grayn

Finally got to play my new shell pink Jazz with my band, last night.

After a few comments like, "getting in touch with your feminine side?", it was generally agreed that the bass not only looked cool but sounded great too.  I was really happy with the easy playability and even more happy with the bass's tone, in the band mix.  Lots of body, penetration and that lovely growl, I was hoping for.

Well chuffed.🤠

Congrats on a lovely bass foursome.

The fiver and Jazz are particularly lovely.😎

Very tasty looking bass, congrats.

Slightly better group.

Finally got the tort scratchplate and put it on.

Sorry about the god awful pics.  No natural light available.

Flash turned  it white, no flash, a little dull.

Anyway, you get the idea.  The more I play and look at it, the more I like it.

Looks nice but not very turquoise👀

21 hours ago, gjones said:

Try loosening the screws and moving the chrome control panel nearer to the tort scratchplate. 

It usually does the trick.

Thanks for that.  The tort plate in the shop was a Fender Jazz bass one, not specific to this series.

Hopefully the series specific one will do a tighter job.  If not I'll heed your advice.👀

21 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

This looks beautiful. Can you let me know how wide the neck is? I’m hoping it’s narrow narrow narrow as I really like the look of this. Just made an enquiry to see if they’re still available.

Nut: 1.5” (38.1 mm), Neck: “Slim C” profile, Fingerboard: Radius 9.5” (241 mm).

Andertons and PMT have then in.🤓

This my 2nd NBD in 2 days.  It wasn't planned that way.  In fact I was planning on getting a MusicMan Cutlass and
upgraded amplification.  Instead I got a rather special Jazz Bass yesterday and whilst at the shop, I A/B tested my amp
gear with the gear I was going to get.  And TBH, there wasn't enough difference to warrant the outlay.
So I had some cash left over and remembered a couple of basses I'd tried out, a couple of weeks earlier.
Both were Fenders.  A Vintera Mustang and a Precision.
The Mustang was a nice bass and I seem to have an inkling for a short scale, every few years.
The only thing was that it's overall tone just didn't quite hack it.
Pleasant but lacking in depth, fullness and quality, to my ears.
How much is down to the smaller size of the bass and indeed the pickup, is hard to prove.
But I think those dimensions do really count to the overall tone.
The Fender, MIJ, Midnight, Traditional 60's, Precision Bass however, has tone in spades.
That full, Precision tone is instantly recognisable and rather glorious to hear and play.
Yes, you can fiddle with the tone knob but basically this is a one sound bass, that lets your fingers and skill sculpt
different tones and feel.
The build quality, as you'd expect from a bass made in Japan, is really good.
The fretboard and neck are particularly well done and that U profile and 7.25" radius, is very comfortable to play.
I'm not a fan of gold hardware, but when it's on an all black bass like this, it's very pleasing on the eye.
Over the years I've heard many folk say MIJ gear is brilliantly built but lacking in the pickup department.
That is definitely not the case here.
These pickups do everything you need, from a Precision pickup, with plenty of output too.
This bass pretty much has all you could want from a Fender Precision, except for the dreadful gigbag you get with it.
They'll say it keeps the price down but surely a half decent quality, heavily padded gigbag would be appropriate
at this price point.
Other than that, well done Fender Japan.

22 minutes ago, GuyR said:

That is very appealing indeed. The solid rosewood neck gives a completely different look, irrespective of the scratchplate ( I like the white ) is there a separate fingerboard or is it a 1-piece neck?

very nice score- I'm quite envious.......

It looks like one piece to me🤓

1 hour ago, Marc S said:

Must admit, I really like Pink, and for some reason, especially on a Fender.
I had one of the Roadworn Flea Jazz basses, and I liked it - but the Pink was a bit too faded, and not Pink enough for me lol

I think you're right - a decent Tort scratch plate will look even better (especially if it's quite a reddy-brown colour)
Please don't post any pics when it's fitted though @grayn ...... Because I will want your bass! lol

Sorry, can't promise anything😈

57 minutes ago, bassfan said:

