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This seem decent?

NYgiant

NYgiant

Sep 22, 2023
628
1,327
Virginia
#1
Never played a Fender before. Went to my local Guitar Center and picked out a P bass. Sounded pretty darn good. I saw this Jazz bass hanging up and the guy working said it just came in…….WOW! What a good sound. I liked the jazz bass sound more than the P bass. A little cleaner and brighter but could still get a good low thick sound as well.

Anyways, I bought my first and only bass back in 1995 or 96. A Hamer slammer series.
Wondering if I should pull the trigger on this? Felt really good to play but don’t know enough about Fenders to know if this is a good model and price.
 

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#2
NYgiant said:
Never played a Fender before. Went to my local Guitar Center and picked out a P bass. Sounded pretty darn good. I saw this Jazz bass hanging up and the guy working said it just came in…….WOW! What a good sound. I liked the jazz bass sound more than the P bass. A little cleaner and brighter but could still get a good low thick sound as well.

Anyways, I bought my first and only bass back in 1995 or 96. A Hamer slammer series.
Wondering if I should pull the trigger on this? Felt really good to play but don’t know enough about Fenders to know if this is a good model and price.
Click to expand...
Thats a cool bass, if you like it then its good. The price is pretty good, they're on sale right now maybe $50 cheaper than usual but used ones arent much less than that one so, if you want it its certainly fair.

Body is alder and that is probably a flame maple veneer, which doesnt matter at all if you like the sound unless you plan to drop the guitar a lot. Major damage to the top could punch through the maple, but thats a silly thing to put you off buying it. Enjoy! Plus you still have 30 days to take it back if you change your mind, right?
 
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#3
Rabidhamster said:
Thats a cool bass, if you like it then its good. The price is pretty good, they're on sale right now maybe $50 cheaper than usual but used ones arent much less than that one so, if you want it its certainly fair.

Body is alder and that is probably a flame maple veneer, which doesnt matter at all if you like the sound unless you plan to drop the guitar a lot. Major damage to the top could punch through the maple, but thats a silly thing to put you off buying it. Enjoy! Plus you still have 30 days to take it back if you change your mind, right?
Click to expand...

Yup, you’re right with what you said about the body makeup. Would probably be good for me since I’m just getting back into playing. Like I said, I still have my Hamer and there isn’t anything wrong with it. I just need a bass amp head since mine died after 27 years! The bass would just be a gift for myself.
Guitar Center website does have the same bass on their site which is used for $570…..
 
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#4
Keeping the addtl $130 is useful too, thats a hard choice, but you do know you like the specific one you played today. Either way, I've owned a number of Hamer Slammers and I think you'll continue noticing new things you enjoy on this Fender while you own it.
What amp head have you been using, and do you have the new amp head picked out?
 
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#5
Rabidhamster said:
Keeping the addtl $130 is useful too, thats a hard choice, but you do know you like the specific one you played today. Either way, I've owned a number of Hamer Slammers and I think you'll continue noticing new things you enjoy on this Fender while you own it.
What amp head have you been using, and do you have the new amp head picked out?
Click to expand...

Have always had SWR workingman’s 300 head. Rated at 270 Watts RMS @ 4 Ohms
160 Watts RMS @ 8 Ohms and a workingman’s 410 cabinet rated at 400 watts 8 ohms.

The head has been good for 27 years. Plugged into it about 2-3 years ago and no issue. My son wanted to play with it an we took it out and no sound comes out of it. So I’ve been looking for a new head. Not set on anything but have gravitated to GK for fine reason. Been looking at the 1001 RB -II but it’s very old and really too much power if I wanted to play though my 410 and 115 together. Just not real sure which way to go with the head.
 
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#13
ebo said:
If it was red I might fight you for it, but it is a really nice looking bass. I especially like the black guard and black control plate combo. It makes the blue really pop. I’m betting it sounds as good as it looks. TB hive mind says follow your heart.
Click to expand...

yeah, it is really good looking. My wife’s not into music at all but she happen to go with me to the music store and even she said it looks really nice and sounded good. Just contemplating if I should get that new one or I found one used on the Guitar Center website that’s like $130 less.
 
#14
NYgiant said:
yeah, it is really good looking. My wife’s not into music at all but she happen to go with me to the music store and even she said it looks really nice and sounded good. Just contemplating if I should get that new one or I found one used on the Guitar Center website that’s like $130 less.
Click to expand...

Very sharp bass!

Fenders vary enough that if you found one you like this much, get it and don't look back. The used one might not do it for you.
 
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#16
The transparent blue and green are GC/MF exclusives. It's basically a player series with a pretty finish. They do go on sale frequently, and I've thought hard about picking one up several times, but convinced myself I don't need another jazz bass. Agreed with everyone else that said get the one you laid hands on if it felt good to you. MiM seems to have a pretty wide range on their QC, so if you find a good one, snag it now or roll the dice on a blind purchase.
 
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#17
AncientNoob said:
The transparent blue and green are GC/MF exclusives. It's basically a player series with a pretty finish. They do go on sale frequently, and I've thought hard about picking one up several times, but convinced myself I don't need another jazz bass. Agreed with everyone else that said get the one you laid hands on if it felt good to you. MiM seems to have a pretty wide range on their QC, so if you find a good one, snag it now or roll the dice on a blind purchase.
Click to expand...

Ah, ok. So are player series considered “cheap” or like entry level? I don’t need a top-of-the-line really awesome bass at this point, but I want something that’s considered nice/pretty decent.
 
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#18
NYgiant said:
Never played a Fender before. Went to my local Guitar Center and picked out a P bass. Sounded pretty darn good. I saw this Jazz bass hanging up and the guy working said it just came in…….WOW! What a good sound. I liked the jazz bass sound more than the P bass. A little cleaner and brighter but could still get a good low thick sound as well.

Anyways, I bought my first and only bass back in 1995 or 96. A Hamer slammer series.
Wondering if I should pull the trigger on this? Felt really good to play but don’t know enough about Fenders to know if this is a good model and price.
Click to expand...
Yes, to both questions. A new bass helps inspire and helps growth as a musician. The second bass, can end up more important than the first.
 
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#19
NYgiant said:
Ah, ok. So are player series considered “cheap” or like entry level? I don’t need a top-of-the-line really awesome bass at this point, but I want something that’s considered nice/pretty decent.
Click to expand...

They’re made in Mexico. If I got my hands on that bass and it felt/sounded good, I would probably go home with it.
 
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#20
NYgiant said:
Ah, ok. So are player series considered “cheap” or like entry level? I don’t need a top-of-the-line really awesome bass at this point, but I want something that’s considered nice/pretty decent.
Click to expand...
Player series are the entry level for "real Fender." I have a player p bass and a player jazz bass that are both very nice, comfortable and great sounding basses that I gig with regularly. That said, IMO, they're nothing particularly special unless you mod them to your tastes (which I've done with both). If you're looking for something comparable quality wise, I've heard the 40th anniversary Squiers are quite good, and can be found for about half the price of a Mexican Fender. Maybe not as pretty as that plustop you're eyeing, but certainly a fair bang for the buck.
 
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