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Mexican Fender Jazz 5-string
- Thread starter Nemuri
- Start date
I'm not a fan of the MIM Fender 5s, active or passive. I am a big Fender fan and want to like that bass, but every one I've played has felt awkward, sounded dull, and the B string was virutally useless. Honestly, I've played 2 different Squier Active Deluxe 5ers and they were both WAY better than any of the 5-6 MIM Active Jazz 5ers I've played. Might be worth checking into. But, needless to say, I'm not impressed with the MIM Jazz V.
I bought one recently, a passive Jazz, and while you either like the tone or don't, the neck is wonderful and it's fun to play. As for the B string, it's okay. I've heard better but it's usable. The hardware, bridge and tuners are really good. Mine's a 2001/02
Total co-sign.
If all I had was "MIM" money (and there's no shame in that), I would buy the Squier Deluxe Active V before I'd buy the Fender. IMO, it's a better bass.
I played several MIM Jazz 5's in my quest for a 5 string bass.
Out of the many new and used ones I played, only one had a good responsive unplugded acoustic sound to it. All of them had poor floppy B strings. I decided I wanted a 35" scale 5'er, and found a Cort Elrick on closeout.
From reading here on TalkBass, the 34" Warmoth 5 string replacement neck is well made, and could help the sound and definition of a MIM Jazz 5. If you found a deal on a cheap used Fender, you could try and upgrade the neck.
Out of the many new and used ones I played, only one had a good responsive unplugded acoustic sound to it. All of them had poor floppy B strings. I decided I wanted a 35" scale 5'er, and found a Cort Elrick on closeout.
From reading here on TalkBass, the 34" Warmoth 5 string replacement neck is well made, and could help the sound and definition of a MIM Jazz 5. If you found a deal on a cheap used Fender, you could try and upgrade the neck.
I have a MIM Jazz V deluxe. The pickups that were in it were pretty bad so I changed them for Fender SCN's and now I love it. If you get one and want to change pickups then you'll have to buy fender as only those fit in. All other J pickups are too short.
The Pre Amp isn't a good as I think it should be so I'm looking into changing that. Will probably design one myself bassed around the preamp in my P-Bass Lyte.
The Pre Amp isn't a good as I think it should be so I'm looking into changing that. Will probably design one myself bassed around the preamp in my P-Bass Lyte.
I read a lot of posts about the MIM 5 standard. Most were not very positive. Decided to try a 2007 MIM 5 standard anyway. Out of the box, it needed adjusting (truss, string/pup height, tightening screws, intonation) - but just about every bass does. Tried it solo. Nice feel overall, really nice Gotoh tuners, good finishing. QC was decent enough for the price. Good sound, but not very even top to bottom. Took it on a blues/ R&B gig 2 days ago. GREAT sound. Including the low 'B'. No typical dead spot on the 'G' string. Sat great in the mix with drums, 2 guitars and a harmonica player in a medium sized club. Typical J bass sound. The 'uneven' string to string tone that I heard playing solo actually helped it cut through, but with a soft edge. Woody, medium short sustain, very much like the sound on countless recordings. So it felt just right. Low 'B' matched perfectly.
Note: I was open minded about this bass...maybe a tad skeptical...so my expectations were not high. I've owned and gigged with Custom Shop to Squier and Lakland USA to Skyline. Really liked the American Deluxe J Ash V...Happiest when using the passive basses with hifi amps like Markbass and PJB, as was the case here too.
Note: I was open minded about this bass...maybe a tad skeptical...so my expectations were not high. I've owned and gigged with Custom Shop to Squier and Lakland USA to Skyline. Really liked the American Deluxe J Ash V...Happiest when using the passive basses with hifi amps like Markbass and PJB, as was the case here too.
I had a 04 MIM jazz 5 with no mods that was killer great B and it recorded good too. I bought a high end used Carvin 5 to replace it and my old band back then said ....yuk..get the Fender back out we dont like the carvin 1/2 as much...after doing so i agreed and sold the carvin. I traded that fender 5 now that im back to 4 strings but i miss it ..they can be great 5 ers no matter what some here say.
I agree with macmrkt. These MIM 5's are very good for the money, but chances are the one hanging on the wall at Guitar Center (or even fresh out of the box) will need at the least, a truss rod adjustment. There is a good chance that it will need a complete setup.
The stock electronics are OK but definately not great. The one thing that I would suggest would be to add some adhesive backed copper sheilding to the bottom of the pickup and control cavities. This is cheap and easy. Doing this will greatly reduce 60 cycle hum on these basses.
There are many quality replacement parts available for these basses that are easy to install such as Norstrand NJ5F pickups, Aguilar OBP-2 preamps, Hipshot string trees and bridges. Assuming you get one of these basses with a decent neck and body, it can easily be transformed from a decent cheap bass to a real quality pro level bass.
