Fender Boxer Range re-released 2021 - The Jazz Bass Special !

[Dood 1,540]

Strangely right now the link to the Fender website page is down, but Andertons sent an email out with the "New for 2021" models that had a boxer bass tucked in the corner. Clicking through to the Anderton's website and yes, lots of nice new Fenders, but again, no Jazz Bass Special!

Online, it looks like the basses will be FSR, thus being made in Japan, like the original 80's models. Only one colour at the moment, but boy there's no doubt these will be nice - hopefully as good as the originals (of which I have two of the 80's active versions).

Here's the only outlet I can find with decent images:

https://www.themusiczoo.com/products/fender-mij-boxer-series-precision-bass-limited-edition-sherwood-green-metallic

 

 

Edited January 12 by Dood

[Dood 1,540]

Fender MIJ Boxer Series Jazz Bass Limited Edition Sherwood Green Metallic

This is a Fender Boxer Series Jazz Bass, part of a limited run of MIJ (Made in Japan) instruments paying homage to the hot-rodded Boxer Series of the 1980s. The bass features a basswood body, rosewood fretboard with a flatter than usual 12" radius, jumbo frets, and a combination of Precision and Jazz Bass pickups! The controls are a 3-way toggle to go between each pickup, with a TBXTM (Treble Bass Expander) circuit in there for even more dialing in your tone. Grab your limited edition Boxer Precision Bass now!

Includes: Gigbag

• Solidbody Electric Bass
• Basswood Body
• "C" Shape Maple Neck
• Rosewood Fretboard
• 34" Scale Length
• 12" Fretboard Radius
• Bone Nut, 1.5 Width
• 20 Jumbo Frets
• Boxer Jazz Bass® (Bridge), Boxer Precision Bass® (Middle) Pickups
• Vintage Style Split Single-Coil Precision Bass Middle Pickup
• Volume 1 (Middle Pickup), Volume 2 (Bridge Pickup), Master TBXTM Circuit (Treble Bass Expander)
• 4-Saddle Bridge 
• Gotoh Vintage-Style Tuners
• Black Hardware

[Eldon Tyrell 387]

Saw both the red and green ones on GG's website. Here is a link to the red one:

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/210105365546025--fender-boxer-series-pj-bass-torino-red-rosewood-fingerboard

What I don't get is that it says "The Boxer Precision Bass" in the text but "Jazz Bass Special" on the headstock. The nut width is 1.5'' (like a Jazz) but the body looks like a P. And why "Boxer"? Confusing 🥴

BTW, isn't that the one Duff McKagan used and that his sig bass is modelled on (in white and black and not red, of course)?

 

[Dood 1,540]

Yes, that always confused me a bit, but the Jazz Bass Special comes from the Boxer range, of which there were quite a few different models, with slanted pickups, P styles, J bass styles etc etc along with a range fo Guitars too I understand. 

Quite right, it is a Jazz neck on a P body with PJ pickups - That's the bit that makes it "special". I really love the configuration! It's different!

Also correct, Duff's original bass, the pearl white Jazz Bass Special was based on the 80's models, however his arrived with a precision profile neck. Whether or not that was a mistake or intentional, Duff didn't seem to mind and that's why his Mexi signature model has a P neck on it rather than the Jazz neck - so, essentially, his signature bass is just a PJ precision without a pick guard. Things become even more confusing as Duff's new model has a pick guard and is advertised as the "Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision" , yet on the headstock it says "Deluxe Jazz Bass Special". Err, is it special in that it has no jazz in it at all now? 

[AndyTravis 6,879]

OOOOH.

hmm.

nice.

Dont want one. Or do I. 
 

Love Sherwood 

[Eldon Tyrell 387]

4 minutes ago, Dood said:

Yes, that always confused me a bit, but the Jazz Bass Special comes from the Boxer range, of which there were quite a few different models, with slanted pickups, P styles, J bass styles etc etc along with a range fo Guitars too I understand. 

Quite right, it is a Jazz neck on a P body with PJ pickups - That's the bit that makes it "special". I really love the configuration! It's different!

Also correct, Duff's original bass, the pearl white Jazz Bass Special was based on the 80's models, however his arrived with a precision profile neck. Whether or not that was a mistake or intentional, Duff didn't seem to mind and that's why his Mexi signature model has a P neck on it rather than the Jazz neck - so, essentially, his signature bass is just a PJ precision without a pick guard. Things become even more confusing as Duff's new model has a pick guard and is advertised as the "Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision" , yet on the headstock it says "Deluxe Jazz Bass Special". Err, is it special in that it has no jazz in it at all now? 

Any idea why they call it "Boxer"? The headstock says "Jazz Bass Special". Why not call it just that? A PJ with a P body, without a pickguard and with a J neck = Jazz Bass Special. Simples. 

[Dood 1,540]

1 minute ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

Any idea why they call it "Boxer"? The headstock says "Jazz Bass Special". Why not call it just that? A PJ with a P body, without a pickguard and with a J neck = Jazz Bass Special. Simples. 

Because the original Japanese range of guitar and basses were called Boxer. https://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/boxer/en_04.html Now I cant translate but maybe there's some details in the original catalogues!

