• The "it" Sound

  
  As reviewed by Phil Klossner on 6/30/2011

  I first played a P back in the mid-60s and have had a few opportunities on older basses since. On that basis, I had a certain sound in mind, but vintage Ps were well out of my financial range. I tried a MIM and and a Highway 1 over the past couple of years and while the quality was decent, neither had "the" sound. So I was delighted when I first plugged in the Special and there "it" was! I find that this is very close to the old school sound I was looking for. The construction quality is excellent (no issues) and you get the old shoulder-killing weight for good sustain. The Greasebucket tone control fits my style well, because I can get a deep tone out of this P but without losing a lot of clarity. Even with treble maxed, though, it has a good solid and full sound. I like the neck ... very fast for a P ... but this could be the only complaint of someone looking for a totally vintage-like bass. I've had several people who tried my recent Ps point out that none had the older, wider P-bass necks. For me with short fingers, that's a plus, but you should try one if you don't like the J-style necks. The neck is definitely wider than my J-bass, but apparently not quite as wide as a classic P. I didn't find any material differences between the Special and an American Standard in terms of sound or feel. But I did, in terms of "the" P-bass sound, in stepping up from a Highway 1. My conclusion is: worth the extra money over a Hwy1 but (especially for a casual player), money well saved over moving up to an AmStd.

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• Rawedman

  
  As reviewed by Rod Herbert on 3/7/2011

  I have purchased a Fender American Special Precision Bass in the Sunburst and all I got to say is it?s the BEST bass guitar I ever owned. At 59 years of age I have had 6 different bass guitars. The sales people at the Utah, Riverdale store are the best I have ever worked out deals with. And I suggest if you want an American made guitar you can't go wrong with Guitar Center. Thanks Guitar Center for all you do for me.

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• Fast & Smooth

  
  As reviewed by MICHAEL GALLAGHER on 11/29/2011

  After playing electric guitar for 40+ years it was time to (seriously) learn bass so I picked up a Fender acoustic electric but after a few weeks didn't like the fit or feel. It had a great sound but I traded it for one of these. Out of the box setup was very good, finish is excellent but the neck is what makes this bass a great ride, with the classic Fender Precision sound I can't put it down. Note to GC: mention the the slim neck on the specs. tab.

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