Fender Jazz S1 switch?

[Jonas.]

i was reading the blurb for the fender american jazz on their website and it was talking about the S1 switching, but i don't truely understand what it is. Is it just a way of getting a series and parallel sound from your pickups, and is it as standard or is it a special model on the MIAs. Finally, how do you switch between them, is it just controlled by a knob because i didn't see any physical switch on the pictures..

me = confused bassiest

 

[The 0x]

There's a little button on the top of the knob that switches the wiring of the pickups from series to parallel. Actually gives the jazz a kick in the ass for tone. Beefs it up a whole lot more.

 

[Jonas.]

so is it possible to buy an american series jazz bass without this at a slightly lower cost, because i don't think i really want it.

and going astray slightly..

does anyone have any decent pictures of a sunset orange or a butterscotch fender Jazz..?

 

[The 0x]

Nope, besides, for versatility, when you need a really ballsy tone, it helps when in series mode, and IMHO is much better than the mellow (a.k.a.) weak anemic tone of the stock jazz with the pickups in parallel.

 

[TyKao]

How much lower a price? You could solder in a push-pull pot or a DPDT switch that will give you the same options and it wouldn't set you back much cash-wise. If you like the sound enough, you can even hardwire a J-bass like that for free if you have your own soldering equipment. If the price different is great enough and the cheaper MIA bass plays nicely, I say get that bass and then get the feature installed on your own.

Check this thread out: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89180&highlight=series+parallel+mod

The s1 switch does the same thing, but Fender puts a typical price premium on the feature and uses a nifty push switch built into the neck volume knob of the bass. You get more mids and more presence. You lose high end response and probably some actual lows, but you lose those lows in a way that's hard to notice.

I think it is definitely something worth getting in a J-bass, but keep in mind that, like Ox, I prefer the P sound for the majority of what I end up playing.

 

[The 0x]

Real lows? I think you get more lows in a P than you do in a J, as well as mids.

 

[TyKao]

From what I've read and heard, the J-bass has a more even and broader frequency response than a P-bass. So you get a nice even curve along the "bass spectrum." A P-bass doesn't get that kind of frequency response but it sounds beefier (and more awesome to me) because it's got a much bigger lower mid curve and that natural eq emphasis makes it sound like you're producing more lows. However, you get the traditional gripes that many bass players have with Precisions as far as their lack of clarity and what not.

Somebody please correct me if I'm off.

And Jonas, the series/parallel setup are just different ways of setting up the pickups to feed the signals they get from the strings to the output jack. All MIA standard basses from 2004-onward have them. If you're buying a new, and not NOS, American Fender bass, you'll get this switch whether you like it or not.

 

[Chiba]

I checked out a few basses w/the new S1 switching, and to my ears, with the switches engaged, it made P sound like J and J sound like P.

Not saying it's good or bad - it certainly adds something to the tonal palette of each instrument.

--chiba

 

[Funky Tune]

Yeahhh we love Fender Jazzes the most imitate bass everrrrrrrr,and the one and only real Jazz