Fender Player Plus Active Precision Bass Review

Top of the pack of PJ hybrids! This green goblin is a killer axe!

I was fortunate enough with the help of my Sweetwater Sales Engineer Skyler, to obtain one of these fine instruments. I have been playing bass since 1984 and own and have owned many Fenders in my time, including many American made examples and a few Indonesian Squires In the vintage modified V format. This Mexican player plus series instrument is of exemplary fit and finish, electronics… read more quality, sound/tone and playability. The satin finish neck plays fast and has the feel of a custom shop bass, as does the bridge, providing another upgrade alongside the pickups which execute a tremendous and wide variety of tonal capabilities. This is a stand alone bass that grabs the ears as well as the eyes, this color and finish are a home run and icing on the cake. Everyone who sees and hears this bass are immediately impressed. That being said, I would not hesitate to acquire another one of these player plus series basses in the future and world recommend them to others. I see they now have a five string variant Jazz in the same color…either this four string or the five are sure to give any bassist GAS(guitar acquisition syndrome). Keep the innovations in electronics and finishes coming Fender! Thanks to Skyler and Sweetwater for bringing these fine instruments to the consumer such as myself!

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Be prepared to put in some work

Pro: - The Silver Smoke finish is awesome. There's no doubt about that. - An incredible bass neck. The rounded edges are outstanding. I've owned a few instruments now with rounded edges, and this is the best I've seen this executed. The satin finish is SOOOO smooth, and the profile just feels perfect. The neck is the definite highlight of the instrument. - Gorgeous sounding P… read more pickup. Full and growly, just the way they should be. Con: - Underwhelming J pickup. "Noiseless" pickups generally lack character. This is an example. - Cheap preamp. Mine came with a faulty midrange control that crackled and jumped between settings as you turned the knob. I replaced the entire preamp with an Aguilar OBP-3, and WOW what a difference. - The bridge saddles are made out of zinc. Zinc is a cheaper soft metal. It will break down faster than brass or steel, and out of the box it doesn't transfer tone the way those metals do. - On the bass I received, Fender forgot to remove the finish from the frets. A friendly reminder that the bass was assembled in Mexico. Now, you need to decide if you want to spend this kind of dough for something that still needs work. I don't regret my purchase - the neck is that good, and the bass gets compliments on its looks - but be prepared.

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Awesome Bass Guitar

First and foremost, I am a guitar player. But I make music in my studio by myself, and needed a quality bass guitar to bring a fullness to my music. I own an American ultra Strat, and a commemorative 75th anniversary telecaster, so I am used to dealing with the American made realm of fender. Like I said, bass is not my primary instrument, but I needed something sold without shelling… read more out a few grand for an ultra, and I am very pleased with this purchase. The build quality is amazing for a Mexican made guitar. It feels "premium" with the rolled fretboard edges. And the hardware all feels very heavy, sturdy, and solid. So how does it sound? Well, playing around with different tones, I dialed in a nice chunky sound in no time. This thing is versatile. I tend to use slight overdrive with a brighter sound, and run that through the tech21 geddy rack. In a nutshell, if I ever became a bassist in a band, I honestly would not feel the need to upgrade to an American made p bass from this. I uploaded a cover song, but it's the first song I've tracked with this bass so, at least you may get an impression of how it sounds. Like I said, this guitar is super versatile. It sounds great in passive mode, then switching to active just kind of gives it an extra kick if you need it. I am super happy with this purchase.

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Unbelievable Value

I have quite a few bass guitars. 2 Fender P's 1 American and 1 Mexican and an American 5 string Jazz bass. That's just the Fenders. This bass is amazing. The feel of the neck is perfect in my opinion. The 12" radius is a dream. The electronics are very impressive as well. The preamp is definitely high quality. How does it stack up to my others? Let's just say this is my new gigging… read more bass. This is the first time I had Sweetwater do a set up for me and it is well worth the extra. This bass came perfectly set up with the strings of my choice. Don P did a perfect job. There is a lot of value in this bass when you take in to account the higher end components. I might get another lol. Big shout out to Nick Reedy for taking such good care of me as he always does.

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