Fender AV II 54 & 60 Precision plus AV II 66 Jazz.

[Misdee]

I also like the look of the green one.

[Misdee]

16 minutes ago, Cairobill said:

Exactly - weight is a key question. For e.g. I'm also quite interested in the 50s tele reissues. My brother has a beautiful AVRI blackguard that weighs in at 6.5lbs. I've already seen a comparison video where the comparable AVII is much heavier.

 

Two grand is a lot of money to pay for something you are less than completely happy with. An instrument that is too heavy will always be too heavy and you will get little joy from playing it.

 

Like many other folks, I have learnt from experience that getting a new Fender that ticks all the right boxes can be a bit of an odyssey. That said, it's by no means a set of problems and challenges exclusive to Fender. 

[Vin Venal]

As a certified weight weenie, and also poor person (lol), buying a new bass at any price over a hundred quid or so without holding it is a big gamble.

 

I can see why not many shops are up front about weight, cuz they end up with all the boat anchors left in stock and have to reduce them. But I wish more were.

 

Peach guitars are pretty good - they individually photograph and weigh all their basses over 300 quid.

 

My sweet spot is about 8lbs, which a lot of alder bodied Fenders/Squiers hit perfectly, but the trouble is you can also find the same bass weighing 12lbs or more, which is a crazy difference, and it doesn't seem to matter if its top of the line American stuff, or Chinese made squiers.

 

If I came into a lump of money, can absolutely see myself ordering one of the AVII 60 Precisions as a kind of one bass for the rest of my life purchase, but you'd have to be mad (or just have a very strong back) to do so without knowing the weight imo.

[Linus27]

2 hours ago, Misdee said:

Two grand is a lot of money to pay for something you are less than completely happy with. An instrument that is too heavy will always be too heavy and you will get little joy from playing it.

 

Like many other folks, I have learnt from experience that getting a new Fender that ticks all the right boxes can be a bit of an odyssey. That said, it's by no means a set of problems and challenges exclusive to Fender. 

 

I once had an absolutely gorgeous Fender Mike Dirnt Precision is yellow that looked and sounded amazing. I got so many compliments from sound engineers and I adored the look of it. Probably close to one of the best looking basses I've owned. However, despite desperately wanting to love playing it, it was so heavy and the neck was so chunky that it just became hard work and tiresome to play and I grabbed my AVRI 75 Jazz instead. I still miss it now but even if I had it, I doubt I would play it.

[thodrik]

I love the look of the them but the neck radius is a no-go for me irrespective of the weight, even though the neck radius is 'period correct'. 

I learned to play on 9.5 inch radius late seventies Precision (back when they were cheap because they were considered to be worse than the new Fenders in the 1990s) 

I tried playing on a few Fender custom shop jazz basses which all had the 7.5 inch radius a couple of years ago in Guitar Guitar and I just really didn't enjoy playing them as much as I thought I would. I'm much more at home with a slightly flatter radius.

In terms of looks though I think that these are step forward from the previous AV line.

[Misdee]

2 hours ago, Linus27 said:

 

I once had an absolutely gorgeous Fender Mike Dirnt Precision is yellow that looked and sounded amazing. I got so many compliments from sound engineers and I adored the look of it. Probably close to one of the best looking basses I've owned. However, despite desperately wanting to love playing it, it was so heavy and the neck was so chunky that it just became hard work and tiresome to play and I grabbed my AVRI 75 Jazz instead. I still miss it now but even if I had it, I doubt I would play it.

In my experience basses are quite like shoes; if they are slightly uncomfortable when you first try them then after a while they will be so uncomfortable that you can't bear them anymore. 

Edited October 13, 2022 by Misdee

[soulstar89]

i spent three hours in the camden guitar guitar today playing the p bass vintage II, the cs 63 pbass and a cs Pbass with jazz neck. I found the vintage II pick ups to not have as much output than the custom shop hand wound. At first the neck and the frets made the vintage II not the greatest to play, not bad at all just sticky and a tad awkward until i warmed up. compared to the 63,65 originals and mij pb-62 I've tried before it didn't feel or sound similar. 

 

They will be getting in more colours and the jazz 66 vintage II. i will try it again then.  

Edited October 13, 2022 by soulstar89

[soulstar89]

4 hours ago, Misdee said:

In my experience basses are quite like shoes; if they are slightly uncomfortable when you first try them then after a while they will be so uncomfortable that you can't bear them anymore. 

what a great analogy. 

