Fender MIM Deluxe Active Jazz Bass?

[dave64o]

If it's a newer one than they're a pretty badass bass. But I had a 2000 model and it wasn't that good.

I bought one in 2000 and my experience was different. It was very well made and with the electronics from the USA Deluxe model I thought it was an outstanding value. Fenders can vary widely in quality, especially going back a few years, so maybe I was lucky and got one of the good ones.

My only complaint is that it was HEAVY - 13.5 pounds. I put up with the weight for several years and ended up selling it here to a younger guy that could hack it better than I could.

From the threads I've seen here over the years it seems like they were generally pretty heavy, at least back then. If you can find one that's well made and isn't too heavy, go for it. You'll love it.

 

[berman3313]

Got mine over at a Harmony Central ad. Seller was a PBass guy - who wanted to experiment with a J. Man, I think he made a mistake. Awesome tone - everything from rumbling thunder to edgy funk. The mid tone (smallest knob) is like TurboBoost. If Emeril played bass, he'd say "kick it up a notch!"

Added a Gotoh bridge which was best sound upgrade. Subtle but solid improvement. DR Hi-Beams.

Very good investment under $400. I've played the US version - yes, it's a little smoother action, but not sure it's worth the $700 difference. Go get one!

However, my curiosity is now with a P-Bass Deluxe....tick, tick, tick......

Anyone use/own/played one. If So what do you think?? I was thinking about buying one but id like to hear what everyone else thinks about it first.

 

[Hamrhed]

The preamp is very usable and the Noiseless pickups are just that....Noiseless!

Not my experience at all:

I had one a couple of years ago (vintage white/rosewood)...

Those 'Noiseless' pickups were the noisiest pups I had ever had (I guess the cavity could have stood to be shielded). I used mine in Church and its the only problem Ive ever had w/ noise- Im strictly passive now and doing well. The build quality was ok- but I was not impressed with the electronics Maybe I just got a bad one (I got it new)

 

[your idol]

Not my experience at all:

I had one a couple of years ago (vintage white/rosewood)...

Those 'Noiseless' pickups were the noisiest pups Ive ever had (I guess the cavity could have stood to be shielded). I used mine in Church and its the only problem Ive ever had w/ noise- Im strictly passive now and doing well. The build quality was ok- but I was not impressed with the electronics

thats a bummer. i was really expecting mine to be junk or at least sub par due to the MIM status but im very please, i was all set to have to throw in some barts and an aggie pre , but i was encouraged to wait and im glad i have. not to say that still wont happen as i am a firm believer that good is the enemy of great...but theyre not terrible, quite the opposite. this is the problem with anything built in a factory though, way too much YMMV going on

 

[Hamrhed]

thats a bummer. i was really expecting mine to be junk or at least sub par due to the MIM status but im very please, i was all set to have to throw in some barts and an aggie pre , but i was encouraged to wait and im glad i have. not to say that still wont happen as i am a firm believer that good is the enemy of great...but theyre not terrible, quite the opposite. this is the problem with anything built in a factory though, way too much YMMV going on

Hey- if you like yours then thats all that matters... and Im glad you like it! I actually used mine for a while and it played just fine. I just had a lot of noise when running through the house PA at church- and I tried everything but shielding the cavity. That probably would have solved my problem, but I had an opportunity to sell it so I did.

 

[SamWebsterbell]

Very Nice bass however, why not just go for the Standard, that's what i did.
Standard MIM's all you need.
But if you want the active extra's then go for it.

 

[Kubs]

Older deluxe vs. newer deluxe.....


I had(have) each of them,
I had newer sunburst with nice Alder body, noiseless pickups etc. perfect bass....now i have older arctic white with Suhr electronics(not sure of type of wood...because its not much light but its 1998 so it should be poplar but weight says rather alder....)....and tamtadada...I cant say which one is better-they are surprisingly well done(no neck pocket space, tight as hell!!!)....both of them works perfect-ABSOLUTELY no hissing, scratching, static-noise!

I must add that I had also American Deluxe FMT Jazz (few times more expensive....) and....oh my god it had SCRATCHY, NOISY ELECTRONICS, bad neck pocket (2-3mm space between neck and pocket), but in spite of all "problems" FMT was perfect bass in terms of feel and sound, unplugged it breathed, it was beast...but those electronics problems were silly and I couldnt stand them....
But MIM deluxe is very similar to american deluxe in sound characteristic.....and its great for "budget players" or "2nd bass"

 

[pattonpwr]

mine:

(changed the bridge to a nice badass ii). Also thinking about putting some white pickup covers.. maybe change de pickguard etc... what do you think?

regards,

Invalid Link Removed

 

[scubaduba]

I've got a black MIM with Suhr pre and pups. Love it. Very punchy and plenty of thump. Like the ones from the 1997 - 2000 era with large single pole Suhr's.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

I have a 2008 black (alder?) body/rosewood fretboard/tort pickguard version. I love the tone and feel of this bass.

