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Almost bought a Fender...

tubatodd

tubatodd

Oct 31, 2004
2,456
4,424
Birmingham, AL
#1
Disclaimer:
I will REALLY try and make this post as authentic and original as possible and not "stop me if you've heard this one before..."

Guitar Center is running a President's Day special on the Fender Player Jazz in blue burst for $649. I was so excited that, after work, I asked my wife (also a musician) to come along when I try one out at the local GC. I've owned many FSO (Fender-shaped Objects) before, including 4 or 5 Squier basses but never an instrument with the Fender decal. I'm not one who really cares what brand is on the headstock or where an instrument was made. That being said, a deal on a MIM Fender sounded great.

The instrument they had hanging at the GC was quite pristine. Looks like it was put out fairly recently. I took it down off the wall and made the following observations.
  • Body finish was excellent
  • Tuners were trash. There was LOTS of play and slippage when tuning up
  • Setup was bad, but I expected that
  • Bridge was unremarkable, but somehow seemed cheap even for a simple bridge
  • Neck was satin but not as smooth as I'd hoped. Needed some steel wool
  • Pickups had a VERY obvious phasing issue
Immediately, my excitement turned to disappointment. A sales person looked in the back and found another one fresh in the box from Fender. Observations about this one...
  • Body finish was excellent
  • Pickups worked properly
  • Tuners slipping
  • Neck needs steel wool
  • Same bridge
  • Better setup but needs fine tuning
I finished tuning it up and played a few notes and was ready to put it back in the box. Outside of the body finish, it was unremarkable. I wasn't compelled to buy it. I've never paid more than $750 for a bass and the fact that this one (and I believe all of the Player series) sells for $849-899 left me disappointed. It did not hold a candle to my Indonesian made G&L Tributes, Sterling by Musicman, Cort or other basses.

As stated I've owned several Indonesian Squier basses and they were all AT LEAST as good as that Fender Player. Interestingly enough, when the sales person went to the back I saw hanging on the wall a limited edition light blue Squier P Bass with a vintage-tint gloss neck and matching blue headstock ($529). It felt and played like quality. It was fantastic. I had to fight the urge to buy yet another P bass. I may regret it.

So we walked out of GC without a Fender or any new bass. The GAS and the shopping continues.
 
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#2
I've been there too. Most recently I was going to buy a Fender American Performer P Bass. Had done the homework and narrowed it down to this one. I wanted a PJ without active electronics in it and the Am Perf is pretty highly regarded online as being a good value.

Playing the couple that the local shop had on hand left me pretty unimpressed. I mean, they weren't bad really, just not as nice as I would expect from a $1,500 bass.

Compared to the ESP/Ltd Surveyor '87 that was hanging next to it, the Fender felt kind of cheap and uninspiring. I ended up leaving there with the ESP and an extra $600 in my pocket.

I DO love me some Fenders though. I have a super playing P Bass and three Strats that I wouldn't part with for anything. The thing is, there are still good and bad examples of them, just like every other manufacturer. When I come across a really good Fender, I am reminded why they are so widely used by pros and enjoy the iconic status they have earned. Some of them are truly world class instruments.
 
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#3
I'm a Jazz bass guy - or at least I want to be.

When I was younger and without disposable income, I used to hang out in GC and play the "American Standard Jazz Bass" back when that was the default MIA Jazz option. Those were killer, especially the growly pickups those had. I used to think "one day I'll own one of these". I've bought and sold a couple of the American Professional jazzes, and it just quite nail it.

I still think Fender generally delivers great build quality if you're looking at the American Professional line and up (American Standard was a much better name), except for the recent iteration of the jazz pickups. This is across all of the Fender lines right now - it's almost like they rethought how they think jazz pickups should sound and just... took the bite out of them? As far as the MIA Fenders go - I'm sure someone worked very hard on the V-Mod and V-Mod II pickup lines, but they just don't have the x factor that I look for in a jazz bass sound. It just sounds so sterile.

I should probably just find a used American Standard from the late 2000s, there are plenty of them out there in great condition.

