Greetings from Dublin

[DEARGDOOM]

[attachment=15081:JAZZ.jpg] Howdy all - I'm an enthusiastic amateur ( very enthusiastic, very amateur ) bass player - one who regrets not investing in a Lawsuit Rikky when they were on sale here (in Dublin) in the late '70s (although I DID purchase a very nice Antoria (MIJ) J copy back in 1982 - GREAT ! ).

However, like a lot of others, I always harboured a dream to actually own a 'REAL' Fender. Precision.
I was recently in the fortunate position to be able to check out some Fender Standard (MIM) J and P basses in the Guitar Centre (Salt Lake City). The net result was ... a) the MIM Jazz (retailling for around $479, incl. Fender bag - I went for a non-Fender flight-case and it worked out cheaper) is EXCELLENT- superb setup, tone and sustain,
I felt the MIM Precision ($449) to be disappointing - the range and tone just didn't exist (IMO), compared to the Jazz.
So considering the pricetag I went for the MIM Jazz - and NO regrets.
Ok - it's not a full-whack MIA Precision but it DOES say Fender Jazz on the headstock, it plays/sounds terrific, it IS made by Fender (albeit in Mexico) so what more do we need ?
Further, I can get a fantastic vintage Jean Jacques Burnell 'Barracuda' sound using the distortion option on my trusty Teisco Combo (dating 1985, a 50 watt lead amp with an 80 watt bass speaker in it - beat that, MacGyver).

The point here is that I don't think you need to spend buckets to get good, quality gear.
p.s. - useful tip - if the Serial Number of a Fender P or J begins with 'M', it's a Standard MIM.

And speaking of which, I think the Precision '51 kicks ass (looks-wise) - however, as they have a local price tag of around 1,020 euro (that's $1,300 or £800), I don't think I'll be purchasing. Locally!

I hope you found my rantings here to be of interest and (dare I say) useful !

Edited October 22, 2008 by DEARGDOOM

[neepheid]

Heh, I was in your fair city this week, really enjoyed it. I will be back.

Welcome to the forum