tonybassplayer Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I joined another band recently and have convinced myself that the right bass for the style of music and profile of the band would be a Jazz Bass (preferably in black !!) Good choice I am sure you will agree but up to now I have managed to avoid GAS ( bought my Yamaha TRB about 6 years and love it to bits ) so I am not really aware just what is a good price and what ( in theory ) is better than the previous etc I am looking to purchase either from this site or ebay etc and I am aware that if it looks too good to be true it probably will be so I just want a guideline as to what I should expect to pay for each model and what the hierarchy level is ie is a Fender Mexican better than a Squier etc I know that this is not an easy answer but I have faith in you all lol Many thanks Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umcoo Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I would say the order goes.. Made in America Made in Japan Made in Mexico Squier However, it all depends on how YOU like the instrument. I sold a MIA Precision for a MIJ Jazz and I'm very glad I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybassplayer Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Thank you, that gives me an excellent start to narrowing down my search ( I have just clicked what MIA and MIJ etc means ) Like most people I like a bargain but in general I am happy to pay decent money for a decent product but there just seems to be a huge discrepancy between the different models Spotted a lovely looking Geddy Lee on ebay that is tempting me at £375 but with two more days it will probably zoom up more Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 [quote name='umcoo' post='137857' date='Feb 10 2008, 10:50 PM']I would say the order goes.. Made in America Made in Japan Made in Mexico Squier However, it all depends on how YOU like the instrument. I sold a MIA Precision for a MIJ Jazz and I'm very glad I did.[/quote] +1. That's the general view on the heirachy, but you will find MIJ Fenders which are just as good, if not better, than MIA. And one of the nicest Precisions I've owned was a Mexican Standard - fitted some Quarterpounders in that and it was a cracking bass. Fenders vary a lot, so it is essential to try before you buy. Also, if you've decided on a Jazz, check out some of the other manufacturers eg Lakland, Sandberg etc. They have some really nice takes on the Jazz design, and arguably are better value than American Fenders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 [quote name='tonybassplayer' post='137855' date='Feb 10 2008, 10:45 PM']I joined another band recently and have convinced myself that the right bass for the style of music and profile of the band would be a Jazz Bass ([b]preferably in black[/b] !!) Good choice I am sure you will agree but up to now I have managed to avoid GAS ( bought my Yamaha TRB about 6 years and love it to bits ) so I am not really aware just what is a good price and what ( in theory ) is better than the previous etc I am looking to purchase either from this site or ebay etc and I am aware that if it looks too good to be true it probably will be so I just want a guideline as to what I should expect to pay for each model and what the hierarchy level is ie is a Fender Mexican better than a Squier etc I know that this is not an easy answer but I have faith in you all lol Many thanks Tony[/quote] Ah yes, you hit the nail on the head... black ones are more versatile and sound good in virtually any musical genre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 MB1. Mr Moderator! wrong place for this Surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s_u_y_* Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 [quote name='warwickhunt' post='137903' date='Feb 10 2008, 11:58 PM']Ah yes, you hit the nail on the head... black ones are more versatile and sound good in virtually any musical genre [/quote] It's true. I love my Fender Jazz bass, and I would use it for this prog rock/electronica project I'm working with... but I'm finding the 3 tone sunburst making just too warm a tone. I'm thinking about getting it refinished in black. Hopefully like you said, it will become more versitile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybassplayer Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 Black is the new sunburst !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Every bass and guitar I've ever owned has been black. I agree they're very versatile as they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations. You deffo should play a fender (unless you just take a punt!). I went down Denmark Street all day and played every fender I could find when I was in the market for a Jazz bass. To be honest, if they'd all had the "made in" decal taped over I would have got most of them wrong. I also found myself preferring some Precisions. Some MIAs, MIJs & MIMs played like dogs, some were lovely. I left feeling confused. A lot of how a bass plays is how it's set up. I then bought a MIM Precision Bass Special from ebay. I couldn't resist. It's an FSR in matt black and a jazz neck - I love it. Although it was dirt cheap for what it is and almost brand new - and I was willing so replace bits on it didn't like (I never did). It was a lucky punt. It might have been a dog. Modern MIAs and MIMs are made from the same wood, although you get more variety of woods used for bodies in the MIAs - and the MIAs are sometimes made from less pieces. Talking of sunbursts - they're often made of less pieces for aesthetic reasons. Both MIA and MIM now use the same necks made in the same factory. MIMs rarely come with maple fretboards. MIJs are made from entirely different trees stocks on another continent (though maybe the same type of wood) in different factories. MIAs have much better pickups, electronics and hardware. MIJs are somewhere in the middle. Although some of the Deluxe Series MIMs (like mine) also have US pickups. Some people rate the MIJs as having better build quality than the MIAs or MIMs. I'm not so sure. There are good and bad examples of each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E_MaN Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 [quote name='tonybassplayer' post='137933' date='Feb 11 2008, 06:45 AM']Black is the new sunburst !! [/quote] Nah, black = boring White = motherf***ingawesomecool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neptunehealer Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 [quote name='bigjohn' post='139690' date='Feb 13 2008, 05:07 PM']Every bass and guitar I've ever owned has been black. I agree they're very versatile as they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations. You deffo should play a fender (unless you just take a punt!). I went down Denmark Street all day and played every fender I could find when I was in the market for a Jazz bass. To be honest, if they'd all had the "made in" decal taped over I would have got most of them wrong. I also found myself preferring some Precisions. Some MIAs, MIJs & MIMs played like dogs, some were lovely. I left feeling confused. A lot of how a bass plays is how it's set up. I then bought a MIM Precision Bass Special from ebay. I couldn't resist. It's an FSR in matt black and a jazz neck - I love it. Although it was dirt cheap for what it is and almost brand new - and I was willing so replace bits on it didn't like (I never did). It was a lucky punt. It might have been a dog. Modern MIAs and MIMs are made from the same wood, although you get more variety of woods used for bodies in the MIAs - and the MIAs are sometimes made from less pieces. Talking of sunbursts - they're often made of less pieces for aesthetic reasons. Both MIA and MIM now use the same necks made in the same factory. MIMs rarely come with maple fretboards. MIJs are made from entirely different trees stocks on another continent (though maybe the same type of wood) in different factories. MIAs have much better pickups, electronics and hardware. MIJs are somewhere in the middle. Although some of the Deluxe Series MIMs (like mine) also have US pickups. Some people rate the MIJs as having better build quality than the MIAs or MIMs. I'm not so sure. There are good and bad examples of each.[/quote] Why not look at the CIJ jazz basses on guitaremporium cij is crafter in japan and from what i know are better than mij. Plus the jazz basses on there have us pups and badass II bridge, but will fetch you back a cool £700. Happy days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybassplayer Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 Bought my cheap precision and now getting close to buying a decent Jazz. My USA strat on ebay finishes tonight so it will be dependant on that as to what Jazz I get. It is currently on £331 but I hope it will go for more in a late bidding frenzy !!! Thanks for all the info and advice Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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