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Help Me Choose Between Two Options

Which bass?

  • Option A

    Votes: 38 71.7%

  • Option B

    Votes: 15 28.3%
  • Total voters
    53
J

Just Wrong

Mar 30, 2023
1,449
2,317
#1
I might be overthinking it, but I’ve narrowed it down to two basses. I’m not planning to record with this bass—just using it for solo practice, rehearsals with the cover band and live shows. Here are the options, in order of importance for me. Which would you pick?

Option AOption B
ComfortMore comfortable than Option B (string spacing, nut width, scale length), but more head dive.Not as comfortable as Option A. Still some head dive, but not as bad.
Trying Before BuyingNo, but I've tried similar basses—for e.g., if Option A is a Fender Custom Shop '66 Jazz, I was able to play a few Fender AVII 1966 Jazzes.Yes.
Price54% the price of Option B.185% the price of Option A.
Weight8 lbs, give or take a fewOver 9 lbs, but below 10 lbs
ToneDoesn't sound nearly as good as Option B and is not as versatile, but cuts through a mix better than Option B.Sounds slightly better than Option A, is more versatile, but doesn't cut through the mix as well as Option A. I can also get a somewhat similar tone to Option A—think of a Jazz neck pickup soloed to imitate a Precision.
WarrantyLifetime, but must be shipped 5,000 km to store and 5,000 km backLifetime within a 20-minute drive
Return PolicyNo15% restocking fee
ResaleProbably harder to sell, resale price lower than Option BEasier to sell, resale price higher than Option A
Included CaseGreat gig bagRather cheap hard shell
 
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#2
You've got a lot of variables there. The most important things to ME are ergonomics, sound, and weight. Okay, looks matter too! Which issues are MOST important for YOU?
Not mentioned above is how this fits into your collection. Is it redundant or does it add diversity to your sound options?
 
#4
My guess is you subconsciously prefer Option A or you would not have labeled it as Option A :)

Option B feels safer (return policy, close to you, less neck dive issue), but may not be what you want.

Based on recent threads from OP my guess is...
Option A = JMJ Mustang
Option B = American Performer Mustang

If my guess is accurate, I am going Option A. I still do not know why Fender made the only current production American Mustang have a J pickup.

Noting I cannot get the pricing between options figured out. I am not sure I follow OPs math on the 85% cheaper 85% more expensive. Is one 85% of the price of the other as in .85 Price of B = Price of A?
 
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#5
GroovyBaby said:
You've got a lot of variables there. The most important things to ME are ergonomics, sound, and weight. Okay, looks matter too! Which issues are MOST important for YOU?
Not mentioned above is how this fits into your collection. Is it redundant or does it add diversity to your sound options?
Click to expand...
The table is in order of priority, so comfort, ability to try before, then price, etc.

I only have one bass. It's pretty modern-sounding (soap bars, 4-band preamp, rounds). This bass would be for a more vintage tone (passive electronics, mute, flats or tapes).
 
#7
ahbass2500 said:
My guess is you subconsciously prefer Option A or you would not have labeled it as Option A :)

Option B feels safer (return policy, close to you, less neck dive issue), but may not be what you want.

Based on recent threads from OP my guess is...
Option A = JMJ Mustang
Option B = American Performer Mustang

If my guess is accurate, I am going Option A. I still do not know why Fender made the only current production American Mustang have a J pickup.

Noting I cannot get the pricing between options figured out. I am not sure I follow OPs math on the 85% cheaper 85% more expensive. Is one 85% of the price of the other as in .85 Price of B = Price of A?
Click to expand...
It was meant to be a secret so people wouldn’t let their experiences with the basses influence their answer :laugh:

But no, those aren't the answers.

Option A is a custom-built Mustang as I'm not 100% satisfied with Fender's current options.

The JMJ almost fits the bill, but my past experience with a MIM Fender has led me to say I would never buy another (I've also had a few Fender CS in the recent past, so I'm worried going from those to a MIM would be too much of a downgrade... snobbish, I know). The other thing is, my number one complaint about my current bass is the lack of a proper forearm contour, which the JMJ doesn't have either.

The Vintera II has better contour, but the neck didn't feel as good as the JMJ, and I prefer flatter fretboard radiuses. The Vintera I tried in person also had a noticeably weaker E string. I don't know if it was something easily fixable, like the string itself or the pickup height, but I don't know that I want to take that gamble. It's also MIM.

The American Performer has the bridge pickup, which I wouldn't use, and the neck pick up hums when soloed. So no go.

The body of the custom-built Mustang would be based on an early 70s Mustang with the contours, while the neck would be based on a '66 Mustang, so somewhat chunky C, but with a 10" fretboard radius.

I've not tried any of the luthier's basses, but I've tried all the current Mustangs on the market.

Option B is a Fender CS '61 Jazz.
 
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#9
ahbass2500 said:
Noting I cannot get the pricing between options figured out. I am not sure I follow OPs math on the 85% cheaper 85% more expensive. Is one 85% of the price of the other as in .85 Price of B = Price of A?
Click to expand...

red_rhino said:

Price85% cheaper than Option A.85% more expensive than Option A.

That doesn’t make sense as written. Did you mean “85% cheaper than Option B”? Even then, the numbers don’t quite add up.
Click to expand...

For example, Option A is $15 while Option B is $100.

My calculations are probably wrong, but Option A is actually the equivalent of US$3,055 and Option B is the equivalent of US$5,650.
 
#10
Just Wrong said:
For example, Option A is $15 while Option B is $100.

