While amp shopping yesterday I picked up one of these as my test instrument. The natural ash, maple neck, white blocks appealed to the hippie in me (in the 70's EVERYBODY wanted natural, and would strip their custom colors to get it). To keep this short and sweet. I think this is the best bass Fender has made in many a moon. Even with the factory set-up, and rounds, I have not been this impressed for a long time. It's not often they get all the categories- Fit and finish, pick-ups, neck profile, everything in one package. Hell, they even laquered the front of the headstock! I'm hard to impress. This one does. Now the OUCH! part- Tax in it's going to come in over $3K CDN. At the end of the day, it's still two planks bolted together, and not even in the Custom Shop at that. If I didn't have my favorite 50th. Anniv. jazz, I would be looking long and hard at this beauty.
How was the neck? The last two ‘70s Fenders I tried had neck problems. My guitar tech said he finds more neck problems with maple fingerboards than with rosewood in 1970s Fenders.