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Jazz Bass up to 2000 pounds!


dudi8
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Play them all. Buy the one you like best.

If on the other hand you won't get the opportunity to play them all, here is my take.

I bought a Sadowsky Metro and have never regretted it. Some people though don't like them too much. In my experience they tend to have a very clean sound that some people find a bit 'generic' or characterless compared to a bass which may have more character/dead spots/fret buzz. The necks on the Metro models are very plain looking as well (especially the maple fingerboards) and lack the figured detail of some basses at a similar price point. Fit and finish is generally outstanding though and if you like the sound and playability though, any 'issues' disappear.

I really like Sandbergs as well. I think that they still have Glockenklang preamps which I find a bit more subtle aand uncoloured than the Sadowsky preamp. I'm not convinced of the 'relic' look of some of the basses, though that is personal taste.

I'd love to try a Mayones as the 24 fret models look really nice.

I have never personally been convinced by active Fender preamps compared to Sandberg, Sadowsky etc. I still love Fenders though and the new American Vintage series are really lovely looking.

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Just throwing it into the mix (as I have one for sale :lol: ) but you could consider a Dingwall Super Jazz.

Has all the feel of a pukka early Fender, fabulous fit and finish of a handmade bass and the fanned fret system.

[URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/warwickhunt/media/100_2405_zpsda20469e.jpg.html][IMG]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g119/warwickhunt/100_2405_zpsda20469e.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Oh and please excuse the finger marks on the bass, I have slapped my wrist and duly given it a wipe/polish! :D

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I was in the same situation a couple of months ago - although my budget was about £1500. I wanted a 4S Jazz, and tried out about 10 or 12 different basses in local shops. MIM Fenders, De Luxes, Specials, Roadworns, Re-issues, Sandbergs... I never tried out any Sadowskys or Laklands, in case GAS got the better of common sense. There is such a wide variety in feel and tone that you really must try out before buying, but that's (of course) not often possible. To cut to the chase, I took a risk by buying blind a Mayones Jabba and although it took me a few weeks to adjust to the slightly wider 'board, I think I have found my modern J-bass. Build is excellent, tonal range is wide and the sustain is uncanny. It's heavy though - cue a comfort strap.

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And don't forget Mike Lull basses. Along with Laklands they are top of the range instruments that don't cost as much as some of the other instruments mentioned.

People who own CS and MB Fenders seem to rave about them, but I'd check out the Lull's and maybe Xotic.

I'd be making my cash go further by looking for a "good as new" used bass.

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[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1376473374' post='2174302']
Commission a custom one!
[/quote]

Or save the effort and waiting by just setting fire to loads of money!

You could, however, pick up someone else's that "wasn't for them" on the second-hand market. With the added bonus that you could try it first and knew what you would end up with.

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[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1376487878' post='2174722']
Or save the effort and waiting by just setting fire to loads of money!
[/quote]

But then you wouldn't have an extremely awesome bass guitar at the end of it? :mellow:

If you go custom, there's 0% chance of you getting something you didn't want. :)

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[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1376488750' post='2174743']


But then you wouldn't have an extremely awesome bass guitar at the end of it? :mellow:

If you go custom, there's 0% chance of you getting something you didn't want. :)
[/quote]

That's (kind of) what I was saying. You might have an awesome bass guitar at the end of it. But there's no guarantee that it'll be the one you were looking for.

If you go custom, you really need to avoid the sort of absolutism that deals in terms like 100% satisfaction. You need to manage your expectations as to what the process will produce.
Luthiers will give you lots of info. Some may be useful, some not, but they can't guarantee that what they'll make you will be exactly what you had in mind.

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[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1376488750' post='2174743']
If you go custom, there's 0% chance of you getting something you didn't want. :)
[/quote]

To be pedantic, going custom means there's 100% chance of getting [i]what you asked for[/i], which may or may not be the same as getting exactly what you [i]wanted. [/i]Personally speaking, I have absolutely no idea what the spec of my ideal bass would be. I'd have no idea where to start.

Going custom is brilliant, so long as you really know what you want. In this specific case the OPs requirements seem to be "jazz bass, four strings". Not really specific enough for custom!

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[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1376430643' post='2174006']
Not a lefty are you? As I understand there's an Alleva-Copollo going cheap at the moment........
[/quote]

Ah, sadly I think you have misunderstood the great man's intentions.

That particular bass is now legendary and will bear a price tag to reflect it's status. :rolleyes: :D

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