Advice Please

[Rustyhornpipe]

Hi Guys,

Looking to swap my Fender USA Jazz (RW) for a jazz with MN and a dark body colour. I love the sound but never really got on with the look (stands out a bit in red) and much prefer maple fretboard.

Anyway, I have it in my head that another fender usa jazz is the only way to go but I am very uneducated about what else is on the market. Any views on alternative jazz style basses or any good fender products (Marcus Miller etc?) looking a budget of about £750.

I play mainly blues/rock with some soul. Play with fingers and pick.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Thanks

[Lozz196]

Try as many as you can in different music shops - and if possible try at least 2 of the same model - and make notes. Then, see if the model you like comes up for sale on here, or even put a post up in the items wanted section.

That said, if everything about the RW is good, aside from body colour, why not get it refinished?

[Rustyhornpipe]

Yeah I was thinking about that but always preferred a maple fret and seems a shame to refinish if I will change anyway eventually. Would like to keep it as original as poss for trade or sale purposes.

Looking at an active but not sure about robustness as gigging loads at mo. any views?

[TRBboy]

+1 try as many basses as you can.

Definitely worth trying a Sandberg California TT of TM if you can get your hands on one!

[White Cloud]

From personal experience I highly recommend you check out Laklands.

My Darryll Jones was superior to any Fender jazz bass I ever owned or played...including some nice vintage models. Lakland also used to do a Joe Osbourne jazz..they were highly regarded also.

Sandberg also do some nice jazz basses as do Sadowsky, but they are a bit pricey.

[Rustyhornpipe]

Thanks Guys,

I will keep an eye out. Being very green on this I was always obsessed by fender but an hour looking through this site indicates that there are similar, if not better, better propositions, in respect of the standard models, to the fender jazz.

I will check out lakelands and sandberg and then see how far my trades get me.

Regards.

[TRBboy]

FWIW, I believe you can buy a brand new Sandberg California for less than a 2012 USA Fender Jazz at the moment.....

[clashcityrocker]

Second hand musicman sterling? If you can find one they are seriously good basses and the thin neck profile will suit you after the jazz. And I think with the 3 band eq and 3 way pick up selector,probably any sound you could want (certainly is enough for me). What I can't work out about fenders is a standard mex jazz is around 500 and the re issues and '60s' jazzes etc go for £300 more,surely worth getting an American special,although they confuse me even more!

[White Cloud]

[quote name='clashcityrocker' timestamp='1356604030' post='1911477']
Second hand musicman sterling? If you can find one they are seriously good basses and the thin neck profile will suit you after the jazz. And I think with the 3 band eq and 3 way pick up selector,probably any sound you could want (certainly is enough for me). What I can't work out about fenders is a standard mex jazz is around 500 and the re issues and '60s' jazzes etc go for £300 more,surely worth getting an American special,although they confuse me even more!
[/quote]

Agree regarding the MM Sterling, great basses.

Fender has really confused the market imo; US models of varied quality and price, Jap models, cheap Mex models, more expensive Mex models, cheap squiers, more expensive Squiers. Just found out that as well as the jap Geddy Lee there is now a Mex Geddy Lee....aaaaaaagh!

Its just ridiculous. Far too many variants on one theme.

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1356534366' post='1910839']
From personal experience I highly recommend you check out Laklands.

My Darryll Jones was superior to any Fender jazz bass I ever owned or played...including some nice vintage models. Lakland also used to do a Joe Osbourne jazz..they were highly regarded also.
[/quote]

+1 for Laklands. I also have a Skyline Series Darryl Jones, and it's exceptional. Pick one up second hand, stick a John East preamp in it (very easy to fit yourself) and you'll have a bass that will knock spots off the vast majority of Fenders, IMO.

[White Cloud]

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1356606520' post='1911516']
+1 for Laklands. I also have a Skyline Series Darryl Jones, and it's exceptional. Pick one up second hand, stick a John East preamp in it (very easy to fit yourself) and you'll have a bass that will knock spots off the vast majority of Fenders, IMO.
[/quote]

I used my Lakland Darryl Jones with an external Sadowsky pre-amp (the same 2 band eq fitted as standard on all Sadowsky basses) and quite honestly it was sublime. I picked up the DJ for £699 preowned and it was the equal of any jazz bass at any price....in my humble opinion!