Greetings! I've been lurking for a while, but now that I have my new bass, I figured it was time to come out of the shadows and share!
Finally, after years of GASing for an American Fender Jazz, she is mine. I spent the last few months reading, deciding, going crazy trying to figure out what color and pickguard combo to get, whether I should order online or buy from a store, did I want a Special or a Standard… Too many things to think about, and I'm sure I drove my wife nuts.
In the end, I just decided to walk into a GC and see what they had on the wall. I wanted to A/B everything I could get my hands on and I would let fate decide everything else. I played AM Standards, Modern Players, Specials, and even a few Squires. The only things that weren't negotiable were that I knew I wanted a Jazz, and I knew I wanted a maple fingerboard. Everything else was fair game.
I don't think I played any basses I didn't like. Each had their own strong points and weak points. The Squire VM and CV lines really impressed me with their value for money. They really felt solid and sounded good. The AM Standards were awfully nice, but at the end of the day I didn't like the glossy neck as much as the satin finishes and I didn't really want to spend the extra dough for the HSC. So, after much debating, it came down to a battle between the AM Specials.
I was set on the black 'n maple color combo, so I A/B'ed the two they had for probably 30 minutes or more. I was being pretty picky by this point, and neither really stood above the other. So, when the sales guy came back in and asked if I needed anything else, I reluctantly pointed to the Candy Apple Red AM Special on the wall and asked to try it "just for giggles." (See, I had actively avoided getting a red bass. My first bass was a bright red Peavey p-bass copy and I just did not want another RED bass. I wanted something more "classic.")
He handed me the CAR and BOOM. I was in love. It is so strange how you just instantly know when you've got the right one. I had to have it. The output, fit and finish, balance, everything was just miles ahead of the two black ones.
So, since the AM Specials were on sale ($300 discount!) I picked her up, and she came home with me. I haven't wanted to put her down since. I am in love.
Cheers!