[FDC484950]

I have nothing against Fender as a brand but I’ve never played a new one I liked. The last one I tried was an American Professional II P Bass and it felt shiny, plasticky, polite and lifeless. They seem to benefit from being played in for a few years. Every “nice” one I’ve played has been 20+ years old and very well played in - particularly the Japanese Fenders with USA pickups. There are so many reasonably affordable “vintage” Fenders out there, if I were willing to spend over £2K, I’d save up another £1K or so (well, it might need a bit more!) and find a lightweight, resonant mid to late 70s model with the mojo, or get an aforementioned Japanese version for less than half that.

[SurroundedByManatees]

There are a lot of options in this price range these days. As for vintage Fenders I'd say; get a good one from the early 80s (Dan Smith era). They are pretty much like '70s models, but better build quality and cheaper. There is even a jazz bass with dots and binding from that period! I think the turning point was somewhere in late '81.

 

As for modern reissue Fenders. It seems like even the custom shop reissues don't have the deep cutouts and rounded contours of the original 60s produced instruments.

Also I'd happily pay more for a reissue if it had a realistic tortoise pickguard. How nicely looking, reliced and aged a reissue Fender bass may look, the whole illusion of a vintage instrument gets demolished by an unrealistic looking tort pickguard.

 

To be honest I think Bravewood does a nicer job in making imitation vintage Fender basses than Fender does themselves.

Edited October 14, 2022 by SurroundedByManatees

[Linus27]

1 hour ago, FDC484950 said:

I have nothing against Fender as a brand but I’ve never played a new one I liked. The last one I tried was an American Professional II P Bass and it felt shiny, plasticky, polite and lifeless. They seem to benefit from being played in for a few years. Every “nice” one I’ve played has been 20+ years old and very well played in - particularly the Japanese Fenders with USA pickups. There are so many reasonably affordable “vintage” Fenders out there, if I were willing to spend over £2K, I’d save up another £1K or so (well, it might need a bit more!) and find a lightweight, resonant mid to late 70s model with the mojo, or get an aforementioned Japanese version for less than half that.

 

Most of the Fender's I have bought have been bought secondhand but there have been a couple that I played new in a shop that were exceptional. The first was a Mexican Fender Jazz 60's re-issue from around 10 yeas ago. It was a gorgeous dark sunburst and the build quality was superb. The tone however was on another level and it was so nice that I bought it. I eventually sold it to somewhere on here in Scotland and I kind of regretted it. The other was the Mexican Fender FSR 70's Precision. It has an Ash body, maple neck, US 62 Vintage pickups and I believe US hardware. Again, it played and sounded phenomenal and I bought it and still have it now but with a maple fretless neck.

[Munurmunuh]

On 13/10/2022 at 15:11, Vin Venal said:

 

If I came into a lump of money, can absolutely see myself ordering one of the AVII 60 Precisions but you'd have to be mad to do so without knowing the weight imo

 

I've ordered a couple of basses from G&L, and both times paid extra for an empress body, just so that the this whole question goes away: no matter what, its going to be very light. I would have happily paid the same amount just to get an alder body from the light end of its natural spectrum. 

[Vin Venal]

4 hours ago, Ricky Rioli said:

 

I've ordered a couple of basses from G&L, and both times paid extra for an empress body, just so that the this whole question goes away: no matter what, its going to be very light. I would have happily paid the same amount just to get an alder body from the light end of its natural spectrum. 

Ooh interesting. I don't know much about G&Ls and hadn't heard of empress.

 

Is it a custom order only thing, or do they do a line of empress models?

[Munurmunuh]

33 minutes ago, Vin Venal said:

empress.

 

Is it a custom order only thing

 

Yes, it's only available for Build To Order basses (currently way over 6 months waiting) and it's not even on the official list of options (G&L are quite an odd company)

 

Since I ordered the second one there's been a price rise and the pound has gone ⤵️ 🚽 so I'm not sure if most people would think they're really worth it now.

 

My knackered shoulder thinks a 7.2 lb P bass is worth any amount of money, so 🤷 😁

 

Anyway [/TANGENT]

 

Back to the AVII 1960 P - Peach have several in stock, but haven't weighed them yet

[Old Horse Murphy]

Well, I did this; a 54 Reissue and it's lovely. I had a Sting Sig for ages and loved it apart from the stupid inlay so I decided to raid the gig funds and treat myself following a bit of very good news. 
 

