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5-string fender J-basses, do they suck? If so why?
- Thread starter NoString
- Start date
Hawkeye
Canuck Amateur
I have no reason to disbelieve those who say they like their Fender 5-strings, but every single one I've played has had a floppy B-string. This leads me to believe that there is some inconsistency from guitar to guitar.
I owned a MIM Jazz V for a couple of months, changed the strings a couple of times, but never was able to bring the B to life. It was really dead. Had a big neck and weighed a ton too. Sold it and bought a Lakland 55-01, no contest!
My first fiver was a Godin BG-5 and it had a 34" scale and wasn't a bad guitar at all. I could get the B acceptable as long as I used medium gauge strings.
My other 5 is a Peavey Cirrus. I think that 35" really makes a difference.
I've tried several Fender 5 strings in stores since and have been underwhelmed. I keep on trying them because the tone is good on the Jazz. The worst one I tried was a Dimension 5 that had the worst B-string tension I've ever seen in a bass. I had to make sure it was tuned up to pitch because I didn't believe how bad the B was.
I own two Fender Jazz 4-stringers and love em, but I have yet to warm up to any of the fivers. I'll keep trying though.
I owned a MIM Jazz V for a couple of months, changed the strings a couple of times, but never was able to bring the B to life. It was really dead. Had a big neck and weighed a ton too. Sold it and bought a Lakland 55-01, no contest!
My first fiver was a Godin BG-5 and it had a 34" scale and wasn't a bad guitar at all. I could get the B acceptable as long as I used medium gauge strings.
My other 5 is a Peavey Cirrus. I think that 35" really makes a difference.
I've tried several Fender 5 strings in stores since and have been underwhelmed. I keep on trying them because the tone is good on the Jazz. The worst one I tried was a Dimension 5 that had the worst B-string tension I've ever seen in a bass. I had to make sure it was tuned up to pitch because I didn't believe how bad the B was.
I own two Fender Jazz 4-stringers and love em, but I have yet to warm up to any of the fivers. I'll keep trying though.
I'm guessing good Fender 5's are a crap shoot! Could also be the players hands as well. I've tried out several Fender 5's! Some MIM's Some top of the line models and all of them had horrible sounding and feeling B strings! I tried really hard to like them but I just couldn't! I'm sure there are some good Fender 5's! Kim Stone plays one and it sounds good. Michael Manson plays one and it sounds good. TB's pyrohr plays several and I'm sure they sound good as he's the master of all things Fender! But in my hands (and I've been playing over 30 years), they just don't sound good! Just my honest opinion (and I have played them & even bought & returned one)!
I think it's all in the touch, sorta like how some people sound good with the thump and pop stuff and some sound aweful regardless of what bass they are using. setup and strings have a lot to do with this also. Everything successful starts out with a successful approach! Hey DW, remember Sandy Anderson? Well I will see him and his 7 string Conklin tonight!
The 5-string Fenders are notoriously poor as far as their B strings are concerned.. and that's the entire point of getting a 5-string. The MIA high-end Fenders are a bit better as far as string tension and definition given the string-thru-body setup, but the MIM 5-strings have no notes on the B string, just a muddy thumping sound. The definition on the B is terrible. The rest of the strings sound great, but the B is really floppy and unresponsive. Don't get a Fender 5.
Yeah, I know Sandy! Dude stole my job!!Hey DW, remember Sandy Anderson? Well I will see him and his 7 string Conklin tonight!
I can't hate though! Dude was good (and played sax just as well)! If you get a chance to chat with him, ask him about the old bass player who played with Tony Cintron's band back in Mount Vernon where he played sax! I'd love to hear his response (if you get one)! I think if Fender increase the the scale length to 35in,then it wouldn't sound like a Fender,but with that being said personaly I think the Newer type Fenders ( such as the American Deluxe,) are starting to sound like a modern bass with Fender characteristics IMO.
If you have tried them in a music store that just sticks them on the rack without any type of setup,yeah they are going to suck
Since June, I have owned a total of 5 Fender Deluxe 5-strings. I still have two in the stable. Every single one of them has been a top quality bass, with a smooth neck and responsive B-string. No floppyness, no mud. Bear in mind, I also own one of the touted Valentis, and the Fenders are it's equal in terms of tone and playability. Also bear in mind, I have also owned (and sold) a Lakland JO5, so I have tried what many consider the "holy grail" of B strings. Again the Fender was it's equal (although Lakland gets kudos for fantastic marketing 
)
Many people complain about the poor build quality and floppy B strings, but I just don't see it.
My next bass purchase? Probably a Fender Custom Classic Jazz Deluxe!!!!!!!!!
)Many people complain about the poor build quality and floppy B strings, but I just don't see it.