That said, it is the heaviest jazz in my collection, so unless I'm setting down to play, it gets backseat to my lighter MIM Classic 50s P or tricked out ESP/LTD 204 P/J. My other 2 jazz(MIM, but modded) are fretless and much lighter.

When I was younger (51 now) I thought the heavier the Fender bass or Gibson Les Paul was, the better. Love my heavy wood, but wind up playing the lighter stuff more often now.

 

[bassbenj]

Not my experience at all:

I had one a couple of years ago (vintage white/rosewood)...

Those 'Noiseless' pickups were the noisiest pups I had ever had (I guess the cavity could have stood to be shielded). I used mine in Church and its the only problem Ive ever had w/ noise- Im strictly passive now and doing well. The build quality was ok- but I was not impressed with the electronics Maybe I just got a bad one (I got it new)

Yes you figured it. Mine (2002) has "noiseless" pickups and they are noiseless. Not the problem. "Toneless" is the problem! I've really got to change them out one of these days. But like yours my bass had SOME noise. Not a lot, mind you, but not zero either. This is one of those Fender mysteries. It was totally shielded with conductive paint, but while it did shield some it was not perfect. So I did the copper shield on it and all noise went away forever! Now, if it only had some tone. I've tried to buy decent sounding Fender pickups (5ers) for it, but all are discontinued (thanks Fender!). Only option left is Nordies ($$$).

But the neck and body on mine is an absolute dream. Better than many American ones I've played. Nice low action with none of that "rattle" you get on some Squirers and less than optimum MIM Fenders. Of course the body is something like 12 piece alder sticks glued together, but is covered with one piece alder veneer so with sunburst finish it looks like an absolute dream! (and we all know tonewood doesn't matter anyway! )

I have no problem with the electronics and the mid control is thing that sets the Deluxe basses apart. Gives you a range of tone that the passive dudes can only DREAM about! On second thought I DO wish it had a passive bypass for battery emergencies!

Got mine like new used for $300 and comparing to American Deluxe price, for the cost of a pickup upgrade and a little shielding, this baby can NOT be beat!

 

[Phendyr_Loon]

I've got a black MIM with Suhr pre and pups. Love it. Very punchy and plenty of thump. Like the ones from the 1997 - 2000 era with large single pole Suhr's.

+1 for the Suhr pickups. I have a 2004 in antique white?/rosewood and IMO compared to all the other stock jazz pickups, (even the SCN's) the Suhrs are the brightest, fullest, and well rounded.

As far as the built quality, they are IMO on par with the MIA's. My deluxe is my ONLY bass. I don't know why Fender quit the Suhr pickups, they make a good bass remarkable.

 

[fhm555]

I played a new (MIM) P deluxe for a while in a band setting last year and it had plenty of thump and also did an excellent job on the mids and highs, and I could adjust it to get any tone I wanted.

It has the same preamp as the (MIM) deluxe j bass.

I almost bought the deluxe P, but in the end I just don't care for the P body, even when it has a J neck like the P deluxe does.

 

[Gougedeye]

I used a MIM Deluxe Jazz for quite awhile as my main bass. It was a solidly built, fine sounding instrument. I wouldn't hesitate to pull it out and play it for any show.

 

[Kevin Lynch]

Anyone use/own/played one. If So what do you think?? I was thinking about buying one but id like to hear what everyone else thinks about it first.

I own 2 Fender MIM active Jazz basses and I love them. Great sound, great tone, good sustain and the neck is spot on. I upgraded to the Fender High Mass Bridge as mine were made in 2002 before that was a standard on that bass. I'm going to upgrade the pickups as soon as I get a decent recommendation from someone.

 

[fhm555]

The Active Jazz is basically a Standard Jazz with upgraded electronics. The body and neck are identical to the standard jazz. That being said, it is a great bass for the money. The preamp is very usable and the Noiseless pickups are just that....Noiseless! I had a sunburst model, but I really like how the Vintage White model looks! The Mexican plant has really been putting out some great instruments, and I would not hesitate in a minute to buy one.

