Item: FEN136208
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customer reviews
82 People rated this product :
9 out of 10
5 People wrote reviews
9 out of 10
"Excellent first Fretless bass"
Feature:
it came with a so-so case.
Quality:
My units is well made. I like passive pickups because I don't worry about the battery dying out. (my other bass has active pickups)
Desirability:
the midnight wine colour is quite nice. Hey it's a Fender, it has that classic beauty going.
Sound:
Excellent way to play jazz and get a warm woody sound without having to buy an acoustic upright bass or electric upright bass. This bass is quite light, even though it is physically big. With my Eden amp, I can really get a great sound from this bass that works well with jazz, folk, blues. Any music where an upright would be used.
Ease of Use:
The fret 'cheat lines' make is very easy for a fretted player to start playing fretless right away. They really help me a transition between the two. The electronic controls are simple and easy to use. I find the bass very easy to play standing up, but, a bit difficult to play sitting down, as the shape of the body does not fit with my right leg.
The bass sounds great right away. I can get a really great jazzy upright sound from this. Of course, with a fretless, to get the best sound, you have to rethink you entire way of playing if you've been using guitar fingerings on a fretted bass guitar. You've got to think like an upright bass player and use upright fingerings to keep in tune and play well without having to look at your fingers.
Support:
I have not needed to contact tech support for problems. However, there is a wealth of technical setup information on Fender's website, so people can help ourselves. All the details of the instrument are there, as well as a "how to setup the bass" guide, with explanations of terms and practices..
Overall:
The pickups are perhaps the weakest link. I'll upgrade the pickups with another set of passive pickups before I change anything else. Well, I might change the strap hook on the horn to be on the body, so it hangs more vertical. I may research changing the bridge (to Badass) and if I really get the upgrade bug, maybe the tuning pegs. Even with expense of all these third party upgrades, the total price will still be quite less than a 'Made in USA' Fender Jazz Fretless.
Submitted: 12/27/2007
Style of Music: jazz
10 out of 10
"Jaco...Here I Come!!!"
Feature:
Of course, it's not active, so the sound is limited to the two jazz pickups. But if you're me, I prefer just the bridge pickup so it's all good. But some players might prefer a more variable sound. It's up to you. I wish these came stock with a Hipshot detuner so that I could drop to D (like Tony Franklin). Also, it would be nice if they offered a birdseye maple fretboard in the standard, along with no fret markers too.
Quality:
It's not no American series. The neck is pretty bowed and I'm not sure if that's natural (maybe so there's less fretbuzz?) or if the MIM version is really that bad. Everything else is great though. Coating is flawless, pickguard is extremely white, etc.
Value:
Great bass for a low price. It has the quality of a Fender product all for a good price. Definately a great bass for starting fretless playing.
Desirability:
Sex appeal is average. I got the brown sunburst and it looks great. I might add a tortoise shell pickguard instead because the white one doesn't look all that good (in my opinion). And besides the extremely white neck (which I hope will yellow with age), it's a good lookin' piece of wood.
Sound:
The sound is sweet (which you should expect with any fretless). Nice lows with the twangy highs. Harmonics are great on it. On higher notes, it sounds like an upright bass which is great for jazz (hence the name Jazz Bass).
Ease of Use:
It's easy to use if you have played bass for awhile. It's tougher to fret notes because you have to push down until contact with the fretboard (obviously). I hope players have caluses because I have played for 4 years and this thing tears 'em up still. The sliding is the only problem really.
Support:
I haven't had to call support yet. I received this bass as a gift for Christmas and have had no problems so far. Even if I do run into a problem, I'm sure Fender will help me with ease. The bass comes with a limited lifetime warranty for craftsmanship and materials I think, so that's definately a plus.
Overall:
I'm probably gonna stick with this bass until it breaks or I'm a millionaire. There's really no need to get another, unless you want an American or another brand. It sounds like Jaco's bass and looks like it too.
Submitted: 12/25/2007
Style of Music: Classic Rock, Jazz, Fusion, Alternative, Rock, Metal, etc
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