More Fender Bass Rarebirds

[ggvicviper]

I would like to see and hear about more of the Fender rarities and odd discontinued models from over the years. Including...

Jazz Bass Special
Jazz Bass Plus/Jazz Bass Plus V
Telecaster Bass (from the 60's - straight P Reissue)
Telecaster Bass (from the 70's - with Humbucker)
Bass V
Coronado Bass
Precision Bass Elite
Precision Bass Plus
MB-4/MB-5
Dimension Bass IV/Dimension Bass V
Big Block Precision Bass
JP-90
Zone Bass (Deluxe and American Deluxe)
Bullet Bass
Jazz Bass 24
American Deluxe Jazz Bass FMT/QMT

I want to know more about some of these, maybe see some photos, or even hear about some other Fenders that I may have missed. Maybe they weren't the most popular, but some of these had some really cool designs. I've seen others on here who have owned these to actually love some of these instruments. What's your thoughts?

I actually recently bought a Fender MB-5 body, and am planning to get a neck later on to complete it. I heard good things about it, and Fender Japan usually is very well regarded (I have a '51 Precision Reissue CIJ).

 

[80'sRocker]

The Jazz Bass 24 is a GREAT bass, awesome feeling neck, quilted maple (w/ no pickguard) and some very powerful,great sounding Basslines pickups. Excellent Fender bass - too bad I sold mine, although they are readily available. Let's not forget about the Aerodyne, another great Fender

 

[Tommygunn]

I played the tele RI with the mudbucker. Freakin sweet bass. I loved the HUGE neck on it.

 

[ggvicviper]

I played the tele RI with the mudbucker. Freakin sweet bass. I loved the HUGE neck on it.

I think I only really saw this once. Looked cool, but I never got to play it. I'm sure the neck-bucker made it sound super-deep.

I got a chance to try the Squier reissue. Not bad, but it hummed a bit...

 

[jumbodbassman]

Precision special from 82-84 especially the walnut ones... great under appreciatted basses but weigh a ton from northern ash body (obviuosly not the walnut ones...)

 

[ggvicviper]

Let's not forget about the Aerodyne, another great Fender

Aerodyne is still being produced, I believe, and it's been produced for a while. It's another cool one, but not really a rare one. Jazz 24 wasn't bad. Just wasn't really my thing

Precision special from 82-84 especially the walnut ones... great under appreciatted basses but weigh a ton from northern ash body (obviuosly not the walnut ones...)

These the ones with the brass hardware and active electronics?

 

[Tommygunn]

I think I only really saw this once. Looked cool, but I never got to play it. I'm sure the neck-bucker made it sound super-deep.

I got a chance to try the Squier reissue. Not bad, but it hummed a bit...

Oh you know it.

The squier one is pretty nice in a side by side, but the fenders neck was thicker and it has more bass.

 

[TonH]

For information, pictures, etc. on the Precision Elite, check my website:

Fender Precision Elite Bass

 

[rickwebb]

i've got two E-series MIJ Jazz Bass Specials. check out the band Facebook page Insideout Rox for all sorts of pix...

BTW, my favorite bass guitars ever...

 

[robbotbass]

I've played the Tele p 60's bass once in a shop in Fort Collins Colorado. I really wasn't very impressed. sounded very dead. However, The strings felt like they where from the 60's as well could have had something to do with it.

 

[autodidact]

Since it was mentioned, I've played a few Jazz 24s and its one of the only jazz basses I've ever liked however I wonder how many people were doing this:

Link Removed

Kinda defeats the purpose huh?

 

[BagelBruin]

For information, pictures, etc. on the Precision Elite, check my website:

Fender Precision Elite Bass

Whoa! Those seems like really nice basses!

 

[smcd]

Not mentioned in the OP's list -

 

[TRichardsbass]

Somewhere here and on MY FB page I have pics of my J Bass Plus.

Basically an MIA J bass with lightweight Hipshot tuners, a better bridge and Kubicki pre-amp and electronics with Basslines pickups. Body is slightly smaller. I don't think the neck profile is different then the standard J but it feels different in my hands.

Mine is rather resonant without amplification. I have one of the rarer J Bass Plus with the maple/maple neck. I can dial in just about any sound I need.

One thing, just like on regular Kubicki's, in passive mode there is quite a drop in gain compared to in active mode.

tom

 

[Munjibunga]

I own a couple of them. First is a '94 Jazz Bass Deluxe Plus V. It has the Lace Sensor pickups and Kubicki electronics.

Then there is the Jazz Bass Deluxe V FMT. Although it looks like a QMT, it's one of the earliest ones, when they were all called FMT, for "Figured Maple Top." They later changed the quilted ones to QMT for obvious reasons.

Here's a '93 Precision Deluxe Plus I sold to a friend.

I suppose the Roscoe Beck V fits the category, too.

 

[Dave Siff]

Don't forget my favorite Fender bass rarity of them all.. the Performer.
fender performer Bass, ed roman guitars

 

[dave_p]

my 93 jazz plus v and my 81 MIA fender bullet. I still have both to this day.

 

[Alienation]

Nice looking basses.

 

[jbybj]

Not mentioned in the OP's list -

Heres another Fender HM, a 1990 Heartfield Model, NOT heavy Metal. Mine is a variation on the one pictured above. So far, in all my interweb inquiries, including here on TB, and the Fender Forum, I've found no other bass like this one.

V/B/T with a 5 position switch, Lace sensor pups, cherryburst sparkle finish.

Shark fin inlays

And a really cool Heartfield innovation. Here you can see the crosshatch of the graphite layer that resides between the neck and the fretboard, and continues to become the headstock veneer.

It's got a fast Jazz neck, and some unique humbucking and single coil type tones. Thank you guitar center.

 

[bassplayer8953]

Fender Prodigy, in both guitar & bass forms, was another of Fender's rarebirds. I remember them being modern versions of Strats & P-basses, slightly different dimensionally, and having features to compete with Ibanez, BC Rich, Jackson, and others.