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Inconsequential controversies in basses today...
- Thread starter nerkoids
- Start date
The grounding strip is stupid. I don't understand why people think that's a feature.
Generally I prefer the MIA, particularly the burst job, but there's one definite and one possible exception: I do like the "aged" headstock colour of the MIM, and what is it with the fretboard of the MIA? It looks lighter at the bottom, as if the dye hasn't taken properly. Looks weird.
Does the MIM come with a translater, while the MIA needs You to understand modern slang Bass?
I guess it depends on what your drummer thinks, Si'?
Word, Ya'll...
I guess it depends on what your drummer thinks, Si'?
Word, Ya'll...
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,964
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
As illustrated graphically in these two pics - the Classic Series '60s Jazz Bass lacquer's knobs go to 11. The American Original '60s Jazz Bass only go to 10. Therefore the choice is obvious.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,964
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
What’s the real advantage with or without the pickup spacing at the bridge if the pickups are the same?
Got an Am. Original 60's in CAR .. very well made 60's style jazz bass ... However, colour aside, I believe that a used MIM could be a good investment for mods, especially those finished in polyurethane .. change pickups, adding tugbar and grounding strip, stripping the original paint and giving it a good custom colour nitro finish!
Due to every curve very being slightly exaturated! Side by side the modern body is a characature of a classic... Who knew, I've never owned either.
Oh, wait nevermind? The clasics headstock is closer then the body relative to the camera. The american is flat to the camera.
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Because that's was a feature of the 60's basses ... if you want a true vintage instrument of that period, it shall be present ... if not, not ... don't see any presence or lack of stupidity in this ...
I would get the MIA simply because the 'lacquer' thing annoys me. These are sealed, primed bodies with a nitro finish on the top. And it is modern nitro with more plasticisers to stop all that pesky checking and stuff. The sealers (etc) will be the same stuff that they bury under a poly finish, so there is no advantage. Maybe the finish wears down quicker?
But it’s bad design. A slip of a screwdriver can affect the grounding of the instrument. Even Fender stopped doing this because it’s not a good idea. It’s a cosmetic touch that adds a tiny amount of nitpicky OCD satisfaction while increasing the range of things that can affect reliability.
It’s a bug that is touted as a feature purely because it’s retro. I bet you there are some basses that are grounded via an internally connected wire but still have the strip.
Just a guess here, but I would say the pictures weren’t taken from the same distance.
I was just using the photos. End to end they are the same length. Maybe it is camera angles distorting the body and neck length. Maybe combined with Photoshop. I don't know. I was just pointing out that in the photos, the basses look very different from how they should relative to one another. Given that, why would you trust the colors?
The pots (Taiwanese), tuners (Japanese), pickguard material (Chinese), fret wire, type of woods (laminated rosewood on the MiA with clay dots, as opposed to MOP on the MiM), type of finishing (save the tint on the maple of the neck) and bridge are the same on both. Arguably, the tug bar, the pups, the nut material and the burst are what's significantly different.
From what I hear, the pups are more than capable to hold their own against any other Fender-provided stock pup in a Jazz, so the deal they make about the '64 pups, I think is a bit much.
Here's another wrinkle, though, at another price point - (ignore the ashtray and the neck pup cover, it's not like you can't put them on the other two):
Since every bass is going to have completely different wood grain, and lighting is going to be completely different in any photo, I would much prefer to make my assessment based on individual basses, rather than marketing dept photos on a website. What matters most to me are my hands and ears, moreso than my eyes. YMMV.
