fender American special jazz?

[Definitely]

playing for about 2.5 years and I need a new bass, do I go with the fender american special jazz or is there something better under $1000?

[wimpy]

If you have chance go to the store and try few different instruments...you can have pretty cheap but very good Squier Classic Vibe Jazz, you can find good Mexican Jazz bass...well I think the new American Special Jazz is best choice!!! ;-) . Anyway best way is : "try it before you buy it" each instrumnet is little different ;-)

Originally Posted by Definitely

playing for about 2.5 years and I need a new bass, do I go with the fender american special jazz or is there something better under $1000?

[Definitely]

Originally Posted by wimpy

If you have chance go to the store and try few different instruments...you can have pretty cheap but very good Squier Classic Vibe Jazz, you can find good Mexican Jazz bass...well I think the new American Special Jazz is best choice!!! ;-) . Anyway best way is : "try it before you buy it" each instrumnet is little different ;-)

I'm getting a classic vibe for my backup bass, I have gotten a carvin b40 since this thread

[THORRR]

The new American Specials have a thinner neck (front to back)
which I really like and also has carbon rods to keep the neck nice
and straight which I also like.

The body is about an 1/8" thinner and this results in a lighter weight (below 9lbs) and that's a good thing.

Unfortunately the quality hasn't been consistent from my
personal observation so I'd recommend playing and inspecting
the bass you buy rather than ordering one from Fender.

Some of them are absolutely great and some look like they
were thrown together. Check the finish for lines in the
surface.

It should look like smooth glass. If not, or if you see lines or
grain lines, PASS. They'll develop into surface cracks in short
order.

Also, Guitar Center has 15% off sales on all the major holidays so
if you can wait, you can save another $150 and get one of
these babies for $850-ish. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

Happy Shopping!

[RaginRog]

Buy yourself a used American Standard Jazz...one of the recent ones (post 2008). You can probably pick one up for about $800-850

[wimpy]

well I was in local music instruments store today. There was bunch of new (fresh) JB style instruments...I think first bass which you will like to try is Am.Deluxe Fender Jazz, nice looking basses...well I don't know if there is strange preamp or so but I'm not impressed by these instruments at all. There was one nice Active Mexican active JB, one very nice sounding Mexican 50's P-bass ...well there was not American standard jazz in this store...best bass for me was American Special Jazz bass /VW-RW ...there was also Squier CV nice instrument but not as full sounding as Am.Special...well AS+CV are on hold for me...will see maybe I'll go for one of these but I'm just 50% sure...

anyway I like that piece of Am.Special better then 3 pcs. of Am. Deluxe Fenders...it's just more Fender ;-)

[itsnottruerufus]

I have both a Carvin B40 and a 2010 American Special Jazz.
Seems I've gotten "one of the good ones" as its one of the best basses I've played, and I greatly prefer it to my Carvin (its prettier too....). I can imagine there being a inconsistency in the quality, but the only other American Special I've played (Which was a precision, and coincidently one of the only precisions I've really like, probably due to the thinner neck) was fantastic as well. I'd say it certainly one of the best basses out there >$1000, I've been playing it quit literally every day since I got it in April.

[droo46]

There's another thread on the American Specials here:

My impressions of the American Special Basses

I played a Jazz American Special and I really liked it. Some people think they're overpriced and I would be inclined to agree. I think you can do better for that price especially if you go used which I would highly recommend.