• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Fender Japan is gone :(

#301
^^ What ever... :rolleyes:

I finally got my digital camera working and was able to take some higher quality photos of my Fender Japan Collection. I also swapped out the factory strings on the JB62-US and installed the DR LO-RIDERS. Took off the neck and gave the truss rod screw a ½ turn first and that did the trick! Action is right in the pocket now and the bass sounds great with the DRs on it! Much better! :D Photos of the JB62-US further down the post, but first...

My JB62SS Collection!
(¾ scale Mini Jazz Bass in all four colors - Custom Pearloid Pick Guards on the Red and Black models courtesy of WD Music Products)


JB62SS_family3.jpg


JB62SS_Family.jpg

red_black1.jpg


My JB62-US with matching JB62SS

JB62-3TS_SS_US.jpg


JB62-US Body Closeup

JB62_US_closeup.jpg


Full Guitar Shot

JB62_US.jpg


 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: R&B
#302
GG7 said:
My 64 is an American Fender reissue in Lake Placid Blue, 2012 vintage I think. I also have a American Deluxe Jazz Bass, a Modern Player short scale Jazz Bass with the hybrid P-Bass/Jazz Bass pickup arrangement on a full size body. Then I have the four JB62SS ¾ scale Mini Jazz Basses, and now this MIJ JB62-US. So basically (8) Jazz Basses total.

The JB62SS have really grown on me, and I find myself picking one of those up most of the time! They sound basically the same as the full size guitars do, and they have beautiful necks with a perfect/FAST action. And of course with a 30" scale, you can fly around with patterns you have to really stretch to pull off on a full size neck. Plus they are much lighter than the full size models. Everyone in my circle of friends that has played one of mine immediately wants one. Definitely my hands down favorite Jazz Bass model in my collection. If I was still gigging, I can easily see myself using the four JB62SS exclusively on stage.

I just got delivered my two custom white pearloid pickguards from WD music products for my black one and my red one. Really gives them even more POP than before with the plain white pick guards they came with.
Click to expand...

Wow, that’s a lot of jazz basses! You are quite the fan. :) This will be my first, so I’m looking forward to it. I don’t have any experience with short scale basses, but I’m surprised to hear you say that they sound very similar to longer scale ones. Interesting!

My favorite guitar, a Jazzmaster, is also in Lake Placid Blue. Its one of Fender’s best colors, totally in my useless opinion.

So if your 64 is a vintgae reissue, how would you compare the Fender Japan offerings to what you have, which may be top of the line for Fender short of the Custom Shop?


GG7 said:
Glad to hear that your bass has finally shipped Jon! Hope you can post some photos along with your impressions. I'm working on getting my digital camera fixed so I can post some photos of some of mine, especially the black and red JB62SS with the custom pick guards on them!
Click to expand...

Thanks. I’ll definitely post lots of photos. I have never made any effort to take fancy looking pics of a guitar before, but I might try a little of that when the bass arrives.

Thanks for the much better photos of your basses. They look great. I must admit that I did not think that a pearloid pickguard would make so much of a difference on the red and black ones. But that was a very good call.

Even better is the news that the bass is settling in to where you like it. Excellent! I bet that your initial minor disappointment is fading away now. Which is great. :)
 
#303
Malak the Mad said:
Mine shipped yesterday. THE RACE IS ON!!
Click to expand...

Excellent! :) Isn’t it fun anticipating new toys? :)


R&B said:
Aaargh. I tried. Multiple rounds of middle of the night email with Kazuma at Ishibashi over 3 consecutive days (!) trying to buy a specific PB-62US. Finally, he sent a price and payment instructions and I just happened to be awake at the time. Success! I responded within 6 minutes. Managed to put in credit card info just before their closing time, only to wait another 24 hours.

"Thank you for your email. Sorry, this bass has been sold by another customer so we cannot offer it to you."

Ah well, I'm 80,000 yen richer. Enjoy your new Fender Japan toys, all! I think you got them in the nick of time.
Click to expand...

R&B-

Sorry to hear about your disappointment. But it sounds as though it was not meant to be. I have never just walked into a store and bought a guitar or bass off the shelf. Every one has found me, in one way or another. Like the Fender Japan Jazz bass that I just ordered. I have been getting more into bass lately and thought that I might pick one up the next time that I’m in Japan. Then the Yen got weaker and/or the Dollar stronger. Then we heard about Fender Japan going away. So I had to order it now. I could not decide between a J or a P. The VSP P’s were already gone. And so I ordered a J. It kind of found me. Maybe your next bass will find you, too. It’s fun that way, you know? :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: R&B
#304
songwriter21 said:
Most of their basses are STUPIDLY overrated, anyway, as far as I'm concerned. Also, when you luck out and get a deal on a used Roscoe and get it in your hands....
Click to expand...

