NBD - Player series P Bass

[gearHed289]

About three years ago, I dropped my kid and their friend off at a concert at Metro and had some time to kill. After tacos and a Pepsi at a place called Big Star, I headed to the GC on Halsted. Walked into the bass room, and there were several new Fenders hanging around. What caught my eye was a beautiful Player series (MIM) Polar white P. They had a newer version Ampeg V-4B in the room, so I plugged in and ripped into some 70s Crimson. It really sounded great, with a pretty inviting neck for a P. I played several others, including a PJ Mustang and probably another P and a J or two, including the Vintera line. The white Player was easily my favorite. Funny, my whole life I've preferred J over P basses, but this was something special. I didn't buy anything that night, but it stayed on my mind. Since I'm pretty much in "sell one to buy one" mode these days, I wasn't sure what to do. Thought about selling my Geddy Jazz, but eventually, I decided it was my '84 Hamer Blitz (Explorer) that had to go. Pulled the trigger in January and bought a 2021 Player P on Reverb.

So, being the John Wetton fan that I am, I wanted to get close to the look of his '60 P after the white refinish. Since Fender now routes a huge channel from the pick to the control cavity, I couldn't just eliminate the pickgaurd, so I had a solid white one made with no screw holes and applied it with 2-sided tape (thanks to Carlo for the idea). I also had a black control plate made and added a tug bar. Turned out nice I think. And it plays and sounds every bit as good as the one I played at GC. So yeah, I currently own TWO Fenders!   I'll take a few more pics over the weekend.

[Pilgrim]

A little bit of Yin/Yang look going on with that curved control plate.  I like it!

[morrow]

I like the guard without the screw heads poking up !

[Dave W]

That looks great. 

The one Player P I've played sounded every bit like a P should.

[Chris P.]

I'm P-less for a while but I ordered a Player too. A limited edition Ocean Turquoise Metallic with a tort plate and a maple board. I think it was a Lim. Ed. in the USA first and now it's our turn.

I want a maple board, I almost ordered a Buttercream, but my local shop has a Buttercream Strat and it's too yellow for me. On most promotional pics it looks more creamy but IRL too yellow. I even almost ordered it and then my local store told me about the OTM LIm.,Ed. Have to wait a month now.

[ilan]

Looks great. I prefer Polar White over Olympic.

[4stringer77]

That Polar white should stay pretty crisp considering that the Player series aren't nitro.
Aged Olympic white is much cooler than yellow buttercream poly though this buttercream isn't bad here.

[ilan]

What I don't like is the headstock shape. Fender have messed with the wavy line at the bottom of the headstock contour, and kept the "correct" shape only on reissues or the Vintera line. It's a slight variation but it bugs me like the Rickenbacker double-hump pickguard did.

[gearHed289]

Looks great. I prefer Polar White over Olympic.

Agreed. I know probably most people like the aged, cream look, but I much prefer WHITE white. Yes, I have a Chris Squire Ltd. Ed., but it was painted that way on purpose. 

And yes, it just SOUNDS like you would expect a P Bass to sound. Noting more, nothing less, and that's exactly what I wanted. I know the trend is to replace the pickup and electronics on MIM Fenders, but I'm not changing a thing.

Yin/Yang - yup, for sure. Wasn't the intention, but I noticed too. 

A nice touch is the satin finished neck, but the face of the headstock is gloss.

[Pilgrim]

I have always wondered why people buy a Fender P - knowing that it will sound like a Fender P - and immediately change the electronics so it sounds like something else.

I don't do a lot of pickup swapping, as I generally like each bass to sound "like itself."

[Alanko]

I currently have two white P Basses in the arsenal. The left hand bass is a MIM Player Series body in polar white with maple Jazz Bass neck, Bartolini 8S and black anodised pickguard. Right hand bass is a 2007 MIM Standard in Olympic white. I've modified it to have a TV logo on the headstock, Delano PC4 AL pickup and tort pickguard. Both basses have Gotoh lightweight tuners, brass nuts hand cut from brass stock and Hosco bridges with threaded saddles.

They both play like butter, whatever that means. The 2007 bass is slightly clunkier or blockier feeling.

[Chris P.]

I got my Player Series maple board Ocean Turquoise Metallic in tofay and it's better than I hoped. And my expectations were high!

[gearHed289]

I'm still totally loving mine. Alanko, the black pickguard looks great. Exactly what tuners are you using? I'm thinking of changing mine to something in nickel. I also have a Kluson nickel bridge I could put on there. Notched rather than threaded saddles, but close enough!

[Alanko]

I'm using GB640 Res-O-Lite tuners. They do the job! My Player Series was a slight neck diver with the original tuners. Changing them out transformed the feel of the bass.


Plus I can probably sell the stock Mexican tuners on EBay as they are scarce!

[gearHed289]

Great, thanks.