I want a Fender Jazz Bass... Mexican vs. American vs. Japanese???

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pisces7378

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Hey guys. I want to get a new Fender Jazz Bass. I love the sound of them, the way they look, and their slim neck. But I am not a bass player by any true means. I have played the guitar for around 15 years, and I am in the market for a bass so that I can lay down basslines for my songs, as well as just get better at playing the bass in general.

My friend has a Mexican P-Bass which he has had for years. Well I have found a Mexican Fender Jazz Bass at 8thstreet.com. Well, I was just wondering what the real difference is between this Mexican J-bass and the Ameircan J-bass that costs over $1,000 more than this Mexican bass? I know that the American bass is made in the US by Americans that earn more money, as opposed to the sweat shop manufacturing costs of Mexico. But is there really a $1,000 difference? Are the pickups the same in both the American and Mexican?

I bought an Epiphone DOT guitar because I love the Gibson ES-335. I knew that the Epiphone was made in Korea and that the finish, pickups, electronics, and quality standards were much lowere at Epiphone. So I bought two Gibson 57 Classic pickups, I bought all new Gibson electronics. But the input jack broke and fell into the hollow body. They nut disintergrated one day for no real reason. The tuning pegs SUCK, and can barely tune the guitar. And the neck was all off. So I am having to pay a guy a lot of money to install new Gibson Pickups, new Gibson tuning keys. All new electronics, and basically make me a nut out of bone. He is also having to fish out my input jack, rip it out and replace it, as well as file the bridge down, set the neck , and maybe do a fret re-dress. So all in total I will have spent around $1,000 on this guitar. Now, that is a snip compared to the Gibson $3,000 for the ES-335.

The point of this story is... I do not want to buy a Mexican J-bass only to find that the pickups are sub-stadard. The electronics are all crap. And the neck profile looks like a banana. I don't care about Mexican labor laws. And as un-American as it sounds, I don't care about keeping my dollars local. Not when we are talking about $1,000 of my dollars.

What do you guys think? What would you buy if you were me? A Mexican J-bass, or just foreget Fender all together and get an Epiphone or a Yamaha or somehting else?

Thanks for your help.
 
I was kind of in the same dilema recently and even though I wanted a Jazz I settled on a P51 copy made in Japan. The quality was just as good as American made and the price was under $500. It has the same slender neck size as the Jazz but just not the options in pickups. I'm pretty happy and I avoided having to replace all of the components and fight tuning problems on some of the MIM stuff.

Otherwise, save your money because there is really nothing quite like a jazz bass. Although, I played a few Ibanez that were up to the task and less money. The MIJ stuff is definitely the way to go if you have your mind on a Jazz Bazz. They are just as good as American and cost less. Food for thought.

Good Luck.
 
I know theres a difference with the timber used between the Mexican & Japanese guitars. The Mex uses American Poplar, and the Jap uses Basswood, but I believe the hardware is exactly the same.
I think it's a matter of trying one of each and finding out your preference, Fenders always seem to be a subjective thing.
 
pisces7378 said:
Hey guys. I want to get a new Fender Jazz Bass. I love the sound of them, the way they look, and their slim neck. But I am not a bass player by any true means. I have played the guitar for around 15 years, and I am in the market for a bass so that I can lay down basslines for my songs, as well as just get better at playing the bass in general.

My friend has a Mexican P-Bass which he has had for years. Well I have found a Mexican Fender Jazz Bass at 8thstreet.com. Well, I was just wondering what the real difference is between this Mexican J-bass and the Ameircan J-bass that costs over $1,000 more than this Mexican bass? I know that the American bass is made in the US by Americans that earn more money, as opposed to the sweat shop manufacturing costs of Mexico. But is there really a $1,000 difference? Are the pickups the same in both the American and Mexican?

I bought an Epiphone DOT guitar because I love the Gibson ES-335. I knew that the Epiphone was made in Korea and that the finish, pickups, electronics, and quality standards were much lowere at Epiphone. So I bought two Gibson 57 Classic pickups, I bought all new Gibson electronics. But the input jack broke and fell into the hollow body. They nut disintergrated one day for no real reason. The tuning pegs SUCK, and can barely tune the guitar. And the neck was all off. So I am having to pay a guy a lot of money to install new Gibson Pickups, new Gibson tuning keys. All new electronics, and basically make me a nut out of bone. He is also having to fish out my input jack, rip it out and replace it, as well as file the bridge down, set the neck , and maybe do a fret re-dress. So all in total I will have spent around $1,000 on this guitar. Now, that is a snip compared to the Gibson $3,000 for the ES-335.

The point of this story is... I do not want to buy a Mexican J-bass only to find that the pickups are sub-stadard. The electronics are all crap. And the neck profile looks like a banana. I don't care about Mexican labor laws. And as un-American as it sounds, I don't care about keeping my dollars local. Not when we are talking about $1,000 of my dollars.

What do you guys think? What would you buy if you were me? A Mexican J-bass, or just foreget Fender all together and get an Epiphone or a Yamaha or somehting else?

