NBD Fender Player Plus V

[GreyBeard]

I already have a Fender Ultra Jazz V so why would I buy a Player Plus V? I just wanted it so I bought it. It came in to day from GC and I'm pleasantly surprised. The Ultra was $1,000 more and these 2 basses are only marginally different.
The fit and finish is equal
The Ultra has nicer tuners but the player's are fully functional.
The fret work on the player is equal to the ultra
The ultra has the contoured neck joint and the player has the older block joint. I don't play anything up the anyway.
The tone of the Ultra might be a bit more refined but that may just be the strings
One big advantage the Ultra has is a tone control for passive mode. The Player lacks this as there is no tone control for passive mode on the Player.
All in all though, the Player is a solid bass and only lacks a handful of refinements given to the Ultra.

 

[JRA]

sounds like a great score --- it sure looks nice! i'm glad that the slight differences saved you some coin, too. congratulations on your new instrument!

 

[DrThumpenstein]

Congratulations on the new bass!

Mrs. Thumpenstein kindly gifted me the four string version earlier this year and I have been very pleased with it. Sounds great, I love the noiseless pick ups. I was equally impressed with the fit and finish. I did have to trade out that starchy white nurse's hat of a pickguard for, of course, some nice red tort, put in a drop tuner, drilled it for countersunk strap locks, and now it's one of my two regular gigging basses. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!

 

[GreyBeard]

One thing though the player gig bag is a POS

 

[AlexanderB]

Congratulations!
How is the G string dead spot around the fifth fret on these basses?
Also, how is the general sustain?
(By the way, I know pics can be misleading, but both basses seem to have the G string very close to the edge of the fretboard...)

 

[CletusMarley]

Very cool! Congrats!

 

[GreyBeard]

Congratulations!
How is the G string dead spot around the fifth fret on these basses?
Also, how is the general sustain?
(By the way, I know pics can be misleading, but both basses seem to have the G string very close to the edge of the fretboard...)

G strings are fine on both basses

 

[P. Aaron]

Congratulations!
How is the G string dead spot around the fifth fret on these basses?
Also, how is the general sustain?
(By the way, I know pics can be misleading, but both basses seem to have the G string very close to the edge of the fretboard...)

It's C# on the G string that suffers usually. A strange physical phenom that is noticeable on my Precision V. Seems less pronounced now than it did initially back in 2010 when I got it. Perhaps it's just a thingy we learn to live with/deal with.

Nice basses. Congrats.

 

[jimmydean]

So let me get this straight , you bought the bass " just because you wanted it ".........Hell Yeah , my man !

 

[TrevorG]

Firstly - ditto Jimmydean! Secondly I agree the Ultra sounds fuller but I love it for the feel and finish. Got to say I didn't know there was no passive tone control. I've been thinking about getting the mononeon which is the same. How do you find the passive tone? Congrats by the way!!

 

[GreyBeard]

Firstly - ditto Jimmydean! Secondly I agree the Ultra sounds fuller but I love it for the feel and finish. Got to say I didn't know there was no passive tone control. I've been thinking about getting the mononeon which is the same. How do you find the passive tone? Congrats by the way!!

Passive tone is usable but, I prefer the active tone.

 

[mapleglo]

Congrats! I've been looking at those Player Plus basses. I wish they made a Precision 5 string version.

 

[TrevorG]

Passive tone is usable but, I prefer the active tone.

That's interesting. I tend to use the passive on the Ultra a lot but get my dream tones on the active. No idea what the mononeon will sound like.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I already have a Fender Ultra Jazz V so why would I buy a Player Plus V? I just wanted it so I bought it. It came in to day from GC and I'm pleasantly surprised. The Ultra was $1,000 more and these 2 basses are only marginally different.
The fit and finish is equal
The Ultra has nicer tuners but the player's are fully functional.
The fret work on the player is equal to the ultra
The ultra has the contoured neck joint and the player has the older block joint. I don't play anything up the anyway.
The tone of the Ultra might be a bit more refined but that may just be the strings
One big advantage the Ultra has is a tone control for passive mode. The Player lacks this as there is no tone control for passive mode on the Player.
All in all though, the Player is a solid bass and only lacks a handful of refinements given to the Ultra.

Awesome! Congrats!

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I already have a Fender Ultra Jazz V so why would I buy a Player Plus V? I just wanted it so I bought it. It came in to day from GC and I'm pleasantly surprised. The Ultra was $1,000 more and these 2 basses are only marginally different.
The fit and finish is equal
The Ultra has nicer tuners but the player's are fully functional.
The fret work on the player is equal to the ultra
The ultra has the contoured neck joint and the player has the older block joint. I don't play anything up the anyway.
The tone of the Ultra might be a bit more refined but that may just be the strings
One big advantage the Ultra has is a tone control for passive mode. The Player lacks this as there is no tone control for passive mode on the Player.
All in all though, the Player is a solid bass and only lacks a handful of refinements given to the Ultra.

It doesn't matter what the Ultra has. Love the one you're with!

 

[Alessandro Cruz]

That's interesting. I tend to use the passive on the Ultra a lot but get my dream tones on the active. No idea what the mononeon will sound like.

Mononeon's model is a bit different, mostly because the custom-wounded Fireball pickups.

I've heard some videos and I'm fully honest when I say, despite the funky color scheme, it sounds absolutely great... Just like the bassist, Mononeon.

 

[J Wilson]

Really makes you wonder what the extra grand gets you for the 'Ultra'.

 

[Outbush]

Sounds like a couple of great basses that complement each other pretty well. Congrats!

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

I already have a Fender Ultra Jazz V so why would I buy a Player Plus V? I just wanted it so I bought it. It came in to day from GC and I'm pleasantly surprised. The Ultra was $1,000 more and these 2 basses are only marginally different.
The fit and finish is equal
The Ultra has nicer tuners but the player's are fully functional.
The fret work on the player is equal to the ultra
The ultra has the contoured neck joint and the player has the older block joint. I don't play anything up the anyway.
The tone of the Ultra might be a bit more refined but that may just be the strings
One big advantage the Ultra has is a tone control for passive mode. The Player lacks this as there is no tone control for passive mode on the Player.
All in all though, the Player is a solid bass and only lacks a handful of refinements given to the Ultra.

Love it! Thank you for the comparison.

 

[TheMadBassist88]

So let me get this straight , you bought the bass " just because you wanted it ".........Hell Yeah , my man !

We should all do this from time to time. We freakin deserve it in my opinion! I just took advantage of Musicians Friend "Rocktober" discounts and snagged this beautiful Ibanez 6 string just because I wanted it. Didn't need it, but dad blast it I wanted it haha!!