Fender Flea Signature Jazz Bass

[Beedster]

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1467577410' post='3084680']
You're on it mate, are you getting warmed up for a purchase?
[/quote]

Ha ha, well Dan there's a few things mitigating against that. Firstly it's a Jazz Bass, never been my favourite. Second I haven't got any money. Third hey appear to have sold out everywhere even Thomann. Fourth I've already got a Flea signature bass.

But yes, I'd bloody love one

Very odd that they are available to Europe before the US, with virtually no prior advertising and/or marketing, and in such apparently small numbers? You know Fender well, any thoughts?

[Chiliwailer]

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1467650151' post='3085151']


Ha ha, well Dan there's a few things mitigating against that. Firstly it's a Jazz Bass, never been my favourite. Second I haven't got any money. Third hey appear to have sold out everywhere even Thomann. Fourth I've already got a Flea signature bass.

But yes, I'd bloody love one

Very odd that they are available to Europe before the US, with virtually no prior advertising and/or marketing, and in such apparently small numbers? You know Fender well, any thoughts?
[/quote]

The power of GAS eh?

I'm not sure why fender would do it to be honest, maybe they didn't count on Basschat making them sell out so quickly?

[karlfer]

Mine arrived on Friday but only really tonight I've had the chance to do anything.
Out of the box it was still set up to Fender guide, except the relief which was on 25/1000ths.

So neck off (HATE THAT KIND OF SET UP ) got it right 2nd try. The rest, saddle, intonation, pup height, all nice and easy.
The fretboard seemed pale so that's had 3 lots of lemon.

Tuners are good reverse ones, the neck is, to me C, but a fraction deeper. Very comfortable and fast. Frets chords beautifully.
This bass is very light for a jazz which is a BIG bonus. The question was asked on TB about how thick the body of the bass is. It's the slimmer 1.5 inches.
The feel of the paintwork on the body is good. I've played relics that really felt "grubby" and it was off putting for me.

Couple of tiny issues for me,. The tort plate seemed to have a very stubborn coat of muck on it. Just a bit of elbow grease though.
The vol/tone controls have a washer with a nubbin (lovely word ) that holds the tone rotary where you set it. On the neck pup controls, that washer was bent.

OK, sound. Don't expect a dood review.
Neck pup. Gorgeous. From lovely smooth to rather punchy.
Bridge pup. Little bit weaker but you can easily get from burp to honk.
Very good sounding pups with plenty of beans.
As with a lot of jazzes, put both pups on full and you get the volume drop. I'm not noticing any 50 cycle hum though.

My favourite so far is neck pup, full volume, 1/3 up the tone control. Bridge pup 1/3 vol, 1/3 up the tone control. Great rock sound.
The stacked pots don't give all the tones you could want as they are pre set clicks. I'm sure this was done originally to stop the vol control moving when you move the tone control. I'm thinking of a way round this, but it's just nit picking.

So, a light, versatile, well made, well playing jazz that looks different (your call on good or bad). I know I won't have to worry about cymbals, drunks or roadies with this bass. It is, IMO, a cracking bass at a fair price.
Keeper? Who knows with me? Burgundy Mist and Maple Precision you say

Played about with in 3rd bedroom, not too much vol, Streamliner 900, Barefaced Gen3 Super Twin.

[url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/002_zpsvwcevtnc.jpg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/003_zpsb1aee8e1.jpg.html"][/url]

Edited July 5, 2016 by karlfer

[Beedster]

You don't sound quite as impressed as I was expecting Karl?

[karlfer]

It's a very good bass Chris, with some great features, especially for a Fender in this sort of price bracket. But ultimately, it's a Fender Jazz, so no massive surprises. It's the looks that are different to most jazzes, I guess.

The niggles I have are generic for any Fender stack knob and really I knew about them before I bought it, so not unexpected. With the neck being a tad thicker, I would hope that it's not prone to the neck issues AV 62 RI's were prone to.

The unexpected QC niggles are really very tiny and easily solved.

I guess the most outstanding feature for me is that it's probably the lightest Fender Jazz I've ever owned.

