Which Jazz bass?

[Twigman]

 

I'm in the market for a jazz bass.

My current bass for everything is a EBMM USA Sterling 4HH - been number 1 bass for last almost 9 years.

But I fancy a change.

I've owned precisions and find the nut too wide - I have 2 precisions with jazz necks but I fancy a real jazz.

I am leaning toward buying new.

I don't want Mexican or Indonesian - call me whatever you like but I've decided Japanese or American only

So I've narrowed the choices down to: - prerequisite RW boards only

 

MIJ 'Hybrid' II £1,500 ish

pros: price, colours, headstock end truss rod adjustment

cons: basic bridge, no case only gig bag

 

American Professsional II £1,900 ish

pros: slim profile neck (I like that), option of top load or string through bridge, hard case

cons: 5 bolt neck (limits choice of replacement necks if required) - not keen on any colour scheme, not keen on the tuners - prefer the large vintage open wheels,

 

American Vintage 66 £2,200 ish

pros: love the sea foam green colour with matching headstock, like binding on the fb, 66voiced pickups, hard case

cons: price, never liked the vintage bridge

 

Mod Shop £2,000 ish

pros: choice of colours, block inlays available, choice of pickups, same bridge as Professional II with through body stringing and top loading available, hard case

cons: no neck binding available, same tuners as Pro II, no matching headstock,  10 week lead time

 

Custom Shop £4,000 ish

pros: can have almost any spec you want

cons: it'll cost both time (long lead time)  and big money

 

I am leaning toward the MIJ Hybrid II in Noir but the Vintage66 in sea foam green is also tugging at my strings....

 

If you were in the market for a NEW Fender jazz, which would you choose and why?

 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Twigman

[Reggaebass]

I’m pretty much a jazz and precision player now, I’ve had so many jazzes from Mexican to custom shop, I know they aren’t new but one of the best ones I’ve got now is the American jazz elite, they are passive and active and are amazing quality, i like them so much that I’m looking for another at the moment in black, it’s just a suggestion but try one out if you can , the American Ultra is another I’d recommend trying 

[fretmeister]

I'd buy a Sandberg TT4 above a Fender.

[police squad]

I'd buy the Adam Clayton signature jazz, if I wanted a jazz

I did have a Flea jazz and it sounded awesome

[paul_5]

If you’re used to a MM bas then I’d probably opt for an active Jazz just to make swapping on a gig easier. 

[Twigman]

10 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

If you’re used to a MM bas then I’d probably opt for an active Jazz just to make swapping on a gig easier. 

 

I favour a passive jazz.

 

Battery anxiety is one of the drivers for change.

 

[Twigman]

28 minutes ago, police squad said:

I'd buy the Adam Clayton signature jazz, if I wanted a jazz

If I could get it without his signature on the headstock that would definitely be in the running - it has everything: block inlays, bound fingerboard, lollipop tuners, string through bridge.....but it also has Adam Clayton's signature on it (and presumably a slice of commission directly to him in the price) - for that reason it rules itself out. Shame

Edited 49 minutes ago by Twigman

[jd56hawk]

2 hours ago, Twigman said:

 

I'm in the market for a jazz bass.

My current bass for everything is a EBMM USA Sterling 4HH - been number 1 bass for last almost 9 years.

But I fancy a change.

I've owned precisions and find the nut too wide - I have 2 precisions with jazz necks but I fancy a real jazz.

I am leaning toward buying new.

I don't want Mexican or Indonesian - call me whatever you like but I've decided Japanese or American only

So I've narrowed the choices down to: - prerequisite RW boards only

 

MIJ 'Hybrid' II £1,500 ish

pros: price, colours, headstock end truss rod adjustment

cons: basic bridge, no case only gig bag

 

American Professsional II £1,900 ish

pros: slim profile neck (I like that), option of top load or string through bridge, hard case

cons: 5 bolt neck (limits choice of replacement necks if required) - not keen on any colour scheme, not keen on the tuners - prefer the large vintage open wheels,

 

American Vintage 66 £2,200 ish

pros: love the sea foam green colour with matching headstock, like binding on the fb, 66voiced pickups, hard case

cons: price, never liked the vintage bridge

 

Mod Shop £2,000 ish

pros: choice of colours, block inlays available, choice of pickups, same bridge as Professional II with through body stringing and top loading available, hard case

cons: no neck binding available, same tuners as Pro II, no matching headstock,  10 week lead time

 

Custom Shop £4,000 ish

pros: can have almost any spec you want

cons: it'll cost both time (long lead time)  and big money

 

I am leaning toward the MIJ Hybrid II in Noir but the Vintage66 in sea foam green is also tugging at my strings....

 

If you were in the market for a NEW Fender jazz, which would you choose and why?

 

 

 

Sorry, but I forgot all about Fender when I discovered they weren't the only company making jazz basses..

I went with this and it puts to shame everything Fender's making.

 

I definitely want another one.

Edited 10 minutes ago by jd56hawk

[police squad]

34 minutes ago, Twigman said:

If I could get it without his signature on the headstock that would definitely be in the running - it has everything: block inlays, bound fingerboard, lollipop tuners, string through bridge.....but it also has Adam Clayton's signature on it (and presumably a slice of commission directly to him in the price) - for that reason it rules itself out. Shame

what's the problem with the signature on the headstock?

[Reggaebass]

2 minutes ago, jd56hawk said:

Sorry, but I stopped considering Fender when I discovered there are quite a few better Jazz basses being made.

I went with this and it puts to shame everything Fender's making.

 

I’d have my fender elite over any of those , I suppose we all like different things 🙂

[Stub Mandrel]

4 minutes ago, police squad said:

what's the problem with the signature on the headstock?

 

Hard to give a rational reason but it puts me off too... Not an issue with Adam Clayton, I like the bass but I'd want it to look more 'vintage' - like the Flea that just has an engraving on the neck plate.

[Stub Mandrel]

9 minutes ago, jd56hawk said:

Sorry, but I forgot all about Fender when I discovered they weren't the only company making jazz basses..

I went with this and it puts to shame everything Fender's making.

 

I definitely want another one.

 

Those would all benefit from a tort scratchplate. 😁