[pauliejay]

How much did you purchase this item for?
Where did you purchase this item?
Is this item new or used?


Features: This is where you explain any specifics about the product like number of frets, pickups, has a tremolo, gold hardware, etc.

Construction: This is where you explain how well-built the product is. Is it shoddy? Is it built to last? Etc.

Sound: This is where you describe how the product sounds. Please tell us any specifics about your setup like the amp you use, effects you use, where you've played it, etc.

Ease of Use: This is where you explain how complicated the product is the use. Is it hard to control? Could a monkey do it? Etc.

Reliability: This is where you tell us how reliable the product is. Would it serve you well in a jam? Do you trust it? Etc.

Overall: This is where you give your overall opinion about the product you're reviewing. Consider things such as if you would buy this product again if it was stolen, if you would recommend the product, what turned you on to the product in the first place, etc.





(just copy and paste what's below)

CODE

[B]How much did you purchase this item for?[/B]
[B]Where did you purchase this item?[/B]
[B]Is this item new or used?[/B]


[B]Features:[/B]

[B]Construction:[/B]

[B]Sound:[/B]

[B]Ease of Use:[/B]  

[B]Reliability:[/B]

[B]Overall:[/B]  

[boycie]

Fender Precision Lyte bass guitar (1988 Japanese)



How much did you purchase this item for?
£440 ($800 US)

Where did you purchase this item?
www.Ebay.co.uk (standard auction)

Is this item new or used?
Used, one previous owner.

Features:
Pearlescent white body with gold hardware (bridge, tuning pegs/posts, string tree, neck screw-plate).
Maple neck with rosewood fretboard (22 frets).
Active pickups and electronics.
One Fender Precision single-coil split pickup. One Fender Jazz single coil pickup.
Four preamp dials (black plastic): Gain, pickup panner, bass, treble.

Construction:
This model was built with size in mind. The body shape is based upon the Precision bass, but it is smaller and more sculpted than a standard Precision. It is also a little shorter, and has a narrower and faster Jazz bass neck. Finally, It also has a smaller headstock with compact tuning keys.

As a result of the above adjustments, this bass is considerably lighter than a standard Precision, yet it is still as sturdy and well-built as it’s grandfather. The body is quite resilient to scratches and dings, which is supported by the fact that I received it without a single dent or scratch on it, and I myself am still yet to inflict any damage after over six months of intensive use!

Another change worth mentioning is that on this model, the input jack is positioned on the bottom edge of the bass instead of on the front face. This has both positive and negative implications, in that it keeps the lead out of your way a little better, but is more prone to getting knocked if you play whilst sitting. However, I prefer this setup as in my eyes it looks a lot neater (and you shouldn’t knock the jack if you are reasonably careful with your instrument anyway!).

Here is a warning though - the gold hardware is quite easily tarnished as it is in fact 24-carat gold. So understandably, Fender only put a very thin layer of gold on the hardware (a few micrometers apparently!).

Sound:
This is my very first active bass, and I can certainly say that I am an active pickup person! Predictably, it sounds a whole dimension brighter than my passive standard Precision. It is capable of consistently producing bright treble tone, without sounding metallic or transparent. It doesn’t fall short on the lower frequencies either, providing penetrating bass and adding a delicious growling/purring tone. The overall tone is well rounded and pleasantly tight, and most importantly it has substance - it is not ‘transparent’ or flimsy. Therefore, it is adept at cutting through the ‘mix’ in a band situation, whilst still supporting the low end.

The above is a description of how this bass sounds under my personal EQ settings. However, you are certainly not limited to this (although I can’t imagine why you would want anything else!). The active pickups and electronics make for a versatile tone-sculpting, with responsive bass and treble booster/cutter dials.

However, the main source of this bass’s tonal versatility is the increasingly popular Precision/Jazz pickup configuration. At one end of the spectrum you have the deep, mellow Precision tone, and at the other you have the tight, barky Jazz tone. Add to this the multitude of tones that are available with a tweak of the pickup-panner, and you have a very versatile bass!

Ease of Use:
The lightweight construction of this bass means that it is much easier on the shoulder than your conventional bass. What weight it has is nicely distributed to provide a very well balanced and stable bass that won’t swing around wildly as soon as you let go of the neck! The narrow Jazz bass neck allows faster and (in my opinion) easier playing than a normal Precision neck.

It is easy to get to grips with the preamp settings as each dial is quite responsive, and so changes to tone are easy to hear, making the whole process of tone sculpting more simple.

Reliability:
I am yet to experience any problem with this bass whatsoever. The only modification I have made since purchase is the replacement of the input jack, which was quite loose (the previous owner spent a lot of time sitting down whilst playing as he was a session/recording bassist). The replacement is rock solid and very snug.

