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Fender Dimension Basses


la bam
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As I'm getting into HH basses more and more, the Fender dimensions have appeared on my radar. 

 

I love my Harley benton mm84a, and these seem to have a similar set up. 

 

Does anyone have any experience of these? 

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Not so...I had one - really liked it. 

 

Very good basses, well balanced, good tonal range, nice neck and great build quality (always an issue for me with Fender).

 

They can be picked up for relatively silly money - after all they're not a J or a P so your hardcore Fender-rite can't be seen playing one in public. 

 

Don't be put off by negative comments by others who think that Fender should have stopped designing new basses after introducing the J bass.

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Agree totally with above comments. Fender tried to move away - even slightly - from their classic P and J heritage with what is basically a good new design. Wasn’t happening with the Fender fan-boy folks, unfortunately. Also mods were difficult with non-standard pickup shape. Sales were poor and excess stock was sold sometimes for silly money.

 

The passive two pickup version is, in my limited experience, the way to go if you see one.

 

Don’t listen to the haters!

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I had both USA Deluxe HH in 4 and 5 strings. I really liked them, especially the 5 and in retrospect I don't know why I got rid. Reminded me a lot of a StingRay 5 in the neck feel,profile and string spacing. Sounded stellar too, especially the in between settings (both inner and outer coils) No drop off in volume between settings. 

Price on these is going up from what I can see. They were silly cheap a while back. Not now

 

Screenshot_20240122_092037_Photos.thumb.jpg.5ffbb90af2f82399899f9e7f2f81f58e.jpg

 

Screenshot_20240122_091831_Photos.thumb.jpg.41c6254ee65097213b38f982b27bd3a5.jpg

 

Screenshot_20240122_091924_Photos.thumb.jpg.bedd3585d9c51ac09ff4bc24b676c748.jpg

 

Screenshot_20240122_091941_Photos.thumb.jpg.8494c93aad8c32810b4d488161ad80b2.jpg

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I've fancied buying one of these but worried about selling it on if ever I needed to (because it's not a Jazz or P bass). I own a G&L L2500 and really love how versatile it is. I suspect the Dimension is a similar type of instrument. From the pictures it looks like the truss rod adjustment is at the heel of the neck, like a musicman, which is something I always like in a bass (my Fender Elite Precision has the same).

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1 minute ago, gjones said:

I've fancied buying one of these but worried about selling it on if ever I needed to (because it's not a Jazz or P bass). I own a G&L L2500 and really love how versatile it is. I suspect the Dimension is a similar type of instrument. From the pictures it looks like the truss rod adjustment is at the heel of the neck, like a musicman, which is something I always like in a bass (my Fender Elite Precision has the same).

And this is the real problem. Fender already designed a couple of iconic basses that did the HH admirably in the form of the L2000 and Stingray. 

I quite liked the Dimension but would opt for either a P or J from Fender or a Ray (MM or Sterling).

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7 minutes ago, gjones said:

I've fancied buying one of these but worried about selling it on if ever I needed to (because it's not a Jazz or P bass). I own a G&L L2500 and really love how versatile it is. I suspect the Dimension is a similar type of instrument. From the pictures it looks like the truss rod adjustment is at the heel of the neck, like a musicman, which is something I always like in a bass (my Fender Elite Precision has the same).

 

Cheap to buy, cheap to sell, unless they gain some sort of mythical status in future (have you seen the prices of Gibson Grabbers, Rippers and G-3s now?  Couldn't give them away in the 90s/00s)

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2 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Cheap to buy, cheap to sell, unless they gain some sort of mythical status in future (have you seen the prices of Gibson Grabbers, Rippers and G-3s now?  Couldn't give them away in the 90s/00s)

 

We'll, I think that's happened already.... They not cheap. Looking a grand at the moment for a US HH one. 

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1 minute ago, la bam said:

 

We'll, I think that's happened already.... They not cheap. Looking a grand at the moment for a US HH one. 

 

Well, good news then, if you want to buy one and the values are on the rise.

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I've got two of the 5 HH deluxe (well one is an Elite but they're both the same). Brilliant guitars. I've also got a 5 string Jazz and a 5 String P but the Dimension can do it all. The body is smaller than a Jazz and the compound radius neck is the most comfortable 5 string neck I've ever played.  So under rated because it's not a Jazz or Precision and people won't entertain anything else from Fender.  If you can get a Deluxe or Elite HH model then I would defintely try it out. A grand is about right, but you should get a case with that. The Elites come with the new Fender ABS hard case, the Deluxes came with a G&G wooden case.  One tiny niggle I have though is that there's not active/passive switch but that's about it. 

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27 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Well, good news then, if you want to buy one and the values are on the rise.

 

:) not really, I don't have anywhere near a grand :) like you, I thought they were supposed to be cheapish at the moment. 

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4 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Do these have a modern flatter, something like 12", fretboard radius as well?

 

Compound radius fretboard - 9.5" at the nut end, flattening to 14" at the bridge.  It also has an asymmetric neck so the back of the neck is deeper on the bass side and shallower on the treble, hand rubbed oil finish.

Edited by Muppet
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The Squiers were let down by a pretty ugly preamp IMO. Played great and sounded good passive but the V in particularly suffered from a bass roll-off that cut the the low B. I was after a IV for ages, finally got one and loved the instrument but just couldn't get on with the preamp which was a real shame because I love the body shape. If I ever see a knackered one for cheap again I'd be tempted to just rout it for a P pickup and maybe a big passive bucker. 

 

That said I also played one of the American deluxes and didn't like the pre on that either, so maybe we just weren't meant for each other. Power to your arm if you like them!

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If it’s HHpickup configuration you’re after, the Gibson EB (2013 & 2014 models) are great alternative and have a similar shape. The added advantage are pull pot which change the humbuckers to single coils. 
 

IMG_0394.jpeg

Edited by Grahambythesea
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11 minutes ago, borntohang said:

I liked the EB they did before that which had some Dimension vibes to it. Non-reverse Firebird headstock is always cool.

 

EBBass.jpg.752f3e434bc26677629cb656584c1943.jpg

 

That one came after, not before.  Don't blame you for getting it mixed up - Gibson logic - let's call three completely different looking basses "EB"... nice one.

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6 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

That one came after, not before.  Don't blame you for getting it mixed up - Gibson logic - let's call three completely different looking basses "EB"... nice one.

Make that 4; don’t forget the semi based on the 335 shape was also an EB.  When I think again it’s 5 or 6; the violin shaped one 2 versions of the EB0 ; the semi 2; the 3 which was a 0 with an extra pickup……………..are you still me…..

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9 minutes ago, Grahambythesea said:

Make that 4; don’t forget the semi based on the 335 shape was also an EB.  When I think again it’s 5 or 6; the violin shaped one 2 versions of the EB0 ; the semi 2; the 3 which was a 0 with an extra pickup……………..are you still me…..

 

Damn, forgot how deep the rabbit hole goes 

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