Anyone tried a Fender 5 string jazz(MIM)?

[newbold]

I thought my bass (MIM JazzV) was incredible until I played a Dingwall SuperJ.

That being said, it's a workhorse that was a stellar deal used.

If I knew how to set my instrument up better I'd be set for life with a snappy, tight B.


It can be done.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by newbold

I thought my bass (MIM JazzV) was incredible until I played a Dingwall SuperJ.

That being said, it's a workhorse that was a stellar deal used.

If I knew how to set my instrument up better I'd be set for life with a snappy, tight B.


It can be done.

Look for some tutorials on YouTube and ask for some help in learning how to do set ups. It will save you a bunch of money, and it will allow you to truly get what you want out of your basses. IME, you can kill a whole lot of GAS if you learn how to do set ups.

[Moe Monsarrat]

I had one and liked it AFTER fixing it up. I put Barts in it and had the neck shimmed. It was better than the MIA one I had after that. I didn't like the stock electronics. The stock pickups in my Squier sound much better than the stock pups in that MIM.

[Cougmeister]

Originally Posted by iiipopes

What works for a 4-string does not work for a 5-string. Here are the problems with a 5-string version of a J-bass, whether MIC, MIJ, MIM, Squier, Am Std, Deluxe or Custom Shop:

1) The neck pickup is too far upstream. The best balance of fundamental and overtones to help the B string speak properly means the neck pickup has to be in about the same relative position as the D-G segment of a P-bass. Conversely, the '70's position of the bridge pickup is good to get a real "solo" voice or to add texture.
2) The horn is balanced for 4 tuners. Add a tuner and the extra wood in the neck, and you get neck dive. The horn has to be longer to balance the bass better.
3) The B string binds around the tuner post, which can cause tuning problems from it not winding smoothly and fatigue the core of the string from too much break angle over the nut. A 2+3 (B-E on one side and A-D-G on the other) headstock arrangement is necessary so the B string tuner is far enough away from the nut that the leader doesn't bind around the post but winds down properly.

So -- To fix this, and still look mostly like a J-bass: purchase a '70's style bass, get a left handed neck, reroute the neck pickup, and get a custom pickguard with the neck pickup cutout as altered, use ultralight tuners, extend the horn out another half inch or so, and then a J-bass can be a good 5-er.

I have a MIM 1999 active jazz V and don't have a single problem with it. Yheres no sense in going through that much trouble to make it sound "better". A proper setup goes a long way, same with the right type of strings. Mines strung with Labella tapes and the low b is actually more responsive that the others. I sometimes find that I have to cut the lows cause its got so much punch.

[ggvicviper]

I owned a 2002 Fender MIM Standard Jazz V for a number of years. I loved that bass - that was the one that had the 5 tuners inline. B was big, sound was nice. I ended up buying a MIA Jazz V from 1999 to replace it when I could afford an American Fender. I wish I never did - that MIA was lacking. I took years to get a better Fender MIA 5er, which I have now in a Precision.

The newer ones look even better with the double string guide and likely more high output pickups - I just don't like the extremely limited color options available.

[shirojiro]

I have a MIM Jazz 5er with five inline tuners. I think it's a 97 but I don't have it in front of me. Mine is sunburst and the only mod I made is a tortoise pickguard.

Mine is set up nicely, and the neck is superb. The pau ferro fretboard is a little light but the shape of the neck feels great to me. I have Elixirs on mine, and the B isn't the tofu tests but it's far from floppy. The hardware is solid, and th bridge is grooved and high mass. I think it's stock, but I bought it used so I'm not totally sure.

The output is a bit low, and the single coils buzz soloed as they all do, but the tone is straight up Jazz bass. It's a great bass. It's my go to passive 5 string.

[johnson79]

I played a few in stores over the years. Some are really good for $300 used.
I'd pick one up if I didn't have a million other things that require my money...

[Medford Bassman]

I own a 2006 MIM Jazz V. I put some 1/4 pounders in and a pick guard. It was a scratch and dent but has worked well when I've used it. Mainly a 4 player. I'm amazed how low I can set the action and have it not buzz. It definitely works well for me.

But I agree, they can be hit or miss.

[deste]

Just yesterday I tested one. I was surprised by tone (maybe they out different pups on it, my 1991 MIM J is very nice but the stock pups were horrible), feel and weight. Even the B was ok (in comparison to my Ibanez which I don't like anymore). But it's the only one I tested, and we all know the not always coherent quality of MIM (and sometimes of all Fenders).
By the way, it was one of those with five small tuning machines in line, not the (newer, I guess) ones with 4+1 traditional headstock.

[Runnerman]

For what you are looking for..a part time 5er. It's the perfect bass. Reasonably priced, solid, comfortable and stays in tune. It's what I use for a backup part time 5er also. And it's a good bass to pick up used if you want to try out the 5 string to see if you are going to like it and stick with it. Easy to resell and not lose anything when you want to upgrade. I say go for it.

[buffalobillh]

I've owned two MIM P basses, two MIM J Basses (one was a 4, current one is a 5), An early 90's V Deluxe I had defretted (should have never sold), and played my brother's 75 P bass for several years.

My current P bass is the better of the MIMs and is a fine player. The '75 had superior tone, but it weighed a ton and wasn't set up very well. I LIKE my current P bass. Great P bass tone and very playable. It played better than any MIA in the shop that day.

I got my first J bass for next to nothing. It was new, but had some blemishes from being handled in the store. It was also some kind of magenta/amethyst/cherry kind of color. I liked it, but I eventually traded it off for some gut strings for my upright.

I love my Jazz V. Its ultimate destiny is to become a fretless, but it plays great as-is.

New pg, QuarterPounders, Audere 3 band preamp. Need Badass bridge.

Originally Posted by MarthaSamira

Don't like how they feel or sound.

I would save a bit more and get a Lakland.

My Jazz V B string is fine, but for the record, I do have a Lakland 55-02 arriving today.

[khutch]

My 12 year old used MIM Standard Jazz V arrived today. It looks great, plays great, and sounds great (although the previous owner put Barts in it so I can't say anything about the stock pickups). The stock string spacing was 17mm in 2000, I don't know if it is any different today on the standards but a deluxe active V I measured a couple of weeks ago at a Sam Ash was also 17mm. The neck is wide enough to support 18 or 19mm if you put in a new bridge or modify the stock bridge. I plan to run it at 18mm once I figure out how. This is the fourth MIM Jazz I have purchased (2000, 2003, 2011, and 2012), the other three are four bangers. Three were sight unseen, one I was able to play in the store before the purchase but it was just the one hanging on the wall, I didn't go through a hundred to find one good one as some people imply. I've been quite happy with my MIM basses.

Ken