Advice. Fender modern player

[Burns-bass]

Right, advice needed. I’ve found a modern player shortscale. It has refinished in black and fitted with hipshots and Seymour Duncan’s. Needs a clean and a set up but I can do all that. It’s £300.

I don’t really need it, but it played nicely. Any advice from current owners on whether they’re worth it etc.?

[Muppet]

A modern player short scale what? There's a tele bass, jazz bass, jaguar, not to mention the Starcaster and Coronado which were both modern player short scales.

[Burns-bass]

21 minutes ago, Muppet said:

A modern player short scale what? There's a tele bass, jazz bass, jaguar, not to mention the Starcaster and Coronado which were both modern player short scales.

Good point. Jazz bass.

[paul_c2]

1 hour ago, Burns-bass said:

 

I don’t really need it

Don't buy it then?

[Frank Blank]

Damnation. I’ve been after one of these for yonks, but it and sell it to me!

[Hobbayne]

7 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

Don't buy it then?

You cant argue with logic like that! 😊

[Burns-bass]

15 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

Don't buy it then?

If we all thought like that out economy would never grow...

It’s a fair point. To explain further, I thought it might be a good bass to have for the future for my kids to learn on and to have around the house and to use at practices. I currently only have one electric i use (my 1966 is stuck under a bed), so thought I might be a good back up.

This is what I class as not really needing something.

Edited June 27, 2019 by Burns-bass

[paul_c2]

You asked for advice, if you have already decided.......

[Burns-bass]

15 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

You asked for advice, if you have already decided.......

It wanted advice as to whether the bass was worth the price, what people had found during ownership, how it compares to other short scales etc. 

Hopefully that helps.

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Burns-bass

[Burns-bass]

I asked for advice precisely because I haven’t decided... 

[Burns-bass]

8 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I don’t know the model, so can’t really comment on that, but if you’ve had it in your hands and you’re happy it’s sound, I would say for that price just go for it. Maybe offer just under to shave a couple of £ off?

Yeah, that’s good advice. I hadn’t ever seen one of these mini jazz basses before, hence me being interested in opinions. It seems they’re quite scarce which either means they’re rare and desirable or junk. I’ll sleep on it.

[yorks5stringer]

4 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

Yeah, that’s good advice. I hadn’t ever seen one of these mini jazz basses before, hence me being interested in opinions. It seems they’re quite scarce which either means they’re rare and desirable or junk. I’ll sleep on it.

Aren't you sleeping on your '66' under the bed? 😉

[thegummy]

In reality, no one needs any instruments.

On a less extreme level, no one really needs more than 1 bass guitar.

Without focussing on the word "need"; if you don't already have a short scale J it will give you an extra option and that might be reason enough to get it.

If you do already have a similar one and just like the new one, my advice is to look at it in a year's time (or even 2 or 5 years time). In a year's time do you think you'll look back and think your life would have been better with the extra 25 quid a month? If you're in a position where that wouldn't really have made a difference then definitely get the bass as it will bring you some pleasure. If you think about it on a longer term it's even less of an impact (fiver a month over 5 years etc.)

Obviously it doesn't really work out like that because you don't give the bass back after that period, you continue to own it or sell it and get at least some of your money back. It's just a thought process I use to help me decide if something is worth purchasing; i.e. how much my life will actually be affected by the purchase vs. how much pleasure it will bring me.

[Jono Bolton]

Here's Fender Modern Player SS Jazz that sold on here recently to give you a rough idea of the price:

Don't know much about them myself but it's maybe worth sending 2x18 a message for his thoughts, although £300 sounds cheap, depending on whether or not the refin is good. The only thing I really know about the Modern Player series is that they came from the same factory as the top-end Squiers, like the Classic Vibe Range, J Mascis Jazzmaster, Matt Freeman P Bass and the Biffy Clyro sigs, so the quality should be pretty high.

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, Jono Bolton said:

Here's Fender Modern Player SS Jazz that sold on here recently to give you a rough idea of the price:

Don't know much about them myself but it's maybe worth sending 2x18 a message for his thoughts, although £300 sounds cheap, depending on whether or not the refin is good. The only thing I really know about the Modern Player series is that they came from the same factory as the top-end Squiers, like the Classic Vibe Range, J Mascis Jazzmaster, Matt Freeman P Bass and the Biffy Clyro sigs, so the quality should be pretty high.

Cheers Jono, brilliant info. In the end I decided to order my daughters a new Jaguar bass which I can use. The shape felt better in the shop and I get VAT off so it’s all good. 

[Muppet]

19 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

Good point. Jazz bass.

Sorry returned late and see you've made an alternative purchase.  I've had a couple of the modern players and the build quality has been very good indeed.  Electronics used mini pots an were a bit shabby but overall nice basses. If the modifications to this one you found have been done tastefully (i.e. the refin is not a halfords spray can job) then £300 is on the good side of reasonable.  They'll never be (I don't think) super collectable and I reckon the prices would generally hover around the £300-400 mark..

 

Did you go with the short scale jaguar in the end? 

[therealting]

I tried one and liked it, but found it very heavy (I also had a full size Modern Player Jazz some time ago and it was 11lb).

[Burns-bass]

6 hours ago, Muppet said:

Sorry returned late and see you've made an alternative purchase.  I've had a couple of the modern players and the build quality has been very good indeed.  Electronics used mini pots an were a bit shabby but overall nice basses. If the modifications to this one you found have been done tastefully (i.e. the refin is not a halfords spray can job) then £300 is on the good side of reasonable.  They'll never be (I don't think) super collectable and I reckon the prices would generally hover around the £300-400 mark..

 

Did you go with the short scale jaguar in the end? 

This is all solid knowledge, and why I love Basschat. The bass probably is a good buy, but weighing it all up (quite literally given the bass was on the heavy side!) I decided on the SS Jaguar. I tried it and found it a nice weight and well balanced, and about half the price (with the VAT off).