The stock electronics are OK but definately not great. The one thing that I would suggest would be to add some adhesive backed copper sheilding to the bottom of the pickup and control cavities. This is cheap and easy. Doing this will greatly reduce 60 cycle hum on these basses.
There are many quality replacement parts available for these basses that are easy to install such as Norstrand NJ5F pickups, Aguilar OBP-2 preamps, Hipshot string trees and bridges. Assuming you get one of these basses with a decent neck and body, it can easily be transformed from a decent cheap bass to a real quality pro level bass.
I'm sure you are spot on about basses on the GC wall. And I'm no better. For too many years, I 'created' WRONG OPINIONS about instruments I owned that had improper setups, before I knew how to make the adjustments myself (shoulda befriended a luthier!)
I ran the MIM 5 bass solo through a PJB head and checked for hum. Minimal and only when you soloed either pickup, which is standard on this config. Might mine have been a better one? Or has Fender upgraded the MIM's like they seem to have done to the Squier's? As stated, the bridge is heavier than I remember and the tuners are superior. I really like the sound as is - that Fender sound from recordings (again, getting that 'live' requires a special amp). Not sure if I'd upgrade though - I'd just get a 'loaded' model if I wanted the other stuff.
I ran the MIM 5 bass solo through a PJB head and checked for hum. Minimal and only when you soloed either pickup, which is standard on this config. Might mine have been a better one? Or has Fender upgraded the MIM's like they seem to have done to the Squier's? As stated, the bridge is heavier than I remember and the tuners are superior. I really like the sound as is - that Fender sound from recordings (again, getting that 'live' requires a special amp). Not sure if I'd upgrade though - I'd just get a 'loaded' model if I wanted the other stuff.
I'm glad that you're doing your own setups. Every bassist should do their own setups; it's easy.
I sort of stumbled on to my Deluxe Active Jazz Bass V. I actually purchased it as a beater so that I could leave my Sadowsky NYC Vintage 5 at home for certain gigs.
I liked the Fender so much that it became my main bass. All of the work that I did to it put the final cost at about $900, which is cheaper than a similar US Fender, let alone a Sadowsky. I also like it better.
I sort of stumbled on to my Deluxe Active Jazz Bass V. I actually purchased it as a beater so that I could leave my Sadowsky NYC Vintage 5 at home for certain gigs.
I liked the Fender so much that it became my main bass. All of the work that I did to it put the final cost at about $900, which is cheaper than a similar US Fender, let alone a Sadowsky. I also like it better.
If the Std MIM didn't work out, I was going to get the one you have. I was hoping the passive worked as I have too many active basses. That Amer Del V Ash J I had was wonderful, but didn't keep it for the same reason. Just me, of course, but I didn't see any sonic or feel improvement of the MIA std's over the MIM std's. In fact, when I was gathering up a lot of 'P' basses, I thought my MIM 50's P had a bit more heft to the tone than the MIA and about the same as a CS P reissue. Sure, the CS was truly a beaut, and you might hear its slightly clearer tone in a studio setting, but that's a maybe. All in all, my MIM 50's P and this MIM std Jazz V are quite nice. I think in the current international trading world we're in, Fender's wide range of prices/countries-of-origin policy seems almost....enlightened.
I bought one a while back and i Absolutly love the tone and the bass it self I would recommend it IF you like fender tone
One caveat I'd consider with the Squier 5-string is that the neck is 2" at the nut which is pretty wide. I love the sound of the Roscoe Beck, but that neck is unplayable for me. I'd have bought one otherwise, and now that I'm in the market for a cheap 5, I was disappointed when I saw the specs on the Squier. Obviously, ymmv.
I've played a whole bunch of MIM Jazz fivers, both passive Standard and active Deluxe models. For the most part I've been underwhelmed. Some of this is due to poor setups, I'm sure, but they usually have floppy B strings, indistinct acoustic tone, and an unrefined feel. Recently, though, I played a Deluxe I thought was excellent -- nice tight B string, solid feel, etc. So the good ones are out there. I think Fender's MIM quality has improved greatly in the past few years, so hopefully these fivers will get more consistent.
I have a 2000 MIM Jazz 5. I love it! Although I have upgraded the pups to bartolini and the bridge to a Bad Ass V. The B on mine is nice and punchy. I will be dropping an Audere preamp in now that xmas is over.
This bass is fun!! I always pick it up!
This bass is fun!! I always pick it up!
I prefer a solid core B string such as Ernie Ball Slinky's or D'Addario XL Nickel Wound's, they seem to make the B string less floppy than the stock taper-core strings that these basses are equipped with. Think EB Musicman Stingray 5; great B string.
The D'Addario "Long Scale" set with it's 36.5" winding length works really well on this bass; that B string machine head is very close to the nut. The EB's at 37" are almost too long.
The D'Addario "Long Scale" set with it's 36.5" winding length works really well on this bass; that B string machine head is very close to the nut. The EB's at 37" are almost too long.