Yeah, I totally know what you mean. I think that Ford F150 pickups are STUPIDLY overrated, anyway, as far as I’m concerned. Also, when you luck out and get a deal on a used Ferrari and get your butt in it...
;):laugh:
 
#305
songwriter21 said:
Most of their basses are STUPIDLY overrated, anyway, as far as I'm concerned. Also, when you luck out and get a deal on a used Roscoe and get it in your hands....
Click to expand...

This is what I love about the internet; it's a place where people from all walks of life can get together, discuss their ideas and experiences, forge new and stronger lines of communication and find a place where civilized, well-thought out and loquaciously verbalized debate can take place. :angel:






…and with that being said, I'm off to scour the web for every scrap of Chris Higbee music and hootenanny concert videos I can dredge up, burn them to the warehouse full of DVD's and CD's I have lying around in my extrajudicial, non-extradition-treaty-respecting country and spread them across the World for pennies on the dollar. :greedy:

If you have something negative to say, back it up with a little fact…as opposed to "thinly-veiled opinion meant to be taken as fact"…TROLL! :bored:
 
  • Like
Reactions: JonW
#307
Malak the Mad said:
This is what I love about the internet; it's a place where people from all walks of life can get together, discuss their ideas and experiences, forge new and stronger lines of communication and find a place where civilized, well-thought out and loquaciously verbalized debate can take place. :angel:






…and with that being said, I'm off to scour the web for every scrap of Chris Higbee music and hootenanny concert videos I can dredge up, burn them to the warehouse full of DVD's and CD's I have lying around in my extrajudicial, non-extradition-treaty-respecting country and spread them across the World for pennies on the dollar. :greedy:

If you have something negative to say, back it up with a little fact…as opposed to "thinly-veiled opinion meant to be taken as fact"…TROLL! :bored:
Click to expand...

Not trolling, as I've owned and tried a lot of Fenders, and don't get it, when there are lots out there to choose from, that sound and play better (ex. dead spots, stability, sustain, versatility, etc). I can understand if you're on a budget, but still, there seem to be better bangs for the buck. The only two Fenders that I've owned, were a pair of Jazz 24's, because of the great construction, SD pickups, and two-octave neck.

I simply don't dig Fender much, because the company seems to produce the same stuff over and over like they have new products. What a shame that the Japanese line is basically done for, though, as the Geddy was a pretty decent bass with nice action. The only other great basses that they (US) had, and sadly stopped making, were the Roscoe Beck, Steve Bailey fretted and fretless basses, and the American Precision Deluxe V models. *sniff*.
 
Last edited:
#308
songwriter21 said:
Not trolling, as I've owned and tried a lot of Fenders, and don't get it, when there are lots out there to choose from, that sound and play better (ex. dead spots, stability, sustain, versatility, etc). I can understand if you're on a budget, but still, there are better bangs for the buck. The only two Fenders that I've owned, were a pair of Jazz 24's, because of the great construction, SD pickups, and two-octave neck.

Relax, I simply don't dig Fender much, because the company seems to produce the same stuff over and over like they have new products. What a shame that the Japanese line is basically done for, as the Geddy was a pretty decent bass with nice action. The only other great basses that they (US) had, and sadly stopped making, were the Roscoe Beck, Steve Bailey fretted and fretless basses, and the American Precision Deluxe V models. *sniff*.
Click to expand...

Classic 'I'm not being a dick I'm just pointing out that your enthusiasms are ridiculous and misguided' moment.

I'm not trolling either, of course.
 
#309
Hey, not looking to start a war, so my apologies for sounding elitist or anything like that. Also, I read my original comment over again, thought it wasn't the nicest post ever, and got rid of it, because it indeed all comes down to personal preference. Again, sorry for looking snooty here, TB'ers.
 
Last edited:
#311
Cool! The Jazzmaster was the companion guitar to the Jazz Bass back in the day. They share a lot of the same design elements as I am sure you know. :)

Glad you liked the photos Jon. My 20 year old Olympus digital takes great photos when I can get the stupid thing to work! ;)

I have those WD white Pearloids on my LPB 64 and Black American Deluxe too! You wouldn't think it would make such a big difference in the look of the guitar, but as you can see, it really does!

Quality wise... The MIJs are right there with the American made guitars that I own at least, and in the case of the SS, Fender USA has never made and likely never will make a bass like that, which is a pretty clueless move in my opinion.

