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Fender Flea Signature Jazz Bass


NJE
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[quote name='maldy' timestamp='1469093487' post='3095614']
Both my pickups were not flat to the body. I.e. the pickup was higher under the G string than the E string. To compensate any height difference in the string? Not sure if was intentional in the set up, but the volume seemed fine across the strings.
[/quote]#

It's normal: thinner strings give a weaker output, so the pickups/polepieces are often closer to the strings on the thinner string areas. How much, it depends on the pickups and the strings. Often is minimal.

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[quote name='njr911' timestamp='1469088266' post='3095574']
Also what are everyones thoughts on the strings, I don't think they sound as balanced as the Fender flats I'm used to. I have a bit of volume increase on the E, over both pickups so I assume this is a string issue ? It's not an issue.
[/quote]

The stock strings came straight off and in the spares box, strung it with some D'Addario XL 50-105s and it sounds sublime, nice and even across the board. Mine definitely needed the truss cranking to get the action a bit lower.

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I'm warming to one of these. Just a quick one to owners concerning the finish. Where the nitro has been removed/distressed, is it bare (new) wood or some kind of clearcoat underneath?

I watched a couple of You Tube clips last night and the bare wood looked a bit shiny when the demonstrator was flipping the bass back and forth.

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[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1469181728' post='3096348']
I'm warming to one of these. Just a quick one to owners concerning the finish. Where the nitro has been removed/distressed, is it bare (new) wood or some kind of clearcoat underneath?

I watched a couple of You Tube clips last night and the bare wood looked a bit shiny when the demonstrator was flipping the bass back and forth.
[/quote]

It certainly 'feels' a little bare. I am not sure whether it is! I presume it has some sort of thin coating for protection....

Yet another weekend jam packed so no time for a quick play. BOOOOOOO!

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I have a Jazz bass.
I don't particularly like pink.
I'm indifferent to the RHCP.
And I don't need this.

However......I tried one out today and it's now sitting in my guitar rack.

Nice weight and a lovely playable neck. All it requires is a truss rod adjustment to get the action lower and maybe, some alternative strings and I'll be up and running.

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[quote name='Floyd Pepper' timestamp='1469191894' post='3096488']
I have a Jazz bass.
I don't particularly like pink.
I'm indifferent to the RHCP.
And I don't need this.

However......I tried one out today and it's now sitting in my guitar rack.

Nice weight and a lovely playable neck. All it requires is a truss rod adjustment to get the action lower and maybe, some alternative strings and I'll be up and running.
[/quote]

Haha, good lad! It's only I'm not gigging at the minute and have no means to pay it off that I handed it back!!!

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Right then! Just got mine quick noodle in the shop and love what I'm hearing and feeling quick question to all owners are the washers under your black knobs bent upward on one side? I would have thought there was a problem but it seems both have been bent uniformly as if totally deliberate... Never seen this before? Will get pics up as soon as poss! Lovely looking and feeling instrument!

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[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1469022190' post='3095147']
Strange to see how the wear is so similar! On Maldy's pics, the rear picture shows a missing piece of finish on its own, with a 'smile' of darker colour underneath it. That is identical to mine. WEIRD.
[/quote]

The wear on roadworns is always the same pattern (specific to that model of course) unlike custom shop relics which are more random and individual. Whether or not all roadworns of the same model are absolutely identical (is that even possible?), I don't know, but they're all very very similar.

Edited by danhkr
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[quote name='Musashimonkey' timestamp='1469284557' post='3097181']
My washers are the same. My guess is it's a crude solution to grounding the metal knobs..?
[/quote]

Ah well at least that's a commonality no idea why they're like that, on your pick guard is there also a chunk missing next to the truss rod access? Looks like someone's tried to have a go on this one and slipped with their tool!? Cheers.

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Mine was a bit buzzy and the fret ends were quite sharp, so it went back and Fender have done a reasonable job sorting the frets out (although I might get my local luthier to look at them as it's still not perfect). Could've been effected in transit by the recent heat we've had, but tbf these things come from Mexico! Also it weighed in at 9lb which I was a bit disappointed with bearing in mind the weight of others, but it actually feels great on a strap, really solid and no neck dive. Despite these little issues, I really can't stop playing and loving it!

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The bent up washers are to force the little bump on the washer, into the bottom of the tone rotaries.
This is what gives the notch/click, when you turn your tone rotaries, thus holding the tone rotary in place where you set it.

The 1st thing I did with mine was 3 coatings of Lemon Oil on the board. Mine is Fender Custom Shop brand Lemon oil.
I think the bottle may outlive me.

Edited for bloody spelling again! :rolleyes:

Edited by karlfer
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Cheers guys! The mystery of the washers is solved!

However...

The mystery of Fender Mexicos Quality Control is still to be puzzled over, I ordered my bass which has now been returned, from GuitarGuitar Newcastle, they have been great so far and are getting my replacement bass sent from Glasgow tomorrow as the bass I originally purchased had some really weird defects, the pole pieces sitting under the E string on the bridge pickup simply didn't line up with the holes in the cover, the assembling team had screwed the cover down so much that the pole pieces had deformed the plastic and the whole cover had warped, the screws holding this pickup in had also pretty much lost their heads so couldn't be tightened or loosened, obviously the person trying to force the cover over the poles busted the screw heads in the process, further to this the pick guard had a chunk missing where someone had tried to get a tool in to the truss rod without removing the neck... 100% not part of the relic job as you could follow the path in which the tool looks like it slips and causes a piece of the pick guard out, the truss rod metal from what you could see was also a little chewed, the 14th &15th frets on the A and D strings where also buzzing with the 15th fret of the D string particularly dead.

Small issues but surely they should have been captured at some point by someone? myself and the guy from GuitarGuitar (again brilliant thus far) ran a quick "over the phone" check with his colleague in Glasgow with the bass they have in stock and the new one being sent has none of the problems mentioned above so hopefully will be the same gem the rest of you are talking about!

I can post pics if anyone cares to see! Fingers crossed for Tuesday's bass!

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