G.A.S. Fender buy - advice

[Deleted member 409773]

I have 5 basses:
Music Man StingRay Special 5 HH Amethyst Sparkle
Music Man StingRay Special 5 HH Raspberry
Sandberg California VM2 5 MT 3TS PFF FFDA
Sandberg California II TM5 Ida Nielsen
Ibanez EHB1505MS-BIF
... and I never owned a Fender Jazz Bass. I'm looking at this bad boy and... Fender American Professional II Jazz Bass V MN MYST SFG. Maybe I don't need it?

 

[musicman556]

You absolutely need that. No doubt about it.

You've got all the 'bucker stuff covered, and I see you're a 5-string purist. You need a solid/standard Jazz to join the group.

Buckers are great, and I have them in 4 and 5 as well - MTD Kingston Super 5, Ray35, Custom P-body w/Stingray pickup & 3 band pre 4 string, Fender Jino (70s spacing J pickups with a Stingray humbucker in the middle for fun - 2 band pre), Fender Elemental active w/2 soapbars, and a couple others... but man that classic passive J sound is oh-so-satisfying, too!

 

[Killing Floor]

You definitely need that.

 

[waynobass]

You don't need it. I gave up Jazzes because IMO they sound weak and twangy compared to StingRays.

 

[Gervais Cote]

Try one before buying !

A friend of mine bought this exact bass, used it for about 4 months and it’s now collecting dust in the closet.

He now plays his Yamaha 5 string bass on a regular basis and when he needs a heavier rocking sound, he grabs his Spector fiver.

 

[MrAB4003]

You don't need it. I gave up Jazzes because IMO they sound weak and twangy compared to StingRays.

I agree! My Rickenbackers can do everything a Jazz Bass can do and then some. While I don’t have any Stingrays of my own, the same can be said about them. Love the ones you have before pulling the trigger.

 

[Smith357]

What does "need" have to do with anything?

 

[moon-bass]

You need it. And Jazz basses are not inherently weak and twangy.

I have Jazz Basses and USA Sterlings. You can trust me.

 

[Muziekschuur]

I would want blocks and some higher spec. Tho that green pearl is gorgeous. But that is poly. I would want nitro.

 

[Deleted member 409773]

I was looking at that Fender (I never owned a Fender, and is at 1800$ new, very good price in Europe) and this Sandberg VM 5 (roasted maple edition, pricier, but with a superb finish...).
But I have two Sandberg's. Ok, this is a "P" bass type.

 

[DrBnz]

Please, go find one and try it first. I've had Fender 5 Pro (and Ultra) before and sold them quickly. Now in fairness, the bottom 4 strings are great and they would be a nice addition to your collection, but their "B" won't come anywhere close to a Stingray "B". Its pathetic. Sure with enough knobs, switches and sims you can make it sound good. But really..... is all that necessary when your Stingray already does that. I don't know that you need 2 of them..... but that's another story.

 

[HardNHeavy]

dare ya not too

 

[CoughSyrup]

Sell me the Raspberry Stingray and the VM2 Sandberg and you'll definitely need a new fiver.

 

[Geri O]

Peoples’ definition of “thin and weak” and “weak B string” are all over the map. It’s a personal thing. I’m not gonna knock someone else’s opinion of how a bass sounds or how strong it is or isn’t. It’s just common sense.

You seriously need to try that bass and decide for yourself.

Having said that, I have a Lull Jazz-style 5-string and a 5-string Stingray. To my ear, they have different characteristics, but both are great and my clients and band guys love both.

 

[j3ffr0]

Must have a jazz bass. That looks like the one if you have to have five strings. The America Professional two series is great. Love that seafoam green as well.

 

[prndltech]

I have become a 4 string P bass guy but even I want that passive J5.

 

[GIBrat51]

I have 5 basses:
Music Man StingRay Special 5 HH Amethyst Sparkle
Music Man StingRay Special 5 HH Raspberry
Sandberg California VM2 5 MT 3TS PFF FFDA
Sandberg California II TM5 Ida Nielsen
Ibanez EHB1505MS-BIF
... and I never owned a Fender Jazz Bass. I'm looking at this bad boy and... Fender American Professional II Jazz Bass V MN MYST SFG. Maybe I don't need it?

View attachment 7051292

Well...
I know that I don't need it - especially since it isn't left handed. And, I really dislike basses - or guitars - with offset bodies. But... as a bass for for you? You seem to want it; it is a pretty nice iteration of a Fender Jazz Bass; and I do like Jazz Bass necks. My '78 P-Bass has the optional-at-the-time "A" neck; basically a Jazz Bass neck with dot fretboard inlays, and a "Precision Bass" decal on the headstock. I've owned it for... 36 years, now. So...
Nah... I won't try to talk you out of buying the thing. Like most people, you'll probably really like it. Even though I don't own a Jazz Bass specifically? I do own several basses with dual single-coil pickups (or dual humbuckers that can both be split). I do like the sound - quite a bit...

 

[Dr. Turkey]

I'm curious why this specific jazz is the one that tickles your fancy

Anyway I'm never one to tell people they have too many instruments because that'd make me a massive hypocrite but if you feel that you do well... you have basically have 3 and a half MM style 5 strings, I'm sure you won't miss one

 

[Deleted member 409773]

If I buy the Fender or the P roasted Sandberg, the Ibanez headless is going (I don't want a bigger collection). The headless Ibanez is going anyway, I don't like the sound of the Ibanez EHB, for me is lifeless.
I'm a Stingray and Sandberg guy, but I never owned a Fender, I played Fenders and I liked them in slap tone (I'm a slap guy). But my Ida Sandberg and my VM2 are slap tone monsters, I don't know if I need another dedicated bass for slap.
On the other hand, I love the presence of mids in my sound and the P Sandberg is giving me that (I feel that I want a little diversification and want something else if I sell the Ibanez), I have Sandbergs, I have Stingrays, another Sandberg?, a differit one because is a P?, or a classic F Jazz passive?.
I'm going Monday to the local shop (there is a big price reduction with a program: Back to School) and I will try them back to back.
Why this specific Fender Jazz Bass model? Because is in my locals shop Back to School price reduction program (with 300 euro/330 dollar less than another similar Fender in Europe).

 

[jd56hawk]

The thing about maybe I do is it's really not much different than maybe I don't.
When it comes to Jazz basses, there's no maybes about this one.
Passive, pure and potent.

Or this one.

Or this.

As for weak and twangy, absolutely nothing weak and twangy about mine.
Yeah, that's why they sell different strings.