Shabbs Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Hi Has anyone had experience of the Fender Made in China basses, if so what was the quality like? Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 yes got a musicmaster made in china all ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 I have had two Chinese made Squiers and both were very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikkoantt Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 I've got a Modern Player Jazz Bass 4 in matte white. Workmanship is excellent and bridge and pickups are good quality parts. Bridge actually is like BadAss II. On my bass's only bad component was tuners. I have added J-Retro to my bass and now it's a workhorse for many styles of music. I think that quality is somehow better than most mexican builts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 I've found similar as above. Pretty much quality parts, assembled well. Tuners leave a little more to be desired but again depends if you are really bothered about them being a little loose/stiff/jittery which is nothing typical of some other basses or a more weighted background. Neck pockets are nice and tight, although the neck finish for me is what let them down. However considering the price I would much rather invest in a Squier, more bang for buck. In all good instruments, but I'd spend my money else where unless I really wanted a modern player or one of those semi hollows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Not a bass, but my Chinese modern player Marauder is a fabulous instrument, built, and especially finished, to a very high standard. Easily a match for my Japanese Fenders, and the best set up I've had from any guitar, ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shabbs Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 It's a [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Modern Player I'm looking at, not sure why you would look downwards to a Squier [/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 (edited) I have a Modern Player Jazz. Love the tone, the Finish on the neck and body is beautiful. Electronics and shielding are great. It's fairly heavy though! I am also getting the nut replaced on mine. Careful on ordering the sunburst model, they look horrible as many are made out of 3 pieces of wood or more. I had to look through about 5/6 in real life before I found one that looked good enough. (Two piece). The tuners on mine are absolutely fine. Edited December 28, 2014 by Shockwave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Schoen Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I have a Modern Player Telecaster bass, no complaints about fit and finish. A very good bass. People are often prone to think that all Chinese products are of inferior quality, they seem to forget that all iPhones are made in China too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Folk also forget the Chinese build to a set price. If a company buys a £20 bass from China and sell it for £200,it's not the Chinese factory at fault. Having 6 Chinese built basses myself they can build great basses when given the chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazgoldstar Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I have two Modern Player basses - a Jazz and a Telecaster. Both are terrific instruments. The only criticism I could think of when reading this thread is that the MP Telecaster's back pickup pole pieces are not aligned correctly. It looks like it is the same as the front pu and thus doesn't line up nicely with the E string resulting in a slightly unbalanced sound. I love the front pu so much though that I generally don't mind. The butterscotch finish is a bit odd too. The Jazz on the otherhand... I had to get a back up bass for a large project in Paris I was involved in a couple of years ago and ended up getting the MP Jazz. Initially due to the fact I was using a midi bass setup (GR55) I was only looking for a nice feeling bass and not too bothered about the sound as all the sounds were coming from the GR55. I went to a large music shop and the first bass that caught my eye was this black MP Jazz. I checked the headstock and noticed that it was made in China and to my shame I didn't even pick it up. I then tried out a few MIM Jazz basses which were all shocking and horrible, then thinking I was going to have to up my budget, I looked at a few U.S. standard Jazzes which I thought exhibited the same lack of cohesion as the MIMs. The chap in the shop urged me to take another look at the Modern Player. I picked it up and it was instant love. The thing had mojo, it spoke to me! I don't know if this particular one was better than normal ones but I ended up taking it back to Paris with me. I felt ashamed that my prejudice had prevented me from trying it in the first place. As result of getting that Jazz I went out and got the Tele after I returned from France. That very same bass has now travelled the world with me playing big gigs with Karl Hyde/Underworld. It was my first choice for that project (from a choice of 12 quality basses) and has performed flawlessly. It has survived all kinds of touring hazards such as long haul flights, different altitudes and humidities (Far East touring) and as for the tuners? The bass was always totally stable and I have had no issue whatsoever with any of the hardware. A great bass that I can heartily recommend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacey Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 (edited) Repaired a jaguar that the strap button would not stay in no matter what screw was used, even a 3 inch chipboard screw would not stay in. The wood looked to have been tampered to give it a hard finish, but underneath it was like balsa wood and it had to be honed out and filled with epoxy wood resin and then drilled to get the strap button to stay. Most unusual circumstance. I guess in China anything goes as long as it looks good. My personal opinion added to this is putting Fender on Chinese made instruments has lowered the brand to budget