Dood

I have two Fender Power Jazz Bass Specials made two years apart. Same electronics on both. The only visual difference is the shape of the bridge. I had two Tobias 6 string basses, completely stock. My two Shukers are made by the same person using the same wood types and same electronics. One is a 7 string the other a headless 6. You would have to have cloth ears to not be able to tell that in each case they sound different to each other. I’ve even had pairs of review basses that acoustically sound different to each other even before they are plugged in. (Dingwall Combustion 5 and Dingwall NG 5 string springs to mind)

Having reviewed the Kestrel and the Kingfisher, I gotta say the Kestrel we had in was absolutely banging'! A great bass. The Kingfisher was nice and well made, but the former would have come home with me if funds were allowing. Oh and they really need to get on and make 5 string versions!

Oh and Hohner were building licensed Steinberger 'cricket bat' basses for many year (Still do I think, such as the Hohner B2, which I suspect, without pictures yours is a version of!)

Well! By the looks of it it's a standard headless Hohner and thats an "aftermarket" add-on judging by the choice of screws!

The 80’s ones are just about to go up in price!

Yeah, real, check out the brochure link I posted above.

Just found an older FB page dedicated to the original Boxer series : https://www.facebook.com/fenderboxer/

And further confusion added as each had it's own model number too, such as PJ-555, PB-551, JB-555 and PB-755

Because the original Japanese range of guitar and basses were called Boxer. https://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/boxer/en_04.html Now I cant translate but maybe there's some details in the original catalogues!

Yes, that always confused me a bit, but the Jazz Bass Special comes from the Boxer range, of which there were quite a few different models, with slanted pickups, P styles, J bass styles etc etc along with a range fo Guitars too I understand. Quite right, it is a Jazz neck on a P body with PJ pickups - That's the bit that makes it "special". I really love the configuration! It's different! Also correct, Duff's original bass, the pearl white Jazz Bass Special was based on the 80's models, however his arrived with a precision profile neck. Whether or not that was a mistake or intentional, Duff didn't seem to mind and that's why his Mexi signature model has a P neck on it rather than the Jazz neck - so, essentially, his signature bass is just a PJ precision without a pick guard. Things become even more confusing as Duff's new model has a pick guard and is advertised as the "Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision" , yet on the headstock it says "Deluxe Jazz Bass Special". Err, is it special in that it has no jazz in it at all now?

Fender MIJ Boxer Series Jazz Bass Limited Edition Sherwood Green Metallic This is a Fender Boxer Series Jazz Bass, part of a limited run of MIJ (Made in Japan) instruments paying homage to the hot-rodded Boxer Series of the 1980s. The bass features a basswood body, rosewood fretboard with a flatter than usual 12" radius, jumbo frets, and a combination of Precision and Jazz Bass pickups! The controls are a 3-way toggle to go between each pickup, with a TBXTM (Treble Bass Expander) circuit in there for even more dialing in your tone. Grab your limited edition Boxer Precision Bass now! Includes: Gigbag Solidbody Electric Bass Basswood Body "C" Shape Maple Neck Rosewood Fretboard 34" Scale Length 12" Fretboard Radius Bone Nut, 1.5 Width 20 Jumbo Frets Boxer Jazz Bass® (Bridge), Boxer Precision Bass® (Middle) Pickups Vintage Style Split Single-Coil Precision Bass Middle Pickup Volume 1 (Middle Pickup), Volume 2 (Bridge Pickup), Master TBXTM Circuit (Treble Bass Expander) 4-Saddle Bridge Gotoh Vintage-Style Tuners Black Hardware

Strangely right now the link to the Fender website page is down, but Andertons sent an email out with the "New for 2021" models that had a boxer bass tucked in the corner. Clicking through to the Anderton's website and yes, lots of nice new Fenders, but again, no Jazz Bass Special! Online, it looks like the basses will be FSR, thus being made in Japan, like the original 80's models. Only one colour at the moment, but boy there's no doubt these will be nice - hopefully as good as the originals (of which I have two of the 80's active versions). Here's the only outlet I can find with decent images: https://www.themusiczoo.com/products/fender-mij-boxer-series-precision-bass-limited-edition-sherwood-green-metallic

