Fender - I love your basses, but why so sloppy?

[Clarky72]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1382615882' post='2254411']
It would be fantastic if they released a non-plate Jazz, with an option of the control plate, in some awesome colours, and not charge custom prices.

Mind you, we all wanted a USA P/J, and they have answered this, in a very expensive way!
[/quote]

Just get hold of an 80s Jazz Special... fantastic feel and sound, nice price too!

[discreet]

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1382602868' post='2254101']
I thought only MiMs were like that under the covers
[/quote]

That's what I thought. Definitely looks Mexican to me.

[Clarky72]

Nope, sadly many US ones come like this...

[KiOgon]

[quote name='bh2' timestamp='1382606703' post='2254184']
I first saw that routing on an expensive RI and thought WTF?

I really don't know why fender do that on these.

The CV Squier has the same... pity.
[/quote]None of my RI's have that sort of routing or holes, in fact they are very nicely finished everywhere, some even get a 'personal touch' like the originals, eg; a piece of masking tape in the cavity with the Signature of the lady that wound the pick up coils
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/kjon51/media/Fender%2057%20Precision%20Bass%20American%20Vintage/030520121388.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/kjon51/Fender%2057%20Precision%20Bass%20American%20Vintage/030520121388.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[Dingus]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1382600600' post='2254065']
There won't be any "Jaco action" going on anyway - it's got frets.
[/quote]

Actually , Jaco played a fretted bass quite a lot of the time , despite his reputation as a fretless maestro, and a lot of track people think he is playing fretless on , like Teen Town for example , are in fact fretted bass.

[bh2]

Go into any music store and ask them to remove the scratchplate so you could have a butchers and they would just laugh in your face... they just don't get it anymore... like fender.

[White Cloud]

As has already been stated here...this is, in my opinion, a sh*tty cost/time cutting routing job. The perils of mass production on a massive scale. When you consider that the work is carried out by a cnc machine then it makes little sense as to rout the cavities accurately would take the machine all of a few seconds more.

I'm not of the opinion that this makes that particular instrument necessarily bad, but it has tarnished it to a degree with the OP.

I am not a Fender basher...I love good Fenders - but dislike bad ones.

[martthebass]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1382615882' post='2254411']
It would be fantastic if they released a non-plate Jazz, with an option of the control plate, in some awesome colours, and not charge custom prices.

Mind you, we all wanted a USA P/J, and they have answered this, in a very expensive way!
[/quote]

Sounds like youre reading from the FMIC 2014 Business plan....

[Lowender]

That's a MIM mate. The Americans don't have the open cavity. The Mexi's in general are a low end instrument IMO. The Squier CV's are superior.

[AntLockyer]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1382711266' post='2255782']
That's a MIM mate. The Americans don't have the open cavity. The Mexi's in general are a low end instrument IMO. The Squier CV's are superior.
[/quote]

Sorry but you are incorrect.

http://www.fender.com/necks-bodies/jazz-bass-bodies/usa-jazz-bass-alder-body-modern-bridge-mount-3-color-sunburst/

[ras52]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1382615882' post='2254411']
It would be fantastic if they released a non-plate Jazz, with an option of the control plate, in some awesome colours, and not charge custom prices.
[/quote]

G&L JB-2

Sorted.

[gjones]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1382711266' post='2255782']
That's a MIM mate. The Americans don't have the open cavity. The Mexi's in general are a low end instrument IMO. The Squier CV's are superior.
[/quote]

Weirdly no. US Jazzes are routed like that apparently. [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/c/948/bodies-necks/bodies/jazz-bass-bodies/"]http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/c/948/bodies-necks/bodies/jazz-bass-bodies/[/url]

[KiOgon]

From StringsDirect, as above^ with the router hole it's a Mex! The American bodies don't have the hole
[url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/p/920397/fender-mexican-alder-jazz-bass-body-brown-sunburst/"]http://www.stringsdi...brown-sunburst/[/url]

Edited October 25, 2013 by KiOgon

[artisan]

My 2006 MIA standard Jazz was routed exactly the same as the O'P's.
Luckily i no longer own it

[EssentialTension]

If you don't like how it looks then don't take the cover off. Or buy something else.

[Lowender]

Something's fishy. I've never seen an American that was open and don't know why they'd have a "few" that way. The reason for the open cavity is it makes it a little easier and faster (less "hands on") to work on the guts.

I've had Mexi's and Squiers and they all have open cavities. I just checked my 2011 MIA and yep, it's closed. So...

Edited October 25, 2013 by Lowender

[gjones]

On the stratosphere ebay site some USA bodies are the same as the OP's and some aren't? Very confusing.

This is a 2013 standard USA body [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-Fender-American-Standard-Jazz-BASS-BODY-HARDWARE-J-3-Color-Sunburst-/141079085779?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item20d8f802d3"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item20d8f802d3[/url]

Edited October 25, 2013 by gjones

[Lowender]

Could it be the new ones are open? it's funny, from 2010 to 2012 the Fender J's have been outstanding. But all the 2013's I've played were both lighter in weight and more "shallow" sounding -- in spite of them using "custom shop" pups.

Could this be the reason???

[BigRedX]

If it wasn't for the fact that a well known bass player mentioned earlier in this thread took the scratch plate off his Jazz Bass in the 70s and it didn't look crap underneath, no one would be the slightest bit surprised by the photo in the OP.

[JTUK]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1382716246' post='2255880']
If you don't like how it looks then don't take the cover off. Or buy something else.
[/quote]

well, there is that, of course... but I think it is sh*t* practice....cheap and shoddy, IMO.

[Lowender]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1382718628' post='2255930']
If it wasn't for the fact that a well known bass player mentioned earlier in this thread took the scratch plate off his Jazz Bass in the 70s and it didn't look crap underneath, no one would be the slightest bit surprised by the photo in the OP.
[/quote]

I didn't read that post. I just saw that he said American and saw the open cavity, which is not American -- not until 2013 apparently.

Edited October 25, 2013 by Lowender

[KevB]

So what is the round hole in the lower horn for and does this now not differentiate MIM from US like it seemed to do at one time?

[Lowender]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1382732963' post='2256167']
So what is the round hole in the lower horn for and does this now not differentiate MIM from US like it seemed to do at one time?
[/quote]

As mentioned, I believe it's so a machine can just drop the wiring in there, whereas with the American, they need humans to thread the wires through. Some may say it doesn't matter, but it may be one of several things that makes the MIM decidedly inferior.

[sblueplanet]

No routing issues if you by a jap Fender. Both my RI62 Jazzes and my RI57 P bass have no unecessary holes under the guards.

[mickster]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1382732516' post='2256164']
I didn't read that post. I just saw that he said American and saw the open cavity, which is not American -- not until 2013 apparently.
[/quote]

I have a 2011 US standard Jazz (bought 2nd hand) and a 2012 US standard P (bought new) and they're both routed as per the OP, including the CNC-locator hold / stash receptacle. It does seem like this could be easily improved on by Fender to give people the option; though personally I think the Jaco sans-guard thing looks crap so I can live with it.

Edited October 25, 2013 by mickster