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Fender Player II Series - Rosewood is back!

#81
antfarm said:
The American Pro II fretboard looks pretty slab to me.

As this is the default for Fender since they changed it back from the round laminated boards in the early '80s, I believe they didn't bother calling it that anymore. Maybe out of fear it could be regarded a downgrade from the round lam?

I guess the use of the term for the Player II series has its origin in Fender's marketing department looking for new ways to describe the same old thing and making it sound more vintage inspired.

The term 'slab board' is usually used with vintage instruments from the time before Fender started using round laminated fretboards in the early '60s. Accordingly, the only other current bass I know where Fender explicitly specifies a slab fretboard is the American Vintage II 1960 Precision Bass.

View attachment 6978708
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I had checked with Fender Customer Service they told me laminated rosewood board on the Professional ii.
 
#82
gwangi said:
I had checked with Fender Customer Service they told me laminated rosewood board on the Professional ii.
Click to expand...
Maybe laminated, but surely not round laminated as in vintage instruments.

Here is another picture of an American Pro II neck, if it were round laminated, the fretboard would be curved on the side that is glued to the neck with the same radius as the top side of the fretboard.

IMG_6085.jpeg


Again, a picture of both types side by side with the round laminated on the right.

IMG_0333.jpeg
 
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#83
antfarm said:
Maybe laminated, but surely not round laminated as in vintage instruments.

Here is another picture of an American Pro II neck, if it were round laminated, the fretboard would be curved on the side that is glued to the neck.

View attachment 6978833

Again, a picture of both types side by side with the round laminated on the right.

View attachment 6978835
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So your telling me that the Rosewood board on a Fender American Professional ii Jazz Bass V is slab not laminated, cause if that's the case that's FRKN' AWESOME!!!!
 
#84
NBD! Fender Player ii Jazz HellYeah yellow!

20240713_191456.jpg


First impressions are very good!
I bought it for the color and for the rosewood neck as it probably will be modded to look like Laura Lee's Bass :)
I cannot either feel or see the rolled edges really. I have (first version) Player basses and I cannot notice any difference.
Anyhow, it plays nice straight from the box and sounds good so I'm happy :hyper:!
 
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#85
CheckBass said:
NBD! Fender Player ii Jazz HellYeah yellow!

View attachment 6979905

First impressions are very good!
I bought it for the color and for the rosewood neck as it probably will be modded to look like Laura Lee's Bass :)
I cannot either feel or see the rolled edges really. I have (first version) Player basses and I cannot notice any difference.
Anyhow, it plays nice straight from the box and sounds good so I'm happy :hyper:!
Click to expand...
That color looks incredible. Congratulations.
 
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#87
jpaulo said:
Is this a slab fretboard?
This is my 2012 Squier CV, but i saw it in also in other 2-tier basses, like Essex and Sterling (vs Fender or MusicMan) so not sure if it is a premium feature:

View attachment 6978747
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All CIC era Squier CV bass has slab rosewood board,

The board looks not thick enough because 9.5 radius compare to vintage 7.25 radius.

FMIC love to use this kind of stupid publicity thing to confuse buyer to think they put lot great thing on their entry level bass.

I dare to say those rolled fretboard edge on Player II are not come close to Sire , and ibanez Premium, even Fender Ultra.

Just look at player plus fretboard edge, I don't think she rolled enough, they just like the fretboard edge on 2008 CIC Squier CV .
 
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#88
CheckBass said:
NBD! Fender Player ii Jazz HellYeah yellow!

View attachment 6979905

First impressions are very good!
I bought it for the color and for the rosewood neck as it probably will be modded to look like Laura Lee's Bass :)
I cannot either feel or see the rolled edges really. I have (first version) Player basses and I cannot notice any difference.
Anyhow, it plays nice straight from the box and sounds good so I'm happy :hyper:!
Click to expand...

This combination remind me the early day mexi vintage olympic white deluxe J . But this new yellow looks quite fade. I think a nice tort pickguard add will make it look better than parchment pickguard.
 
#90
skycruiser said:
Is it possible the rolled fretboard edges are only a feature of the 6 string guitars? I checked one of these basses out and I didn't think the edge was rolled at all.
Click to expand...
Straight from the Fender site.
The Player II Jazz Bass radiates timeless Fender charm, but under the hood, it's primed for today's players. Everything about the neck is designed for fast and fluid playability, from the Modern "C"-profile with silky satin urethane finish on the back to the comfy 9.5"-radius slab rosewood or maple fingerboard with smooth rolled edges...

(The Fender videos give you a quick glance, but you'd think they'd show a clear pic on the page.
Seriously, it's not that hard to do seeing that they show seven different pics, anyway.)
th-297.jpeg
 
#91
jd56hawk said:
Straight from the Fender site.
The Player II Jazz Bass radiates timeless Fender charm, but under the hood, it's primed for today's players. Everything about the neck is designed for fast and fluid playability, from the Modern "C"-profile with silky satin urethane finish on the back to the comfy 9.5"-radius slab rosewood or maple fingerboard with smooth rolled edges...

(The Fender videos give you a quick glance, but you'd think they'd show a clear pic on the page.
Seriously, it's not that hard to do seeing that they show seven different pics, anyway.)
View attachment 6982968
Click to expand...
Wow, the one I played didn't seem to have that type of roll.
 
#92
jd56hawk said:
Straight from the Fender site.
The Player II Jazz Bass radiates timeless Fender charm, but under the hood, it's primed for today's players. Everything about the neck is designed for fast and fluid playability, from the Modern "C"-profile with silky satin urethane finish on the back to the comfy 9.5"-radius slab rosewood or maple fingerboard with smooth rolled edges...

(The Fender videos give you a quick glance, but you'd think they'd show a clear pic on the page.
Seriously, it's not that hard to do seeing that they show seven different pics, anyway.)
View attachment 6982968
Click to expand...

skycruiser said:
Wow, the one I played didn't seem to have that type of roll.
Click to expand...
1721193186015.png


Both Player II and Player Plus has no this kind of premium roll.
 
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#96
Here are close shots of the frets of my Player II Jazz (pic 1), Player I Precision (pic 2) and American Pro II Jazz (pic 3).
All are comfortable and play great but the frets are not as rolled as shown on the Star's Music pics above. I wonder where they come from, I cannot find these pics on the Fender website.

20240717_173220.jpg


20240717_173254.jpg


20240717_173457.jpg
 
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#99
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#100
When I first played my MIM Jazz, the fretboard edge bothered me. Now, for some reason, it doesnt. Maybe I unknowingly just compensated. I love that bass. To the point where I'm afraid if I ever get another Jazz, I won't like it.
 

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