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ANY love out there for MIM's?
- Thread starter OldCityBassman
- Start date
Love my '06 MIM Jazz! I have 0 complaints about build quality. It played and sounded pretty nice stock, but two simple upgrades made it even better. I switched the bridge saddles for the new threaded saddles that come on MIA basses to tweak the string spacing, and traded out the stock pickups for Lindy Fralin single coils. I've played some different model MIA J's to compare and I don't feel like I'm missing out on much.
A Midnight Wine Jazz with adjustable, threaded bridge saddles?! Good thing it's not sporting a glossy, black/white/black pickguard, otherwise I, and my lovely selection of locksmith tools, would have to just randomly breeze through Upstate New York.
Are those vinyl "inlays"? Either way, it's a very classy looking bass, Steve. Well done!
I have an MIM 5-string Jazz that seems to be all over the place with regard to pickup size and other details. The serial indicates it's made in 2000. I wasn't crazy about it, so I traded it for a MIA Jazz V, but later when I was looking for a fretless Jazz, the dealer offered me a steal on buying it back and I had it de-fretted. Now everyone that hears it thinks it's the awesome sounding fretless! All I did was to install a set of Nordstrand NP5FSs (no modifications necessary, they fit perfectly) and a Nord 2-band preamp. The key to what everyone likes about it is getting "Mwah" factor right on the bass. Roll off the highs, round wound strings that are over a year old, and it's turned into a really sweet-sounding fretless. Gotta replace that strap, though!
I don't ever see myself EVER getting another MIM Fender.
I bought a nice lightweight MIM P Bass which sounded great stock but I put in Fender american original pups
I bought a nice lightweight natural FSR jazz and put in Demarzio model Js.
I already had the nice MIA jazz in my profile pic but wanted something lighter. I loved the feel and sound of those basses even stock but within 2 years the action kept raising and raising and my luthier said they were running out of truss rod.
Bass necks should move a bit one way in the Spring and the other way in the Fall because of humidity but these only moved one way.
Meanwhile my MIA NEVER had any serious movement for 16 years or so!
I thought I had done a great thing by finding some nice basses without being concerned about what country they were made in at a nice cost. With the money I spent on those 2 MIM Fenders and aftermarket pups, I could've bought another MIA fender and might still have it like the one I already own.
Totally bummed about it and can't see EVER going with a MIM again and I really really liked those basses too.
I bought a nice lightweight MIM P Bass which sounded great stock but I put in Fender american original pups
I bought a nice lightweight natural FSR jazz and put in Demarzio model Js.
I already had the nice MIA jazz in my profile pic but wanted something lighter. I loved the feel and sound of those basses even stock but within 2 years the action kept raising and raising and my luthier said they were running out of truss rod.
Bass necks should move a bit one way in the Spring and the other way in the Fall because of humidity but these only moved one way.
Meanwhile my MIA NEVER had any serious movement for 16 years or so!
I thought I had done a great thing by finding some nice basses without being concerned about what country they were made in at a nice cost. With the money I spent on those 2 MIM Fenders and aftermarket pups, I could've bought another MIA fender and might still have it like the one I already own.
Totally bummed about it and can't see EVER going with a MIM again and I really really liked those basses too.
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...something else goin' on there, man. My MIM gets a truss tweak maybe once a year, and it's rarely in the same direction as before.I don't ever see myself EVER getting another MIM Fender.
I bought a nice lightweight MIM P Bass which sounded great stock but I put in Fender american original pups
I bought a nice lightweight natural FSR jazz and put in Demarzio model Js.
I already had the nice MIA jazz in my profile pic but wanted something lighter. I loved the feel and sound of those basses even stock but within 2 years the action kept raising and raising and my luthier said they were running out of truss rod.
Bass necks should move a bit one way in the Spring and the other way in the Fall because of humidity but these only moved one way.
Meanwhile my MIA NEVER had any serious movement for 16 years or so!
I thought I had done a great thing by finding some nice basses without being concerned about what country they were made in at a nice cost. With the money I spent on those 2 MIM Fenders and aftermarket pups, I could've bought another MIA fender and might still have it like the one I already own.
Totally bummed about it and can't see EVER going with a MIM again and I really really liked those basses too.
That's BC. All the old koots moving here from out east jacking up the prices on everything because they feel their shite's worth more. There's a genius on the island who's trying to sell a Squier Affinity P with hardshell case for $400, because that's $50 less than he paid for it and he's only used it once.
"... and maybe the most common thing I look for on the early edition MIM Standard J's, is for neck and truss rod issues ... the thin profile on these necks that makes them so nice to play, also can require a bit more attention in terms of more frequent adjustments, and it is not uncommon to find one that has been maxxed out or even stripped by someone turning beyond the point they should (especially when they start approaching 15-20+ years old like the pre '01's) ... I have found quite a few with excessive relief, and no adjustment left ... this too can be fixed, but again one more reason for them to be negatively critiqued ..."
*TJH ,
Why do you think that is?
Not properly dried wood or wood choice?
I really liked those 2 MIM basses but am definitely turned off by the bad neck experience. They even sounded pretty good before the aftermarket pickups.
*TJH ,
Why do you think that is?
Not properly dried wood or wood choice?
I really liked those 2 MIM basses but am definitely turned off by the bad neck experience. They even sounded pretty good before the aftermarket pickups.
"... and maybe the most common thing I look for on the early edition MIM Standard J's, is for neck and truss rod issues ... the thin profile on these necks that makes them so nice to play, also can require a bit more attention in terms of more frequent adjustments, and it is not uncommon to find one that has been maxxed out or even stripped by someone turning beyond the point they should (especially when they start approaching 15-20+ years old like the pre '01's) ... I have found quite a few with excessive relief, and no adjustment left ... this too can be fixed, but again one more reason for them to be negatively critiqued ..."
*TJH ,
Why do you think that is?
Not properly dried wood or wood choice?
I really liked those 2 MIM basses but am definitely turned off by the bad neck experience. They even sounded pretty good before the aftermarket pickups.
I'm always surprised at the fact that my 2001 MIM's neck is still going strong; the truss rod works perfectly and I rarely make adjustments.
Lowendtech
Happily trending in my own peculiar direction.
^+1. My '94 MIM Jazz is like this. Rarely needs a tweak. Only when changing to different strings. It needed a bit of help when I got it 6 years ago but had been stable ever since.
String changing is the only time I tweak it too. I don't change gauges but different brands seem to have different tensions. I decided to stick with Fenders and GHS Boomers because they seem to have similar tension which require me not to tweak my neck.
LOTS o' love for the MIMs here. I've got three of 'em...PLUS some MIAs and CIJs. Probably some of the best instruments to ever bear the Fender name. My first -- an '00 Standard Jazz with some mods -- is pictured below:
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mark beem
Wait, how does this song start again??
I've been thinking of getting a MIM P bass for a while. I have a MIM Strat that I think is an excellent little instrument, so I can believe that a MIM p bass would be a good bass for me.
Here's my nitro p - got it in June 2014, It's just as good as as any American made instrument, can't put it down! - thus far I've replaced the pickguard and bridge.
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They don't suck, not at all... they're just not as good as MIA basses, which in turn arent' as good as Custom Shop team built, which in turn isn't as good as Custom Shop Masterbuilt.. those are the facts.
Based on the quality of this bass, my next instrument will be it's stablemate - the 60's Jazz bass lacquer ...and I will mod it! -after fret removal and epoxing - It will be my "econo-Jaco"!
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