Fender Flea Signature Jazz Bass

[King Tut]

Well I'm pleased to say I got a good one. I did two gigs with it this weekend, and without a doubt it's the best Jazz Bass I've owned.

Does anyone know whether the pickups are the same as those in the AVRI 64 reissue?

What are people's thoughts on drilling the holes for the covers and thumbrest - is this likely to devalue any future resale or affect potential collectivity should they someday obtain collector's item status?

[karlfer]

[quote name='King Tut' timestamp='1469994625' post='3102584']
Well I'm pleased to say I got a good one. I did two gigs with it this weekend, and without a doubt it's the best Jazz Bass I've owned.

Does anyone know whether the pickups are the same as those in the AVRI 64 reissue?

What are people's thoughts on drilling the holes for the covers and thumbrest - is this likely to devalue any future resale or affect potential collectivity should they someday obtain collector's item status?
[/quote]

I really wouldn't worry about this ltd ed/collectors stuff Tut. The Geddy amd Marcus were ltd runs in 1998 and they are still making them, albeit in Mexico now.

[Musicman20]

Well, still extremely happy with mine. Tried more of the neck pickup on it's own last night. I was just basically coming up with a few ideas and recording them, but through my Streamliner and RS210, this bass sounds absolutely fantastic.

There must be a little more thickness on the neck or something; I find it very comfortable.

The neck pickup is the chunkiest most P bass tone I've experienced on a Jazz before.

It still feels relatively light.

Edited August 1, 2016 by Musicman20

[Sound&Fury]

A question for the fellow Flea owners re the aging of the pickguard.
Is everyone's pickguard aged as strong as the one in this picture below?

To be clear: this is a shot from an online store. It's not my bass and actually, in comparison, my pickguard looks quite shiny and new (unfortunately)

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Sound&Fury' timestamp='1470068168' post='3103039']
To be clear: this is a shot from an online store. It's not my bass and actually, in comparison, my pickguard looks quite shiny and new [/quote]

Well, I hope your E string is better positioned than that one!

[Sound&Fury]

Luckily it is.
Although in fact there is a bit of a difference between the positioning of the strings on neck and the bridge pup. Don't know if this is a real issue or not, as it's the first jazz I own and I read a lot of different opinions about this.

Here's a pic of the pickguard and the pup's on my bass.

[King Tut]

[quote name='Sound&Fury' timestamp='1470068168' post='3103039']
A question for the fellow Flea owners re the aging of the pickguard.
Is everyone's pickguard aged as strong as the one in this picture below?

To be clear: this is a shot from an online store. It's not my bass and actually, in comparison, my pickguard looks quite shiny and new (unfortunately)
[/quote]

Mine looked like that but only because it was covered in some kind of dust - I could imagine a pile of them stacked in the room they were doing the relicing!

The dust cleaned off just leaving it looking a bit lacklustre - which i guess is deliberate?

[Musicman20]

Mine does look fairly reliced.

Re: string spacing - can move it on the bridge!

[Schnozzalee]

22 pages about that...

[mcnach]

[quote name='Schnozzalee' timestamp='1470081471' post='3103194']
22 pages about that...
[/quote]

... but finally, you're here!

[Chiliwailer]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1470098967' post='3103292']


Look, you really don't need this bass Daniel. It doesn't match your carpet or anything. Just sell it to me and be done with it already
[/quote]

But we've got wooden floors now

If my cash flow goes tits up again then you'll be the first to know my friend, otherwise she's staying put and is grounded indefinitely

[Musicman20]

I would love a Modulus. I wish they would go back into production...

[MattM]

Why not buy a 2EQ Ray and stick a Status neck on there? £700-800 ish for the Ray, £300ish for the neck, much cheaper than a Modulus, better looking and true to Fleas sound any ways?

[bakerster135]

[quote name='Sound&Fury' timestamp='1470070872' post='3103063']
Luckily it is.
Although in fact there is a bit of a difference between the positioning of the strings on neck and the bridge pup. Don't know if this is a real issue or not, as it's the first jazz I own and I read a lot of different opinions about this.
[/quote]

This has been the case with every threaded saddle BBOT bridge Jazz Bass that I've seen or own(ed). Not at all unusual, and makes absolutely no sonic difference, but it might nag at one's OCD a bit! ;-)

[rhcp128]

They did, but their prices went up as well The cheapest funk unlimited will set you back $4200 (+VAT and import duties and the lovely exchange rate)

[Musicman20]

Yeah bit much!

[walshy]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1470125729' post='3103339']
I would love a Modulus. I wish they would go back into production...
[/quote]

They have, Bass Centre in the USA are behind it, they sell the Lane Poor Legacy pick ups too! bought my Flea pink sparkle off Joe Perman Modulus build guru and its epic! Mind my black one is pretty sweet too 😉

[Sound&Fury]

[quote name='bakerster135' timestamp='1470135627' post='3103450']
This has been the case with every threaded saddle BBOT bridge Jazz Bass that I've seen or own(ed). Not at all unusual, and makes absolutely no sonic difference, but it might nag at one's OCD a bit! ;-)
[/quote]

[font=arial, sans-serif]After years of buying second hand amps, basses, pedals - both in person or shipped without testing them - this bass indeed seriously nags my OCD! [/font]
[font=arial, sans-serif]
Ah, the irony of buying a new reliced instrument...[/font][font=arial, sans-serif]
I'm in love with it though.[/font]
[font=arial, sans-serif]
Thanks for chiming in everyone![/font]

[Beedster]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1470125729' post='3103339']
I would love a Modulus. I wish they would go back into production...
[/quote]

There's a nice black one VERY cheap in the FS forum......

