Leowasright

[quote name='bnt' post='193230' date='May 6 2008, 07:35 PM']Surely you want a car made by the firm that essentially invented the car????????? However, if you buy a Mercedes-Benz today, about all it has in common with the 1886 original is that it has 4 wheels. Being the first shouldn't mean that you can just sit on your laurels and replicate past glories, which is all that Fender seems to do these days. [/quote] Automotive paralells miss the point. So much was right by 1960 (to quote me later on), why mess with it? I am an old fuddy duddy at 37 I don't even like it when Fender try to introduce something new! (When was the last time? The Lead 1 bass? or was it the mis-shaped deluxe models?)

I have a MIM and a MIJ Jazz, and the major difference is the quality of the pickups, so I'd have to say MIJ above MIM. Change the pickups on your MIM, and it's vey close to a MIA (USA) instrument, though. Surely you want a bass made by the firm that essentially invented the electic bass????????? By 1960 Leo Fender had pretty much got the bass guitar right. That is why the Precision and Jazz are still very much with us today. I have to say that everytime I see another band, I look at the bass player, and if he has one of those "modern" things (Wal/Warwick/pointy thing or other non-Fender like object), I wonder why he can't just use a Jazz or a Precision! The only other instruments I would have are the other Leo Fender designed instruments such as the Stingray and the G&L L2000, but the new fangled active electronics put me off. Same with guitars. There is nothing a Les Paul/ SG/Tele/Stratocaster can't do, so why would your guitarist want anything else?????

I'd go for Reidys as well, I think they are presently the cheapest UK retailer for this item. I recently got all the parts for a new MIM Jazz from Ebay in the US for just over £200......took a couple of months though. One piece of advice. Bin the pickups as soon as you can.

I thought Mr Blunt generally used a Fender Jazz.... You surely do not need any other type!

Anyone know where you can get the Fender Japan Jazz pups???? I'd say they are pretty close to US ones and I need either (US or Jap) type of pickup to drop in a Mex Jazz to improve on its (pretty poor) originals. Ta, David H NB I've had a 10 year break from playing as well!

Guys, I have no problem finding ones (pickguards that is) that fit a reissue or Jap Fender Jazz. But does anyone know who does a decent "pattern part" replacement pickguard that fits the Mex/US Jazz screw hole centres, without me resorting to buying a "Fender USA" part????? Ta David H

Agreed, I think that changing the pickups in my MIM Jazz will be the one item that will make it audibly indiscernable from a USA one.

Back in Black , AC/DC For all those who believe that bass [b]is[/b][i][/i] the root note. Once you can do this THEN go and do all the funky stuff. David H

All I am going to say is MIM pickups just do not seem to be as good as USA or Jap pickups (on a Jazz anyway). My Mex has considerably less output than the US or the Jap Squire I have. Apart from that I can honestly say the US is the best to play, ultimately, but there ain't that much in it really. Change the pickups for Jap or US! David H

Cliff Williams! (AC?DC) If only for the Back in Black LP

Good times- Chic Le Freak- Chic (the best 2 note bass "solo" ever surely) Probably anything else with Bernard Edwards on it? (including Sister Sledge) Cygnus X-1 book 1 , Rush. The song starts with a simple bass riff Gimme a bullet AC/DC Love Hungry man AC/DC Just to prove Cliff Williams is not always doing straight 8s. (Mind he's good at it) Dancing in the Moonlight (it's got me in it's spotlight) by Thin Lizzy David H

Not read it yet, but Im sure it demonstrates Leo Fender got it right 1st time, and even more right the 2nd time with the Jazz! I have only recently realised what a profound a change must have occurred when the electric bass guitar got hold in the 50's. David H

Nice to know its not just me who hates P-bass neck widths. We must all be sloppy and lazy players Got a USA Jazz with the S-1 switch that sounds very Precision like. I didn't know there was a Mex P-bass with a J-bass neck! David H

