jd56hawk

I blew it when I didn't jump on this!

Fender at its best. I don't remember ever seeing a passive Fender PJ before.

Sire, very popular for a good reason. Sure, many will suggest getting an amp, but I'm betting you buy a nice bass like this and you won't be able to put it down. Andertons Sire Version 2 Marcus Miller V3 4-String Bass in Red Satin £249.00£439.00

Someone mentioned Sire. This one at Andertons has a ridiculously low price.

Show me a Fender that looks better. On second thought, don't bother...even their custom shop basses aren't quite as nice.

I didn't examine it too closely, but it seemed to be good... the neck was very comfortable and fret work was spot on.

I'm not the biggest Fender fan but this one came as a pleasant surprise. Saw it at Guitar Center last month. 152 basses there. Everything else was hanging on the wall but the Fender was sitting in a stand right inside the door to the bass room, just asking to be picked up and plugged in. Twenty amps on the floor but for some reason, only an Ampeg Rocket was actually plugged in so I used that instead of a Rumble. Must've played for half an hour or more and the truth is, I never sounded better...hadn't touched a bass in two weeks. Sure, tone is all in the fingers, but I have to think the bass had a little to do with it. Seriously, though, what a nice P bass! I used a strap and the bass felt very comfortable...I'm guessing it was under 8 lbs...and the neck was perfect. I don't believe the fretboard edges were rolled, but the edges were definitely rounded...1.65 nut, felt like a Jazz bass neck to me. Looked very nice with the Candy Cola finish, but I think a black pickguard would've looked better...that's just nitpicking, though. Played along with my ipod as I always do. Must've played along to 9 or 10 songs...some hard rock and some softer stuff, too. Sounded great! I can only imagine it'd sound even better with some tapewounds or flatwounds.

Nothing intrinsically wrong with Fender basses, but why would I buy one when I can buy one of these instead?

Right now, I have four basses. Each one is the best bass I've ever played.

Welcome to Basschat, where every new bass is the "best bass I've ever played!" Seriously though, I wouldn't buy anything that says Fender on the headstock, but I've owned a dozen Squiers and I'll definitely buy one or two again.

First Bass Owned: Dean EABC 'Go To' Bass: G&L L2000 'Your' Bass: Bacchus Woodline MIJ Jazz

It's for those who like to play unplugged. Not for me, though,I have two Dean Exotica acoustic basses and I always plug in...it's all about the tone. I'm not saying my Deans sound better, but I bet they do. Other than that, Brian seems to like it because he's playing it again and again.

Still sounds heavy to me. Other than that, I'm guessing they don't have cases available, I'd have to think one would be huge. A gig bag is available, though. (Sorry, can't find a pic.)

Brian Ritchie with his Big Johnson Acoustic Bass.

What are you playing now?

I had to sell seven basses last year, but I just couldn't part with my L2000. You bought something special there.

You might want to consider Dimarzio Relentless pickups...arched tops to better fit the neck radius and adjustable pole pieces. Noiseless and potent even without a preamp.

Nothing intrinsically wrong with Fender basses, but I have to imagine that even today, some people still aren't aware there are better options out there. Other than that.. (FWIW - I'm afraid if its not a Fender I'm not interested, yes there are lots of awesome basses out there that aren't Fender but that's a different thread for a different day). Seriously? Because of the name on the headstock? (Always curious to know why some go for only one particular company, whether it's Fender, MusicMan, Gibson, Rickenbacker, etc.)

The new Thunderbirds are very good...not to mention they have more than two or three finish options...but I still think the Classic Pros are number one. Not to mention, I'm a big fan of the black hardware and pickups...had a Alpine White one years ago. (Yeah, one of those basses I should've never sold.)

I've never felt the need to measure but the action on this Dean Exotica was so high that I could slip a pencil between the strings and the fretboard at the 12th fret. Put on a set of D'Addario black tapewounds and voila!

I've never been to Bristol, but I hope the fog doesn't look like that! Seriously, though, I feel sorry for anyone who recently bought a Junior Jet and can't buy this one now. It looks great!

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I've been keeping my basses at a friend's house for the past few months so Ive been going to Guitar Center two or three times a week. Played quite a few P basses, several Squier Sonics, a few of the new Fender Standard Precisions, a couple of Player IIs, and some of the American P basses, too. I'm not talking about just playing a few scales, I'm talking about playing along to my ipod, half a dozen songs or more...really getting a feel for the basses. I currently don't own a P bass, so I was getting familiar with the typical Fender stock...and I was definitely surprised by quite a few. Would've grabbed a Sonic had I found one in Graffiti Yellow. Could've walked away with a Candy Cola Fender Standard, too. The P bass has been getting the job done for over 70 years. However, I just picked up my Jazz bass last week...moved into a new place...and the minute I plugged it in I knew why it was special. Extremely comfortable, it almost plays itself, and the tone palette is truly full spectrum...the Turbo Switch is a big plus. So, in reply to the question "Jazz basses, what's the point?" The answer is simple...it's 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 than a P bass.