Low to mid priced J bass recomdations

[Lozz196]

22 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

I’m currently selling a 2019 Mex Jazz in white with a maple neck and it’s an absolute cracker.

It’s a little less refined than the US jazz but it’s fantastically well made. 

Nice, the Player range is def the best from Mex so far, really good quality and great - pardon the pun - Players.

[CliveT]

16 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

Yes, I’ll Pm you.

Thanks

[kodiakblair]

On 06/05/2020 at 08:41, nilebodgers said:

Roswell pickups (http://www.roswellpickups.com/) are their own thing, no connection to Wilkinson.

I have a set of the Roswell Alnico5 J pickups out of a JB75 bought s/h on here and they sound surprisingly good. I replaced the ceramic pickups in my 2008 MIM Fender J with them. 

Roswell build pickups for Fender. Weird thing is deliveries go straight to California not Mexico so where do they source their MIM pickups from ?

[nilebodgers]

1 hour ago, kodiakblair said:

Roswell build pickups for Fender. Weird thing is deliveries go straight to California not Mexico so where do they source their MIM pickups from ?

Interesting - is there a source for that info?

They might do all the incoming QC in California then just ship to the Mexican plant along with other parts. Easier than a split delivery I would think especially as they will be getting them in pallet loads (or container loads if they are shipped in from the Far East with other parts).

[Geek99]

Surely all us fenders are made by hand by American elves using only the finest hand crafted parts made in, like, Michigan or somewhere thus justifying the doubled cost and the sticker 

Edited May 9, 2020 by Geek99

[JohnDaBass]

1 hour ago, kodiakblair said:

Roswell build pickups for Fender. Weird thing is deliveries go straight to California not Mexico so where do they source their MIM pickups from ?

Components would physically arrive at a "bonded" in Mexico  while paperwork ownership would reside in the USA. The components would then be "free issued" over the border to be assembled in to finished instruments. The finished products would then be imported into the USA. Fender would only then pay import duty on the "Labour cost" value added in Mexico and NOT on the components value,  reducing their overall cost base. 

There are many manufacturing facilities just inside Mexico close to the border with USA receiving "free issue " material, assembling into finished products and then exporting back into the USA where duty is only paid on the "value added" in Mexico. Jeans are another example where labels state "Assembled in Mexico from USA material "

Mexican labour costs are much lower than in the USA

Edited May 9, 2020 by JohnDaBass
Error

[kodiakblair]

3 minutes ago, nilebodgers said:

Interesting - is there a source for that info?

There a password protected area on the Roswell site for the items they supply FMIC.

As for the deliveries.I was looking through bills of ladings ,every two weeks a shipment headed to Corona.

[kodiakblair]

4 minutes ago, JohnDaBass said:

Components would physically arrive at a "bonded" in Mexico  while paperwork ownership would reside in the USA.

Bill of ladings gave a port in California as arrival point.

[Reggaebass]

Out of interest, Does that mean all my US and MIM jazz basses have Roswell pickups .

[skidder652003]

11 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

There a password protected area on the Roswell site for the items they supply FMIC.

As for the deliveries.I was looking through bills of ladings ,every two weeks a shipment headed to Corona.

Roswell? Password protected? Corona? ...Aliens? Conspiracy?

[kodiakblair]

4 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Out of interest, Does that mean all my US and MIM jazz basses have Roswell pickups .

Course not.

All it means is Roswell supply pickups to FMIC. ESP is another client.

I can't remember if Fernandes were also listed. Tune definitely were one but they are owned by Roswell's parent company "WSC Music" so that's a given.

Think maybe 8 companies were listed.

 

[JohnDaBass]

Yes many Far Eastern OEM & ODM manufacturers produce products for rival companies with "segregated zones" within their manufacturing campuses. Just like phones, Foxconn manufacture for Apple and Samsung,  it's just how it is nowadays. 

Edited May 9, 2020 by JohnDaBass
Spelling

[kodiakblair]

Screen grab from Roswell site.

[nilebodgers]

12 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

Screen grab from Roswell site.

Good spot, I didn't look at that page on their site. It's fascinating working out who is OEM-ing the bits behind some major brands.

It would be ironic if the MIM Player Jazz series are using an unbranded version of the same Roswell pickups I stuck in my 2008 MIM Jazz.

[kodiakblair]

15 minutes ago, nilebodgers said:

it would be ironic if the MIM Player Jazz series are using an unbranded version of the same Roswell pickups I stuck in my 2008 MIM Jazz.

Even if they were Roswells,You swapped ceramic for alnico. Good decision IMO 👍

[lksmks792]

On 07/05/2020 at 20:33, la bam said:

Sire V7 rev2.

Fantastic bass.

Brilliant sounds, playability, options and colour schemes.

Sires are now my number one basses.

This!

[nilebodgers]

4 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

Even if they were Roswells,You swapped ceramic for alnico. Good decision IMO 👍

The original ceramics didn't sound great, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on pickups as it was meant to be a budget project. My thinking was the roswells have alnico5 magnets, measure the same resistance as an equivalent Fender pickup and they were £25 the pair s/h - worth a punt. I was more than pleasantly surprised with the result and very glad I hadn't spent £100 on a "nicer" pair.

My cheaply tarted up MIM Jazz is now my favourite bass by miles.

[Greg Edwards69]

On 06/05/2020 at 08:41, nilebodgers said:

Roswell pickups (http://www.roswellpickups.com/) are their own thing, no connection to Wilkinson.

I have a set of the Roswell Alnico5 J pickups out of a JB75 bought s/h on here and they sound surprisingly good. I replaced the ceramic pickups in my 2008 MIM Fender J with them. 

I stand corrected. I thought I had read it elsewhere, I know they used to use Wilkinson pickups along with the current Wilkinson hardware. Regardless, I’ve still only heard positive things about these basses  

[barrycreed]

I picked up a Vintage V4 p bass recently, and plays well "out of the box" and got it a good price.. A bit on the heavy side, but no real dramas yet. Plays well up the neck, and holds tune. 

I have a spare jazz neck I was going to put on it, but didn't realise until after the fact that the dimensions on the Vintage can vary ever so slightly, so am going to keep an eye for a classic vibe p bass and stick the neck on it. These seem to get good reviews, and I'd probably mod it as well with the pickguard, and volume tone knobs.