My calculations are probably wrong, but Option A is actually the equivalent of US$3,055 and Option B is the equivalent of US$5,650.
Click to expand...
I think the point was that in the first column you're comparing the price of Option A with Option A.

fwiw, if your dollar values are accurate, Option A is 54% the price of Option B, and Option B is 185% the price of Option A.
 
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#12
Just Wrong said:
Math is complicated. I've updated it. Thanks!
Click to expand...

With that kind of price difference, I think this decision is on you. What other use you have for the money likely determines if you should spend it on the more expensive bass or not.

Expensive one may be the right choice for you. But if you need anything else, cheaper one may let you buy the cheaper one and put money towards the something else.
 
#13
If it were me . . . .

FOR a Mustang, I'd get the Player 2 Mustang PJ. Far better tone and response than the OG 'chiclet' pickups (by a LOT), plus now with those routs you can install any PJ pickup set you'd like should you want to change them out: EMG Geezers, Seymour Quarter Pounders, Barts, you name it. And you pick up the standard 5-hole Fender bridge pattern for any other bridge you'd want to install. And anyway, it's a great little axe right out of the box.

And it's a known bass with predictable resale, increased by what I've listed above.

If I were in the market for a Mustang, this would be the only choice for me, but of course, we all see things differently.

I'd add that while all of your careful lining out of the pluses and minuses in your chart above is a great exercise to really see the differences, their is an emotional connection and commitment that can't be quantified: Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut.
 
#15
ahbass2500 said:
With that kind of price difference, I think this decision is on you. What other use you have for the money likely determines if you should spend it on the more expensive bass or not.

Expensive one may be the right choice for you. But if you need anything else, cheaper one may let you buy the cheaper one and put money towards the something else.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I was about to make a deposit this week on the Mustang, but there's one thing that's nagging me: My previous and only experience with a luthier.

In a nutshell,
  • The bass arrived four months late—not a huge deal in itself—but the luthier never informed me about the delay; I had to reach out myself a month and a half after the original ETA just to find out what was going on.
  • One of the knobs was completely unscrewed, and they didn't align all in the same direction.
  • There was an intermittent issue with the jack.
  • The neck was set so flat and the action so low that it was practically unplayable.
  • The nut was cut so low it caused back buzz, and I had to get my tech to raise it by inserting a piece of wood underneath.
  • The bass arrived with more dents than I’ve ever managed to put on any instrument in my 20 years of playing—and these weren’t just minor scuffs. The headstock looked like it had been carved with a hacksaw.
  • I asked for a semi-hollow bass, and the semi-hollow basses on his website all had the same sound holes. I sent him pictures of what I wanted, and the bass came with a drastically different sound hole—he hadn't informed me that he had changed the sound hole.
This wasn't a Fodera, MTD or F bass, but the luthier is sponsored by a couple of big names—and the bass cost US$5,100. I had even bought a used bass from the same luthier to have an idea of what I would be getting.

I know he's just one luthier, but now I'm a bit hesitant to have another bass custom built. I'm also aware that a handmade bass won't be 100% perfect, but I wasn't expecting something so bad.

I did reach out to a couple of people who've had basses made by the luthier I want to commission to build the Mustang, and they all say his work is impeccable. But you never know.
 
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#16
ahbass2500 said:
With that kind of price difference, I think this decision is on you. What other use you have for the money likely determines if you should spend it on the more expensive bass or not.

Expensive one may be the right choice for you. But if you need anything else, cheaper one may let you buy the cheaper one and put money towards the something else.
Click to expand...
It’s true that I’d probably want to add some sort of saturation for a more vintage tone…
 
#17
Just Wrong said:
I might be overthinking it, but I’ve narrowed it down to two basses. I’m not planning to record with this bass—just using it for solo practice, rehearsals with the cover band and live shows. Here are the options, in order of importance for me. Which would you pick?

Option AOption B
ComfortMore comfortable than Option B (string spacing, nut width, scale length), but more head dive.Not as comfortable as Option A. Still some head dive, but not as bad.
Trying Before BuyingNo, but I've tried similar basses—for e.g., if Option A is a Fender Custom Shop '66 Jazz, I was able to play a few Fender AVII 1966 Jazzes.Yes.
Price54% the price of Option B.185% the price of Option A.
Weight8 lbs, give or take a fewOver 9 lbs, but below 10 lbs
ToneDoesn't sound nearly as good as Option B and is not as versatile, but cuts through a mix better than Option B.Sounds slightly better than Option A, is more versatile, but doesn't cut through the mix as well as Option A. I can also get a somewhat similar tone to Option A—think of a Jazz neck pickup soloed to imitate a Precision.
WarrantyLifetime, but must be shipped 5,000 km to store and 5,000 km backLifetime within a 20-minute drive
Return PolicyNo15% restocking fee
ResaleProbably harder to sell, resale price lower than Option BEasier to sell, resale price higher than Option A
Included CaseGreat gig bagRather cheap hard shell
Click to expand...

Option C: Forget both and keep looking.
 
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#18
If you don't know which you should get, you should either get both or neither, depending on how much disposable income you have. Otherwise wait until you find a bass you know you want because you've played and and thought, "Wow. I really want this bass because i love this bass."

Anything beyond that is overcomplicating it. All of these comparison charts seem to miss the point of getting a bass, to me. All the pros & cons & spec sheet analysis is putting the cart before the horse. Don't force the issue. Keep playing basses until you really like one. None of these spec comparisons will uncover some hidden truth about which bass you should get.

We get basses to make music. Any bass will make music. Get the bass you enjoy the most. If you have to agonize over whether or not certain basses are the right one to get, they're not.
 
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