Vintage Fender Bass Necks Fender P bass special or J bass vintage modified?
If the musicians of Yahoo! Answers had to pick one of the two, which one would it be, and why?
I'm asking this because I'm looking to get one of them as a starter bass (the Squier version, yes I know they're pretty bad, but I have to start somewhere).
I've heard great things about the vintage, awesome pickups, great neck finish, not so great fretwire. What about the P/J pickup configuration of the P bass special, is it any better or more versatile than the already famous versatility of the J bass?
For a beginner, it's all about playability. If you can, try them both out and just go for the one that you feel the most comfortable on.
As for versatility, any PJ bass will give you a better range than a P because it's basically the same but with an extra pickup. In my opinion, a PJ versus a Jazz will offer even versatility but each extending into different areas. The PJ will be better for smooth, bass heavy stuff while the Jazz is your best choice for brilliance and attack.
Being a Jazz owner myself, I'll give you a biased recommendation to go with a Jazz. I have actually played a PJ Squier recently and it did not impress me much. But like I said before, go for personal preference.
Fender Road Worn 60s Jazz Bass Rosewod Neck 3-Tone Sunburst
The USA-made Fender Highway One Stratocaster is located between Fender's American Standard and the Made-in-Mexico Standard series. Rather than just being a "budget" American-made guitar, the Highway One Stratocaster has a vibe all its own.
The Highway One Stratocaster we examined came in a Flat Black finish. One of the cost-cutting steps of this series is Fender's choice of a light nitro satin finish. It's a personal preference, but we liked it, and the light finish will surely allow the alder body to breathe better over time.
The guitar features a large 70's style headstock with big frets, a vintage-style tremolo bridge, C-shaped maple neck (with choice of rosewood or maple fingerboard), 3 single-coil pickups with Alnico 3 magnets, and a special "Greasebucket" tone circuit. The guitar also ships with a gig-bag rather than the SKB hardshell case that comes with the Fender American series.
Upon playing the Highway One Stratocaster, it becomes immediately clear that the guitar is a quality, USA-made six string, even if it's got some major differences that set it apart from the American Standard series. As we've already stated, we dug the nitro finish and value the result it has on the guitar's tone (yes, finish does affect tone). Individual notes and chords just seemed to resonate better than with glossy finishes.
We decidedly loved the pickups, which had a little more "punch" and dirt than American Standard pickups do. We especially dug the Greasebucket circuit, allowing you to diminish the highs without simultaneously increasing the bass. This instrument is especially suited for blues and classic rock tones.
The neck might not be for everyone, but we really liked it. The 70's headstock is purely an aesthetic decision, but the large frets and satin finished C-shape neck just felt right in our hands. Strings bent like "buttah" and the neck really helps sweep arpeggios and fast runs. It requires the right touch, but we felt like the neck was really well done (we opted for the maple fretboard, by the way).
If you're not a fan of larger frets, you probably won't dig the feel, but we thought it was quite comfortable and gave the Highway One Stratocaster a feeling all its own.
With a street price of around $700, the Fender Highway One Stratocaster is a first-class USA-made instrument at a price that won't break your piggy-bank. From its classy satin finish to its lovely C-shaped neck, the Highway One Stratocaster is an instrument that we highly recommend to Strat devotees who want an instrument just a little bit different.
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