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Elite Vs Ultra Jazz bass
- Thread starter Sam Dingle
- Start date
Quadzilla
Supporting Member
I'm curious, if nothing else, just to see if they've fixed that awful factory preamp.
I have a 2017 Champagne Elite. I loved everything about it with the exception of the garbage factory preamp. I installed an Audere 4 band with the passive tone control option and it's night and day from the Fender pre. Sooooo much better.
Anyway, if they fixed the preamp, great. If not, it's a step backwards because if the loss of the truss wheel and no more string thru body option (in my humble opinion).
I have a 2017 Champagne Elite. I loved everything about it with the exception of the garbage factory preamp. I installed an Audere 4 band with the passive tone control option and it's night and day from the Fender pre. Sooooo much better.
Anyway, if they fixed the preamp, great. If not, it's a step backwards because if the loss of the truss wheel and no more string thru body option (in my humble opinion).
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Most likely the preamp is the same. Of the “reviews” I watched on YouTube, there has been absolutely no mention of the preamp other than what it does. They mostly focused on the neck profile and that the pickups are more “vintage-voiced” as compared to the Elite pickups.
Still, if it is substantially different, Fender would have probably said something.
Now that some time had passed and the Ultra series basses are getting into players' hands, I'd like to revive this conversation. Has anybody A/B'd the Elite and Ultra models? Do you hear distinct tonal differences? Other observations?
Havent tried the Ultra. Satisfied with my Elite Jazz V.
Elite preamp sounds great, if the Ultra is any better, I can not hear a difference.
Elite neck profile fits my hand like a glove. Best playing 5 I’ve ever encountered.
Dont trust them. I doubt if anything has changed. I can't believe they would put such a junk preamp and a jack that will not hold a cord.
I have a 2019 American jazz elite. Poor preamp and dead spots on neck. Sorry I bought it. After playing Fender for 40 years, it will be my last fender.
I have a 2019 American jazz elite. Poor preamp and dead spots on neck. Sorry I bought it. After playing Fender for 40 years, it will be my last fender.
Hmm. Well, I’ve gigged the hell out of the two Elites I currently own, and have never had a problem. Same with the ocean turquoise one I had, as well as the Elite P and Dimension basses I had.
Never once, on any of them, has the jack not held a cord. No dead spots, no issues at all.
I had an Elite Jazz 4. It was a great bass. I have and have had many J’s over years. John East dual filter, and single filter pres. Audere and Aguilar oc 3 pres in other J bass configurations. Fralin , Nordy and Haussel pickups in some. ( I like j basses!) The Elite played well, came set up well, etc., it was just overpriced and I got rid of it before I lost too much money. Wish I’d kept it...good bass...great neck profile. I never felt that the pre was particularly unlikeable.
Guess I got a bad one. Eatherway no more Fenders for me. After 38 years of playing many fenders, I'm moving on, no more fenders for me.
Same here, The bridge pickup would randomly lose volume by about 85%, switch it back to centre and it would be fine. Sent it back to Fender, waited 2 months to get it back, lasted about 6 weeks and the issue returned. This is my first and last Fender which is such a shame as the neck is great and it feels fantastic to play. I will probably have the electronics gutted and switched out, probably just bad luck but has left a sour taste in my mouth, GAK in Brighton were also not fantastic to deal with on this either, Alex, the guy I spoke to on the phone actually hung up on me when I asked about exchanging it for another instrument. Won’t be dealing with them again either, great service until something went wrong.
Chiming in because I actually own and Ultra and have tried the Elites. I might have bought an Elite had they a colour in the shop I liked. Their Deluxe was also high on my list. When I found a colour I liked it was the Ultra which also felt more comfortable than any Fender I'd ever played. Didn't play the Elite enough to make a full appraisal but it sounded fantastic and felt great. What impressed me about the Ultra was I couldn't find a bad or "un-Fendery" sound on it. That said, the passive sound is so good I don't use the active board anything like as often as I would had it been another bass. I understand the advantage of the old truss wheel but, to me it's like having your car's oil cap on the outside with the petrol cap. Why have it there when you only change the oil once a year? I also really like the sustain which is attributed to the new bridge so I won't complain about no through stringing. I think Fender are justified in the fuss it's making about the Ultra. They're trying to reiterate a classic in modern form rather than make a new bass. I like the fact that there are no gimmicks. The price is too high for some but I was that grateful to find a Fender that really fitted me I didn't care. Saved me a lot of time looking for Miss Right.
No mr right with the elite. I hope your ultra is better, but imo probably not. Fender got rid of the truss rod wheel, and claims to up grade the preamp, but all indications say it did not happen. Best of luck with your ultra. Let us know how it works out for you in the future.
I have had and traveled with the American deluxe series, Elite series and now have an Ultra. The only one that left me lacking as far as electronics go was the American deluxe with the N3 pickups so I switched them out to Aguilars. The Elite and Ultra have been easy to dial in good tones with. The one thing that has been outstanding from all 3 have been the reliability for me. Doesn’t matter if they are getting slammed around an airport or drug around the south in high heat and humidity. The necks have been very stable for me and the playability is always there. I guess the preamp and pickups are subjective but mine have always been quiet and punchy. Maybe I just got lucky, or maybe my hearing has fading more than I realize.
I would say that’s fair, the neck is very,very stable on my elite. I have not had to adjust it at all between summer and winter, while my two Musicman Bongo basses have needed a slight adjustment. I do like the fact the truss rod adjustment is the same as the musicman basses as well which makes it very quick and easy should I need to. As I say it is a fantastic bass to play, extremely playable and comfortable, just the electronics for me have not been reliable at all. This bass has now been relegated to home practice only (an extremely expensive practice bass) as I do not trust it to gig with.