Not actually, there slight differences.

First, the Deluxe body
It has a side mount jack and a battery box routed into the back of the body and the body is slightly thicker than a standard MIM Jazz to accommodate these differences. This allows you four knobs on the control plate and simple access to a battery if you are using active controls. In spite of this difference a guard cut for neck and bridge pickups from a Standard MIM J will fit although it may need a little drill and fill to get your screw holes worked out just right. The standard control plate is a direct replacement for a Deluxe control plate although you may occasionally need to also fill and drill plate screw holes to get the gap just right.
Second, the MIM Deluxe jazz has always had the standard J pickup routes, even when the MIM standards were sporting 2 pickups of the same size. At least all the older Deluxe J's from that era I've had were cut that way.
Last, the neck pickup/control cavity route is larger than a standard to accommodate the preamp board, an additional pot and the increased wiring bulk for the preamp.
The Deluxe bodies I've stripped were constructed with a series of reddish looking planks glued up into a slab then sandwiched between two pieces of thin white wood. They work well for a transparent center sunburst finishes because there's no seam showing on top, giving the impression it's a single piece of wood.

There are also differences in the necks.
First, all Deluxe J necks have had Pau Ferro boards on them as long as they've been in production. It was only recently the Standard boards were replaced with PF.
Second, the neck edges, more specifically the fret ends, show a much higher degree of finish than do the MIM Standard necks.
It was the extra knob on top and the nicer fret dressing and PF board that first got me looking at Deluxe J's.

 

[ClassicJazz]

Not actually, there slight differences.

First, the Deluxe body
It has a side mount jack and a battery box routed into the back of the body and the body is slightly thicker than a standard MIM Jazz to accommodate these differences. This allows you four knobs on the control plate and simple access to a battery if you are using active controls. In spite of this difference a guard cut for neck and bridge pickups from a Standard MIM J will fit although it may need a little drill and fill to get your screw holes worked out just right. The standard control plate is a direct replacement for a Deluxe control plate although you may occasionally need to also fill and drill plate screw holes to get the gap just right.
Second, the MIM Deluxe jazz has always had the standard J pickup routes, even when the MIM standards were sporting 2 pickups of the same size. At least all the older Deluxe J's from that era I've had were cut that way.
Last, the neck pickup/control cavity route is larger than a standard to accommodate the preamp board, an additional pot and the increased wiring bulk for the preamp.
The Deluxe bodies I've stripped were constructed with a series of reddish looking planks glued up into a slab then sandwiched between two pieces of thin white wood. They work well for a transparent center sunburst finishes because there's no seam showing on top, giving the impression it's a single piece of wood.

There are also differences in the necks.
First, all Deluxe J necks have had Pau Ferro boards on them as long as they've been in production. It was only recently the Standard boards were replaced with PF.
Second, the neck edges, more specifically the fret ends, show a much higher degree of finish than do the MIM Standard necks.
It was the extra knob on top and the nicer fret dressing and PF board that first got me looking at Deluxe J's.

Not back in 2009 when I made that post. In 2009, the Active Jazz basses 4 and five string sported Rosewood finger boards. The attached is right from the 2009 Fender catalog.

Also yes you are correct, the body had extra routes for the preamp and battery and the side jack. But the body size was identical to the standard. I had both at the same time. And the necks back then also were pretty much identical, both sported the truss rod access from the headstock.

 

[fhm555]

Not back in 2009 when I made that post. In 2009, the Active Jazz basses 4 and five string sported Rosewood finger boards. The attached is right from the 2009 Fender catalog.

Also yes you are correct, the body had extra routes for the preamp and battery and the side jack. But the body size was identical to the standard. I had both at the same time. And the necks back then also were pretty much identical, both sported the truss rod access from the headstock.

View attachment 4010506

I guess you missed the part of my reply where i mentioned all the Deluxe J’s i had came with PF boards.
Also the bodies are not identical, the Deluxe body is slightly thicker front to back than the standard body Take a Standard and Deluxe body and lay them down with the rear strap buttons touching and lay a straightedge across them and you’ll see the difference.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

My 2008 looks like rosewood to me. The Fender brochure posted above says rosewood and my memory of the time recalls all advertising saying rosewood.

 

[Thornton Davis]

My 2019 Deluxe Active Jazz V in Olympic White with Tortoise Shell PG. I removed the factory provided Black P/G the day I picked it up and installed the Tort in its place. Great all around bass for the money.

TD