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Fender Jazz Special...what am I missing?

#42
Jen Jesse said:
Thanks for these tips! One of the things I have been wondering is whether it would sound 'better' in a mix. I suspect that's a distinct possibility. Not playing with a band currently since covid, but hopefully again someday… :)
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You mentioned the sound being “better in a mix” and for me, this is the key.
I know I may not be in the majority around here, but I cannot play an active bass in a live setting and get comfortable with the sound. A passive bass just sits better with the band for me. Some will say that you can always tweak the tone of an active bass and make it work…but I say why bother when the passive one works w/o any effort.
I love the sound of an active bass when I play by myself at home, but for me, I will not gig with one.
 
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#43
You found a bass that doesn't inspire you. Don't buy it - instruments that inspire you (especially to practice more) are valuable. Those that don't inspire you, no matter how good they look, how much they cost, or how "cool" they make you amongst your friends, are useless.

People don't get excited because a musician has a great instrument. They get excited when he or she plays the snot out of whatever they have.
 
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#46
Jen Jesse said:
I don't have a ton of bass experience, I am pretty new. My active Yamaha RBX800 has nice tonal range and I really enjoy playing it, even if I don't love the dark blue finish. But recently I picked up this gorgeous passive 80s Fender Jazz Bass Special, and...it doesn't exactly blow me away to play or to listen to.

Am I ruined by active basses? Are passives just not enough for me lol?

Is the Fender hitting a tone that, while smaller in range, is still unique and not reproducible by my Yamaha? I'm guessing this is a fair possibility, so if anyone has tips on what to listen for that's unique to the Fender, I'm all ears (heh)

Pics for tax :) Sorry for the busy backgrounds, I know some of y'all hate that, but life is life. View attachment 4492794 View attachment 4492795
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Have you played it with others yet? I bet they sound about the same in a band.
 
#48
Jen Jesse said:
There's a purple yamaha I've been eyeing, so if you REALLY like the finish on this blue one.... ;)
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This gives me the impression that you are, mentally, letting the Jazz Special go.

And why not? You don't have to like it. Playability and tone are in the hands and ears of the beholder.

Speaking of tone, it takes a while, I’d say, to develop a hunch for what works, for you, and in different contexts. And to estimate whether a particular model is able to deliver this (range).

That being said, it all becomes easier when you buy your third, fourth, etc. bass.
 
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#49
That Fender is a striking bass to look at, but if it just doesn't sit right with you after trying different EQ settings and maybe a new set of strings, or perhaps more importantly, if it just doesn't feel right, (Because strings, pickups, settings can be changed, but ergonomics can't. Well not without major woodwork. ;)) then that's more of a deal breaker.

With some bass types, that's just the way it is, I've never owned a Fender shaped bass in my life, love the sounds of both P's and J's, it's just the total package doesn't work for me. Lots of other basses do and plenty make sounds like P's and J's so it's all good.

Whether you find some changes that make the Fender work for you, or you move it on, good luck and enjoy the journey. There are so many other basses to try along the way.:D
 
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#50
Jen Jesse said:
I don't have a ton of bass experience, I am pretty new. My active Yamaha RBX800 has nice tonal range and I really enjoy playing it, even if I don't love the dark blue finish. But recently I picked up this gorgeous passive 80s Fender Jazz Bass Special, and...it doesn't exactly blow me away to play or to listen to.

Am I ruined by active basses? Are passives just not enough for me lol?

Is the Fender hitting a tone that, while smaller in range, is still unique and not reproducible by my Yamaha? I'm guessing this is a fair possibility, so if anyone has tips on what to listen for that's unique to the Fender, I'm all ears (heh)

Pics for tax :) Sorry for the busy backgrounds, I know some of y'all hate that, but life is life. View attachment 4492794 View attachment 4492795
Click to expand...
I love the color of the first bass. It’s the same color as my car! I have to find a bass to match.
 
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#51
jd56hawk said:
Did it sound better through the amp you used to try it out?
The thing is, I have three Jazz basses and I wouldn't trade any of them for something active...not even for a Fender American Ultra.
View attachment 4492853
By the way, the one on the left has a turbo switch, maybe that would change your mind.
Regardless, I'm thinking $35 could solve your problem.
View attachment 4492854
Or maybe a simple string change.
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How is the tone on that Behringer preamp? I have a similar one I bought for my amplified acoustic instruments and it does a pretty good job. It feels cheap and cheesy, though. I wish they had put it in a metal case.
 
#52
I played the same active bass for ten years, then bought a second hand J bass and it seemed pretty weak after playing an active bass. I got it for a specific purpose and didn't have time to do anything but the best I could with what I had so i took it to my setup guy and asked for new strings and the same action he put on my active bass. This made a big positive difference but I still struggled to get the sound I wanted so i started experimenting with my amp to see what might be possible. I had a Peavey MK IV with two EQ sections and it took me about a day of tweaking and playing to get to something I liked that fit what I was doing. It never rose to the level of my active bass but it did a good enough job to get compliments from my bandmates. I sold the J when I no longer needed it and went back to my active bass for another 5 years but I kept thinking about an active jazz so I bought another second hand MIM J and started trying onboard preamps and aftermarket pickups. After more than a year and at least a dozen configurations that included a preamp, i gave up trying to clone my active bass and settled on a set of Dimarzio humbucker pickups and the Fender spec pots and capacitor type. It us not my active bass by a long shot but it is plenty thumpin and useful in any situation. I’m still using an amp with multiple EQs (BX 500) so that may be the trick but I’ve played my jazz through house amps and have yet to be disappointed.
 
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#55
Before you get rid of it, just try this. Jazz Bass Specials have the TBX Tone Control, which operate differently than the standard tone pot on Fender P or J basses. There should be a detent notch at the 1/2 way point. From 0-5 (detent) will give you the standard 0-10 range on a “normal” P or J bass. From the detent mark to 10 will greatly accentuate the treble response of the pickups. This might be what you are experiencing and disliking about the stock sounds you’re getting from the JBS. Or, you could just dislike the sound of it. Nothing wrong with that, either! Your bass has the older large pole-piece pickups, too. Those seem to be more coveted by fans of these particular basses. Good luck!
 
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#56
I bought my first non-active non PJ bases last year during the pandemic. I record with them now. I also tried both of them out (one is a fender jazz and one is a Squier p base) during a live outdoor practice with an audience. It did not go so well. I was not prepared for all of the tonal differences of a non-active base. Not that they are worse, just very very different. I switched back to my handy and trusty Ibanez Sr active. I am looking forward to some more playing opportunities in a real environment. My band is not so enthusiastic since spending half of my time just trying to get a tone I liked was not improving the flow of our music playing. I do like the new basses though.
 
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#57
I just picked up this one, a mid 80’s model. Awesome bass! And most of my basses are active. Nothing like an old school passive Fender!

6B548E55-2E6E-47E1-AD9B-7B783353CD4D.jpeg
 
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#60
Unless I'm really not impressed at all, I give basses a fair run to get them how I like them. And if they were poor, I wouldn't have bought them in the first place.
I do think a certain price point is a bit of a lottery though. A Fender under $1000 is certainly capable of being a dog, but overall, build standards have improved so you get more for less.

If the wood is a good fit, the hardware, which gets plenty of scimping by plenty of makers down there, can be swapped out for the most part.
 
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