Odd. The 2012 DLX Jazz V in my local Long & McQuade weighs about 2lbs more than the MIM Active Deluxe Jazz V beside it.
I've found the American Standards to be the most consistent in weight, and the American Specials to be the lightest I've found.
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American standard or american deluxe?
- Thread starter shookiedookiema
- Start date
Odd. The 2012 DLX Jazz V in my local Long & McQuade weighs about 2lbs more than the MIM Active Deluxe Jazz V beside it.
I've found the American Standards to be the most consistent in weight, and the American Specials to be the lightest I've found.
when i meant i wanted to be a collector in meant a small arsenal of basses that i would only buy if i needed or greatly desired the tone and playability of the bass.
Doug parent, thanks for explaining me the difference between the two, but what is the specific tone difference between ash and alder? also on musicians friend i think i saw 1 american standard jazz with an ash body
Here's my take: Ash/maple is a bit more aggressive/crunchy sounding. Alder/Rosewood is slightly mellower/fuller sounding. But, and this is the important thing to bear in mind, this is a generallity - as in 7 or 8 times out of 10. It's not an altruism. This is why some insist wood makes no difference in tone. Generalities do not always hold true when applied to a specific. That's why this tends to be an unending debate, as there's evidence to support both views. I'm just about certain there would be examples of both you would love, and other's you wouldn't care for.
I guess it's really hit or miss with the deluxe models, because my Am Dlx Jazz V is dead quiet, even with the knobs dimed. I haven't owned a passive bass for years, and this Am Dlx sounds awesome when its in passive mode. It sounds like a regular, passive Jazz bass. The active circuit just adds more flexibility to an already amazing bass. I'm planning on getting an Am Dlx Pbass later this year...
A few questions: 1.how come some deluxe basses of the same model might be noisless, and a few might not?
2. (in mean no offense in this i'm just wondering) what would be the point of buying the deluxe p bass and keeping the jazz bass, i heard the am. deluxe p bass got some more complaints than the jazz. Also would an am. deluxe jazz be a vast upgrade soundwise from my mim deluxe active p/j bass or how do the tones of the two basses differ? How come people would pay $50 more for the regular mim deluxe active jazz bass as opposed to the mim p/j bass whicj is cheaper, more versatile and gets more positive reviews?
3. about you saying in passive mode it sounds as good as any passive jazz bass, are you saying if i got this, it would sound the same just better as some other jazz bass models i might want to get (geddy lee j bass, 60s j bass, squier vm 77 j bass)?
Some seem to come from the factory with better shielding applied than others. And of course, some people have noisier playing environments than others and have differing ideas of what "noise" means.
This question is all over the map. In general, active preamps give more tonal flexibility and can drive amps more consistently, but depending on the preamp they can "color" the sound over and above what the passive pickups would yield otherwise. Having listened to the Deluxe Jazz in passive mode, I personally didn't think it sounded awesome, just "OK". I preferred the active preamp engaged. The problem is, "Upgrade" is subjective and depends on too many other factors to answer objectively. You need to play the two side-by-side and draw your own conclusions.
A deluxe jazz running in passive mode will have its own tonal character which will be different than the other models you mentioned, but whether it's better or worse depends on you and your style of music. Personally, I don't know many people who install those Fender "noiseless" pickups on passive Jazz basses, but some do. They wouldn't be my first choice on a passive Jazz bass.
Those other models you mentioned will also differ in tone. One big difference between the 60s Jazz and 70s jazz models, for example, is the pickup spacing. The 70s models moved the bridge pickup slightly closer to the bridge, yielding a slightly "growlier" tone. It's subtle, but it's there. The different pickups will also sound different.
But rather than listening to other people tell you how they sound, you really should track some of these models down and try them out. Try listening to them with the same amp if possible. Keep notes for comparison.
But don't get overwhelmed by the tonal variety in the Jazz bass models available out there. Remember that you can get good sounds out of most basses -- especially jazz basses -- with things like string choices and amp EQ settings. So if you have already decided on a model (Jazz), then I'd focus on playability and looks. These are things you can't control easily later. E.g., jazz necks are slim, but some are slimmer than others. Some weigh more than others. Some only come in a narrow range of colors. Etc.
Yeah, that's almost exactly word for word, what I was gonna say...
The only thing I would add is that an active or passive Jazz bass doesn't sound like an active or passive Pbass. You can get close with either, but if I can have both, why not?
oh, thanks for answering my questions. i know wether one sounds better than the other is subjective, but thanks for answering the factual differences in tone.
so what you're all saying is even if i were to get the am deluxe j bass, it'd still be worth it getting some other jazz basses? The tones of the other jazz basses would be noticably different? (those were jazz basses i was looking into anyway)
"A deluxe jazz running in passive mode will have its own tonal character which will be different than the other models you mentioned, but whether it's better or worse depends on you and your style of music."
Also to Doug, i play mostly thrash metal, prog rock, jazz fusion and bebop, if that helps. I originally thought that buying the mim p/j bass was originally more benificial because the p bass pickup gave the bass a fuller more versatile sound, and it was 50 dollars cheaper and the electronics worked better, or so i've heard so that's why i originally thought buying the mim deluxe active p bass would've been better than the j bass version, and thought the am. deluxe j bass should've been kept and the p bass version should'nt have been bought. thanks for explainging.
Also to Doug, i play mostly thrash metal, prog rock, jazz fusion and bebop, if that helps. I originally thought that buying the mim p/j bass was originally more benificial because the p bass pickup gave the bass a fuller more versatile sound, and it was 50 dollars cheaper and the electronics worked better, or so i've heard so that's why i originally thought buying the mim deluxe active p bass would've been better than the j bass version, and thought the am. deluxe j bass should've been kept and the p bass version should'nt have been bought. thanks for explainging.
Not much though. I ABed my 2012 Deluxe in passive mode with my 1973 Jazz. They sound very similar.
After all a fender Jazz bass is complication of three species of relatively cheap wood, good hardware and not so expensive pickups. They form a good bass but i think Fender name brings about 50% of it's retail price. I find deluxes much better because of the n3 pickups and great electronics and they does explain its bigger price. I would be much happier to purchase a deluxe after all.
I tried out a Deluxe Jazz and it almost sounded "sterile" to me. I opted for a 2012 Am Std Jazz because it sounded more natural to me. The Deluxe is a great bass and is probably worth every penny more that it cost, but it just wasn't my first choice.
9 is light? My Spector ReBop 5DLX weighs in at 8lbs 2oz. That's lighter.
The one in the store is closer to 10lbs, and the MIM was about 9ish.
That was my experience with the DLX pre-amp, too. Too clean & electronic. It's definitely not worth the cost for the increased "luxuries".
This sounds like a clone of myself. Every time I get an active bass, I enjoy it for awhile. Inevitably though, I end up going back to my passive Fenders. Other people are the exact opposite and will choose an active any day of the week. But I've come to grips with the fact that I prefer passives. And the Am. Stds. are quite nice...
another question about american deluxes, though all models had tons of great reviews, i noticed that many people liked the pre-2010 models better than than 2012 model, how come that maybe so? What are the electronic/tonal differences if any?