Edited July 5, 2016 by karlfer

[acidbass]

I am guessing those niggles will get to you Karl, so will be keeping an eye on Bass Players Market UK etc

[Beedster]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1467702591' post='3085406']
It's a very good bass Chris, with some great features, especially for a Fender in this sort of price bracket. But ultimately, it's a Fender Jazz, so no massive surprises. It's the looks that are different to most jazzes, I guess.

The niggles I have are generic for any Fender stack knob and really I knew about them before I bought it, so not unexpected. With the neck being a tad thicker, I would hope that it's not prone to the neck issues AV 62 RI's were prone to.

The unexpected QC niggles are really very tiny and easily solved.

I guess the most outstanding feature for me is that it's probably the lightest Fender Jazz I've ever owned.
[/quote]

Thanks Karl, TBH I've never found stacked T/V very useful, and think there's a few pretty obvious reasons why Fender (and a lot of folks who at the time owned early Jazzes), switched to VVT. As Dan suggests above, there might have been some voodoo about the original circuits, but I've never found that to be the case with modern versions.

It's interesting what you've said about the AV 62's. I wasn't aware there was an issue across the range, but sold one a few years back just following a recording session for which I'd strung it with La Bella flats. It was dead straight for the session, but I left the strings on at tension when I sent the bass. The buyer, a very decent chaps and long standing member here, came beck to me a few days later saying the neck was bent and unplayable, and there's no doubt that was the case (it was eventually repaired). It does beg the question of how on earth a company like Fender could get something so basic so badly wrong, especially on a prestige range (and especially on a bass that was a re-issue of a 50 year old instrument many of which have survived all of that time without that neck issue).

Enjoy the bass mate, I'm sure the niggles will fade with time.

[karlfer]

It was only a few of the 62's Chris, but there are quite a lot of comments regarding it, particularly on TB.
I've had a couple of AV 62 RI's over the years and didn't have any issues, but it was always there at the back of my mind.

Seem to remember you had a similar issue with an AV57RI. That is more concerning, as they aren't exactly a slim jazz neck are they .

I think what I'm ever so slightly annoyed with myself about, is putting the Clayton up to fund this.
The Clayton is frankly a better playing bass with one of the best Fender necks I've played. It is heavier though.
Just the bloody dint in it, and dreading every movement on stage waiting for the next clumsy moment .

The Flea is VERY good imo, the niggles are tiny, I know I will never worry about it on stage.

[police squad]

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1467704227' post='3085423']
Thanks Karl, TBH I've never found stacked T/V very useful, and think there's a few pretty obvious reasons why Fender (and a lot of folks who at the time owned early Jazzes), switched to VVT. As Dan suggests above, there might have been some voodoo about the original circuits, but I've never found that to be the case with modern versions.


[/quote]

Chris, I'm curious why VVT is better than V/T V/T. Personally, I rarely touch the tone on my bass, but very occasionally I find I have to roll the treble off, in a way that an amp tweak cant quite do.
I've always loved the stacked look. I think it comes from watching the Marc Bolan show 'MARC' over and over and over and drooling over Herbie's jazz bass.

I'll probably take my Flea out this friday, the only drawback with Friday's gig is that this band detune half a step, and I cant really be bothered to adjust the truss rod, I've already given it a quarter turn to flattern it a little bit more than it came with.

[police squad]

Karl, in your post about set up, you took the neck off. Have you shimmed it? how do you set your relief?

[karlfer]

It didn't need a shim Martin, action was good when it arrived, bit better after a bit of fettling.

I know some folk only loosen the screws on the neckplate to adjust the truss rod on these vintage/vintage style basses.
I always take the neck off fully. I'm clumsy and don't want to drop the thing when the screws are only biting 1/4 of an inch

I set it by gradual turns on the truss rod screw, but it rarely takes more than two goes to get it right. Possibly because I've done 1 or 2

Relief is set at 8/1000ths at 6th fret.

