fender american / jap / mexico jazz bass

[stars]

hiya all !

planning to get a fender jazz bass at the end of the year ( time to start saving ~!)

any recommendations ?

my ideal is a fender aerodyne jazz bass ( 1400++) japan but i dont tihnk i can save enuf money by then

anyone got any suggestions among the 3 which is the best ?

have been hearing good stuff about the japanese basses and the japanese jazz basses look absolutely pretty.

 

[man_kidal]

Davis seems to have alot of good looking basses at good prices if you dont really mind less popular names.

 

[stars]

Davis seems to have alot of good looking basses at good prices if you dont really mind less popular names.

true but i cant help being seduced by the single coil tone ... i just love sweet clean tones ~! tts y i plan to get a mex / jap bass to mess around with ... any good basses from davis to recommend ?

 

[subversion]

try the Ernie Ball SUB bass, i'm not into bass too much but the SUB bass is one heck of a player. the passive model is not even $1K & it's an american for that kinda money- worth it.

however, it's humbucking... you prefer single coils i see

on another note, the Highway1 P & Jazz basses are superb for the money, IF you're not too particular about the body's satin finish & non-american hardware/ electronics...

 

[rottenramone]

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I would also recommend a SUB bass. If you don't mind the matte texture, its cool. Try and get the active version, cos the active electronics and pickups for the SUB are the same for a 2 band EQ stingray as well.

For single coil, jap fenders are really pretty and (relatively) cheap as well. but try and get those non-export models. quality is better.

I would recommend the newer mexican fender jazz basses. they have made several improvements such as using alder instead of poplar wood for the bodies etc etc.

but as with all fender basses, try everything out first!! its all a hit or miss with 'em.

 

[iansoh]

can also try rockbass by warwick. try a rockbass corvette or fortress.

 

[subversion]

your initial target for the Aerodyne bass is really bang for the buck... i've tried this bass before & it's worth every cent...

 

[stars]

your initial target for the Aerodyne bass is really bang for the buck... i've tried this bass before & it's worth every cent...

yea ... i saw it at uncle dennis shop tt day 30th dec i think when the new shipment of jap fenders strat teles and basses came in ? there was this like super slick blue aerodyne jazz bass which is uber light and has a real crisp tone as it is in really clear ...

really caught my eye but it was going for like 1400-1500 only one in the shop and some dude bought it .. haizz

thanks for the ernie ball bass ... might take a look at it but i would really prefer a single coil kinda tone/ sound !

hmmz ...

icic .. but given the price range i m looking at ... i might as well top up like 300-400 dollars and go for an american or japanese fender bass if i m like interested in really getting a fender

its like for 300-400 dollars more the workmanship and quality of electronics in the japanese and american models are much better ?

I kinda keen on getting a fender bass as its like to me ... a fender jazz bass is like a strat to guitarists, every guitarist[ in this context : bassists] ought to have one to feel the distinct single coil sound

 

[Chaser]

I love the Japan Fender Jazz too. Its really good quality and the setup from the factory is better than those Mexican ones. The Aerodyne has a basswood model as well, I think about 300 or 400 cheaper but I think should save for the Alder one...

 

[subversion]

when it comes to fender, it's not about the price bracket. the Jap may exceed the Mex in terms of construction, fit & finish but it's not conclusive. with reference to guitars, the mex re-issue Classic series are superb, surpassing its american conterparts in some aspects. it also boils down to snob appeal also. some people can't be seen with nothing less than a Jap model at least, despite knowing that the so called 'lesser' mex offerings are good instruments in its own right.

i respect the aerodyne bass because it's not afraid to feature avant garde specs in addition to ofering a good tone & playability. it's a successful fusion of the old & the new. an applaudable effort by fender...

 

[stars]

hahaha ... dun worry bro ! i aint no gear snob too poor a student ot be a snob ...

so ya actually recommend a aerodyne jap / some classic mex jazz bass ? where can i get the classics ? swee lee ? and how much do they cost

hmmz.... between the jap aerodyne and mex classic which would ya rate as a better bass ? as in playability and sound wise... i like the aerodyne cos of its weight , tone and playability ... not to add tt the design is funky looking as well ...

but whats so distinct about a clsasic mex bass ?

i might be getting a mustang instead ... would ya recommend a full size bass or a short scale in order to like play around with ? i currently have a shortscale but i really prefer short scale over full size ... so quite unsure whether to get the jazz bass or mustang ... a jazz bass has a richer tone cos of the increased neck length right ?

 

[stars]

The Aerodyne has a basswood model as well, I think about 300 or 400 cheaper but I think should save for the Alder one...

whats e difference between an alder and basswood ?

hmmmz

basswood = cheaper = sound wise not so good ?

alder = lmore ex = richer tone ?

 

[Chaser]

Basswood basses tend to sound a little bit more muddy...Alder bodies have a brighter sound...Just my opinion here.

 

[subversion]

em... there's no Classic series fender basses. sorry for the confusion i caused, the Classic series was just a reference of how good the mex fender guitars are these days...

basswood is a neutral body, it lets the pickups manifest through better, the reason some pros like Vai & Satriani have some basswood models to go with their fav pickups.

alder has a treble inclination, it's best coupled with single coils. nothing beats an alder body + single coil tones of a fender...

 

[rottenramone]

.

just to check, but the classification of fender basses are american series, standard series (mexican) and what else?

i had a MIJ jazz bass and a MIM precision special before. Nothing spectacular. I'm a biiiiiiiiggg musicman stingray freak though!! :twisted:

 

[Bruce]

em... there's no Classic series fender basses....

JOhn Petrucci's EBMM is basswood body too

 

[stars]

Icc..


so the body and its type of wood affect the sound of the bass right ?

so theres

alder ( more treble inclination)

basswood (warmer tone ?)

and ashwood ( fender aerodyne jap bass) (light and warm tone)

hmmz ... icic

so which of this woods would complement the fender single coil tone sound ?

i understand tt most fenders are "hit or miss" cases . what does this mean ? does it mean that a fender bass i must try it for myself and see whether do i like it ? isit because even though there might be a similar one , of exact same make and model but having a different tone and feel ?

 

[rottenramone]

..

fenders, esp usa ones, are very varied in its build.

we can constantly talk about the body woods, pickups etc... but there are quite a no of online forums dedicated to this, so check it out.

best if possible, do try the bass out personally to see whether you like it or not. i think that's the most impt factor.

 

[stars]

Re: ..

so its mostly a personal preference ?

anyway on a side note : been hearing this in the local guitar market hat swee lee is coming down extremly extremly hard on those small time guitar dealers which retail fender products ... its like swee lee is playing hardball ... writing letters to fender USA / MEX and JAPAN and b.s about who not doing proper sales etc etc so as to cut off the supply of guitars to the smaller shops ... ouch !!

this means tt less fenders / teles / basses around here soon... swee lee is defintely keen to keep its dominant position

 

[rottenramone]

.

ah well.