So I left the house to go to Lowe's today, needed some new lighting fixtures for the house, but on my way I stopped by the local mom and pop guitar shop just to see if they had anything interesting. They are more of a guitar shop, with lots of guitars, and not a lot of bass stuff, but they have been doing better lately on the bass side of the coin.
First thing I saw was this old Mesa cab ($300)
It made my back ache just looking at it.
Then came the basses...
Music Man 5 string
Late 90s, early 2000s American Standard Jazz 4 string
Player Series 5 string
And a 1997 MIM 5 string.
There was also a Carvin and a few others but those in the pics were what caught my eye.
Some of you might know if you follow the Praise and Worship groups that I was in the market for a 5 string for church. I was looking at a Schecter J5 and Sadowsky MetroExpress. I wanted a passive Jazz style fiver, but nothing Fender currently has to offer really did anything for me, not for the price anyway. And for church use only, I really couldn't justify the Schecter or Sadowsky prices either.
Then last Sunday I took my Precision with it's Hipshot drop tuner set to E/D and managed just fine with it. But I really wanted a Jazz bass, I already have 3, all fours, and no drop tuner. So it was either get a drop tuner and install it on one of my Jazz basses, buy a fiver, or keep taking the Precision. At this point I had decided just to keep using the Precision. Although if a passive Jazz style fiver were to happen to pop up at the right price, I might bite. then it happened when I least expected it.
So the Player Series they had, brand new, priced at 950, they offered it to me for 750, I almost bit. But the 1997 MIM Jazz Fiver was priced at 625 out the door. So I played both through one of the new Boss bass combos. The Player Series while a good bass, the neck felt chunkier compared to the 1997. Of course Paul Ferro fretboard on the new Player series as well. Not sure about the 1997 if it's rosewood or not but it sure looked better than the Ferro board on the Player Series. And the 1997 neck just felt better in my hands as well. And the 1997 just felt right for a fiver. I got it for 500 out the door with a well worn Fender gig bag thrown in as well. Not much difference in sound between the two basses either. For some reason I played Judas Priest's Breaking the Law on both basses, but I've never played that song in my life although of the few songs by JP that I like that is one of them.
Now the control knobs I assume are not stock. And it has Gotoh tuners as well. Whoever put them in cracked the headstock at the screw point on the B string tuner. Not bad, it definitely has been there awhile as it has it's share of dirt and not fresh looking at all. I might inject it with titebond and clamp it, or I might leave it alone. Just need to keep an eye on it I guess. If need be, it's a simple repair I can do myself.
Almost forgot, yes I made it by Lowe's and got the new light fixtures for the house while I was out.
First thing I saw was this old Mesa cab ($300)
It made my back ache just looking at it.
Then came the basses...
Music Man 5 string
Late 90s, early 2000s American Standard Jazz 4 string
Player Series 5 string
And a 1997 MIM 5 string.
There was also a Carvin and a few others but those in the pics were what caught my eye.
Some of you might know if you follow the Praise and Worship groups that I was in the market for a 5 string for church. I was looking at a Schecter J5 and Sadowsky MetroExpress. I wanted a passive Jazz style fiver, but nothing Fender currently has to offer really did anything for me, not for the price anyway. And for church use only, I really couldn't justify the Schecter or Sadowsky prices either.
Then last Sunday I took my Precision with it's Hipshot drop tuner set to E/D and managed just fine with it. But I really wanted a Jazz bass, I already have 3, all fours, and no drop tuner. So it was either get a drop tuner and install it on one of my Jazz basses, buy a fiver, or keep taking the Precision. At this point I had decided just to keep using the Precision. Although if a passive Jazz style fiver were to happen to pop up at the right price, I might bite. then it happened when I least expected it.
So the Player Series they had, brand new, priced at 950, they offered it to me for 750, I almost bit. But the 1997 MIM Jazz Fiver was priced at 625 out the door. So I played both through one of the new Boss bass combos. The Player Series while a good bass, the neck felt chunkier compared to the 1997. Of course Paul Ferro fretboard on the new Player series as well. Not sure about the 1997 if it's rosewood or not but it sure looked better than the Ferro board on the Player Series. And the 1997 neck just felt better in my hands as well. And the 1997 just felt right for a fiver. I got it for 500 out the door with a well worn Fender gig bag thrown in as well. Not much difference in sound between the two basses either. For some reason I played Judas Priest's Breaking the Law on both basses, but I've never played that song in my life although of the few songs by JP that I like that is one of them.
Now the control knobs I assume are not stock. And it has Gotoh tuners as well. Whoever put them in cracked the headstock at the screw point on the B string tuner. Not bad, it definitely has been there awhile as it has it's share of dirt and not fresh looking at all. I might inject it with titebond and clamp it, or I might leave it alone. Just need to keep an eye on it I guess. If need be, it's a simple repair I can do myself.
Almost forgot, yes I made it by Lowe's and got the new light fixtures for the house while I was out.
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congratulations on your new instrument! 