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

WOW! That's bad, you can say with certainty that any fender be it american, japanese or mexican will not ba in any way that bad. No matter where they're made the fender quality control is still very good. I bought a american deluxe jazz bass off ebay from a music store in new york for $800 - I was looking at 1800 euro to buy ne here in Ireland. I would definitely consider that route.
 
You can get the Highway 1 Jazz bass, which is all american made, for just over $600. That makes the difference in price between MIM and MIA pretty small. I have a Deluxe Am Jazz, but if I were to get anotherm it would brobably be the Hwy 1. They are quickly becoming my favorite Fender Series. The other series I really like for the money are the MIM Deluxe series. You get upgraded hardware and electronics for really good value.

H2H
 
By the way, the Fender Mexican factory is far from a sweatshop. It is a very nice facility where most of the workers are guitar players, too. In the setup and finishing line, being a guitar player is required. Every Mexican Fender I have owned was a quality guitar. I currently have 2 mexican Strats (both Deluxe Powerhouse) and I put them up against any other guitar I have owned in terms of build quality and features.

H2H
 
If one can't tell there is a difference between the American made Fenders and Mex/Jap Fenders... one must also not know there is a differance between ones ass and a hole in the ground.
 
The Mexican's have cheaper hardware, and more questionable quality on the necks. Really though, the difference in the hardware is pretty minimal, and if you're that concerned about it you can just buy the a Mexican and get the hardware off of an American on ebay for cheap.

As far as I know, the pickups are the same, but I'm not 100% sure on this.

The QC is a little less on the Mexican. That being said, I have a Mexican Jazz that's set up better than some of the American's I've played. Any minor flaws and improper setups can usually be fixed yourself, so I really wouldn't worry about it too much. If at all possible you should go and try it out yourself (or, if you're not too familiar with basses, get a friend bass player to check it out for you). The P-Bass's I've seen are far more suseptible to poor necks/setup than the Jazz's.

Anyway, point being, unless you're one of the overly anal quality guys, I think a Mexican will do you fine. I have one, and love love love love love it (the pickups aren't stock though, so I guess I can't speak too much on that). I wouldn't be afraid to buy one off Ebay either, and the only reason I might consider buying an American is resale value. The other stuff seems pretty minimal.

(BTW, if somebody knows for a fact whether or not both models have the same pickups, I'd love to know. I'm pretty sure they do, but not 100%).
 
I own a Mexi Jazz Bass - (bass is not my main axe). When I did my research (talking to several players who's knowledge I trust) I was told the following (although I can't attest to the accuracy of this info)

Since, the majority of parts are sent to Mexico from American plants,

Mexi basses normally have the same body as American
Mexi basses may or may not have the same necks as American
Mexi basses normally have the same hardware as American
Mexi basses have inferior electronics to American (this is a big deal)

It is my understanding the same does not apply to Japan basses - the parts come from Asian plants - accordingly, I chose a Mexi over a Japan model.

Candidly, I'm not convinced that the quality control of "Made In America" carries as much weight as it did at one time. With layoffs, just in time inventory and lean & mean operations, I'm not convinced quality has the same priority (in any industry) that it once did.

Since bass is not my main axe (and since I simply need a bass to lay down some tracks in my demo studio) I could not justify the higher cost of an American axe. However, I have been satisfied with my axe (I did however, spend some cash to get it set up better than it came!!).

I also own a low cost Ibenex, which I really enjoy playing (actually more than the Fender). It has a very thin neck and is very light. It almost feels like playing a guitar.
 
The new Japanese made Aerodyne Jazz is a very nice guitar. I'd suggest you also look at G&L (the L stands for Leo as in Leo Fender) because their quality is excellent, but I think all their basses have the bigger P tye necks.
 
There are several levels of assembly according to my source at GC, however not sure how good his information is.

Made in Mexico - Wood parts created there and assembled from parts
all over the world i.e. capacitors, pots, parts.

Made in America - 3 options here
Made in America but assembled in Mexico
Made in America and assembled in America
Custom shop stuff

Made in Japan - Wood parts may or may not be from America assembled in Japan.

Made in Korea - Wood parts may or may not be from America assembled in Korea.

I was told the Asian factories more closely match American made quality. I can concur at least on the finishes and the feel of play.

There may me more to the story, maybe others have some thoughts.
 
thanks for that fantastic link!!!!!

i remember a few years back i was looking to buy a fen jazz bass. I went to mars music and they had about 15 mex jazz bass's in a row, all brand new. i played every single one of them. they were all differant. some were really bright, some the opposite. some had really easy low action, some had high. some were amazing, and some i did not like. granted, this was a quick test and none of these were probably set up more than a tuning, but i was surprised at all the diferances.

what i gained from this is that the best new mex i found was as good as any new american there, but the worst new mex was not even in the same ballpark.
 
Hard2Hear said:
http://www.allthingsstrat.com/2004 reviews/Fender Tour/acoustic.html
Click to expand...

Excellent link H2H. Thanks for it. I've been an advocate for the MIM's for quite a while. Brilliant guitars, and excellent construction.

I agree though with the capn's statement. During the 90's, the MIM's seemed to be all over the place. I'd pick up one that was brilliant, and one that sucked. However, it's seemed that since 2000, they've had a nice output.