And don't even get me started on the egregious control plate jazz-gap QC issue Fender has with all of its jazz basses, from Squire to custom shop. It is not that hard to line up the control plate and pickguard, especially with their industrial grade equipment. How they can get away with crooked control plates on $3,000+ custom shop orders is... beyond me.

bass-shy said:
I've been there too. Most recently I was going to buy a Fender American Performer P Bass. Had done the homework and narrowed it down to this one. I wanted a PJ without active electronics in it and the Am Perf is pretty highly regarded online as being a good value.
Click to expand...

At the risk of sounding like a broken record - Sire P7. As long as you're okay with a Jazz neck profile, I think it's the king of the active/passive PJ at the sub-$700 price point.
 
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#4
The bridge and tuners are better on a MIA bass, if you think it’s worth a $1,500 price tag. I have seen people upgrade those parts and hardware on non- MIA Fenders and the result was minimal at most.
One thing that is worth upgrading is the pickups. I put some EMG GZR’s on my MIM P bass and it sounds so good I can’t believe it.
Good luck on your quest for low end excellence.
 
#5
Good for you, tubatodd.

Good for your self-control and your discipline.

I’m not saying anything for or against Fender, but I, too, feel that the name on the headstock means little these days.

There are many brands of instruments of very high quality, the buyer just has to have an open mind.

If someone insists that Fender or any other well-known name should be on the headstock, so be it.

I take something off the wall, and let it audition itself.

Good luck in your search. :thumbsup:

Mike
 
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#6
If you don't like the pickups, then I guess you wouldnt like the player jazz pickups.
Jazz pickups I've heard from this latest generation Player, Vintera, and Performer are generally thin and nasally.
Turn up the gain and volume on your amp.

As for that model, yeah its awesome for the price but the fit and finish can vary especially the necks.
The one I tried on Black Friday was amazing and the one I tried around xmas was rough and felt like a 1996 squier neck.

That models sale price went up to 679 on Jan 2nd. So now that its back to 649, maybe they are near end of the run?
 
#10
Forget about Fender. While other companies try to make the lowest models functional and all others going up in price in quality, Fender does opposite. They built Custom unit and keep stripping them down with the price and putting up more and more crap instruments. Once, when you get how they operate, you will never buy any Fender object, except (maybe) MIJ.
 
#11
user362432 said:
Forget about Fender. While other companies try to make the lowest models functional and all others going up in price in quality, Fender does opposite. They built Custom unit and keep stripping them down with the price and putting up more and more crap instruments. Once, when you get how they operate, you will never buy any Fender object, except (maybe) MIJ.
Click to expand...
I have a Fender Rumble cab and I really like it. I’d buy it again in a heart beat.
 
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#12
mdogs said:
Start thread, bash Fender, pardon me if I fall asleep while typing this.
Click to expand...

2C7407E4-A65E-4C24-9948-5FA00626DEF7.jpeg
 
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#13
The funny thing about the new crop of Fender offerings is that I have been super impressed with almost every one of their Strats and Teles I've played lately.

Player, Vintera, Am Perf and Am Pro IIs are all really nice and definitely serviceable instruments. A buddy of mine recently bought an Am Pro II Tele and it is legit! Excellent pickups and not a flaw or quibble to be found.

Maybe they have been focusing their efforts and attention on guitars and just phoning it in with their basses? A lot of companies seem to have good and bad periods for specific products or departments, I guess.

The newest bass pickups from Fender and the Greasebucket tone control didn't do much for me and if I'm spending well north of $1,000.00, I really don't want to be shelling out more on top for pickups and electronics.
 
#14
tubatodd said:
Disclaimer:
I will REALLY try and make this post as authentic and original as possible and not "stop me if you've heard this one before..."

Guitar Center is running a President's Day special on the Fender Player Jazz in blue burst for $649. I was so excited that, after work, I asked my wife (also a musician) to come along when I try one out at the local GC. I've owned many FSO (Fender-shaped Objects) before, including 4 or 5 Squier basses but never an instrument with the Fender decal. I'm not one who really cares what brand is on the headstock or where an instrument was made. That being said, a deal on a MIM Fender sounded great.

