I just got this Ultra delivered today. The neck on these things is amazing. I've owned two Elites over the years and this just feels a bit slimmer and more comfortable.
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Fender American Ultra Series - ???
- Thread starter DanGroove
- Start date
Great looking bass. If Fender offered it in left hand, I would buy one tomorrow.
Polish Thunder: You still have three other new Fender Jazz bases to choose from but they are all passive...not active like the Ultra.
The American Professional P bass is very well made and finished so I would expect the Jazz version to be the same. Maybe it would be worth trying out. You could always add active pickups to it.
What are the other 3? I know of the Player J and the AmPro J. What’s the other lefty J or are you referring to the Squier 70’s J?
I’m also a lefty so yeah, I’m always looking for new options.
Heavy Blue: the other lefty is the Standard Jazz bass:
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Fender Musical Instruments - Standard Jazz Bass Left Handed - Brown Sunburst
Ah ok. I never considered the Standards because they aren’t current production models. They were replaced by the Player series.
That being said I played a used ‘16 Standard Jazz about a month ago and it was a really good instrument even if it was black lol. Nice tone, played like buttah. Very nice rosewood board. If I had an extra C$600 around I would’ve bought it.
Heavy Blue: Fender and L&M both list the Standard Jazz bass as current on the websites I posted for you.
I actually want a passive bass. I like the look of a blues bass body with a black pick guard and the maple neck. I am considering the custom shop, although they are on hold currently. I am not sure which pickups to get, though. Too many choices...
So I currently have a 2018 Squier VM Jazz and a 2018 MIM (Player Series) P bass. The 3-tone sunburst Standard Jazz looks a lot like my MIM P, which is a great bass, BTW.
This is what I am looking at in the Fender Custom Shop. Any suggestions for the PUP choice? FWIW, I play blues, blues rock, and classic rock.
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Polish: I'd stick with the Fender Custom Shop Jazz pickups.
Stick with the stock ones. If they don't have enough bite, I'd recommend putting some Aguilar AG 4J-70 pickups in them. Those are by far my favorite replacements.
Thanks, but the question I have is which PUPs should I pick for the Custom Build? Custom Shop 60s?
I know what I like for the body, neck, and fretboard. But for the PUPs, I am lost.
Here are my options:
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I have the identical one(except your body looks like it's made from two pieces rather than three which looks fabulous). Between it and this isolation my playing is seriously improving. Enjoy!
Huh. I think the difference is night & day! I sold a less than year old elite to finance an Ultra. The neck is superior, imo. Didn't think I'd like the "D" profile, but this one is really comfortable. The preamp sounds very different to me as well, especially the high freq control. Sounds like it's center freq is higher than the Elite. You might be right about the pickup voicing though. I think it sounds really balanced in passive mode. Plug it into a quality outboard preamp and it would be a great platform to mix and match the onboard and outboard voicings!
What are you getting for the body, neck, and fretboard?Thanks, but the question I have is which PUPs should I pick for the Custom Build? Custom Shop 60s?
I know what I like for the body, neck, and fretboard. But for the PUPs, I am lost.
Here are my options:
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For my maple bodied and boarded Squier VM, I’ve with the PV ‘74’s just to go all in with the 70’s theme and sound. I like their tone.
Heavy Blue: I had Squier VM Jazz bass...but not for long. It was too heavy. Also... no comparison to the qualtity and playability of the American Performer Series. Fender has really upped their game in quality and finish in recent years.
No kidding there Martín, the VM sounds and plays nice for it’s bracket and it’s a particularly nice bass for learning new material on but it does weigh a bloody ton and now with my shoulder the way it is I don’t gig and stand up with it. On the waiting list for a replacement, currently 3-9 months but likely to be set back now due to covid-19 which is fine. I don’t want to be anywhere near a hospital right now.
I bet the American Performers are great but I’m a lefty and my current Fender Jazz options are either a Squier CV70’s, a Player Series or American Professional. Am Pros do not have the maple board option (and are C$2,100
) and colour choices are limited in both Player and Am Pro series. This sucks but actually is slowly improving. I couldn’t buy a MIM lefty P bass at all until 2018 and now white is finally available if not with both board options. Yeah, I admit. I tend to roll my eyes when reading about righties complaining about “limited choices” irt colour/neck/pup options lol. Come on Fender, listen up! Lefty Mustang Bass, in white w/tort.
Also, a white, bound and blocked rosewood boarded 5-string P and both an active J and a fretless J not black or burst (NOTHING else burst or especially black please for the love of man lol). Send me one for evaluation.
For the custom Jazz, I would like a solid color body with a maple neck. My MIM P bass is 3-Tone Sunburst with a Pau Ferro neck. Great look, but I like the look of a maple neck with a solid color body. The custom would run around $2K or a little less.
My other option is to get a MIM Player P bass. There is a black lefty with a maple neck. New they are $700 but I think you can find a deal on
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