Thoughts on fender std jazz bass MIM?

[electracoyote]

A good MIM Jazz can be as nice as a bass can be. I am currently in love with a fretless Sixtieth Anniversary Jazz that does everything I want it too.

True.

I am a big fan of the contemporary MIM's in particular (from about '09 on). Build quality way up, maple board option, nice, nice basses. I have the scratch for MIA, I passed them up for a 2010 MIM Jazz in Olympic White with a maple board, it's in heavy rotation both studio and stage.

 

[theNecatoR]

Short answer: MIM Fender are great Basses and the new ones are built more consistently.

Long: I have had my '97 MIM Jazz since my mother bought it on a pawn shop in Mexico as a gift for me on 2009 for about 250 Euros. It helped me get out of a long lasting depression.
The neck was warped, but usable and since then it has got new electronics (60's pickups, fender concentric pots) and a new china neck. The new neck was not great and I'm buying a new fretless one soon.
I agree with david, as long as you get a healthy neck, you are good. I recorded our band's demo with it in its ORIGINAL state and it was a great sounding Bass, beside its 15 years.
To be clear, it didn't "need" to be upgraded, It just sounded fine as it was.
The only original thing left is the body. That body I love, the sunburst finish has been battered, but it is a one pice body, not two or three woods glued together. Also it still has sentimental value to me, so I'm keeping it.

 

[Nedmundo]

I have a 2010 MIM Standard Jazz I bought used, and it really is a solid, totally gig-worthy instrument, as many MIM Standards are these days. I installed a Gotoh 201 bridge and the pickups from my 2003 American Series Jazz, which greatly improved the tone IMO. It sounds fantastic. I wasn't crazy about the stock pickups. Compared to my U.S. made basses, the biggest difference is the neck, for both playability and rigidity. My U.S. Fenders and G&L basses have better playability and much more solid feeling necks, especially the G&L's with quartersawn necks.

 

[jtm3183]

You shouldn't need to pay a lot for a Mexican Fender standard jazz, used they are like 300. Older ones aren't worth a ****, but they changed something and the newer ones are very nice, they changed the wood and upgraded them. Look for used instruments though, I just picked up an amazing 2008 american standard jazz bass for $900

 

[Rusty G String]

I have an 08 mim jazz and I love it. I leveled the frets, put in dimarzios, and changed the pickguard and bridge. I'm still only maybe $420 into this bass. I haven't found a Mia I would trade it for, let alone pay 100s more for. My back up is a $100 squier standard with leveled frets. That plays like a dream also. Just needs new pups. The mim jazzes are all different, though. Some feel really poor, others feel great. Play before you pay!! You'll find an excellent one.

 

[RnBass]

I own both American and Mexican fenders and can say that you will be happy with either.
I can tell the difference in feel and sound, but the final decision comes down to your local market cost and your budget.

Play the both first to see if you, and your budget, can justify the difference in cost ...

 

[taosword]

I own both American and Mexican fenders and can say that you will be happy with either.
I can tell the difference in feel and sound, but the final decision comes down to your local market cost and your budget.

Play the both first to see if you, and your budget, can justify the difference in cost ...

I believe that the sound that the audience in the club hears from any of the above mentioned jazz basses may be more determined by the style and experience of the player and how they use dynamics, and how they eq their bass, their amp, and if they run through the board to the pa and how the sound man eqs the pa speakers, and of course the bass speakers and acoustics of the room. If all those things are adjusted well, a good player can make the cheapest Squire jazz bass with good strings sound great.