Edited July 5, 2016 by karlfer

[police squad]

ah ok. if your relief is 8/1000th that's pretty almost dead straight isn't it.
I don't fiddle much with mine, there's always a little relief and not too low an action, as I hit hard, with a pick!! (and sometimes fingers etc)

[karlfer]

I pretty much follow the splendid Carl Pedigo way of setting up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIzV9462xeE

I mean, a lot of Lakkies are based on vintage Fenders

[police squad]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1467720480' post='3085590']
I pretty much follow the splendid Carl Pedigo way of setting up.
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIzV9462xeE"]https://www.youtube....h?v=cIzV9462xeE[/url]

I mean, a lot of Lakkies are based on vintage Fenders
[/quote]

I shall try that method myself, thanks for that

[njr911]

Because I'm an idiot I have managed to order 2. Let me know if anyone wants one at cost before I send one back.

[njr911]

The moral of the story. Don't order basses in Staiths with no 4g it will end in an 1800 credit card bill.

[Musicman20]

HAHHA! Sorry but I enjoy your reaction to it!

Mine is with GuitarGuitar ready to be shipped. Probably have it by Thursday. Fingers crossed it all works out.

[walshy]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1467733135' post='3085742']
HAHHA! Sorry but I enjoy your reaction to it!

Mine is with GuitarGuitar ready to be shipped. Probably have it by Thursday. Fingers crossed it all works out.
[/quote]

Mine too and its coming tomorrow!!!

[Kev]

Slightly OT, but does anyone know why any bass manufacture today would design a neck/truss rod system that would require the neck being loosened or removed to alter relief? It just seems bizarre!

[njr911]

Because it's based on a 61 and that's how they did it. Same as reverse tuners

[karlfer]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1467739657' post='3085809']
Slightly OT, but does anyone know why any bass manufacture today would design a neck/truss rod system that would require the neck being loosened or removed to alter relief? It just seems bizarre!
[/quote]

I'm with Kev on this one. I know the modern ball/hex key system wasn't used then.
Despite my Clayton being based on late 60's bass, and it looks the part, it has the modern system and is so much bloody easier. Not vintage (anorak) correct, but yes, so much easier.

[Beedster]

[quote name='njr911' timestamp='1467732590' post='3085731']
Because I'm an idiot I have managed to order 2. Let me know if anyone wants one at cost before I send one back.
[/quote]

Ha ha, that's the real reason they're all sold out

[Misdee]

I've been reading this thread with interest, despite the fact that these basses don't really appeal to me in so much as Shell Pink would have to be one of my least favourite Fender custom colours, and although I quite like Flea as a bass player that is not enough to get me to buy what is essentially just another vintage Jazz Bass copy. I wouldn't buy a bass with fake wear on it either, but that's just me being a grumpy old man.

This may be an apocryphal tale, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that some young pup of an internet billionaire bought the 61 Shell Pink Jazz for Flea as a gift to his most esteemed musician. Someone told him that this was the rarest and most valuable bass that there was, so he bought it as a present. Flea promptly put stickers on it and proceeded to beat hell out of it in his inimitable style. That's punk rock for you.

Regarding the stack knobs v VVT configuration in terms of tone, I know that many bass players favour one arrangement over the other, including such notables as Jaco Pastorius and John Entwhistle, but I'll be damned if I can hear a difference. Either one will sound like a Jazz Bass.

[Kev]

[quote name='njr911' timestamp='1467742417' post='3085842']
Because it's based on a 61 and that's how they did it. Same as reverse tuners
[/quote]

Wasn't the truss rod back then a screw, as oppose to the modern ball/hex key system? Why copy the bad design at all if it isn't 100% authentic?

I don't think they made relic'd basses back in '61 either

[discreet]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1467739657' post='3085809']
...does anyone know why any bass manufacture today would design a neck/truss rod system that would require the neck being loosened or removed to alter relief? It just seems bizarre!
[/quote][quote name='njr911' timestamp='1467742417' post='3085842']
Because it's based on a 61 and that's how they did it. Same as reverse tuners
[/quote]

If you're careful you can usually get away with removing just the pick guard and leaving the neck in situ. I have this system on my Road Worn P and various others that have been through my hands. I don't find it too much of a chore. The bass is pretty much as per a 57 so it would be weird to have a headstock bullet-type affair. I prefer my one-piece maple neck with skunk stripe to have a walnut cavity plug at the headstock, so there.