that silly "low end" Squier.

Lordy, I hate to say it but the 1st Mexican sounded the best:) There wasn't 2 cents difference in the rest:)

all my 3 current basses are p basses. first up is a fender p bass replica. decent bass. not much known about this one. second up is my vintage Fender 1978 precision. my dad bought it in san Francisco in the 80's. best bass I've ever played. personal opinion (ties in with third bass) is that the neck is a bit too thick to my liking. and third is a Fender Japan 1986 jazz bass special pj555. I. Love. this. Bass. it's olive green. no pick guard. black headstock. this one i bought 7 years ago. love it to bits.

I have a question , I want a Classic P-Bass Sound ,differant Models such as Boxer series P-Bass to the Players Series , are they all the same P-Bass Pickups to give the Classic Sound ? , I don't know wich model to get ..thanks everyone.

That Pau Ferro fretboard on the MIM is so gross looking.

This guy looks like half the age he sounds like when he talks.

excellent playing and tone

I went with a used MIM P-Bass, installed new capacitor, Fender American Vintage 63 pickups, new pots and jack, high mass bridge and professional setup. All for less than a new American P-bass. Cookie Monster :)

Damn, blindfolded I’m having a hard time distinguishing between the cheapest and most expensive.

If you want to compare P basses, please take five damn classic one split pickup P basses. . .

I got that vm squier. It's a great bass for the price. Cant go wrong with it if you're on a budget, or want something to mod out

I spent the extra money getting an American P-Bass a few years ago. Worth every penny.