So I tried Fender Elite jazz basses today...

[Bass Viking]

After 16 pages I decided I would go to my local Long & McQuade to see what all this fuss is about. They had 2 Fender Elites, a PJ and a Jazz and both were 4 strings. I should mention that I`m not really a Fender guy but I wanted to give them a chance. Both appeared to be well made.

I tried the PJ first, priced at $2640 Canadian. Neck felt pretty good, tone was good, but nothing that made me want to pull out the credit card. To be honest, the Ibanez Talman at 1/10th the cost was a better match for me as far as neck feel and tone. The Jazz, $2800 Canadian, was freakin' gorgeous, with a beautiful sunburst and black inlays on the neck. I really liked the neck on this one. Tone was good, but again not my preferred sound.

Neither bass had the modern zing in the tone that I like. Perhaps different strings might help e.g. stainless steel. I've played less expensive Fenders I would take over the Elites, for example the Flea bass which is about $1000 less. At the price of these Fenders, you can get Roscoe's version of a Jazz bass from Club Bass (Toronto) or a Sadowsky Metro for a few hundred more.

 

[toowrongfoo]

Mmmmmmmmmmmm, Sadowsky Metro...............

 

[glocke1]

My experience with Sam Ash is they are cool with price matching. Probably only requires a phone call. As for the other guy, I'd ask for an RMA and see what he says. If still no price match, I'd send it back. Fender basses are far too ubiquitous to overspend like that.

I called Sam Ash, they'll price match.

The other guy doesn't have a price match policy, but agreed to give me $300 in credit towards a future purchase. Im good with that. I don't have the time to box this thing up and send it back.

On another note, I went back to SA over the weekend last on my way to visit a friend and they had another elite 4 string in sunburst on the wall so I checked it out. The back had a nasty scar on it from someone banging it into the wall...this isn't anything that would buff out. The rosewood was also not the greatest looking, I know rosewood is lighter colored these days, but this was such a light color it looked awful.

Even the tone seemed different than mine. I checked to make sure the settings on the amp were flat, but even with that it just didn't seem to have as much of a rounded or balanced tone as the one I bought from that store 3 weeks ago. Could have been me, but now I am wondering if a lot of this controversy around this series of basses is due to differences resulting from manufacturing.

 

[desert_rain]

I'm not trying to argue but I own the bass and I took the batteries out and set them on my coffee table, plugged the bass into my practice amp and played away without batteries in it. The fender rep needs to learn more about his product or maybe he should go to work for another company. Him putting out that false info could cost him some sales. Any if you are thinking about buying one, before you buy it pull the batteries out at the store and try it before you buy it, it will work. Anyway fender should reward me on getting this info out. It will probably save some sales. It is very playable without batteries on passive mode.

I have two 3rd gen deluxe PJ(2013) and J(2010). I love them, both of them are my go to basses. I have played lots of basses from stores and i have 6 basses. I can not find superior basses to deluxe except boutique ones.

Also I made passive test without battery to 2013 PJ and it works! I will do same test to 2010 in this evening..

 

[Emanuel Palmeri]

SCORE!! GC pricematched even though I was outside of the 45 day period by ten days..that certainly boosts their future purchases appeal to me!
thanks for posting this!

Glad to hear that news! >Hey, I noticed in your signature it says 'hartke club member' what hartke rig you runnin? i used to play a HA3500 head with a 410XL transporter series cab. LOVED THAT RIG!!! wish I still had it... : (

 

[Sumaru]

Glad to hear that news! >Hey, I noticed in your signature it says 'hartke club member' what hartke rig you runnin? i used to play a HA3500 head with a 410XL transporter series cab. LOVED THAT RIG!!! wish I still had it... : (

I am going through my ha5500 with a 4.5xl and sansamp rbi for my practice rig...my live setup is the LH1000 with a sansamp VT bass and eleven rack running through a Hartke Hydrive 4x10...with a 1x15 when I really need to move some air...pretty happy with that setup! I've gotten tons of compliments on tone with that rig, and I'd put it up against anything! Solid gear and top of the line customer service!

 

[Tewest86]

I was looking to get a Fender Elite v. I just can't understand how for $2,149, they don't even try to match the grain. I just don't get it. Other companies do it on instruments half the cost of this Fender.

 

[Mr_O'B]

That’s one Elite, so find one with the woodgrain that you like.

There are some companies who predominantly build basses with unattractive woodgrain that matches!

 

[Stevorebob]

I was looking to get a Fender Elite v. I just can't understand how for $2,149, they don't even try to match the grain. I just don't get it. Other companies do it on instruments half the cost of this Fender.

View attachment 2845191

What’s the money side look like?

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I was looking to get a Fender Elite v. I just can't understand how for $2,149, they don't even try to match the grain. I just don't get it. Other companies do it on instruments half the cost of this Fender.

View attachment 2845191

What does the front look like?

 

[Tewest86]

What does the front look like?

 

[Tewest86]

That’s one Elite, so find one with the woodgrain that you like.

There are some companies who predominantly build basses with unattractive woodgrain that matches!

But this is unacceptable. This bass is $2,149 new. You would never find a Mike Lull, Valenti, etc. with mismatched grain. Do they not use the book match technique?

 

[Mr_O'B]

But this is unacceptable. This bass is $2,149 new. You would never find a Mike Lull, Valenti, etc. with mismatched grain. Do they not use the book match technique?

This back shot was found on "Reverb"! It's the back shot of one of the two builders that you mentioned not building basses with mismatch woodgrain finishes.

TB members are quick to bash Fender, but we hear crickets when it comes to other builders!

 

[Stevorebob]

View attachment 2845316

Looks like a good grain match on my phone. Near impossible to match both sides. That said, I have a Sting Ray that’s one piece.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

View attachment 2845316

I think that looks fine on the front.

 

[Tewest86]

I guess I’m used to a custom builder. We have one in town. To get the grains to match, he cuts the wood down the middle and puts the pieces end to end. The grain looks almost like a spider.

 

[scubaduba]

Here's my Bossa ash two piece body.

 

[Mr_O'B]

Here's my Bossa ash two piece body.

View attachment 2845649

View attachment 2845651

Nice looking bass!

 

[FacStudio]

I guess I’m used to a custom builder. We have one in town. To get the grains to match, he cuts the wood down the middle and puts the pieces end to end. The grain looks almost like a spider.

Book matching is predominantly done by using much thinner caps or veneers. The Elites are not capped so it’s extremely difficult to match two body parts as they are cut from the length of the wood and not pieces side by side.

Natural finished basses or guitars have always been random. Wood grain is random. People like this because it makes their basses or guitars unique.

Blanks taken from the length of the wood as this is deemed better for stability than a single piece body

Woodgrain is random. If this does bother you then you should return it and get solid finish or a capped bookmatched bass from another builder. OR fender do a Booked matched limited professional version with a flamed maple cap. But this is just for aesthetics.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Good opportunity to post my Alien Audio one piece swamp ash! Even the back looks good and it's super light. I didn't even realize it was one piece until a few weeks after I received it.