[Dood 1,540]

Just now, Dood said:

Because the original Japanese range of guitar and basses were called Boxer. https://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/boxer/en_04.html Now I cant translate but maybe there's some details in the original catalogues!

And further confusion added as each had it's own model number too, such as PJ-555, PB-551, JB-555 and PB-755

[Dood 1,540]

Just found an older FB page dedicated to the original Boxer series : https://www.facebook.com/fenderboxer/ 

[Eldon Tyrell 387]

2 minutes ago, Dood said:

Just found an older FB page dedicated to the original Boxer series : https://www.facebook.com/fenderboxer/ 

Thanks. Cool stuff. The first one with the 3 slanted pickups looks killer. Is that one real or someone's Photoshop dream?

[Fil1ip 46]

Interestingly I emailed guitar guitar and fender UK as I saw this on Facebook and it was not being released in the UK. USA only, had an email today to say they are now on pre order.

Look great 😃

[Eldon Tyrell 387]

5 minutes ago, Fil1ip said:

Interestingly I emailed guitar guitar and fender UK as I saw this on Facebook and it was not being released in the UK. USA only, had an email today to say they are now on pre order.

Look great 😃

PMT list them too now. Does not surprise me as Andertons, GG and PMT have (or had, don't know) a buying consortium called GAP

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/fender-boxer-series-pj-bass-rw-torino-red

[Dood 1,540]

50 minutes ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

Thanks. Cool stuff. The first one with the 3 slanted pickups looks killer. Is that one real or someone's Photoshop dream?

Yeah, real, check out the brochure link I posted above.

[Eldon Tyrell 387]

5 minutes ago, Dood said:

Yeah, real, check out the brochure link I posted above.

Yes, I checked it out. I can see a slanted double P and a slanted PJ but not a slanted triple P

[Eldon Tyrell 387]

7 minutes ago, Dood said:

Yeah, real, check out the brochure link I posted above.

This one also only shows JJ, PP,  PJ and P basses, no PPP ones

The World of Musical Instruments Brochures - Fender Japan Boxer Catalog 198x (yokochou.com)

[Musicman20 128]

£1200!!??

I'm surprised during Covid that people are still picking up countless instruments. 

[dannybuoy 1,271]

The pickups in the old ones are great, high output and aggressive, these look to be similar. I tried every Fender PJ in the shop one time and the 'Jazz' Bass Special was my favourite by far.

[Fil1ip 46]

I wonder why they are not on Fenders UK website

[NancyJohnson 2,255]

With Fender 'new' models are pretty much a case of 'let's see what we can squeeze into a Precision or Jazz body shape'.

I'll profess that I'm really not a Fender fanboy, but for the love of god, the schematics for these models are now 60+ years old; the guys in their design department really need come up with something new.

[Eldon Tyrell 387]

39 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

With Fender 'new' models are pretty much a case of 'let's see what we can squeeze into a Precision or Jazz body shape'.

I'll profess that I'm really not a Fender fanboy, but for the love of god, the schematics for these models are now 60+ years old; the guys in their design department really need come up with something new.

I am  not a Fender fanboy either (don't have a single Fender bass) but I am interested in their history. Looks like they tried several different models over the years (e.g., the Dimension bass most recently) but somehow customers always only want a P or a J (and, to a lesser degree, a PJ). 

[Steve Browning 1,666]

12 hours ago, Dood said:

Because the original Japanese range of guitar and basses were called Boxer. https://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/fenderjapan/boxer/en_04.html Now I cant translate but maybe there's some details in the original catalogues!

Maybe they were just being rebellious. I'll get my coat.

[NancyJohnson 2,255]

1 minute ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

I am  not a Fender fanboy either (don't have a single Fender bass) but I am interested in their history. Looks like they tried several different models over the years (e.g., the Dimension bass most recently) but somehow customers always only want a P or a J (and, to a lesser degree, a PJ). 

This is probably why I'm drawn to smaller luthiers, builders who are trying to innovate rather than making production line Morris Minors.  

Fender, Gibson (and a plethora of others) are all guilty of this ridiculous reliance on decades-old design.  It extends beyond Ps and Js.  Stingrays, Thunderbirds, Spector NS models.

Slap a different paint job on (and call it something funky), insert a pair of rebranded soaps along with some kind of preamp with a fancy name that slips off the tongue and sounds edgy (*must include the letter X or Z in the name) and boom, it's the 2021 model.

I knew I shouldn't have had a second coffee this morning.

[Eldon Tyrell 387]

2 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

Slap a different paint job on (and call it something funky), insert a pair of rebranded soaps along with some kind of preamp with a fancy name that slips off the tongue and sounds edgy (*must include the letter X or Z in the name) and boom, it's the 2021 model.

 

Welcome to the world of marketing 😉

[AndyTravis 6,879]

2 minutes ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

Welcome to the world of marketing 😉

 

[Eldon Tyrell 387]

1 minute ago, AndyTravis said:

 

Great example. Applied to basses:

Stingray Special and Stingray Classic. BTW, I am still looking for a Classic in natural with maple fingerboard 😉