The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Fender Basses => Topic started by: Muzikman7 on November 17, 2008, 06:43:03 AM
-
In the current Vintage Guitar magazine (Jan '09) there is a great article on the Fender '66 slab P-basses, check it out if you get a chance.
-
Ow, man, that's interesting. Could you scan it?
-
I got it and it is pretty nice. Very informative. Some people want Fenderbirds, but I always wanted to make one of these.
-
Is there a good reason to want a '66 slab P other than its rarity? Personally I don't like post-'76 Fenders because the tummy cuts are shallow, I like deep contours. A P with no contours? I'm not sure they are for me.
-
If you don't like Tele Basses for lack of contours, you will not dig it. They are a fun combo of things that I personally liked - slab body, maple cap C neck, black guard and vintage white fin. Sure a rarity, but that is the bass that is on some of the most distinctive sounding records I ever owned.
-
Is there a good reason to want a '66 slab P other than its rarity? Personally I don't like post-'76 Fenders because the tummy cuts are shallow, I like deep contours. A P with no contours? I'm not sure they are for me.
I find your comment very intresting. Is it a "feel thing" or a "visual thing"? I used to view the slab cuts as sort of a Fred Flintstone look , but eventually they grew on me and became my preference.
If I were blindfolded, I would never know if I was playing something with a contour or without. Ability to determine the depth of the contour is way over my head :o
Since I got my 51 RI , I've often wondered if they went to the contour for visual appeal or comfort.
Rick
-
I've always preferred slab bodies.
-
I've always preferred slab bodies.
Is it a "feel thing" for you? Again , I can't tell the difference from a "feel standpoint".
Of course I may be desensitized after playing an Earthwood ABG for over 35 years. Playing something that's 8 inches or so deep , definately has a different feel against your body.
Rick
-
Yes. Back contours are never in the right place for me anyway.
-
Yes. Back contours are never in the right place for me anyway.
That's pretty much my sentiments. They don't seem to be in the right place for me either, so I have no feel for them.
The only time I even notice the "feel against the body thing", is if I'm playing something with an odd shape. Like my Earthwood , a Steinberger or Flying V etc.
Rick
-
The closest thing I had to a slab P was a Peavey T40 ;D
-
Entwistle seemed to think there was some mojo with the electronics in the slab basses. His Fiesta "Frankenstein" had the guts of a slab bass. Apparently he had the opportunity to compare a number of slab basses against some standard P basses from the same era.
-
I've always liked the contoured bodies myself, more comfortable to me. Of course I've owned at least one for 90% of my playing time and owned a slab bass for about 5%. They feel kind of klunky to me, but then again I wouldn't not buy one because it was a slab, but I definitely wouldn't go looking specifically for one either. I knew a guy who would only buy and play 66 J basses, I always thought he was a little nutty myself ;D.
-
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff133/muzikman7/TonytheTele2-1.jpg) This satisfied my slab desires.
-
I love my slab P.......(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y6/tgbluesky/mahogp1.jpg)
-
Hey Tom. If I haven't said it before elsewhere, I'll say it now: I love the look of your slab P.
-
now that is one cool ass bass!!!!!!!!!.
-
Thanks guys. The whole story behind it is kind of strange. The mahogany body and maple neck were both made by Peter Florance of Voodoo pickups fame. Got them from Tom Pierce in a trade/swap/cash deal, sent them out to get refinned, put in Peter's Pbass pickups and it morphed into a truly amazing bass. It sounds like the bass I hear in my head, so I really like it. At the moment it is the only one I have, since I mostly play guitar and sub on bass on occasion. Someone on another forum mentioned the Fender '66 slab P basses that were in the UK in the 60's which I've never heard of before. I have a 4 page JPG scan of that article from a UK magazine if anyone wants it emailed just let me know.
-
Nice bass!!!
I would love to have a scan!!
chris[at]debassist.nl
Thanks!
-
Me to: jpanada(at)infinito.it
Thanks a lot
-
Chris and Iome, article emailed. Enjoy! If anyone else wants it please let me know.
-
Thanks, very interesting and it still is a kind of mystery. Thanks for scanning and mailing it!!
A always wondered why JAEs slab P had like four (aftermarket) knobs for one pick up... Anyone?
-
thanks for the scan, very interestng article, makes you even more curious
-
I'm late to the party here but would love to read that article too.
gcarlston at hotmail dot com
Thanks!
-
Ditto ....... seanburke at rogers dot com
-
another late reaction.... :-\
bwitte at zonnet dot com
-
Y'all might want to PM or email Tom. He doesn't check in that often.