I really should have experienced a few problems when I rather stupidly neglected to remove the original battery and it leaked! (I had been told in advance that the bass had been unplayed for about five years, so I should have predicted that the battery would be well out of date!). Despite this leakage, the bass continued without any problems after the battery chemicals were mopped up and a fresh battery was installed.

The bridge is rock solid and the saddles have not moved out of place at all. Also, the strap buttons are firmly fixed in, despite loose buttons apparently being an inherent fault of this model. However, one important point to remember is that this bass does not switch to passive mode once the battery runs out of power. No juice, no sound. Therefore, always have a spare battery or two handy at a gig to avoid embarrassment!

Overall:
I have heard only good reviews about the eighties Japanese Fenders models, and this is certainly no exception. As an earlier model, it offers American quality workmanship and construction at a far less painful price!

If this were stolen, I’d break down in tears, lock myself in my room for a week or two to recover from my tragic loss, and then immediately go and search for another one. This was one of those cases where I saw the picture of it and just fell in love. There was simply no doubt that I was going to buy this bass.

Solid construction, top reliability, excellent value, sleek sexy looks and crisp tone. What more can you ask for?
10 OUT OF 10.

NB: There have been a few incarnations of the Precision Lyte over the years. If you are struggling to find a P-Lyte, then why not take a look at it its current successor, the Fender Zone bass, available as Mexican or American made.

This post has been edited by boycie: 12 April 2004 - 12:57 PM

[bassistoftheyear]

I bought this for just under $400, after tax and everything w/ gig bag

Sam Ash store in colombus(great store btw)

used, bad belt rash and scratches from a watch, no knobs, normal wear and tear, still plays great though

Features:
I love alot about this bass, the neck is thinner than the average bass, and the edges of the fretboard are smooth, its an incredibly playable bass. theres something about it that makes the strings just seem more flexible and smoother than the same strings on another bass. Very lightweight and quick, its just got an amazing feel to it and your hands just glide around the fretboard. When epiphone or gibson says their SG eb0 or eb3 bass is very fast and lightweight, the fender precision lyte is just so much lighter and faster, and i should know because i bought this bass just today, and before i bought it i tried an eb0 and it was much heavier, and actually was way slower, its neck was more of a half circle instead of a half oval like most guitars. This is definitly one of the fastest basses you'll find for the price. on another subject, i love the machine heads, you have to turn the knobs more to get less of a change, therefore making it much more accuarate when you tune. I also got very lucky with the strap locks, they might not be the originals but the already fit the same locks that i already had. The rosewood fretboard also is very unique. It's probably the closest rosewood to ebony you'll find out there, from 5 feet away, it looks just like an ebony fretboard. I cant say anything about the knobs for volume and tone because i dont have the knobs....except I can say that they are a bit confusing to me, im having a little trouble figuring them out, but thats no problem, a bit of research and i'll be just fine, and so will you if you dont already know.

Construction:
Made in Japan, so you know its got to be great quality. You can buy a guitar or bass from mexico and expect quality, but Japan is a pheunominal country in making guitars. Again its very light, 22 frets, an average size bass. not much at all like the standard precision, it has 2 volume knobs, 2 tone, unlike the standard, and it is also a bit thinner, and like the person above me it is more sculpted than the standard. Very much worth an extra $300 more to the the lyte version over the standard. Today when i bought this i tried many basses, Ibanez, Fender Squires, epiphone eb0's, i even tried an american jazz bass, and i would take this bass even over the american jazz. This is my first fender and i absolutely love it. its just so much easier to get used to that almost any other guitar.

Sound:
The mid and high range is beautiful, if your trying to play soft you wont accidentaly hit one note to hard and sound terrible, its just very controlled. But that doesnt mean you have to play calm, it can still rock and roll like an animal, once again, its very quick and it plays a great role with the sound. This bass has personality. But the low range, my God its absolutely astonishing! you put a little power when you pluck that low E and its inner beast comes out, it just Roars! you crank it up and its like being hit by a solid brick wall the first time you hit that note hard, its got so much punch to it. the low range on this bass is a monster on its own. You add the beauty of the mid and high to the beast of the low and you have the beauty and the beast together in the most playable guitar you'll hold in your hands. This is one of the best souds in a bass you can find for under $1000, and i got mine for under $400, im proud of my find!

Ease of use:
Wow, one of the most playable guitars around, i know ive said that so many times, but its true, the feel of the american jazz is just so foriegn, but this is something special, it fell into my hands and just fit there like it always belonged. this is a 10 out of 10 bass for playability.

