Fender Modern Player Jazz Bass - why is it unique?

[bentbass]

Hello!

I have been playing a fender modern player jazz bass for 12-13 years, pretty much the entire time I’ve played bass.

I’ve become incredibly accustomed to this specific bass, and I’m wondering if anyone knows what makes the feel of this bass particularly unique. I found some 10 year old forums talking highly of its low action and thin neck.

I play finger style, rooting my thumb on the neck pickup, and play fast punk music with a lot of movement in my bass lines. I think that having the large pickups to secure my thumb on, plus a small neck and low action has genuinely influenced my playing style since it’s the only bass I play. When I play other basses I fumble my parts and don’t feel as smooth.

I honestly love my modern player, but it wondering if there really is anything that unique about its feel compared to a normal jazz bass? I know it’s not the most high quality bass, but I think the crazy humbucker pickups work so well for getting the heavy sound with lots of attack I like while still playing finger style. People tell me it sounds like I’m playing with a pick. People also make comments all the time like how many pickups are in that thing??? What’s with the monster pickups??? And other intrigued remarks, that it’s kind of becoming my thing and I’m rocking with it.

If anyone has more info on this bass, or recommendations for other things to check out I’d love to hear it! I also know that since the bass is cheaper, some of its hardware/parts are lower quality (already had to replace the tuning pegs and the new ones are still popping out???) so if anyone has recs on things to mod/upgrade I’m all ears.

Thanks!

This is exactly my bass:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[ikilledtupac]

low action and thin neck

I mean, there it is. I’ve always liked Fender neck radius. The difference with the Player line is they are made in Mexico, which has good QA. Any Fender with the same neck radius should feel the same regardless of which line/country it was made in. With Fender the biggest thing I’ve noticed is the electronics are sometimes better in the USA stuff. But I also wouldn’t hesitate to buy a Mexico one, I own both and you can’t tell the difference.

 

[rjovin]

Hello!

I have been playing a fender modern player jazz bass for 12-13 years, pretty much the entire time I’ve played bass.

I’ve become incredibly accustomed to this specific bass, and I’m wondering if anyone knows what makes the feel of this bass particularly unique. I found some 10 year old forums talking highly of its low action and thin neck.

I play finger style, rooting my thumb on the neck pickup, and play fast punk music with a lot of movement in my bass lines. I think that having the large pickups to secure my thumb on, plus a small neck and low action has genuinely influenced my playing style since it’s the only bass I play. When I play other basses I fumble my parts and don’t feel as smooth.

I honestly love my modern player, but it wondering if there really is anything that unique about its feel compared to a normal jazz bass? I know it’s not the most high quality bass, but I think the crazy humbucker pickups work so well for getting the heavy sound with lots of attack I like while still playing finger style. People tell me it sounds like I’m playing with a pick. People also make comments all the time like how many pickups are in that thing??? What’s with the monster pickups??? And other intrigued remarks, that it’s kind of becoming my thing and I’m rocking with it.

If anyone has more info on this bass, or recommendations for other things to check out I’d love to hear it! I also know that since the bass is cheaper, some of its hardware/parts are lower quality (already had to replace the tuning pegs and the new ones are still popping out???) so if anyone has recs on things to mod/upgrade I’m all ears.

Thanks!

This is exactly my bass:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

It just seems to me that you got lucky early on in you playing and found the bass for you.

 

[KJMO]

I thought the Modern Player was made in China? That makes it unique, in that it's an actual Fender made in China.

 

[LSM07]

I had a Modern Player Jazz that I recently sold and, yes, the neck feels incredibly good compared to most Jazz necks. I almost took the neck off to keep but decided against it to recoup more of the money for the sale.

To be specific, it seemed to be that the magic was in the neck's finish as opposed to strictly its geometry, almost a slight satin gloss compared to a straight gloss. It did feel a little thinner than other J necks but that's probably just a tactile illusion from how well it played.

 

[ikilledtupac]

I thought the Modern Player was made in China? That makes it unique, in that it's an actual Fender made in China.

I think Fender is all Mexico, USA or Indonesia these days unless it’s a one-off line made in Japan. Some of the best guitars I’ve had were from China (Epiphone LP Black Beauty, great guitar) and some of the worst QA was my USA Les Paul, in fact I had two of them poorly finished from the factory!

 

[CoughSyrup]

I'm intrigued by these as well. I like a nice jazz bass and dual humbuckers, but I don't know anything about the quality of the Fender CIC instruments overall. I have a CIC Squier P bass that's pretty fantastic, though I dislike the finish on the neck.

 

[bentbass]

I think Fender is all Mexico, USA or Indonesia these days unless it’s a one-off line made in Japan. Some of the best guitars I’ve had were from China (Epiphone LP Black Beauty, great guitar) and some of the worst QA was my USA Les Paul, in fact I had two of them poorly finished from the factory!

the specific modern player I have is from China! It’s an old series, probably from the early 2010’s. Never seen another series like it

 

[Docduval]

Could it be you’re just used to this bass, and if you had gotten a different one you would feel the same about that one?