The JB62-US I received was setup better than any of the American Fenders I have bought new, but not the perfect setup all four of the JB62SS guitars had out of the box. There must have been a very experienced person working that part of the line at the factory that made the SS guitars, since 4 for 4 is a pretty amazing track record as far as out of the box setups go.

And as far as these Mini Jazz Basses compare to the original size...

I was really surprised at how close the Mini Js sound to the full size versions. In fact, I actually like their tone profile on the low end a little better. The top end, classic J Bass growl is all there in spades, as is a nice long sustain! The latter being the most surprising considering the smaller size body.

I think this issue of nearly identical tonal quality demonstrates that the Jazz Bass pickups, (JB62SS guitars use full size version) is what really gives the Jazz Bass design the bulk its unique tonal personalities. Even though the body of the JB62SS is 85% of the mass of the original, that doesn't seem to have much impact on the actual sound coming out of the thing. ;) I guess you could equate the fact that some of the early full size Js are lower mass after years of aging and still sound great when compared to the heavy Ash and Alder models from the 70s for example.

This revelation was definitely not what I was expecting the first time I plugged in the 3TS version into my 100t with all the tone control and volumes set for my full size Jazz Basses. I own a half dozen 30" scale basses from other brands, and expected the JB62SS to sound more like those, rather than sounding like a full size Jazz Bass.

P.S. And I totally agree that Lake Placid Blue is one of Fender's coolest colors! Especially if you have a matching headstock model! :)
 
Last edited:
#314
No to be a downer, but this discussion seems to have been derailed and has become a NBD/showoff thread, rather than a discussion about Fender Japan being mothballed... maybe someone should start a thread called "Show off your Fender Japan basses here"?
 
#315
MarkoYYZ said:
No to be a downer, but this discussion seems to have been derailed and has become a NBD/showoff thread, rather than a discussion about Fender Japan being mothballed... maybe someone should start a thread called "Show off your Fender Japan basses here"?
Click to expand...

I considered it a way to show everyone what we are actually losing. Thus my focus on the JB62SS series, which was one of the lines discontinued as a direct result of the recent changes that this thread is eluding to. ;)

Aside from discussing the fact that Fender Japan is going away, what else is there left to discuss in this regard? The first several pages of this thread more than covered that in my opinion.

Now it seems we have moved on to focusing on the new purchases some TBers are making of the remaining Fender Japan guitars before they are gone for good, as a direct result of the recent news.

Seems all quite appropriate to me. In fact, I am pretty sure this thread would have died a long time ago if not for the change in direction. ;)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: R&B
#316
I've been following this discussion happily for the most part. Even when hostilities seemed to be on the verge of breaking out, peace prevailed. Threads evolve naturally over time. So unless someone is discussing dinner plans, I'm cool with most posts that relate in some way to the common interests of the participants. In this case, the late, great Fender Japan and their excellent basses.

There is a Fender MIJ/CIJ thread but it sees very little action these days. Perhaps a new club is in order: "Fender Japan Fan Club" or something similar.
 
#317
R&B said:
I've been following this discussion happily for the most part. Even when hostilities seemed to be on the verge of breaking out, peace prevailed. Threads evolve naturally over time. So unless someone I discussing dinner plans, I'm cool with most posts that relate in some way to the common interests of the participants. In this case, the late, great Fender Japan and their excellent basses.

There is a Fender MIJ/CIJ thread but it sees very little action these days. Perhaps a new club is in order: "Fender Japan Fan Club" or something similar.
Click to expand...

EXCELLENT IDEA! Who does one talk to around here to create a new club? There isn't one already?

I agree that a new club would be a good idea, especially in light of the soon to be "collectors" market many of their unique offerings are going to fall into now.

And as far as that "Hostile" element, I made a deliberate point to only give a disapproving glance at the comments, rather than give them any more attention than they deserved, which was basically none. ;) Haters are going to hate, as the saying goes. Speaking as an owner of a decent number of MIJ guitars, the last thing Fender Japan guitars are is overrated. ;)
 
#319
R&B said:
Official Fender MIJ/CIJ club here! | Page 45 | TalkBass.com

Since it's already in existence, may I suggest that we just move right in to the existing clubhouse?
Click to expand...

Cool! I think that is a good idea! Although I would prefer to change the name of the club to something more catchy... Maybe something like...

"Fender Japan Appreciation Club" or maybe "Fender Japan Owners Club"

Not everyone knows what CIJ or MIJ is referring to, and may not even know what the club is founded around?

I'll head over there and maybe post a couple of photos or something with some comment eluding to the demise of Fender Japan in its recent form.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back