I do find the pick ups less than optimum. But that's for both the MIM's and MIAs. (www.riograndepickups.com)
 
A Specific Fender Bass Question

Does anyone know much about the 2001 Fender (Deluxe Series) Active Jazz Bass?

I found one from a private owner who maintained it well..it's black with sunburst guard..all original for under $400.

My questions/concerns:

1. Is it MIM or MIJ or USA? (haven't inspected it yet and owner is out of town.)

2. What is the pro/con of the "deluxe" electronics...i used to play a great (very simple) 78' Jazz (and sold it like an ass)..this thud stick has extra features, 'boosts', etc... do i really need that? are these added features too sensitive and/or prone to failure? ((i play straight blues-based alt-rock from clean to with pedals (ie: SansAmp,Muff,Phase) ..any thoughts?

3. Is the neck probably rosewood, or might it be maple?

4. If I were to upgrade the pick-ups..what would be a good choice..something vintage Jazz 60's or 70's? Or, simply the contemporary USA stock..'OR' is that what's already on there? and, how much should i be reasonalby spending via ebay/local-ads for such upgrades?

Any addn'l insight would be superb!
thanks for your support.

David,
Nyc

***Why doesn't Fender Just make "exactly" and "precisely" what used to be on the shelves back in the day? I've heard of Planned Obsolescence..but for Fender & Co., it's more like 'Un-planned'. I'm saying this because of several interactions with dissatisfied Mexi/Jap basses, or basically anything post-82-84'...i've never heard of a vintage bass that couldn't be 'fixed'..but i've sure seen new crapola basses that have literally become kindling at punk rock parties!
 
There are both American and Mexican Deluxe Jazz Bass models. There have been variations on the Deluxe theme, too, so it's hard to tell without any more information. Most Edluxes do have at least active boost electronics in them. The best Jazz I have ever played or heard was a Deluxe American with active electronics.

For under $400, I would expect a MIM model, since the American Deluxes regularly will fetch around $1000 or a bit under. I would give it a spin and then make hthe decision. You never know, it could be one of the really good ones out there.

As far as pickups, thats as personal of a choice as the color of your car or kind of underwear you like. I think active pickups on a bass are the shiznit but others like vintage single coils. It's all about taste and your style.

As for your Fender question. Fender has been gradually returning to more vintage construction and sound in all of their guitars. Fender has always been a mass produced guitar, that was Leo's original idea. There were lots of crappers that came out in the 70's and even some from the 60's I have played and didn't care for.

H2H
 
BlindCowboy said:
Excellent link H2H. Thanks for it. I've been an advocate for the MIM's for quite a while. Brilliant guitars, and excellent construction.

I agree though with the capn's statement. During the 90's, the MIM's seemed to be all over the place. I'd pick up one that was brilliant, and one that sucked. However, it's seemed that since 2000, they've had a nice output.

I do find the pick ups less than optimum. But that's for both the MIM's and MIAs. (www.riograndepickups.com)
Click to expand...

Yeah, the mex pickups sound OK, but not great.(im talking strats here...but basses are probably the same)
American pickups are "noiseless", I don't care for them either and a set of pickups is an automatic upgrade for me no matter which one i buy. So, for me, a mexican man fender with an upgrade on the pickups is the way to go.
The mexican made fender necks and bodies are very good.
 
Evaluate your priorities

I'm in total agreement with the poster who advocated the Highway 1 compromise. These are extremely similar to the American series, but the finish is much thinner, and the price is a reasonable $600. Some people like the thin finish better, saying it allows the body to "breathe" a little more than the thick poly-gloss of the US-made models.

I, too, am I guitarist who plays bass as necessary for recordings. In other words, I'm not really a bass player. For my tastes, budget, and ears, I find that even a Squire (gasp!) bass can do the job, and for a fraction of the cost of a new US Fender. ANYthing is better than keyboard bass (IMHO), and unless you're going to drag the thing out to a bunch of gigs, reliability will never really be much of an issue. My Korean knock-off stays in the case until it's time to lay down bass tracks, at which point it sees a couple of hours of indoor, sit-down playing time. Speaking strictly for myself, that kind of rare, gentle use just doesn't justify laying out $900 for a US JB. The sound that the MIM, MIJ, and Squire basses produce are more than adequate for my needs, and I defy anyone to be able to determine what brand of bass I'm using on my recordings, much less its country of origin.

That said, when I bought my GUITAR, I chose the American Telecaster over the Mexican or Highway 1 version. The difference is that I play the thing day in and day out, both live and in the studio, on every song I write. The tone helps to define my "sound," and the neck fits my hand like it was made for it. So the moral of the story is, for your primary instrument, spare no expense. For a secondary instrument that won't be featured prominantly in your recordings and never played live, save some bucks and put the savings into a more critical part of the recording chain.
 
if you can find a master series made in japan bass, they are supposed to be better than any american or mexican fender that has been made in a really really long time. i can't remember for sure if the series is really called the master series or not. it's basically fender japans custom shop and they are NOT available in the USA. You might find one used on ebay or something though.
 
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