Fender Sparkly Burst - Luxury Edition

[JimmyO]

I have a black sparkle bass and one of the things I love about it is how many opinionated players hate on it. I've been told the matching headstock is horrible also and it's something their kids would like but not them. Good for them, at least they raised smarter kids.
Plus it's a G&L and many hate the headstock. Makes me like it even more!

I had a white sparkle EBMM Sterling for years. The finish was the thing I loved most about it, the sound just never grabbed me. Though it did have a killer slap tone for days. I’m just not much of a slap player anymore. So then I sold it a few months ago to get this:

Silverburst Mod Shop P. Very much a burst, very much a sparkle to it. Most importantly, I love how it sounds just as much as I love how it looks.

 

[Mike Vee]

The few sunburst finished hadstocks I’ve seen have not looked that great, but ymmv.

yea not a fan, looks forced

 

[Mike Vee]

I really love the jazz bass. HArd not to pull the trigger.

 

[PNW Tony]

I had a white sparkle EBMM Sterling for years. The finish was the thing I loved most about it, the sound just never grabbed me. Though it did have a killer slap tone for days. I’m just not much of a slap player anymore. So then I sold it a few months ago to get this:

View attachment 7172997

Silverburst Mod Shop P. Very much a burst, very much a sparkle to it. Most importantly, I love how it sounds just as much as I love how it looks.

That's gorgeous. I've been eyeballing similar lately.

 

[BassAgent]

Very nice. I really like sparkle finishes. It is far from the first sparkle burst Fender did, however. Check out this amazing Tangerine Sparkle Burst '64 Jazz that is for sale for around $60K at Well Strung Guitars in Farmingdale, NY:

 

[JimmyO]

That's gorgeous. I've been eyeballing similar lately.

Me and @Malak the Mad right now:

 

[Malak the Mad]

Me and @Malak the Mad right now:

View attachment 7173104

Seriously, though...a well done sparkle finish can look excellent! In fact, now that it's getting warm again (damn, but I wish I was out on my bike right now, instead of being stuck doing 'eff-all at work! ), I can finally take some proper photographs of my Silverburst Mod Shop Jazz and a White Pearl (re: subtly sparkly) Warmoth Jazz!

 

[felis]

Not sparkly enough.

 

[CoughSyrup]

I have a black sparkle bass and one of the things I love about it is how many opinionated players hate on it. I've been told the matching headstock is horrible also and it's something their kids would like but not them. Good for them, at least they raised smarter kids.
Plus it's a G&L and many hate the headstock. Makes me like it even more!

There's an L-1000 at my local GC with a black rainbow sparkle finish with matching headstock and a white pickup cover. It's sat unsold for the better part of the year because it's in the wrong GC location. For me, it's one of those "so bad it's good" finishes, but it's a very nice bass and I hope it finds a good home eventually

 

[FearNoEvil65]

There's an L-1000 at my local GC with a black rainbow sparkle finish with matching headstock and a white pickup cover. It's sat unsold for the better part of the year because it's in the wrong GC location. For me, it's one of those "so bad it's good" finishes, but it's a very nice bass and I hope it finds a good home eventually

Sounds like the Andromeda finish, which my bass is and for me is so good it's better.
But I tend to like flashy things, taste is subjective for sure. A lot of people hate this color, dislike glitter finishes, don't like matching headstocks and dislike the G&L headstock in particular.

 

[FearNoEvil65]

There's an L-1000 at my local GC with a black rainbow sparkle finish with matching headstock and a white pickup cover. It's sat unsold for the better part of the year because it's in the wrong GC location. For me, it's one of those "so bad it's good" finishes, but it's a very nice bass and I hope it finds a good home eventually

P.S., don't see any L-1000 like you mentioned listed online through Guitar Center, I think their basses are all listed online new or used.
Wonder if it sold?

 

[JimmyO]

Sounds like the Andromeda finish, which my bass is and for me is so good it's better.
But I tend to like flashy things, taste is subjective for sure. A lot of people hate this color, dislike glitter finishes, don't like matching headstocks and dislike the G&L headstock in particular. View attachment 7173508View attachment 7173509

I’m not sure I could pull it off, but I think that finish is beautiful.

 

[CoughSyrup]

P.S., don't see any L-1000 like you mentioned listed online through Guitar Center, I think their basses are all listed online new or used.
Wonder if it sold?

I dunno, that would be cool. I'll have to go by and look again. I wouldn't be surprised if they just haven't gotten around to adding it to the site, knowing this store.

 

[Panthergraf]

Well, I'm neither a Fan of Fender or Sunburst finishes, but I gave it a try. The Sparkle finish looks absolutely gorgous. Too bad that mine had several QC issues (sharp fret ends, frets 5 and 6 too high, toolmarks on the fretboard/neck, bad filed nut) and weighted too much for my taste (4.6 kg/10.2 lbs). I've returned it.

 

[skycruiser]

Well, I'm neither a Fan of Fender or Sunburst finishes, but I gave it a try. The Sparkle finish looks absolutely gorgous. Too bad that mine had several QC issues (sharp fret ends, frets 5 and 6 too high, toolmarks on the fretboard/neck, bad filed nut) and weighted too much for my taste (4.6 kg/10.2 lbs). I've returned it.

View attachment 7178033

The lightest one on Sweetwater right now is 8 pound, 11 oz. The others are in the 9 pound range. Looks like you got an outlier on the high side.
Too bad about the other issues though. Your photo looks better than the Sweetwater ones.

 

[FearNoEvil65]

Ya 10.2 is too heavy for me also, plus with other issues. I do like that finish!
Needs a matching headstock though, to offend the traditional folks, plus to me the wood headstock matches nothing and just sticks out.

Well, I'm neither a Fan of Fender or Sunburst finishes, but I gave it a try. The Sparkle finish looks absolutely gorgous. Too bad that mine had several QC issues (sharp fret ends, frets 5 and 6 too high, toolmarks on the fretboard/neck, bad filed nut) and weighted too much for my taste (4.6 kg/10.2 lbs). I've returned it.

View attachment 7178033

 

[felis]

Well, I'm neither a Fan of Fender or Sunburst finishes, but I gave it a try. The Sparkle finish looks absolutely gorgous. Too bad that mine had several QC issues (sharp fret ends, frets 5 and 6 too high, toolmarks on the fretboard/neck, bad filed nut) and weighted too much for my taste (4.6 kg/10.2 lbs). I've returned it.

View attachment 7178033

With proper lighting, yours looks a lot better than the pics in the first post.

Too bad it didn't work out for you.

 

[Panthergraf]

I gave it another try with the Precision (I already have a J anyway), it's again far from perfect (sharp frets, terrible tuners, no setup at all out of the box), but weight is ok (4.0 kg), low action, good sound. The finish really is a killer.

 

[JumboJett35]

Hopefully this one works out for you. I will say that this particular finish looks better on the Jazz bass in my opinion. I think the Precision needs a different color pickguard to really help the finish "sparkle". Good luck!

 

[Malak the Mad]

Sounds like the Andromeda finish, which my bass is and for me is so good it's better.
But I tend to like flashy things, taste is subjective for sure. A lot of people hate this color, dislike glitter finishes, don't like matching headstocks and dislike the G&L headstock in particular. View attachment 7173508View attachment 7173509