Fender Jazz V owners please sound off

i owned a Fender Jazz Deluxe V(mim), it was very nice. the active pups were fun, the bass stayed in tune fairly well, i never had a problem with stripped screws. mind you, it wasn't
a made in usa, but it was worth having around, for the $300 i paid for it. sold it this year, decided the wide neck was not worth the 5 extra notes. the neck is wide as heck, 'cause fender decided they wanted the string spacing, uniform with the 4 string models. bad idea. they could narrow the neck alot. it would improve this bass.

 

+1

 

I've gotta disagree here. One of the complaints I most commonly hear from 5 string players is that they wish they had full size spacing as opposed to the reduced 16-17mm'ish spacing on a lot of basses. I think it's better to err on the wider side, in any case.

 

Personally I don't find any more or less difficult to play. Most modern Fender 5 strings have the same string spacing as the classic four string Jazz. It's logical and familiar. However, compared to most other brands' 5 strings Fenders are considered rather wide.

I have a USA Fender Jazz V and I pretty much love it. The MIMs have the same neck profile, but lots of stuff is different so I'll quit writing now.

 

anyone know if the jazz Vs come in left handed models?

 

i would love it to, if the neck wasn't so wide. not too difficult to play, just not me. thats all. logic has nothing to do with feel.

 

I have a 2004 MIA DLX V and its great, classic design, well made and very versatile tones. The bridge saddles allow for adjustable spacing.this is why I chose this model so I could get wide string spacing to match the 4's. I bought it to give me a different (and more old school sound & feel) to my Sadowsky 24F -5.

 

I also have a Fender US DLX and nothing to complain about. I did replace pickups and preamp though, that really got a hell lot more out of it.

As far as the necks and spacing. The neck has graphite inlays to keep it stable, I haven't had another setup since the very first one 6 months ago. The spacing is really great, and the bridge allows you to adjust it very well. No matter if you like it wide or narrow you can adjust it (I'm a wide spacing guy myself).

 

I had a fender USA deleux 5, nice fender sounds plus active controls, sounded sweet no matter what you done with it, got used to the neck pretty quick, but found the low B sounded flat after no time, used to replace that string quite often just to keep it voiced like the rest, even more so in a live situation, still I did like it.

 

I had a MIA Jazz V for about a year. It was very easy to play and the B string was fine. You wouldn't mistake the B for a Lakland (or fill in the bass w/ a great B here____) but it never held me back either. Mine had a J-Retro so I can't comment on tone other then to say I miss the bass!

 

I have a '96 Fender MIA Jazz V, that have been my workhorse since I got it, and its the only bass I've kept over the years. But to answer your questions.

Action is really good, and in fact its the reason I've kept it... I've had 0 prob with the neck, of course then again I dunno about the MIMs, but the construction of those have really stepped up in the last 5 years since they opened up the new factory.

Tone, its a jazz bass... nough said. Though mine doesn't seem as midrangy as some.

Clarity of the B string... What clarity? I have 0 clarity on my B string, which is the #1 problem I have with the bass, that and the B string can be floppy sometimes.

Strength of Body Wood... Well they don't use Poplar in the MIMs anymore. They started using Alder about 3-4 years ago.

 

I have a '94 Fender Jazz V that I gigged mercilessly for about a decade. It never gave me any headaches, and always sounded and played real nice...

 

In my personal case, the B is fine. Projects well live, and has recorded well. It's not floppy, but I will note that it likes a taperwound better than regular wound...

edit: My '94 J5 is active with fender lace sensor pups, and what I think is kubiki 9V electronics...

 

I know several people who have made the same comments and have done the same thing. They were generally happy with the quality and performance of the instrument but were much happier once they upgraded the pickups and/or electroincs.

 

Yeah I think the normal jazz pickups just don't carry the B enough on the passive model.

 

Mine do.