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Do MIA fender necks feel drastically different than MIM?

P

pattyløve

Apr 7, 2009
238
14
34
Sydney, Australia
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Endorsing Artist: Ashdown Engineering, D'addario
#1
I started shopping for my very first MIA fender today and played a number of American standards J basses. I quite liked the feel of the neck of it a lot. But then when i went to play the MIM jazz bass right next to them, it felt a LOT more comfortable in my hands. Just felt a lot thinner front to back and faster.

My question is, is the profile, radius and nut width on MIA standards meant to be much different than MIM standards? Not setup/build quality/finish quality, just the shape of the neck. I understand that MIAs and MIMs wont feel much alike but i was surprised to find such a difference! However I dont know wether it was just me and the fact that the MIM had newer strings and a slightly better setup distracted me from the actual shape of the neck. I've also owned MIMs for a while so maybe i gravitated towards something familiar.

Dont get me wrong, I absolutely loved the MIA neck, i couldnt put it down! :smug:
Does anyone else have an MIM/MIA standard experience?
 
#3
After playing a very nice MiM for 3 years and holding many MiA's in my hands, they really don't feel all that different to be honest.

The American Specials actually have thinner necks than the American Stndards, so you should check some of those out. I have heard plenty of bad things about them on TB, but the ones I tried were great.


That said, buy with your ears and your hands, not with your eyes.
 
#8
while I was shopping for my jazz I was going toward the Marcus Miller MIJ. Next to it an MIA ´09, I took it in my hands and played better, the neck was way better and the bass was so lght, so yes the MIA is better in all terms.
I grabbed MIM jazzes too but I was cutting my hand with the frets, so thank you but I need my hands to play. With MIM you have to find THE ONE cause you can find really good ones
 
#10
I have both American Standards and Mexican Standards. The main difference is the rolled edges, as davidjackson mentioned above. The MIA basses seem to have the same profile, but the rolled edges make them a bit more comfortable.

The MIM necks have the "skunk stripe", the MIA necks do not. I don't think this makes any difference in feel other than the rounded end of the insert on MIMs can sometimes be felt.

Bottom line, I don't think there is a DRASTIC difference. Both are comfortable to play.

Added by edit: I would note, the neck profile of the MIM Standards has changed in the last few years. They had a bit more chunky profile around the time that they were updated for 2009. I have a late-2008 "new model" MIM Standard Precision that has a noticeably chunkier neck than the current ones you will find in shops.

Roger
 
#11
I have two MIM Jazz basses and the necks are not the same thickness. So I don't think it is your imagination, there could be differences between MIM and MIA necks too. I've had a Deluxe Active Jazz for about a year and recently bought a Reggie Hamilton Standard Jazz. I immediately noticed that its neck felt thicker. Now it is not an issue at all for me, but I did notice the difference right away. A digital caliper confirms that it is not my imagination. I don't have the numbers handy but I measured the front to back thickness at the 1st, 7th, and 12th frets and the RH neck was just about 2 mm thicker than the DAJ neck at each fret. That is about a 10% difference between them based on the total thickness of either. I don't know if the profile is also different, I have not gotten around to investigating that. For me it is just an intellectual pursuit, they both feel and play fine.

The RH neck bears superficial resemblance to MIA necks rather than MIM necks. It does not have the skunk stripe down the back. The truss rod adjustment is a cross slotted nut at the heel of the neck rather than a hex socket nut at the headstock. Fender calls it a Mexican neck but it could be cut on the CNC machines in California that make the MIA necks and then shipped to Mexico for completion. I can't even begin to claim to be able to sort through all the "information" available here on TB as to where various Fender parts are made to arrive at the truth. All I know is that the RH MIM neck bears superficial resemblance to MIA necks so its dimensions may match those of MIA necks.

Ken
 
#13
I am of the opinion that Fender has put out a few different neck profiles on the MIA Jazz basses since the 2008 design and quality updates. I had a 2008 with no noticeable neck profile difference from previous years, then I got a 2010 and the neck was noticeably wider, and the radius felt very different (rounder). It was very hard to play, almost like a P with 7'' radius. At my local store they have a Standard with the wider neck and a 2011 American Deluxe with the "normal" width and radius.
 
#15
A slightly different "spin" on MIA necks. Fender did change the finish on MIA necks starting this year. My 2012 MIA P has a thinner, satin finish versus the thicker, glossy finish used in the past. IMHO, this finish feels "faster" and probably won't get as sticky feeling when things get "hot and sweaty." I believe the MIM's are still using the thicker, glossy poly finish.
 
#19
LuvMusic said:
A slightly different "spin" on MIA necks. Fender did change the finish on MIA necks starting this year. My 2012 MIA P has a thinner, satin finish versus the thicker, glossy finish used in the past. IMHO, this finish feels "faster" and probably won't get as sticky feeling when things get "hot and sweaty." I believe the MIM's are still using the thicker, glossy poly finish.
Click to expand...

My 2011 MIM Precision has a satin finish on its neck. :bassist:
 

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