instrument from what once was Kudos instrument status. Edited December 28, 2014 by spacey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 [quote name='spacey' timestamp='1419772562' post='2642569'] Repaired a jaguar that the strap button would not stay in no matter what screw was used, even a 3 inch chipboard screw would not stay in. The wood looked to have been tampered to give it a hard finish, but underneath it was like balsa wood and it had to be honed out and filled with epoxy wood resin and then drilled to get the strap button to stay. Most unusual circumstance. I guess in China anything goes as long as it looks good. My personal opinion added to this is putting Fender on Chinese made instruments has lowered the brand to budget instrument from what once was Kudos instrument status. [/quote] I've seen exactly that problem on a USA Fender. It needed a coach screw and Araldite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1419782611' post='2642659'] I've seen exactly that problem on a USA Fender. It needed a coach screw and Araldite. [/quote] Yep same happened to me. Some cuts of alder can be really soft too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weststarx Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I had a Fender Dimension Bass Made in China... I thought overall quality was fantastic for £300 and you get the fender logo, but the pickup on it I personally thought was pretty awful. But I guess I just didnt like the tone/sound. Everything was solid as rocks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I tried a Fender Dimension at andertons. Jack socket was falling out but it was a very light bass! Tones were interesting as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlungerModerno Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 [quote name='John Schoen' timestamp='1419748826' post='2642353'] I have a Modern Player Telecaster bass, no complaints about fit and finish. A very good bass. People are often prone to think that all Chinese products are of inferior quality, they seem to forget that all iPhones are made in China too. [/quote] +1 - I had a telebass - my only issue was the output jack (minor issue - kept gradually coming loose) and the weight. Chinese products are no different to any others - good, medium, and bad quality are around if you look for it... the question of how business is done in different parts of the world: both workers conditions and business practices are a pretty different question - which I know less about. I'd be mindful of how the used prices will hold in the future - Non US fenders will always underperform (often undeservedly so). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 [quote name='spacey' timestamp='1419772562' post='2642569'] My personal opinion added to this is putting Fender on Chinese made instruments has lowered the brand to budget instrument from what once was Kudos instrument status. [/quote] I don't think having Fender on the headstock has been any guarantee of quality well before they started manufacture in other regions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Have a Kingman acoustic bass. The only criticism is the nut (easily replaced). Fine bass otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umpdv5000 Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 The Chinese turn out some excellent products as well as poor stuff. There are good and bad tradesmen all over the world. However, irrespective of how good or bad the tradesmen are of China, when it comes to the quality of wood used at Fender China, it is markedly different to that used in Fender US and Japan. Choice wood makes a big difference when it comes to natural body sustain and the reduction of muddy overtones. Fender would never allow a subsiduary / cheaper manufacturing outlet to use high end wood, as this would devalue the US models (same applies with Epiphone by Gibson). It stands to reason that a company would be foolhardy to manufacture and sell cheaper the same standard of product, it would be cutting their own throat. My experience as a luther is that if you are happy to live with the wood quality, you can get a good basic guitar from these far eastern lands, but they usually need a few finishing refinements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great harry Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I have a modern player jazz and can't fault it. It is nearly two years old now and no problems so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 (edited) [quote name='great harry' timestamp='1420015790' post='2644780'] I have a modern player jazz and can't fault it. It is nearly two years old now and no problems so far. [/quote] I'm quite interested in the modern player jazz mainly because of the versatility of the different pickup configurations. I really like the idea of covering the 3 main food groups (precision / jazz / stingray) with just a couple of basses. I have the p bass covered and I'm guessing this should do the standard jazz sound with both coils tapped but is it possible to get anywhere near at all to a stingray tone with the bridge humbucker solo'd? Edited December 31, 2014 by Painy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus x-1 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Heres mine, not sure about Stingray tones, but the Jazz AND Precision tones are wonderfull. Mine sounds like a Turbo Precision with both pickups on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Oh dear. I thought my new p bass (p/j to be more precise) would keep the gas at bay for a while but I think I might have a fresh attack coming on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theyellowcar Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 [quote name='Cygnus x-1' timestamp='1420021711' post='2644856'] Heres mine, not sure about Stingray tones, but the Jazz AND Precision tones are wonderfull. Mine sounds like a Turbo Precision with both pickups on. [/quote] Wow. Love that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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