Fender US Std Jazz 5 string - 2001 ish - any experience?

[Mokl]

 I've come across one of these,  looks like it's from 2001 judging by the serial number. It's the version where the machine heads are all in line,  not 4 + 1 like the current models. 

 

It would be an American Standard I guess (passive).

 

Tje set up is shocking, but provided the truss rod is ok,  I'm tempted. It's light and seems nicely resonant. Overall condition is pretty good.  Anybody got any experience,  good or bad of this era Jazz V,  before I take the plunge?

 

Any idea on value would be helpful too! 

[OliverBlackman]

I had a 2000 Us jazz deluxe V and it was ok. I paid under £500 for it about 12 years ago so you’d be looking about double that now even though a  new Sire would be an improvement. 
 

The time where Fender really improved the US jazz bass was circa 2012. Better build quality all round and much better output pickups/ preamps. The standard series would probably be similar. 

[Mokl]

Thanks, I was in music retail about early 00's and never thought much of the US Fenders tbh, but you'd get the odd gem come along.

 

I've a feeling this one might be a player with a good set up,  so guess it might be worth a punt at the right price.  

[bubinga5]

I had a USA Jazz 5 from around 2001 I believe. Was in ocean blue or that type of colour. The B string was awful, really floppy but it may have had the wrong strings on it. Could have done with some DR Low Riders. Whats the price on the one your looking at.? I would certainly buy another one for the right price but I reckon £600 is fair. I thought the USA 5 in line tuner Jazz Basses had an 18 v preamp. I could be wrong. This one has. https://reverb.com/item/4369305-2001-american-fender-jazz-v-5-string-bass

[SurroundedByManatees]

I've only played 2 fender 5-ers that were really balanced sounding with a decent B-string. One was a precision deluxe with the humbucker in the bridge, the other one a cheap blacktop jazz...

 

Further I've played a few 5 string jazzes, mex and USA. None of them had a really good B. One of the USA basses (I think it was a 99 or early 00s) was the most dead sounding bass I've played of any brand, no preamp or pickup change could save that one..

 

[Mokl]

Hmmm, thanks for the input everyone, I'm  maybe having 2nd thoughts now.  The fact the set up was so bad didn't help. 

 

This bass is definitely passive. We had one very similar back when I worked in the music shop all those years ago, and annoyingly  I can't remember much about it playability/sound-wise, but I was 5 string averse at the time! 

[EJWW]

I had a US one new in 2000, was generally quite good but I would agree that the B string was the weakness as it was a bit on the floppy side. 

[Guest]

I too had a couple. I could be completely wrong but given they seemed well made, I wonder if the very short bridge unit forces the thick B string to be wedged in and therefore dull?