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NBD - Fender Meteora Player Plus Bass Silverburst

Shaggai

Shaggai

May 7, 2018
653
1,187
New Jersey
#1
OK, I have officially gone weird looking bass, and it's a Fender shaped object.
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Could not resist both the weirdness and a 4 year no-interest financing. Right now in the process of setting it up and playing it for practice. Unfortunately due to neighbors can't crank it up hopefully will get opportunity soon. So far looks good, I think the pots for the cut/boost seem cheep, tone and volume knobs feel normal and "heavy" like knobs are made of metal. On the cut/boost knobs seem like plastic (and their the same knob type, except the stacked). Hi-mass bridge standard, jazz style neck (very comfortable with a satin finish). Snazzy Player Plus neck plate. Active or passive so should be enough tone for everyone.
headstock.jpg plate.jpg

Took pictures with both a Stingray HH and a Jazz just so you can see where the pickups lie in relation to each other. Tried to make a common point of reference using a straight edge, end of fretboard for the Jazz and 19th fret for the Stingray.
meteora-jazz.jpg stingray-meteora rotated.jpg
Have a feeling I going to need to invest in a hanger for this as I don't think it's going to fit nice on the stands.
 
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#6
Old Blastard said:
Well, how does it play and sound? I'm interested in these babies but want to know more
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Ok, the choices I had to compare are Fender Player Jazz and a Stingray Special 5 since they both have round wounds albeit with some wear. Note there are much better people with sound/tone out of a bass so take this information knowing this, just my opinion.

The Meteora has more of a clearer tone (read more treble) out of it both in passive and certainly in active compared the the jazz. It has the same next to the Stingray Special except the stingray is more mellow compared to the Meteora. And of course the stingray can match all of the tone controls to maintain that mellow tone. Meteora in passive might be close to the mellow tone but still sounds harsher. Now could it be days old strings vs. 4 year old strings? Possibly.

I wish the LowEnd Lobster would get a hold of one as he could show it off better for everyone.
 
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#7
bassist4dalord said:
Very cool, congratulations! I noodled around with one of these in a music store last week. I didn't plug it in but I was impressed with the feel and the balance. How is it on a strap? It felt pretty good resting on my leg as I sat on a stool. I like the offbeat looks and the neck felt incredible.
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I normally play it on a leg on a stool with a strap backup, I'm not really a standing player. I think it balances ok that way, doesn't seem to want to tilt one way or another. Could be an illusion, but not having a lower horn makes you hand feel real open on the higher frets. Flatter neck (12" radius) is ok and it is a jazz style neck (1.5 nut), so nice and thin and what I like to play.
 
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#8
Shaggai said:
I've grown more fond of the metallics these days. I would have likes the Tequila Sunrise, but every time I looked at it I would know the first thing in peoples mind would be clownburst. I also like the sure thing of a maple neck vs. whatever the gods of Pau Ferro will bestow on you.
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Is it terrible of me that I'd like to see it with some Jockomo Black Pearl vinyl inlays on that neck. I kinda feel like the paleness of the all-maple neck needs more coloring to better complement the dark finish of the body...but that could just be me, ya know?
 
#11
Played one of these at a music shop. I am surprised no one has mentioned with full bridge pickup, the harmonics are insane. Almost a completely different instrument.
Definitely a cut through the mix tone more edgy than a musicman but didnt seem to have the heavy low end. The neck pickup I wasn't really sure what to do with, but overall I thought the bridge tone made the bass a lot of fun to play with. Might make a killer fretless. :)
 

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