the color, the execution, the fact that flea doesn't actually play them (custom shop model with a LP pickup), they're overpriced for what it is, and it's probably the lowest bang-for-buck when it comes to a MM style pickup bass.
I say that as a person who enjoys fender. but, i recently was in the market for a MM style bass and I quickly fell in love with, and now own, a stingray special (white/maple, FYI.) I played a well set up (at the music zoo here on long island) fender flea and was really disappointed. sadly, it made me think "oh, thats why he has CS versions of this thing." It just was not as refined as what EBMM does. yes the EBMM is a little more money, but they're exceptionally well made. I don't say that about many things- but they're really making sure that the bass is a sum of its part, so every step of the process is done carefully, and the result is killer.
I also really don't want to sound like an anti-fender guy. The flea bass is nice. it just felt like a nice $1000 bass to me. I know it's somewhat arbitrary for me (someone not making/selling guitars for a living) to say that, but nonetheless, that's what it felt like. the QC is not on the same planet as EBMM at any stage, especially these new specials.
another thing i want to throw into this conversation, is let's not discount the regular stingrays. yes the specials are nice, but any stringray is still a higher grade instrument than the fender flea IMO. the "old" and "new" rays are quite different instruments, and i love them both equally. i'm sad that the fender diddn't find its way into my collection - I really wanted to love it.