The instrument they had hanging at the GC was quite pristine. Looks like it was put out fairly recently. I took it down off the wall and made the following observations.
  • Body finish was excellent
  • Tuners were trash. There was LOTS of play and slippage when tuning up
  • Setup was bad, but I expected that
  • Bridge was unremarkable, but somehow seemed cheap even for a simple bridge
  • Neck was satin but not as smooth as I'd hoped. Needed some steel wool
  • Pickups had a VERY obvious phasing issue
Immediately, my excitement turned to disappointment. A sales person looked in the back and found another one fresh in the box from Fender. Observations about this one...
  • Body finish was excellent
  • Pickups worked properly
  • Tuners slipping
  • Neck needs steel wool
  • Same bridge
  • Better setup but needs fine tuning
I finished tuning it up and played a few notes and was ready to put it back in the box. Outside of the body finish, it was unremarkable. I wasn't compelled to buy it. I've never paid more than $750 for a bass and the fact that this one (and I believe all of the Player series) sells for $849-899 left me disappointed. It did not hold a candle to my Indonesian made G&L Tributes, Sterling by Musicman, Cort or other basses.

As stated I've owned several Indonesian Squier basses and they were all AT LEAST as good as that Fender Player. Interestingly enough, when the sales person went to the back I saw hanging on the wall a limited edition light blue Squier P Bass with a vintage-tint gloss neck and matching blue headstock ($529). It felt and played like quality. It was fantastic. I had to fight the urge to buy yet another P bass. I may regret it.

So we walked out of GC without a Fender or any new bass. The GAS and the shopping continues.
Click to expand...

Rule #1. Never buy a bass when you aren’t 100% satisfied, regardless of the name on the head stock.. Rule # 2. Adhere to Rule #1. You nailed them both!
 
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#16
I don't know why but everything I play at GC feels cheap. Even the same bass I have at home I can find at GC and find flaws mine doesn't have. I just order online and cross my fingers and usually get a good product. I sometimes wonder if the barely pass QC instruments go to the big box stores hoping some end user tech fixes issues for them. It's a theory anyway.
 
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#18
tubatodd said:
Disclaimer:
I will REALLY try and make this post as authentic and original as possible and not "stop me if you've heard this one before..."

Guitar Center is running a President's Day special on the Fender Player Jazz in blue burst for $649. I was so excited that, after work, I asked my wife (also a musician) to come along when I try one out at the local GC. I've owned many FSO (Fender-shaped Objects) before, including 4 or 5 Squier basses but never an instrument with the Fender decal. I'm not one who really cares what brand is on the headstock or where an instrument was made. That being said, a deal on a MIM Fender sounded great.

The instrument they had hanging at the GC was quite pristine. Looks like it was put out fairly recently. I took it down off the wall and made the following observations.
  • Body finish was excellent
  • Tuners were trash. There was LOTS of play and slippage when tuning up
  • Setup was bad, but I expected that
  • Bridge was unremarkable, but somehow seemed cheap even for a simple bridge
  • Neck was satin but not as smooth as I'd hoped. Needed some steel wool
  • Pickups had a VERY obvious phasing issue
Immediately, my excitement turned to disappointment. A sales person looked in the back and found another one fresh in the box from Fender. Observations about this one...
  • Body finish was excellent
  • Pickups worked properly
  • Tuners slipping
  • Neck needs steel wool
  • Same bridge
  • Better setup but needs fine tuning
I finished tuning it up and played a few notes and was ready to put it back in the box. Outside of the body finish, it was unremarkable. I wasn't compelled to buy it. I've never paid more than $750 for a bass and the fact that this one (and I believe all of the Player series) sells for $849-899 left me disappointed. It did not hold a candle to my Indonesian made G&L Tributes, Sterling by Musicman, Cort or other basses.

As stated I've owned several Indonesian Squier basses and they were all AT LEAST as good as that Fender Player. Interestingly enough, when the sales person went to the back I saw hanging on the wall a limited edition light blue Squier P Bass with a vintage-tint gloss neck and matching blue headstock ($529). It felt and played like quality. It was fantastic. I had to fight the urge to buy yet another P bass. I may regret it.

So we walked out of GC without a Fender or any new bass. The GAS and the shopping continues.
Click to expand...
It's not an American, it's a nice sub series. Better materials than a Squire, but about as much work into the final product. You get what you pay for.

That said, I love that bass. But, it's just as good as any other Player Series. It's a good bass. Not a great bass...til I take it home.
 

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