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Longhorn Fender, huh?

I posted the link in post #3 so you could go down the Boner bass rabbit hole if you wanted.

These are fine basses. The neck pocket is deeper to allow for the extra frets and keep the overall length the same. The longer horn gives better balance. They look a little different and some dislike that.

I wish I could go into a music store and play a bunch side by side and pick the best one like in the good old days!
 
It actually has less wood. The upper horn starts at the i2th fret, but the cutaway if longer (and not as thick), and there is also less wood on the G string side of the bass - adding frets means that the lower bout is cut back more.

Less lumber in the final product, but manufacturers buy blanks that are rectangular, nut shaped like the final product.
 
Yes, but as the horn goes to the same place, that bass can be made from the same blank as a regular Fender.

The upper horn extends more than a traditional Fender bass. I have no idea the size of the blanks Fender was using and the size of the lumber they cut the blanks from. If they got 5 blanks the original and current way from the source lumber and only got 4 from the boner shape, then it uses more lumber. If they got 5 blanks either way and just a different amount of leftover, then they effectively use the same amount of lumber.
 
The upper horn extends more than a traditional Fender bass.

From the pictures I see online, we disagree on that point. Every Fender I see goes to the 12th fret or a bit beyond. The Boner neck is longer, so the body is shortened at the neck pocket and lower bout. The upper horn looks longer, but that’s because the body is shorter where the neck is attached to it. The body uses less wood, not more.
 
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my first bass was the "p bass plus" version of this.

i've had it since 03 - still have the receipt. funny enough, it never played/worked quite right. many 'experts' had a stab at it. finally literally a week ago, i had the right guy do the refret and nail the neck shim - and i'll be honest, it's a really great bass now.

yes it looks weird from the front, but the balance is definitely really comfortable - i prefer it. they also split the difference between a p and j nut width, which is weird but i love it. mine is on the normal/light weight side.

they are very cool basses.
 
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Hey now!
 
I think they're cool! My first J was a boner in 1992. It did have a neck fault with the skunk stripe which needed repair, and then seemed to play fine for my skills at the time. If you find one that's a good player then great. But I do wonder about the sense of making the "free" part of the narrower J neck even longer than it needs to be. Not sure the extra frets would pay for themselves. I tried putting flats on it once, did not like :)
 
From the pictures I see online, we disagree on that point. Every Fender I see goes to the 12th fret or a bit beyond. The Boner neck is longer, so the body is shortened at the neck pocket and lower bout. The upper horn looks longer, but that’s because the body is shorter where the neck is attached to it. The body uses less wood, not more.

Yes, the body is shorter. you can also see it in the pickguard as well, shorter too.