Fender Deluxe Mexican P-Bass Special Reviews 4

I purchased this Bass 11/25/03 online at Musician's Friend for $524.95 (Fender Gig Bag included)I had been looking for an inexpensive back-up Bass for a while,and this one fit the bill.You always take a chance buying something sight unseen,but MF has a good return policy if needed.

Fender quality throughout.Most of us already know that the Mexican Fender guitars are the next best choice after the U.S. made versions. The price/quality comparisons to the American Basses make this choice a no-brainer for the dollar wise Bassist(1/2 the cost & nearly the quality of the American)!

What's not to like? The only thing I would change or add to this line of Basses is the choice of a natural finish (I'm a sucker for wood grain!)If they do,MF did not offer one!

I opted for the Artic white body w/Maple neck.The quality of construction on this Bass is top-notch for a foreign made guitar (much better than the Japanese/Asian versions).The gold anodized pickguard sets it apart visually,and the P/Jazz pick-up configuration gives it more versatility tonally.The maple Jazz neck is faster,easier to play than the standard Precision and the satin finish gives it a brighter tone,even when not plugged in.Electronics are of decent quality,with no hiss,hum,static or scratchiness when adjusted.I did have to tighten the input jack nut a little,as well as the strap buttons.The bridge and machine heads are standard chrome Fender. I only had to set up/adjust the string action slightly from the factory settings.I'll most likely add Roto-sound round wounds later. The P-Bass body seems slightly lighter than the Jazz.

All in all,I would say that this Bass is worth the price.The quality is there,playability is there,and for a begining player,this is a good instrument to learn on and to advance on(nothing more frustrating than trying to learn on a crummy Bass!)As for the advanced player or the pro- this is a nice back-up Bass or even a main instrument if Dollars are an issue.As was mentioned before,the quality is second only to the American made instrument,which says a lot for this Mexi-Bass! > > RECOMENDED < <

Craig Durham rated this unit 4 on 2003-12-02.

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