Reliability:
I can say much for this yet, as this it my first day so far.....but as its made in Japan, you know it wont fall apart easily on you. I have a feeling of what the previous owner put this through and i know he used it probably as his most used bass. its so worn, and i dont see one this thats needed replaced for him, and it still sounds great

Overall:
one of that best basses for under a thousand bucks, everything about this bass is just perfect, I would suggest this bass to everyone unless you happen to have $1600...then i'd say get a rick 4003 or 4004. for the $400 i got mine, fantstic deal, dont hesitate to get this if you see one for under $800. if this bass got stolen, I would definitly buy another for that price, no question. I give this bass the best compliment i can give, and that is my recommendation to you.

[cooldany]

That is a very fair price. The Japanese Fenders Stats and P's are better made then the American models today. The Japs are going to appreciate in value.

I bought this for just under $400, after tax and everything w/ gig bag

Sam Ash store in colombus(great store btw)

used, bad belt rash and scratches from a watch, no knobs, normal wear and tear, still plays great though

Features:
I love alot about this bass, the neck is thinner than the average bass, and the edges of the fretboard are smooth, its an incredibly playable bass. theres something about it that makes the strings just seem more flexible and smoother than the same strings on another bass. Very lightweight and quick, its just got an amazing feel to it and your hands just glide around the fretboard. When epiphone or gibson says their SG eb0 or eb3 bass is very fast and lightweight, the fender precision lyte is just so much lighter and faster, and i should know because i bought this bass just today, and before i bought it i tried an eb0 and it was much heavier, and actually was way slower, its neck was more of a half circle instead of a half oval like most guitars. This is definitly one of the fastest basses you'll find for the price. on another subject, i love the machine heads, you have to turn the knobs more to get less of a change, therefore making it much more accuarate when you tune. I also got very lucky with the strap locks, they might not be the originals but the already fit the same locks that i already had. The rosewood fretboard also is very unique. It's probably the closest rosewood to ebony you'll find out there, from 5 feet away, it looks just like an ebony fretboard. I cant say anything about the knobs for volume and tone because i dont have the knobs....except I can say that they are a bit confusing to me, im having a little trouble figuring them out, but thats no problem, a bit of research and i'll be just fine, and so will you if you dont already know.

Construction:
Made in Japan, so you know its got to be great quality. You can buy a guitar or bass from mexico and expect quality, but Japan is a pheunominal country in making guitars. Again its very light, 22 frets, an average size bass. not much at all like the standard precision, it has 2 volume knobs, 2 tone, unlike the standard, and it is also a bit thinner, and like the person above me it is more sculpted than the standard. Very much worth an extra $300 more to the the lyte version over the standard. Today when i bought this i tried many basses, Ibanez, Fender Squires, epiphone eb0's, i even tried an american jazz bass, and i would take this bass even over the american jazz. This is my first fender and i absolutely love it. its just so much easier to get used to that almost any other guitar.

Sound:
The mid and high range is beautiful, if your trying to play soft you wont accidentaly hit one note to hard and sound terrible, its just very controlled. But that doesnt mean you have to play calm, it can still rock and roll like an animal, once again, its very quick and it plays a great role with the sound. This bass has personality. But the low range, my God its absolutely astonishing! you put a little power when you pluck that low E and its inner beast comes out, it just Roars! you crank it up and its like being hit by a solid brick wall the first time you hit that note hard, its got so much punch to it. the low range on this bass is a monster on its own. You add the beauty of the mid and high to the beast of the low and you have the beauty and the beast together in the most playable guitar you'll hold in your hands. This is one of the best souds in a bass you can find for under $1000, and i got mine for under $400, im proud of my find!

Ease of use:
Wow, one of the most playable guitars around, i know ive said that so many times, but its true, the feel of the american jazz is just so foriegn, but this is something special, it fell into my hands and just fit there like it always belonged. this is a 10 out of 10 bass for playability.

Reliability:
I can say much for this yet, as this it my first day so far.....but as its made in Japan, you know it wont fall apart easily on you. I have a feeling of what the previous owner put this through and i know he used it probably as his most used bass. its so worn, and i dont see one this thats needed replaced for him, and it still sounds great

Overall:
one of that best basses for under a thousand bucks, everything about this bass is just perfect, I would suggest this bass to everyone unless you happen to have $1600...then i'd say get a rick 4003 or 4004. for the $400 i got mine, fantstic deal, dont hesitate to get this if you see one for under $800. if this bass got stolen, I would definitly buy another for that price, no question. I give this bass the best compliment i can give, and that is my recommendation to you.