Prime_BASS

Mines due for a good clean and a setup. The warmer weather cuasing slack on the trussrod.

The OP made a very general generalisation. MIA and MIJ are not made of the same components. MIJ basses are made to fender specification using Japanese parts, cracking open a MIJ fender you'll clearly see "japan" on the pots and such. Which you don't see on MIA cause they are US parts. This will cause a significant price increase, along with the fact that some models now days come with some kind of special pickup. Then adding the shipping and the like. Anyway, I'm not fussed. I'm more of a Musicman fellow these days.

They already do tube fronted heads that are 500w at 4ohm and wiegh half of this.

[quote name='tarcher' post='1155600' date='Mar 9 2011, 05:17 PM']Must say part of the attraction of the Jag is its look. They just look so nice and a bit different to the general run of the mill basses out there. The Big Al is quite a different looking guitar and it packs quite a price as well.At over £1700 I would be expecting certain other pleasures from playing it besides sounding nice. Referring to the pickups I've never come across any derogatory remarks about Fender jazz pickups ,be they American or Japanese,in fact the sound from the jag in passive leaves my MIA jazz in the shade.[/quote] I'm not paying £1700 for mind when it arrives, and another big al buyer paid around £1300 with a 10% discount. Plus it's a higher quality machine and is rather more complicated. I only compare the Jag and the Big Al as they both are passive/active, with an actual Tone control at 250K. Both do a jazz sound (However like I said in previous post the Big al does a good impression, back pickup in passive gives plenty of jazz bark with famous EBMM fatness, I won't go further into it as I'll typing all night) also on both the looks are considered modern but classic at the same time. They also say in promo material that in series the Jag sounds like a precision. Which just isn't the case, you just get a low mid boost, coupled with the ceramic pups is a bit bad. More on pickups later. The Big al again does do a goo impression as you can have a single coil in the mid on it's own, but again it doesn't seem to loose it's own character. My thing on the PUPs on the jag, it wasn't weAther they were US, jap or home-made. It's the magnets. Ceramic is apparently smoother than Alnico, but if you ignore sales talk you can here a slight lack of highs, an a little more low mids. Alnico are apparently more aggressive not so true, output gives you more "aggression" what you get is a little more mids and the highs you loose with ceramic. I purposely chose fenders alnico 60s pickups as they had a lower output which for one reason or another isn't popular, just because I prefer the more flatter tone from the alnico magnets and the lower output doesn't mean they sound weak you just dont get that over powering thump you get from some pickups. Still I feel it could of been so much more. After playing SUB, that was RRP for around £700 (same as the jag and weirdly resells for around the same price as a jag) the construction, quality and sound was so much more for the same price. Don't get me wrong I did like it but after playing that SUB and then going for the stingray and now the BigAl £700 for the Jag is a bit of a robbery. For me anyway, as always fender gave it a good shot, but someone has done a better job. I intend to do a intense review o the Big Al when it arrives!!!

My 'Ray. Unless I could get the same exact one but made in march 1990.

The RRP was a bit ridiculous for what it was, re-sale value was crap. Took me ages to get shot of mine. Although it's playabilty was great, reasonably light, it was just let down by cheap electronics which due to it's over complicated switch arrangement was not worth the hassle to upgrade. Preamps are usually a cut a stick kinda thing but with the Jag I attempted it, got lost and gave up. It came to life a bit with some quality pickups, and it's a great alternative for a jazz bass that looks different and is lighter. Also there are better examples of do-it-all basses that really do it all and still be themselves, the BigAl SSS for example.

I'm sure I ordered around the same time as you, which is even more confusing. I guess waiting all this time, then being told I may have to wait a further few months is a bit demoralising. I hope you enjoy it once you get it. The only worry I have is living with the thinner neck, since I'm so used to my chunky ray neck.

I'm a bit peed as I had to send quiet a few emails before I got a reply aswell, but it not being on the shipment isn't the BassMerchants fault. As far as I can see there is no reason why it wouldn't be on there. I was looking forward to using it with my new Super12T

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1153555' date='Mar 8 2011, 10:59 AM']Ohhh, good timing! My Vintage Sunburst/Tort/Rosewood Big Al 5 SSS is in the UK right now and will be with me from the Bass Merchant on Thursday![/quote] I hate you! Mine wasnt on the shipment !

