Whats going on with Fender??

[bassjim]

So , in my quest to find a decent back up to my 2011 Fender Deluxe jazz bass I just cant seem to find one. The closest so far was one with a maple board but as i really want one with a rosewood finger board the search goes on. 

 

Searching around, a Fender Ultra comes up, on a  "ahem" second hand things you can buy website, and the price is right, its got a rosewood board, its near me, so off I go and get.

Now isn't this supposed to be Fenders (with the exception of custom shop) best effort??

 

It played okayish but the action was set up in a " get a taxi to the fretboard stylee". Ok I thought, I can just put the action down, straighten the neck, and should be a winner (these are over 2 grand new!!)

 

Absolute dog $h*>.  Lower action just a tad = all notes above 10th !!!! fret choke out.  Truss rod wont straighten the neck.  Ive had 300 quid Squires that play and allow better set up than this.

 

Probably not a new subject here but I though the Fender guys had made an effort to get it all back on track? 

[MacDaddy]

4 minutes ago, bassjim said:

 

 

Probably not a new subject here but I though the Fender guys had made an effort to get it all back on track? 

 

Are Bono and The Edge still on the Board at Fender?

[Reggaebass]

Have you thought about a jazz elite, I can’t fault mine, probably one of the best jazzes I have 

[Bunion]

1 hour ago, bassjim said:

Absolute dog $h*>.  Lower action just a tad = all notes above 10th !!!! fret choke out.  Truss rod wont straighten the neck

Sounds to me like there’s more going on with that neck than just a poorly built bass

have you had the neck off to see if it’s been shimmed wrong? 
Is the truss rod maxed out or just spinning? 

Edited April 7, 2023 by Bunion

[Downunderwonder]

Considering to increase action after lowering bridge one would generally add relief not straighten, one really does wonder what's going on here.

[Downunderwonder]

I suppose some clown could have got some negative relief, stripped the truss nut and given up?

[chris_b]

Look for an American Standard between 2010 and 2016- ish.

 

Or if you want to get to the next level, check out Mike Lull Basses.

[NJE]

All of my recent encounters with fenders have been poor or average at best. They just can’t seem to maintain any real consistency in a lot of the ranges. 

 

I played one of the Vintera Jazz basses at a big guitar store recently and it was just dreadful, shocking set-up, build was poor and it was just lifeless. I put back after a couple of minutes.

 

In contrast I played a Lakland PJ which was a similar price and it was an outstanding instrument, resonant, well made, well set up and sounded amazing. I would have loved to have taken it home but I really didn’t like the colour.

I have heard good things about the American Original/Vintage basses though, and the American reissue I played a while ago was a really lovely instrument.

[Beedster]

11 hours ago, bassjim said:

So , in my quest to find a decent back up to my 2011 Fender Deluxe jazz bass I just cant seem to find one. The closest so far was one with a maple board but as i really want one with a rosewood finger board the search goes on. 

 

Searching around, a Fender Ultra comes up, on a  "ahem" second hand things you can buy website, and the price is right, its got a rosewood board, its near me, so off I go and get.

Now isn't this supposed to be Fenders (with the exception of custom shop) best effort??

 

It played okayish but the action was set up in a " get a taxi to the fretboard stylee". Ok I thought, I can just put the action down, straighten the neck, and should be a winner (these are over 2 grand new!!)

 

Absolute dog $h*>.  Lower action just a tad = all notes above 10th !!!! fret choke out.  Truss rod wont straighten the neck.  Ive had 300 quid Squires that play and allow better set up than this.

 

Probably not a new subject here but I though the Fender guys had made an effort to get it all back on track? 

So this was a new instrument or second-hand?

[bassjim]

second hand. but as good a new. not a mark on it anywhere

[bassjim]

Nope. as soon as i found the action problem , 20 mins after buying it, it went straight back and got a refund

[neepheid]

Unlike apples, one bad bass doesn't ruin all the rest of them.

[Beedster]

3 hours ago, bassjim said:

Nope. as soon as i found the action problem , 20 mins after buying it, it went straight back and got a refund

So potentially more the previous owner’s fault than Fender’s? 

[asingardenof]

Does your backup have to be a Fender? Have you considered a Squire, Sire, etc.?

[iconic]

1 hour ago, asingardenof said:

Does your backup have to be a Fender? Have you considered a Squire, Sire, etc.?

Afterall it's mostly about the set up as the OP has found😎

[White Cloud]

I've said it before and shall say it once again: If you want a really good Fender then don't buy a Fender. 

[Mokl]

I'm not massively surprised by this based on my experience of selling US Fender over a 10 year period from mid noughties to mid 2010s.  I must say I was under the impression that things had improved since then, and tbh I'm sure they have, but it put me off buying Fender for years. They always seemed well put together, it was the playability and ability to take a setup that was often an issue. I do think they make some great instruments, and I daresay there are lots of great examples out there. Ironically given the reputation from this period, I have a late 70s Jazz that plays fantastically with a great neck that rarely needs any attention🤷‍♂️

[nilorius]

On 07/04/2023 at 22:17, Reggaebass said:

Have you thought about a jazz elite, I can’t fault mine, probably one of the best jazzes I have 

Elite was absolutely one of the best Fenders version, but it ended for it's high price.

[Reggaebass]

3 minutes ago, nilorius said:

Elite was absolutely one of the best Fenders version, but it ended for it's high price.

I think they updated it with the ultra , I tried the ultra but preferred my one, I especially like the truss rod adjuster, so simple 

[NikNik]

On 07/04/2023 at 20:36, Bunion said:

Sounds to me like there’s more going on with that neck than just a poorly built bass

have you had the neck off to see if it’s been shimmed wrong? 
Is the truss rod maxed out or just spinning? 

1+ to check neck pocket shim.

[steve-bbb]

You need a sandberg

[diskwave]

Theres a Highway One on FB right now. Superb basses and rarely come up for sale.