jd56hawk

So, a new Fender tjat isn't even a relabeled Squier Classic Vibe, merely an Affinty bass with the cheaper ceramic pickups instead of the alnico pickups in the CVs. I'm guessing cheaper pots, tuners, etc. Hats off to Fender for charging $600 for a bass that's worth half that, though. Great marketing strategy, right up there with Jackson for duping people into buying the Concert X bass.

Levy's reversible...orange and blue.

Even though I'm on the other side of the Atlantic and I've never found these in stores, I have to buy 36-bar boxes of them from Amazon, there's nothing quite like them!

Orange O bass.

In that case, used Squier 40th Anniversary bass, satin-smooth neck is a joy to play, or the Classic Vibe with the beautiful walnut finish.

I like this HB for £110, not your typical ho-hum P bass in Vintage Burst or whatever, but I'd have to go with the Squier Sonic Precision instead. Came as a big surprise when I tried one out the other day. Couldn't stop playing it, and I'm not a P bass guy.

Yes, that's a semi-hollow bass, as opposed to a true hollow-body bass or an acoustic bass. It has a center block for more sustain and better feedback resistance. Hollow-body and acoustic basses don't have a center block.

My L2000 is anything but weak in passive mode. I cant count how many people ask about taming the MFD pickups because they're too hot.

I've owned quite a few good, cheap basses, I recommend them all the time, but I'd be lying if I said any of them were in the same league as either of these.

Active with a passive switch. No need to say anything else.

Exactly! I won't even grab a bass and plug it in if it doesn't catch my eye. Why should I?

Are the Contemporary Active basses still having issues with the active electronics?

Japan rules when it comes to special G&L basses, Fender, too. Not to mention Bacchus, Atelier Z, etc, etc, etc. Must be exhausting trying to choose just one bass during a Japanese shopping trip.

I've seen quite a few Antigua basses/guitars in real life. Some look grey, some look khaki.

That one looks pretty good as it has a definite gray cast to it. I don't like the brownish ones.

Yes, that's why I said there's really nothing innovative about it.

Yes, exactly, that's why I said nothing really innovative about it.

Meh, actually.

I'm not a fan, but Fender sticks with what they know for a very good reason...thousands upon thousands simply go with what works. Other than that, as already mentioned, every time they try something new and different like the Dimension or the Meteora, they don't exactly sell like hotcakes. You want something innovative and different, buy one of these. Nothing really innovative about it, but that pickguard is accountable for quite a few sales.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Fender+Made+in+Japan+2024+Collection+Hybrid+II+Jazz+Bass&_trksid=p2332490.m4084.l1313 Several available in the UK on Reverb.

I started another thread instead of adding pics here, even though I first became aware of these MIJ basses here. Sorry. That's what happens when posting while half asleep.

Matching headstock puts it over the top. They seem to be all over the place with these basses...some of the ones with maple fretboards have matching headstocks, while most with rosewood have unfinished headstocks, with several exceptions.

I'm betting it looks great in real life, and at least they got the name right with that one.🤔

Some interesting finishes, especially compared to the new Player series line. Here are just a few, they have maybe seven or eight more finishes available. Beryl Red, Aquamarine, Inca Silver, Sunset Orange, Sherwood Green, Azurite Metallic and my favorite, Forest Blue, Fender's most confusing finish name yet!

Had to look it up but you're right. I guess I really have forgotten all about Thunderbirds.