Oops I have just read my topic starter and the 1st paragraph makes no sense! What I meant was the PREVIOUS bass player in the band before me had a 5 string and used it on recordings! I am clearly not first to think of this tuning lark. In a reply to early posts, 5 string basses are too wide in the neck for me, not because I have small hands (far from it), but they force me to play "unnaturally" with the thumb resting on the back of the neck (a la classical guitarists). I am lazy and sloppy, and I like to damp the low strings with my thumb over the top, hence my very clear preference for the Jazz type neck. I still cannot even get on with a Precision after using a Jazz since the early 90's. I would have thought all would be OK if one used a heavy set or about .060" to .125", as I would have thought the extra unit mass of the string minus the lower tension of the BEAD tuning would kind of cancel itself out, to about the tension of "regular" guage strings. David H

I have a USA Jazz (one of the last S-1s), whichI had to hunt down as I wanted a sunburst or Blonde one with a maple neck. Its fab. I also have a Mexican Fender Jazz which is more than OK, plays almost as well as the USA, but seems to lack a certain amont of tone in comparison. I haven't played a Japanese one, but my old Jap Squier Silver series is not far off the Mexican, and I swear the pickups have more "oomph". If I had £850 to spend I'd get the USA. If I had £400 I'd buy the Mexican. David H

Listening to what my current band have recorded, there a low Bs being played, and apparently he had a 5 string. I couldn't possibly be a**ed to try to play a 5 string with such a wide neck, especially as I can't even be bothered with a 4 string Precision width neck(!) (Jazz all the way) Especially as I have 3 (4 string Jazz) basses available. Has anyone tried setting up a 4 string as the bottom 4 strings on a 5 string ie .065" to .125" guage tuned to BEAD? I cannot believe nobody has tried this...... David H

Good Call I got a USA Jazz (sunburst/maple neck) about 3 weeks ago. Apart from a return to the shop to get the set up sorted out, it is monsterous. Makes my '94 Squier Silver series sound like a scaffolding plank, and a Mexican one isn't that close either. I cannot see that I am ever going to need any other bass but a Jazz at the minute. David H

I wouldn't say the Behringer was a bad sounding amp at all, through 4x12s with Fane speakers anyway. I can certainly get a sound I like....(think Back In Black) A Hartke head may be the next upgrade along the road. Or maybe straight to the Marshall VBA400! DH

I bet there are opinions out there. After not playing for 10 years, I bought a Behringer BX4500H head to get going again. Now, after reading this forum, and with a 1st gig in years looming, I am nervous about the damn thing letting me down, as many have said bad things about this amp. What of the relability on a Hartke HA3500? After more looking around recently this seems to be more like what I should have bought to start with...... I remember these way back in the day (well the 1990's anyway). NB I have never had a tranny amp fail on me.... I have blown up a (valve) Fender Bassman. David H

I finally got to amplify my USA Jazz last week. Got to say it is tonally MUCH more solid than my Squier. It is the first time I have genunely noticed the tonal difference between a cheaper and more expensive bass. I finally have that tone you get on 70's rock records. Then on went the s-1 switch Thunder!!! My god, if only I could get on with Precision necks. I am lazy, and 1.5" necks are wide enough. This even put me off a MM Stingray...... Think I'll do the push-pull mod on my Squier or a Mexican Jazz. David H

P with a pick? AC/DC's Cliff Williams on ant post '77 AC/DC album. YOU try and get that metronomic effect, it is actually harder than you think straight 8s are...... I do believe he also used a MM Stingray in the early 80's.

Get a Precision and put a Jazz neck on it! On the other hand, I have never seen a Jazz with a Precision pickup (apart from those PJ things 20 years ago) David H

I did finally lay hands on a USA Jazz on Saturday. The original order with GAK got cancelled because they ran out! However, I have not used it with the band yet, as the weekend's practice didn't happen for varoius reasons! The switch does offer something different....

[quote name='woodster' post='132076' date='Feb 1 2008, 05:19 PM']I recently imported a Stingray 5 from the guys at Bass Central in Florida www.basscentral.com Grasshopper is a top bloke and couldn't be more helpful. They even slightly under-declared the value to save me a few quid on the charges. I couldn't rate them highly enough and will definately shop there again really soon. Chris[/quote] Thanks for a starting point! Where in Soton are you???? I am actually old Hedge End

Surely a Squire Standard Precision should be in your sights at that price level. I'm sure they are readily available at £160 ish? David H