customer reviews
43 People rated this product :
8 out of 10
8 People wrote reviews
9 out of 10
"The last bass you'll ever need to buy"
Feature:
Only 2 negatives, (1) doesn't come with a case and (2) the bridge is only so-so. Even so, I still love it.
Quality:
Fit and finish are excellent, Fender Japan has really upped the ante on quality - it's a beautiful guitar
Value:
better than basses 2x and 3x the price, best value I've found on a new bass - that's why I bought it.
Desirability:
This is one sexy bass - kudos to Fender and the design team that came up with it
Sound:
Very versatile with the P/J pups, can dial in just about any sound - I gave it a 9 because it's not quite a 10 on the p-bass sound and not quite a 10 on the j-bass sound but it's awefully damn close - the blended thunder+punch is very nice.
Ease of Use:
It's a J-bass, I like the narrow neck (1.5" at the nut) - easier to play than my original '62 precision
Support:
no opinion, haven't had to use it
Overall:
My '62 p-bass will sit on the stand most of the time now
Submitted: 1/9/2007
Style of Music: Rock / Blues / Alternative
9 out of 10
"Pretty much the only bass you'll ever need."
Feature:
Again, active pups/preamp would've been a nice touch, but no biggie. The whole thing is black, which is awesome: black body, black neck, black pups, black knobs, black hardware. The question is, how much more black could it be? None, none more black (sorry, spinal tap reference)
Quality:
The problem I have with basswood guitars is that they're made of basswood. It's not exactly the most ...robust wood out there; if you drop it on a hard surface, it's gonna leave a mark. That said, if you're prone to dropping guitars, maybe you shouldn't spend $650 on one.
As far as "fit and finish", all the examples I've seen are good, all the parts were attached firmly (a remarkable feat in and of itself, especially at some of the guitar stores I go to) and the binding was even, with few masking issues. The paint is typically exceptional (I suppose it'd be hard to mess up gloss black, but I've been surprised before). It is prone to fingerprints (another doy), but it shouldn't wear through or anything weird.
Value:
It's better than the Squiers, not as good as the American Fenders. Definitely better than Soundgears (or is it just "SGR" now?) in its price range. I'd say it's on-par with, if not a little better than, the Mexi-Fenders. Whether the Aerodyne body and paint job are worth the upcharge, I guess that's an individual thing.
Desirability:
The carved body is really quite sexy. Personally, though, I must say I like something a bit chunkier in a bass. That's just me though, it still thumps with the best of 'em.
Sound:
This thing sounds fat. It's like having 2 fender basses in one tiny body (let's face it, how much do we use the neck p/u on our jazzes?). The light basswood body combined with the ...maple? top makes it nice and bright, but still fat (read: good for slapping). The single coils can be noisy (doy), no better or worse than any other single coils. Active electronics would have been nice, but that's really just wishfull thinking.
Ease of Use:
Um, plug it in and play it. If you can't figure that out, I can't help you.
As far as playability, it feels like butter, even a little better than a standard Jazz I think. Like many things and people from Japan, this bass is small and light. That's a good thing here, because you can play for hours on end without any funky shoulder cramps.
Support:
It's a Fender. You probably won't run into any problems with it; if you do, they're easy to get a hold of.
Upgrades should be fairly easy, save for finding hardware in smoked chrome. Fenders have the most aftermarket parts available, making this bass the most upgradable Japanese product that isn't a Honda Civic.
Overall:
If you like how it looks, you'll love it. That's just it. If you end up not liking the pickups, you can have them changed out. If you get it, you won't be sad. Unless in buying it you miss a mortgage payment, but I guess that would be with any bass.
Submitted: 12/11/2006
Style of Music: Progressive metal, if there were such a thing
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