Heartbreaker

My 82 Wal, didn't get on with the tones & it was very heavy. Unique colour though, like Marmite I guess. [attachment=94481:Wal 81 2.JPG][attachment=94482:Wal 81 1.JPG]

Fender Jazz's have never been renowned for their 5 string B quality compared to the likes of Lakland 5's etc. As for heavy, you will get every range of weight in every model range so you need to check before buying if you want a light one & this is typical with most makes of bass. I tried a new 2010 US Jazz Deluxe at GAK when they first arrived in the shops & it was a very heavy one yet I've also played others that are light. Do your groundwork properly if your going to spend hard cash.

I've had quite a few Jazz's over the years & much prefer the extra scope of the Deluxe over the std passive Jazz's. I let my 73 Jazz go in preferance to my US Deluxe.Tonally I can get the passive Vol/Vol/Tone sound on the Deluxe with the vol/pan & tone pots but much more too if required with the active eq. I also find the build quality with the US Deluxe's are superb. The US Deluxes have had quite a few different active eq's & pickups fitted to the range since their concept in the mid 90's. First in 1995/6 they had the John Suhr 9v eq & large 4 pole pickups, John was then running the r&d side of Fender. Then around 99 Fender introduced a new 18v eq with Vintage Noisless Pickups followed in 03/4 by the Sumarium Cobolt Noisless pickups & by 2010 a completly new 18v eq with N3 pickups. They all have their own different voices & you realy need to check them out to find which one suits you. The 18v eq has loads of boost & cut in all the bass,mid & treble to give you endless choice of tones & that will cut through any live sound. The early John Suhr 4 pole pickups I found to be a bit weird especially if you realy bend the strings as the volume reduces as you move the string away from the single pole & you had to be very precise on getting the exact pickup height right but I realy did like the 9v eq. My current Jazz is a 96 Cusom Shop US Deluxe with the 9v John Suhr eq but upgraded with the Vintage Noisless pickups. You might also want to check out any Quilt/Flame maple toped US Jazz's too as these have the same pickup/eq arangement as the US Deluxe's.

Hi Big Stu, no its a chromed plastic frame that were fitted to the earliest EB3's. They were not chromed from about 63 on. You can see on the picture where my thumb has rubbed some of the chrome off from playing. [attachment=92496:Gibson EB3 62.JPG]

Hi Evil Lord, only just read your post above. I've had the Girl for many years along with other old EB3's but this one is just mint despite being nearly 50 years old & one of my main gigging basses. A real keeper. I too have been chasing the Holly Grail of tone to get that Andy Frazer sound over the years. I've tried many combinations of heads & cabs since the 60's & eventually am very happy with my latest set up I've now been using for the past 6-7 years. I use an Ampeg SVT4 pro head with a combination of Markbass cabs depending on the venue as we are a very loud band & I have 2 Marshall guitar rigs to cut through to get heard. I usually use 2 x 410hlf Mk1 Markbass cabs or a 410 & 115hlf. [attachment=92464:96 CSJazz 73 Jazz 62 EB3.JPG] [attachment=92466:Heroes 1.JPG]