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1470140293' post='3103508']
I've got both a Stingray with a Status neck and a Modulus Flea and they are completely different animals.
[/quote]

Yep, totally agree, despite the popular idea that Flea switched to Modulus to get a more reliable 'Ray (especially the neck apparently), they are pretty different animals. My graphite necked 'ray was extremely aggressive tonally and was really quite hard to tame. The Modulus, whilst of course doing aggressive very well, is a far more versatile and tameable beast

[Mattmit]

[quote name='maldy' timestamp='1469019953' post='3095126']
So last night I had decided the bass was to go back - I even packed it up ready.

Then this morning the house was empty so I thought I'd have one more try of it. Out it came from the box and it immediately felt good in hand. After a little slap and then some finger style I realised what a great sounding instrument this is. I think I finally got what a great passive tone was. The more I played it the more I realised there was something special about the bass. I was pretty much sure I was now going to keep the bass. I then went to pull out my lead and the below happened :-o


[attachment=223903:image1.JPG][attachment=223904:image2.JPG][attachment=223905:image3.JPG]
[/quote]


If you love the feel and the sound of the bass don't worry about the plate coming off, just get it fixed. Play it with no plate and the jack lead duck taped to the circuit board of if plays and sounds great!

[michele]

I had one of the first (see earlier pages of this thread). Returned it.
Reasons:
It was the perfect bass for making me realize that 13 years after selling my 69 jazz bass and having passed through way too many boutiques 4, 5 and 6 strings, it's time to return to a passive 20 frets 4 string Fender.
£ 900 wasn't a bad price for experimenting with what seemed a nice and fairly decent assembled instrument, especially given the relic nitro finish, the 64 reissue pickups, the stacked knobs layout, and it could even ended up staying if it wasn't for:

1) The finish, which looked totally flat. I'm sorry but, vintage, abused, full-of-mojo finishes don't look that way. There's always something shiny somewhere, and different degrees of matt.. On the Flea it's way mono-dimensional.

2) Speaking of QC and having read here about poor soldering and screws that come off the wood (which makes me wonder about the quality and seasoning of said wood) I'll throw mine... bridge pickup was screwed in while it was aligned against the top side of the pickup slot. As a result the "room" that was supposed to surround the pickup ended up all in the lower part of the slot (sorry guys, can't explain better in English). That made impossible to center the G string between the poles of the bridge pickup, despite the threaded bridge saddles.

So I returned it and bought an AVRI 64 Jazz which should be here in a couple of days. I've owned an AVRI 62 P bass in the past and I'm still kicking myself for having let it go, so I'm pretty confident it should be what I'm looking for in terms of quality.
That said, the Flea weighed and balanced nicely, had a really nice neck and sounded pretty good too. It's a nice bass for the money but you better try it in person or buy blindfolded from a shop with a good return policy.
Ah, Fender ... you better fire the guy that performed the setup on that particular bass and hire me. It took me three days and a total of two full turns on the trussrod to straighten that banana neck that left the factory. Now the guy that will buy it will benefit from a 0.25 mm relief, a 1.25 mm action and a lemon oiled fingerboard courtesy of me!

Edited August 3, 2016 by michele

[spacecowboy]

[quote name='michele' timestamp='1470259112' post='3104630']
It took me three days and a total of two full turns on the trussrod to straighten that banana neck that left the factory. Now the guy that will buy it will benefit from a 0.25 mm relief, a 1.25 mm action and a lemon oiled fingerboard courtesy of me!
[/quote]

I hear that! Mine is off to be setup tomorrow, I have already done a full turn and a bit on the trussrod and really don't want to crank it anymore, my action is definitely almost where i want it, approx. 1.25mm like yours but I can't stop the buzz in the A and D strings between the 13th to 18th fret range, the G and E strings are very low at 1.25mm and every note rings true, the 19th and 20th frets on the A and D when lowered to 1.25mm height play lovely its just the frets in between the 12th and those that don't play at that height and I'll be the first to put my hands up and say i don't know quite how to fix that, so off to a pro it goes.

As i said before I really like this bass its exactly what i wanted in a jazz, BUT i still don't feel it was worth £882, I wouldn't have paid the £949 they seem to be retailing for now and if they push the price up again after that batch they're quite frankly taking the pish.

Edited August 4, 2016 by spacecowboy

[Musicman20]

I've only tuned mine once and it's been perfect. No setup at all. Bit of fret but I can live with it.

[Rich]

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1468778132' post='3093260']
It would appear the Flea sig is the new [s]Maruszcyk[/s] Sue Ryder!
[/quote]
Fixed (for those with long memories )

[King Tut]

I had to put quite a bit of tension into my trussrod over a couple of days to get it right bit no other set up issues. 1.25 mm seems an extremely low action. At what fret was that measured?