The Fender Jazz Bass Club Part Seven!!!

You know, I never wanted a Jazz. Never liked the tone. “I’m a P Bass guy!” I told myself. Then, last weekend, I laid my hands on this.



I guess I am a new member of the Jazz Bass Club!

 

Yes...Those Ultras are very hard not to LOVE

Congratulations

 

I am already a member, but I was always a P bass guy also. Then Arthur visited my left thumb and the P got harder to play so in came the Jazz and no I love it. My last build jazz is an American Professional I complete body with an older American special neck I had waiting for a nice body.

And I used to hate white guards - but now love them, they do not show finger prints as bad.

 

I love the body color on that, no real “red ring” to it. The guard on mine is listed as mint but it is really more like a aged white in person. It’s really hard to see the green in it.

 

My 2011 American Standard

 

Hi all, I would like a few questions answered if you have the time and perspective. I am looking into a MIM Jazz 5. Either the old Standard, Player, or Deluxe active version. Buying used with a budget of 800-900 but below that is also great!

1. Being in the midwest with very cold winters/warm summers is there a risk of these necks warping since they are only 1 piece and do not have graphite reinforcement?

2. I am looking to play most genres with this bass. From Metal to Jazz and Blues. I will be using an HX Stomp for effects. Is passive the way to go vs active with effects? Or will the active Fender be more beneficial for my needs?

3. How are the Standard vs Player voiced different with the Ceramic vs Alnico 5 pickups?

4. How are the necks on the 5 strings?

Any perspective that you can share will be greatly helpful! Thank you!

 

Can’t help with all of it but here’s my 2 cents...
1. I saw a thread here recently discussing the merits of an when they started using the graphite reinforcements. It was quite some time ago on many of the models, but that might have just been the American ones. I have a Peavy Fury that has a slim jazz type neck and dates to 1990, it has not warped and is more stable than some others I have owned so i don’t think the graphite is a given fix-all.
2. I use a passive bass with my pedal board or passive mode from my active if I am using a lot of effects unless you have a way to reduce the input level going into the start of your chain. This might be an EQ pedal like a Boss GEB-7 where yo can cut the gain or boost it. If I wan the option of not going through effects or a board then the active gives me onboard eq options to tweak my tone before it goes FOH. You have to decide what works best for you.
3. Can’t help here
4. Can’t help here either. I have an American Standard P 5 string that has the nicest neck on anything I own. It is slim front to back and just wide enough to get the job done without getting too uncomfortable. I would image the Jazz version with a “Modern C” if that’s what they are advertising for the models you are looking at would be of similar quality/dimension.

 

Player or Deluxe active 5vers will have nice necks to play
I have found in the last 10 years Fender Jazz necks have been very comfy to play

 

My bud @DwaynieAD played a MIM Jazz 5 in our southern metal band. I've played it a few times, and hopefully he'll chime in but, his tone was always immense and to me that bass played excellently. It's cold as anything here in PA's winters and to my knowledge he's never had issues with the neck.

 

2015 American Deluxe V owner here. Can I get a club #?

I never owned a MIM, so I can't help much with questions 1, 3, or 4, but I go into passive mode whenever I'm using effects, although I only use a little bit of dirt - I mostly use octavers and filters - it's been a few years since I played in a metal group. For blues and jazz or stuff that you want to be clean, the active preamp will do a lot for your tone. You could also get a preamp pedal and accomplish pretty much the same thing. I imagine Sadowky's would be pretty baller.

 

Preeeeeetyyyyyy…

…Sunburst + blocks & binding + black pickguard = one of my favorite looks in the "Classic Jazz Bass" category.

 

Berry Oakley comes to mind.

 

I can see that!

 

Oh man... I guess I better work on my "chops!"

 

Man from this pic - you can see Sr in his son Jr. Never really saw any pics that shows it.

Thanks for the pic.

 

…and maybe your cornering while on a motorcycle. (Wear a helmet, kiddies! )

(What, too soon? )

 

Geez, you're right!



I must admit I know very little about the Allman Brothers Band, save for the songs that pop up on Classic Rock stations. I had to do a quick search to see who Berry Oakley was and found that first pic.

That being said, I've always loved and admired the concept of family musical legacies, John and Jason Bonham being one of the biggest in my mind.

 

If you get time - get the music of "Bloodline". Barry jr played bass, the Doors guitar players son play guitar, Joe Bonamassa plays guitar and Miles Davis's son played drums.

Joe B was maybe still a teenager - but that band were great IMO.

Lennyj

 

That is quite a bunch o' bloodlines at work there, and a very appropriate name for such a band. I'll have to check them out tomorrow (…while my workplace is closed due to the incoming snow storm…yuck! ).

I can't help but wonder if that was one of his dad's basses. Anyone got some info on that front?

 

now he is with the allman betts band...

the kids are doing their best to carry it forward...