Though, I will respond to my own posts with this extraordinary experience: I was walking through London one day, many, many years ago with my girlfriend at the time. I forget why we were there and where exactly. Probably doing 'the markets' and having a day out chillin'. This lad cycled past, came back, circled us, turned to me and said, "Don't give up, your dreams will come true" - or at least, something similar, from memory. I'm not so sure that I was recognised as being a bassist, but he weirdly knew that I was having a difficult time with bass. So, if you're reading this, guy on bicycle, thanks for that, its been over 20 years now since the encounter and my bass now pays the mortgage!

Did anyone mention @Sims Super Quad pickups yet?

On the flip side though, it highlights how complex a subject playing bass is! And, you know what? I bloody love it!!

I've selected HH as my two "working" basses have a pair of hum buckers on board, but like others, my answer is also dependent on what I am trying to achieve. As a professional bassist, it's a bit like a painter having different brushes and paint colours. I do adore my battered and bruised ash P bass though. There's just something about it's sound that is wonderful. Oh and reverse P has been mentioned - I have a pair of Japanese Fenders with rP-J configurations. There's just something really nice about them when in 50/50 blend mode.

Someone came up to me in Asda once!! They seemed pleased to see me!! But they just asked me where something was in the store. Perplexed I told them I didn't work there. They got annoyed and told me I was wearing the shop's uniform. "No," I replied. "Sainsbury's have blue shirts, not even the same blue," as I gestured to the one I had on. #NeverWillBeARockStar

Many years ago when I bought my first SVT 2 Pro, I A/B'd the SVT 3 Pro and B4R. I'd actually gone to buy an SVT 4 Pro, but it never arrived at the shop. I was able to keep switching back and forth between the amplifiers and have to say that the 2 Pro just well.. I bought the SVT 2 Pro then and there, it then did about 15 years of service with me! As a compromise on weight, try to track down an Ampeg SVP-Pro preamp - which is your tone shaping section of the SVT 2 Pro and then run it in to either a power amp or the return of another amp you have already. When I retired my SVT 2 Pro from gigging, I did the same, with a daft 2000W rms power amplifier ha ha!! Bonkers!

I saw an old preamp I used to own on eBay. I was tempted to bid on it, but talked myself out of it as I didn't actually need it. It eventually sold for just £108, a fraction of its worth lol.

Choosing an inappropriate moment to derail this thread, I scrolled to the bottom of your quote image and all I could think of was.... I’m sorry 😂🤣

Great amps. I’ve gigged them a lot in the past and found that they make a superb power amplifier for running other gear like effects and preamps in to. I did upgrade the valve in mine too. Not that you need to, mostly but I had a really nice set of premium ECC83’s spare.

Check out the @darkglass Element. Amongst all sorts of other cool attributes it can be used as a speaker level DI - and has a built in EQ as well as speaker cabinet emulation IRs. It appears to be, absolutely brilliant. You can also feed external audio via Bluetooth or line in to play along with and there’s two headphones outs!

Wow! Look at that! I had one too, though mine was more of a mess when I got it. I also owned a Traynor 2x15 loaded with Celestions. Both of those cabinets were well made, practically bomb proof , so there's no doubt this one will live many years longer!

Finger-picks should make a come back! I have used a thumb pick in the past but I remember watching a local bassist using finger picks, being able to play quite quickly with them too https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Finger-Pick-Set-by-Gear4music/2L8W?origin=product-ads&msclkid=73f3a027b26715abfc6affc28627fb7f&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA Shop | Gear4music&utm_term=4583726538765100&utm_content=Guitars

For future reference, The Musician’s Union has a pro-active legal department who invite communications regarding the behaviour of musicians and acts. https://musiciansunion.org.uk/contact