H ! As long as you know what you are doing it can do a lot more than you think. SSS! Whoop! Still waiting on my Big Al4

I'll back that last comment. Also a lot can be done with any bass and the right EQ.

Go to a shop and measure one? Instead of doing guess work.

No mids on a SUB? There isn't as much as a stingray, granted. But there should be loads of mids still there due to pickup position and they arnt nasal and bass-less like some jazz basses sound on the bridge a lone. My guess is you need to try it flat with your t.c stuff with the tube tone off. Then you can get an idea of if there's anything wrong with it. If it's got the 2 band EQ then you should understand how it works. There are a few different variations, and on the SUB I think the bass is boost only and the treble is Cut and Boost. Also if you still feel there is a lack of mids, a pickup change or re-wire arnt going to help that much. Series wiring only gives you a boost in the low mids and a loss of treble and a possible small volume boost. You'd be better of changing the pre-amp to one with a mid control, it adds an extra dimension to the sound, and obviously if you need more mids you can boost them. Also the reason why people say the SUB 5 sounds more a ray than the Stingray 5(of the past) is that its pickup was alnico and the preamp was a stingray 4 preamp. Where as the Stingray 5s back then came with a ceramic pickup and the pre-amp from the Sterling series.

If you wanted the best compromise on lightweight, volume, sound Then I'd suggest a Barefaced Midget with a Markbass LM3 or 2. The markbass heads SS preamp is pretty warm and you can EQ out some high mid and treble to get a warmer sound, depends on your needs though. I have a similar setup, I think it's great.

Yeah should be due. I was told febuary delivery, but it's March now. Looking forward to getting my Mits on it still.

[quote name='Ant' post='1103185' date='Jan 26 2011, 09:11 AM']with the bddi you've really got to crank the presence knob, i can't remember what freq it boosts but i remember it not being too far off 1khz (it was higher though, so a bit too harsh) the para drive sansamp thing might be a better option? it has a sweepable mid freq available, i think that's the key, the 1khz super boost! and some drive[/quote] I had the Para driver for a while. Very useful tool but in this sense its drive option changed the character to much for me... My local store says it stocks that fulltone bass drive so I'm gonna go down and check it out with my bass.

I'll look into that pearce thing. I do love me some MCM.

I've only really played with grindy bass sounds. And the best sounding pedal to that I've used is the EHX Big Muff. However, I'm after a overdrive grind. In particular, Takeshi Ueda's sound from Mad Capsule Markets. The drive on the OSC-DIS album is what I'm really after. I feel rather limited in what's available locally. I was also wondering how much playing with a pick on a P bass would make a difference to the overall sound, since I play with fingers on a ray. Thanks Stepheb

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1099374' date='Jan 23 2011, 10:16 AM']Barefaced compact T A 1x15 with a tweeter, under £500, will be lighter and louder than any single 1x12 I use a single midget. In 80% of situations it's plenty loud enough.[/quote] I got confused at some point. There is either compact, midget or midget T. Either way they will no doubt be lighter, louder and cheaper than most.

[quote name='Soliloquy' post='1098882' date='Jan 22 2011, 05:29 PM']£500 per cab I guess.[/quote] Barefaced compact T A 1x15 with a tweeter, under £500, will be lighter and louder than any single 1x12 I use a single midget. In 80% of situations it's plenty loud enough.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1093450' date='Jan 18 2011, 08:10 AM']Over on talkbass someone posted the estimated price and it's about the same as the current Ray34, maybe about £50 higher but I guess it depends on where you get it from. I put a Nordstrand in my old Ray34 and while it's a nice pup I felt it took some of the character away so this time I'm sticking to the stock pup.[/quote] I don't see it being any much more expensive than the current ray34. Or is a case it of less is more?

I have mine coming in Feb. I can't wait. I had to buy one once I tried my friends out. I asked about roasted necks....