It's got the Serial Number of V022 so it must be one of the first ones finished. It also comes with a bizarre warning/disclaimer from Fender about the ashtrays...

 

Here it is with my AO 58 P Bass. 

[Cairobill]

That looks very nice!

[Agent 00Soul]

On 11/10/2022 at 21:49, asingardenof said:

While I'm sure they're great basses I can't help but wonder how often Fender can keep harking back to the past to dictate their product lines. How many variations on these particular themes can there before they admit they've effectively run out of ideas?

 

Somewhat OT, but they've been progressive with their amps.  Aside from coming up with new ideas themselves, I've seen things that used to be the preserve of boutique amps that they've included much cheaper, probably do to the economy of scale and their deep pockets.

[MungoBass]

1 hour ago, Old Horse Murphy said:

Well, I did this; a 54 Reissue and it's lovely. I had a Sting Sig for ages and loved it apart from the stupid inlay so I decided to raid the gig funds and treat myself following a bit of very good news. 
 

It's got the Serial Number of V022 so it must be one of the first ones finished. It also comes with a bizarre warning/disclaimer from Fender about the ashtrays...

 

Here it is with my AO 58 P Bass. 

 

Wow! That is very nice, what a great pair of Precisions. What are your initial thoughts on the 54 and how was the set up and finish on arrival?

 

 

[Old Horse Murphy]

56 minutes ago, MungoBass said:

 

Wow! That is very nice, what a great pair of Precisions. What are your initial thoughts on the 54 and how was the set up and finish on arrival?

 

 

Thanks. Initial thoughts are that it's fab. Action was quite high for me when it arrived (Fenders always are for my taste) but intonation was pretty-much spot on and the overall finish of the bass is excellent. It came strung with Fender flats which was a nice touch but I'll replace them as they're a bit too taut for my open preference. 

[MungoBass]

2 hours ago, Old Horse Murphy said:
 

It also comes with a bizarre warning/disclaimer from Fender about the ashtrays...

 

 

We now know for sure that ashtrays are included then! 😀

[Misdee]

Just now, MungoBass said:

We now know for sure that ashtrays are included then! 😀

But definitely not the screw holes, apparently. So much for period-correct. To me, vintage Fenders have always been all about the screw holes. 

[MungoBass]

1 minute ago, Misdee said:

But definitely not the screw holes, apparently. So much for period-correct. To me, vintage Fenders have always been all about the screw holes. 

Agreed! Easily rectified though!

[Misdee]

I can't help but think that this might be the thin end of the wedge. Like Warwick basses and their wax finish that has to be laboriously maintained by the owner( the thin end of the wenge, you might say) which saves Warwick the trouble and expense of finishing their basses. It starts with a screw hole and before you know it you will have to route your own truss rod channel.

 

 I put it to  you that Fender, stung by criticism of their dubious quality control, and, have developed a strategy to gradually make the customer increasingly responsible for the manufacturing process. Five years from now when you buy a Fender bass you will get a box of parts, a sheet of instructions and a good luck message that also functions as a legal disclaimer.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Misdee

[Reggaebass]

My 62RI jazz came with the covers ,mutes ,and screws, and a template for the screw holes if you wanted to fit them, the holes were already in the pickguard for the neck pickup but not drilled into the body , I didn’t fit mine as I preferred it without them 

[MungoBass]

27 minutes ago, Misdee said:

 

27 minutes ago, Misdee said:

 I put it to  you that Fender, stung by criticism of their dubious quality control, and, have developed a strategy to gradually make the customer increasingly responsible for the manufacturing process. Five years from now when you buy a Fender bass you will get a box of parts, a sheet of instructions and a good luck message that also functions as a legal disclaimer.

 

What a great idea that could be! Imagine having a selection to chose from....

 

Select Body - Ash, Alder etc

Select Shape - Jazz, P or PJ etc

Select Colour - .....

Select Pickguard - .........

Select Neck - Maple or Roasted Maple etc

Select Fingerboard - Rosewood, Maple etc

Select Radius - 7.25, 9.5, 12, compound etc

Etc etc....

 

It all comes in a box for you to put together!

You end up building your own custom bass.....to your own specifications....😁😁😁