-
Sorry I don't check in too often, but I just sent the article to the 3 folks that requested it. For the record I did not scan this article, I just saved it from another board where it was posted.
Dave, thanks for the previous compliment about the bass. Take care.
-
another late reaction.... :-\
bwitte at zonnet dot com
Double check your email address, it got returned.
-
Double check your email address, it got returned.
Sorry, I messed up.
bwitte at zonet dot nl
-
Sorry, I messed up.
bwitte at zonet dot nl
Re-sent to corrected address. Let me know if you don't receive the attachments.
-
Guys,
A lot of books and magazines have written about the slab Ps. Everytime you see the famous Entwistle pic with his white slab body P, but no book or magazine ever questions the fact why he has three controls and a switch for one pick up. I asked this question beforem but no answer yet.
Anyone?
My guess:
Maybe volume, treble, bass like a Ricky 3001?
Could the switch be an early 'S1' switch, so switching the split P from parallel to series?
Kill Switch?
Bypass of pick up to output, without controls, like on Fender Esquire guitars and early Teles?
Anyone?
-
A business relation and friend of mine is bass player and he has quite an high job at Fender Europe. He sometimes asks me which artists need an endorsement or signature (in his opinion Fender has to do more with European and British artists and also younger people) and I willingly give him advice.
A couple of weeks ago he asked me about which bass Fender has to made, so I made a big long e-mail for him to mail to his colleagues in the US about the slab bodied P. I also enclosed the magazine scans Tom has sent us and I made a spec sheet about which Fender parts and neck dimensions the bas has to have. I hope they do something about it.
I adviced not to make a CS version (maybe also), but a MIM Classic model based on the neck, tuners and pick up of the '50s P. Vintage white, black guard.
-
Good thinking. If a '51 P can be a success as an MIM model, so could a '66 slab bodied P.
-
I was talking to a chap from the "dudepit" who looks in from time-to-time (Nigel) and used to own a '51 P (small world occurrence at a site I was working at) who agreed with me re the edges and "digging in" when commenting to him on my RD mods (yes, radical, but...)
-
I guess if you're used to contoured bodies then you might be bothered by edges. I'm not. I no longer have any contour body basses or guitars.
-
Nothing against contours. My Ps have it, my '76 Bird hasn't. But I have my basses quite low on the body, so I won't need contours.
-
My body's quite contoured these days, and my instruments...
-
Gratuitous self-centered picture to follow: ;D ;D ;D
No more contours for me either, I still love this bass.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y6/tgbluesky/Pbass5.jpg)
-
I never get tired of seeing that bass, Tom.
-
I haven't heard anything from Fende yet, but last night I mailed my contact again about the possible slab P.
-
Well, Chris P, you did something right.
Order yours today!
http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=620948
-
Now a cheaper version ..
-
At least they're paying tribute to it. I can't remember any official recognition of these before.
-
I emailed my contact to ask more:)
-
sorry to be mr. sunshine again but i can't see a slab reissue working. most people don't know a slab from a tuna sandwich. and there is always the 51 p reissue, the mike dirnt bass and the squier humbucker tele reissue for those who do. frankly this sounds more like a gibson idea. :mrgreen:
-
In Holland I know some guys who ordered a slab body to make their own JAE reissues/tributes. With JAE becoming 65 this year (when he would live) it could be nice. And of course all the parts are there... It would be very easy for Fender Mexico...
-
sorry to be mr. sunshine again but i can't see a slab reissue working. most people don't know a slab from a tuna sandwich. and there is always the 51 p reissue, the mike dirnt bass and the squier humbucker tele reissue for those who do. frankly this sounds more like a gibson idea. :mrgreen:
You may have a good point. OTOH, I thought the three basses you mentioned wouldn't be successful because they're slabs, yet they seem to have carved out their own market.
The 66 slab Ps are much less well known than the original style P and the Tele Bass so maybe that influenced Fender's decision to go with a CS model.
-
I figure for 3 Gs, and presuming a limited run, kind of like the 66 Strats they did, then they have a good idea of the success potential for this. From a manufacturing standpoint, with almost every part being off the shelf already, it really is a no-brainer/no-effort bass for them. The main differences are no contouring (so less labor) and throwing a piece of maple in the mix instead of rosewood (a wash as far as labor). Lollipop tuners and a 64 decal? Peanuts. It is like selling a 62 reissue P for twice the money. Considering how many people would want this bass - myself for one and I haven't bought a new bass since the 80s - they will move them to the market they know is out there.