Maine Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I went into PMT Northampton today and tried a US Jazz for the first time. And wow, I really liked it! It was the first time I've done a direct comparison of a P and a J, and I definitely prefer the Jazz. Has anyone got the new 2008 Standard yet? If I'm going to buy one of these I would rather hold out for the newest one, if only 'cos I like the colour of the blue/grey solid one :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Nope, I ain't got one....but I NEED one, really bad, they look gorgeous. I really do need the Olympic White with Rosewood board.....this is evil GAS.......seriously considering selling two basses to get one of those beauties....I can't cope PORN. [url="http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0190660705"]http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0190660705[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty589 Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I had a good play on one in the Gallery and was distinctly underwhelmed. Cold sounding, like a cheaper copy. Neck looked very ordinary, fingerboard dark rosewood with almost no grain - reminded me of cheap copies that used random hardwoods and stained them darker to look like rosewood! No better than a Highway One IMHO - which were being knocked out at £300 less. Bearing in mind a Sadowsky Metro is about £300 more than the standard (and you can get a tasty Lakland Skyline Joe Osborn with passive Lindy Fralins for the same price), the Fender is not good value for money. If I had to buy another Fender sub-£1000 I'd get the Japanese Geddy Lee or Marcus Miller - played them at the same time and they had much more feel and life. They both looked sharp too! Of course the standard could just have been a duff one but the fit and finish wasn't even that good either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ednaplate Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 There is a red jazz in Harker & Howarths in Bolton that looks lovely head on but when you turn it to the light it shows up a very iffy paint job. Could be a one off but it's the first one I'd seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Jase' post='178633' date='Apr 17 2008, 10:25 AM']Nope, I ain't got one....but I NEED one, really bad, they look gorgeous. I really do need the Olympic White with Rosewood board.....this is evil GAS.......seriously considering selling two basses to get one of those beauties....I can't cope PORN. [url="http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0190660705"]http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0190660705[/url][/quote] I know what you mean, i've wanted a MIM jazz in olympic white for ages simply because they age SO well... [quote name='matty589' post='180208' date='Apr 18 2008, 11:03 PM']I had a good play on one in the Gallery and was distinctly underwhelmed. Cold sounding, like a cheaper copy. Neck looked very ordinary, fingerboard dark rosewood with almost no grain - reminded me of cheap copies that used random hardwoods and stained them darker to look like rosewood! No better than a Highway One IMHO - which were being knocked out at £300 less. Bearing in mind a Sadowsky Metro is about £300 more than the standard (and you can get a tasty Lakland Skyline Joe Osborn with passive Lindy Fralins for the same price), the Fender is not good value for money. If I had to buy another Fender sub-£1000 I'd get the Japanese Geddy Lee or Marcus Miller - played them at the same time and they had much more feel and life. They both looked sharp too! Of course the standard could just have been a duff one but the fit and finish wasn't even that good either.[/quote] Yeah i'd have a geddy over an MIA standard jazz any day of the week Edited April 18, 2008 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tut Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I recently bought an S1 sunburst Jazz off of flanker and I've got to say it's one of the nicest basses I've ever owned. Everything is just perfect finish wise. I love the S1 - gives me the best of both worlds - the neck finish - kind of a plasticky satin is hugely comfortable. I reckon the neck will be pretty stable due to the graphite rods, the bridge is more substantial than those of olde, and it's overall just.....nice. Not sure why they did away with the S1 on jazzes - ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 fenders are funny. I tried a S1 p a while ago in the shop and it was nothing to write home about. The only selling points were the words on the headstock. I really think that i I had had to buy a bass that day i woul have gone for the squier over the MIA fender. For the extra price the thing had no soul. quantifiable thing 'soul' on a bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tut Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 I thoroughly agree. i went into a shop about 8 or 9 years ago with £800 to spend on a new US precision. Tried 3 of them and walked out with a mex precision. One of my favourite current gigging basses is also a mex precision. Basses really are a sum of their parts and not about the country of origin - although there are features on US fenders that 'should' make them better - graphite reinforced neck, better sounding pups, more substantial bridge/body through stringing - doesn't always work that way though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRISDABASS Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 [quote name='King Tut' post='180253' date='Apr 19 2008, 12:47 AM']I recently bought an S1 sunburst Jazz off of flanker and I've got to say it's one of the nicest basses I've ever owned. Everything is just perfect finish wise. I love the S1 - gives me the best of both worlds - the neck finish - kind of a plasticky satin is hugely comfortable. I reckon the neck will be pretty stable due to the graphite rods, the bridge is more substantial than those of olde, and it's overall just.....nice. Not sure why they did away with the S1 on jazzes - ideas?[/quote] i agree with that!! my S1 that i bought from artisan is awesome!! beautiful neck and lovely finished body! its the best ive played!! fenders are a little unpredictable but when you find a good one hold onto it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 (edited) I love the fact that all the magazines are saying the new American standards are some sort of massive change from the last models. They look the same to me! Edited April 19, 2008 by stingrayfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 [quote name='stingrayfan' post='180358' date='Apr 19 2008, 10:25 AM']I love the fact that all the magazines are saying the new American standards are some sort of massive change from the last models. They look the same to me![/quote] Yeah, not much has changed, the S1 obviously has gone, that's a plus in my book. The bridge has a subtle change, it's a high mass vintage style but I get on fine with the bridges before the 2008 model. Machine heads are a little lighter so they say, I still prefer the old classic type, they've also tinted the neck.....just for appearance and something about the finish being thinner to let the wood breath......another.... For me the biggest plus is the long overdue improvement on the case an SKB molded type. Having said that I love Fender basses and would buy one if I had the cash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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