My next bass purchase? Probably a Fender Custom Classic Jazz Deluxe!!!!!!!!!
This is true. I think what causes some of the bad music store impressions of Fenders is poor setup. Simply put, Fender just doesn't put the same amount of time into setting up their basses as Lakland, or Valenti, or Sadowsky. It's obnixious, but understandable from a company that sells thousands of basses per year. I find a good 15 minute setup cures those issues.
I think it's all in the touch, sorta like how some people sound good with the thump and pop stuff and some sound aweful regardless of what bass they are using. setup and strings have a lot to do with this also. Everything successful starts out with a successful approach! Hey DW, remember Sandy Anderson? Well I will see him and his 7 string Conklin tonight!
Bingo. The vast majority of times I've played a bass behind someone who complained of flop there was none when I played it. Therefore the B string must be floppy, right?
I have a friend who sets up basses for others. His method? Set them up so they feel good to him
. He does it completely by feel, uses an allen wrench for the trussrod, sets the saddles and sometimes installs strings. That's it. People typically love his setups.On a regular basses when he sets up a Fender Jazz Deluxe V the basses play effortlessly and sound world class. I'd put them up against any Jazz bass inspired basses regardless of price. They're that good.
What those basses also do that the vast majority of boutique jazzes don't is sound like a Fender Jazz. Put them in the same room and the difference is very obvious.
So far I've played dozens of Fender Jazzes and don't recall one floppy B. I've owned two 1997 Jazz Deluxe Vs and they too were fine and sounded great live. My FMT V does the same. I set mine up basically the same way my friend does... I set them for me, my playing style and what I like. If I can experience no flop with a Jazz with super low action... obviously I "could" make it flop if I played another way... so I don't
With all the info floating around one would think people would take this into consideration
. Setups are temporary, like dead strings. A good setup can make a world of difference and dismissing a bass with an obviously bad setup isn't very smart.Valentis and Sadowskys don't sit in stores and get handled by dozens of people on a regular basis. Lakland doesn't produce anywhere near the number of basses that Fender does. Some people like high action. Most dealers don't check setups, period. That's not the basses fault.
Common sense tells me that Fender can't offer their basses with a setup that I'll really prefer... too many people would play that bass and complain of flop.
Based on the sheer quantity of instruments fender produces I think it is safe to say there there is a good chance of playing one you really don't like (setup especially), especially when comparing it to other boutique basses who's makers can afford the time and effort gone in to make them truly awesome.
Having said that, my Marcus Miller 5 is awesome. It wasn't so awesome before I set it up the way I like. Sure, the preamp was rather poo so I swapped it out, as well as the pickups, but for different reasons, but now it's my number one bass.
Having said that, my Marcus Miller 5 is awesome. It wasn't so awesome before I set it up the way I like. Sure, the preamp was rather poo so I swapped it out, as well as the pickups, but for different reasons, but now it's my number one bass.
And there you go someone beat me to it, and by a long way too. I should really read all posts, INCLUDING the last one on the page.
I really agree with Brad. I think that 90%+ is a question of setups. Anybody that makes as many ranges of basses as Fender is going to turn out some lemons, but I know that i have played everything from a Squier Precision Bass Special to Fender Jazz Deluxe V and Victor Bailey V and experienced really nice B strings. As I said at the beginning of this thread, the only Fender I ever played with a really pitiful B was MIM Jazz V, and it really needed a setup.
Common sense tells me that Fender can't offer their basses with a setup that I'll really prefer... too many people would play that bass and complain of flop.
if you know anything at all about doing a setup then your Fender 5 will about 95% of the time have a decent, responsive B string. Period. I've had 6 fender 5-strings in the past and all but 1 had a great B string but this was after an extensive set-up including neck shims on every single one. The 1 Fender 5-string I had that didn't have a great B string actually didn't have a horrible B string come to think of it...it just lacked a little compared to the other 5 strings and other 5 Fender 5-string basses.
+100Since June, I have owned a total of 5 Fender Deluxe 5-strings. I still have two in the stable. Every single one of them has been a top quality bass, with a smooth neck and responsive B-string. No floppyness, no mud. Bear in mind, I also own one of the touted Valentis, and the Fenders are it's equal in terms of tone and playability. Also bear in mind, I have also owned (and sold) a Lakland JO5, so I have tried what many consider the "holy grail" of B strings. Again the Fender was it's equal (although Lakland gets kudos for fantastic marketing
Many people complain about the poor build quality and floppy B strings, but I just don't see it.
My next bass purchase? Probably a Fender Custom Classic Jazz Deluxe!!!!!!!!!
Same here on the preamp. I've had a couple of 97 JD5s, swapped out the preamps and put the originals back in... I found that the upgrade really wasn't one for me.