 

[Ghastly]

Mine's a 2012. I've felt the same way about it, and I own 8 basses, ...the rest are MIA. Aside from the weight, my modern player jazz holds up against the rest, but with a few unique points of interest. I refinished mine and added various upgrades, though body, neck and pickups are the same. For me, the magic is in the stock humbucker pickups. They sound fantastic. Yes, this modern player is crafted in China. Workmanship (frets, for instance) are great. If I had a signature bass of my own, this one would be it.

 

[ikilledtupac]

the specific modern player I have is from China! It’s an old series, probably from the early 2010’s. Never seen another series like it

A lot of manufacturers left China when the Chinese government introduced labor rights for factory workers in the early 2010s. Same thing with S Korea as soon ans exploiting factory workers was banned around 2016 I think it was, no more guitars from Korea. Thats why everything is India and Indonesia now. But they made great guitars!

 

[ikilledtupac]

Mine's a 2012. I've felt the same way about it, and I own 8 basses, ...the rest are MIA. Aside from the weight, my modern player jazz holds up against the rest, but with a few unique points of interest. I refinished mine and added various upgrades, though body, neck and pickups are the same. For me, the magic is in the stock humbucker pickups. They sound fantastic. Yes, this modern player is crafted in China. Workmanship (frets, for instance) are great. If I had a signature bass of my own, this one would be it.View attachment 6977790
View attachment 6977791
View attachment 6977792

How did you get that incredible finish???

 

[Ghastly]

How did you get that incredible finish???

Ahh... that's some of the great Marty Bell's magic!

 

[Real Soon]

If anyone has more info on this bass, or recommendations for other things to check out I’d love to hear it! I also know that since the bass is cheaper, some of its hardware/parts are lower quality (already had to replace the tuning pegs and the new ones are still popping out???) so if anyone has recs on things to mod/upgrade I’m all ears.

Nice looking instrument! And based on that description, gotta be a nice sounding one too. Quality is, to a shocking degree, subjective. Well-crafted is one thing, but a well-crafted custom noiseless single-coil pickup isn't necessarily any better than a cheap old Danelectro lipstick pickup, as far as quality. That Dano pickup could be invincible, and might impart a sound you CANNOT get with the other. If it works and it works for you, it's got the quality you need!

That said, the craftsmanship of hardware can differ more concretely. Might be you wanna look into a popular choice for tuner & bridge options, Hipshot, or some other highly regarded makers. I put hipshot hardware on my MIM Mustang PJ, and it hasn't let me down once. But an unusual bass with a slim neck, low action, and fat tone sounds to me like a fantastic instrument at its core. Dare to be different!

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Mine's a 2012. I've felt the same way about it, and I own 8 basses, ...the rest are MIA. Aside from the weight, my modern player jazz holds up against the rest, but with a few unique points of interest. I refinished mine and added various upgrades, though body, neck and pickups are the same. For me, the magic is in the stock humbucker pickups. They sound fantastic. Yes, this modern player is crafted in China. Workmanship (frets, for instance) are great. If I had a signature bass of my own, this one would be it.View attachment 6977790
View attachment 6977791
View attachment 6977792

Wow, that finish looks like something the James Webb telescope could deliver on a good day! Absolutely stunning!!! Does it look that spectacular all the time, or did the finish reflect the light in a particularly beautiful way in this pic? It certainly looks like one of the most beautiful finished I've ever seen, even if it only looks half as good in real life!

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Mine's a 2012. I've felt the same way about it, and I own 8 basses, ...the rest are MIA. Aside from the weight, my modern player jazz holds up against the rest, but with a few unique points of interest. I refinished mine and added various upgrades, though body, neck and pickups are the same. For me, the magic is in the stock humbucker pickups. They sound fantastic. Yes, this modern player is crafted in China. Workmanship (frets, for instance) are great. If I had a signature bass of my own, this one would be it.View attachment 6977790
View attachment 6977791
View attachment 6977792

I just noticed the CGF serial number and "Crafted in China", which means it's made by Grand Reward, same as the Chinese Squier CV basses. No wonder these Modern Players are great instruments! Every Grand Reward made instrument I've played has been fantastic. The Chines Squiers are the best Squiers ever made IMO (including the older Japanese ones that people seem to buy for silly prices these days). If the Chinese CVs had a Fender logo on the headstock they would even be VERY high up my list of favorite Fenders.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Looking at the serial number on these basses, starting CGF. The CIC Squiers of that time (Classic Vibe, Matt Freeman etc) started CGS.

I think I read that the C simply means China, the S and F are for Squier and Fender, and the G was the factory — was it Grand Something?

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Looking at the serial number on these basses, starting CGF. The CIC Squiers of that time (Classic Vibe, Matt Freeman etc) started CGS.

I think I read that the C simply means China, the S and F are for Squier and Fender, and the G was the factory — was it Grand Something?

The first two digits after the CGx are the year, I think — that Squier headstock was my Matt Freeman, the Fender is from an ad for one of these Modern Player Jazzes

 

[Chrisk-K]

Mass produced FSOs are not unique.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

I played one of these original Modern Player 5's about 10 years ago. Should have bought it, had a Zeppelin vibe to it.
Sometimes FMIC gets something right (then they fark up royally and discontinue)...