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So I tried Fender Elite jazz basses today...
- Thread starter bongostealth
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- elite fender fender elite jazz bass
Whether we like it or not, Fender is the benchmark, but IME there are others that outperform them at the same or lesser price point.
Ha, except a lot of those dudes already owned Fender basses & can tell the difference.
I compared my bass directly to a Fender when I was shopping around, as well as a Music Man.
I was not afraid to spend some money & TBH was ready to throw down $2,500 on a flamed maple top Ric 4004, but I needed wow factor before I could purchase.
Many used basses.
The Ibanez SRX (SR eXtreme) is a well-kept secret somehow, and nearly performs to the same level as my Ibanez Premium.
Ha, except a lot of those dudes already owned Fender basses & can tell the difference.
I compared my bass directly to a Fender when I was shopping around, as well as a Music Man.
I was not afraid to spend some money & TBH was ready to throw down $2,500 on a flamed maple top Ric 4004, but I needed wow factor before I could purchase.
Many used basses.
The Ibanez SRX (SR eXtreme) is a well-kept secret somehow, and nearly performs to the same level as my Ibanez Premium.
They are the largest instrument manufacturer in the US and a lot of companies have made a name for themselves by mimicking the body style and improving upon it, so this reaction shouldn't come as much of a surprise when Fender pumps out a $2k bass that's supposed to rival Lull, Sadowsky Metro, Lakland, and others. ESPECIALLY when it disappoints and/or comes off as overpriced. A lot of people also really do not like FMIC as a company so this is just more fuel for that fire.
They are often not set up very well out of the factory. Though I was also not too impressed with the Elite jazz either. Especially at that price. I didn't pay that much for either of my custom Togar basses.
Price has been mentioned quite a bit. I don’t feel the Elites are overpriced when comparing them to comparable Fenders. For example, a rosewood 4 string elite is $2,049. The ‘64 AVRI Jazz is $2,249. The green Adam Clayton model is $1,849. So are the active electronics, neck binding and spoke wheel truss rod worth the extra $200 over a painted headstock? Is it better to save $200 and have these items over a nitro finish and vintage aesthetics? Everyone will have a different opinion based on their wants and needs. On a side note, making an instrument to fit in everyone’s budget is something Fender does an excellent job with.
Most of the Ibanez basses don't have the tone that I like, so I would not buy one
over a good Fender. I don't feel the need to bash Ibanez because the tone of
their basses is not my preference!
If a person decides that Fender is not for them then that's cool!
To constantly keep Fender's name in their mouths is ridiculous! For every 1 person who
doesn't want a Fender there are at 5 people who do!
People should buy what they want, but keep Fender's name out of their mouths!
No company, and basses are perfect 100% of the time!
My two basses combined cost a little than $1500. I wasn't envious when the new Elites
came out, and I'm not envious of other boutique brand j-basses.
I'm not saying my basses are the best, I am saying that some of us are content with
what we own, and can appreciate other brands!
I've just never been wowed by any of the preamps in active Fender basses. The Elite Jazz more or less has the features I built my warmoth with 10 years ago (active, noiseless pickups) but my version works better for me
It's all marketing. They can't interfere with their down market offerings so they have to set an artificially high top end to validate those as "bargains." If Nash or Dunable offers a $2k bass that is because it is a hand made instrument by a small company, often to order, that a lot of effort goes into. Their are brand name or custom built components and more eye catching finishes to go along with them. Fender's US bass has generic parts, hammered out on factory lines, bland finishes that are available on any of their instruments, barely any ergonomic advances, basic woods, and nothing extravagant that they could just put on their cheaper instruments without really impacting their bottom line. For $2k I should at least get a trans finish, neck through design, special boutique parts, special woods, or something to validate the cost.
I wish you luck in finding a bass that works for you. I tried several Fenders that didn’t “wow” me but I found one that did in the 63 AVRI Precision bass.
I think Nash basses are pretty close to $2k now and they are parts basses. Mighty Mite, if I’m not mistaken. They just have cool finishes.
I'll have to admit that buying a $2k bass, then changing the preamp & pickups kind of makes me shake my head, but people in my family did the same sort of thing with Harley Davidson motorcycles, although they usually bought them used.
It’s fun. A pursuit. This time I got lucky and it sounds phenomenal.
Sire now sells to stores.
A supply chain has a high cost, but you wouldn't do it if the economies of scale didn't work in your favor. Here's my point: none of the features or the Elite are particularly "wow" or unique to them, or that model for that matter. Fender has their pick of suppliers and factories from all over the US, including finding the best price in labor. What's more, they sell more than just basses. They have a massive portfolio of businesses to distribute their costs over. If Nash can build a better sounding, better playing, more unique looking Fender knock-off, in the US, and they are a small company, what validates Fender charging $2k for a bass whose only real upgrade is a preamp that sub-$600 basses have?
Sure, and for every one person like that there are five who think some brands are over-hyped.
That makes total sense, because I'm not a fan of Coke.
Heck, I don't even like Pepsi since 2010.
yep!
my experience, too. (in the past!)
IMO: the opposite is also true. for fender lovers/snobs: the opposite seems to be always true!
If by "parts" you mean brands names you recognize, yes. Their thing is to recreate the basses people rub themselves about from the 60s and 70s using particular parts, paints, "relic-ing" etc. They sound like what people think old Fenders sound like, but often don't.
My point was, Nash is a small company that puts a lot of time in to the details of their limited number of instruments. Fender is a mass producers of cookie cutter instruments. Why are they the same price? The excuse for the cost of the Elite is that it is made in the US, and that's about it. The wood parts are milled by machines, and who knows where the rest actually come from.
Its a gimmick. Kudos to Fender for turning a buck. However, there is a reason I have never owned one.
I found this interesting as to why we're not seeing as much of the uniform black ebony and we're starting to see more ebony with brown streaks in it. With rosewood becoming more limited, there just is not enough black ebony to satisfy the shear volume requirements needed for use.
Sustainable Ebony