Looking forward to seeing some pics with the tort guard 👍🏻👍🏻

Me too😍

I went out today, ostensibly to check out a MusicMan Cutlass bass, in Diamond Blue, with maple fretboard.
But with a whole day at my disposal and visting a shop run by a friend, I had to check out a few alternatives.
My 2 main basses at the moment are EBMM Stingrays.  A classic and a special.
So the Cutlass seemed a very nice alternative to the Rays.
I also played a mapleglo Rickenbacker 4003s, which despite it's rediculous hardware (bridge & string cover-rest),
felt very nice to play and was a nicely built bass.  But I didn't like the sound of the pickups at all, thick, harsh and
a little crude.
I had a quick go on a couple of 5-strings, an MTD Kingston and an EBMM 'Ray.  Neither convinced me to have another go
with a fiver.  Alao had another try on a Marleaux Consat 4-string, I'd played before, but still didn't gel with.
The Cutlass was pretty much exactly what I expected.  Like a passive Precision but IMO, better.
I was close to saying I'd have it, when Gary, the shop guy suggested a Jazz Bass.
Now I've owned/played a load of Jazz basses but had gone right off them, about 3 years ago.
But he pulled out a real nice one, although my intial comment was "not a pink bass!".
It was indeed shell pink, with an off white (mint?) scratchplate, being a Fender Limited Edition American Pro Jazz Bass.
But what grabbed my attention and got my juices flowing, was the all rosewood neck.
A thing of beauty that played as well as it looked.
But it had the narrow nut of a Jazz and it was pink!
I plugged it in and was surpised at how much I liked the tones available.
I mainly settled on middle pickup up 100%, bridge pickup and 75% and varying the tone from 100 to 75%.
Then I said to Gary, this would look much better with a tort scratchplate.
He agreed and produced one.  We slid it into place and it transformed the looks of this bass.
Wow, now I was really interested.
So Gary said he'd replace the plate and put some Elixirs on for me.  Yes please!
Trouble was the plate fitted everywhere, except there was a small gap between it and the chrome, control panel.
stinky poo!
So the original went back on, with the Elixirs and Fender are sending a tort plate for this series, for me to put on ASAP.
Got it home and have been blasting along to my tunes and loving it.
I've been playing actives for years but my ears are enjoying this passive bass.
And my hands are feeling very comfortable on this lovely neck.
Just need that tort scratchplate, to perfect the aesthetics.

Nice colour on that tasty Stingray.

Congrats on all 3.

I don't think it looks out of proportion but it does look a bit weird, being so small.

The whole Stingray presence is based on being a substantial bass.

That looks a bit toy like, even if it's quite a pretty toy.

I'm sure, with a decent player and set up, it would sound very good.

But what's telling for me is I am an EBMM fan and have been looking at short scale basses but wouldn't get this one.

Reclining in luxury, my Special and 4H

6 hours ago, moley6knipe said:

Don’t make me choose!

Oh ok then: Ibanez BTB Prestige 1205. Korean, 2006, one owner from new. It’s SO heavy. Thin flat neck makes getting around a breeze, great B string, and the Bart pups and pre sound great. Really fat, centred, aggressive if you need it to be sound.

Also love this because I’ve played it to death. Partial refret. Thumb’s worn a hole in the bridge pickup. Dings everywhere.

Close runner up: 2011 ‘Ray. Screaming eBay bargain - £781 (not a typo). Dude had some cash, fancied trying bass, this was what he bought. Still had the plastic on the pickguard. Love this because it’s so different from the Ibby. Chunkier neck, but a joy to play and hugely versatile sounds. Plus, Honeyburst, maple and white is not only the best ‘Ray colour scheme ever, it’s the best bass colour scheme ever (fact).

Love the EBMM.  Classic looks and sound😎

I've owned 3 fivers and my favourite is probably the cheapest.

I had an Overwater Jazz, that I got for half price in a sale.  Wonderful bass but it made my fretting hand ache after 15 mins of playing.  Later I had an LTD that had a through neck and all sorts of great spec , for not much cash.  But my favourite was a Squier Deluxe Dimension Bass.  Got it new for under £300 and was so impressed with it's design and build quality.  A real pleasure to play and it's active pickup got some very decent tones.  I'm a four string player but I like to dabble occasionally.

I'm a big fan of Nordstrand pickups, especially the Big Single but that bass in the video looks like some 60s bass from the Far East.

Real fugly.

I have a new Special and can highly recommend you fellas get one too.

Mind you, I still love my 2014 Stingray.

Very cool bass, congrats.

Hard to beat a Stingray.😎

Looks very nice indeed.

I really rate Yamaha's higher end basses.

Mind you, that neck is seriously wide.

2 hours ago, Cuzzie said:

Change the R7 resistor, add a capacitor to the tone pot, it’s useable!

Shame G&L didn't think of that.

When the Manchester/Great British Bass Lounge was in north Manchester and Drew stocked quite a few US G&Ls, I got to try out a number of them, with other makes and I never came away with a G&L.  And I bought a lot of gear from Drew.  For me, they never stood out enough to make me want one.  No doubt, they are very good quality basses.  I never liked the headstock much but that wouldn't have been enough to put me off.  I really took a fancy to the G&L bass with a Telecaster body but I didn't like the way it balanced on a strap.  

Good luck with the sale, I'm sure with a little perseverance, someone will snap it up and be glad they did.

Good story, great looking bass.

Congrats!