LOL!
I recently had the chance to do a test to 3 Fenders, all jazz basses, 2 MIM's, and one American. I did some setting up and changing strings (that pays my bus to school, LOL).
On of the Fenders its mine, an all stock MIM jazz bass, I have always loved that bass. There are some weak things about it, specially the pickups, are kind of weak, but that's it. The bridge works perfectly (stock), and the tunners do their job quite well (stock too). OK, but this one has had a lot of playing in my ears, so I'll leave the coment in here.
The second one was the MIA (American standard I think). This has been one of the best MIA's that I have ever tested, everything working perfect. I mean, you get the classical buzz from the pickups that almost every jazz bass I have played has. The tunners worked just great, and the bridge perfect. (which is cool when you are doing the setup thing). I think the body-trough option on the bridge does it a happier bass, but the difference it's almost thin. The paint job and the fret dressing was just right, nothing awesome, but over there it stands very well against my MIM.
The third one, another MIM.
WOW.
But you know, this bass costs almost the same as a stock MIA, why? It has the Badass bridge II (which I did felt something better than the other two bridges, plus it has something about the setting up making it more accurate, BUT THAT'S JUST MY OPINION), it has Gotoh tunners, they have done a good luthier job on the frets to level them (making it the best low action bass I have ever played), and the final spot: Lindy Fralin pickups with different pots, all of this done by an excelent luthier.
man, the sound, feel, and look on that third bass was sick (ALMOST, like a Joe Osborne bass I played in the past). of course, it needed a good custom work done in it to sound and feel like this. I mean, it's a regular MIM bass, that's it, add the rest to the equation, and there you have one extremely good sounding bass, that reaches a high price, but not as pricey as the MIA brother (that over here reach some hilarious prices).
That beeing said: yes, MIA's have a better resale value, but who gives a damn, the bass is for you to play it until it breaks. I have always thought that it's better saving up money and buying new, better than selling and trading.
On the weight factor, all of the basses have the same weight to my shoulders, and let me tell you, I had the chance to do the test for a week, playing them all, setting up them all, and using the same fingers...
P.S. I think the factory in México its older than the factory in the states, here they worked for a while, and yes, we have excelent luthiers, specially when you talk about acoustic classical guitars. If that hepls a little.
