vintage upgrade?

ferdi

thinking of upgrading to a new bass. i want something with a slim neck like my mex jazz and a higher quality of build and more punch but since i cant afford an Ernie Ball Sterling or an Ibanez sr900 or the like, i was thinking of maybe going down the road of a vintage fender or similar, lile the stuff on chrisguitars.com - ie: 1978 fender jazz usa does older mean better? am i better off betting a modern usa jazz? (i really love fender jazzs by the way )

any suggestions for a suitable upgrade for my preferences?

Doctor J

Howabout this one from Ishibashi? Fender build quality in the 70's varied between excellent and atrocious. Just cos it's a 70's bass doesn't mean it's a good bass. With this one you get Fender Japan build quality, USA Vintage pickups and it looks feckin amazing to boot.

ferdi

yikes, thats a stunner and only 541euro (plus shipping). i'm not dead set on a vintage fender though....i'm looking for a bass with the following features: high build quality, slim neck, low action, sweet variable tones, not a crazy price tag, not too temprimental, slick looks - bright colours

Doctor J

ferdi wrote:

i'm looking for a bass with the following features:
1 - high build quality
2 - slim neck
3 - low action
4 - sweet variable tones
5 - not a crazy price tag
6 - not too temprimental
7 - slick looks
8 - bright colours

1 - Fender Japan.
2 - Jazz bass
3 - Dependant on build quality, see 1
4 - Jazz bass
5 - Ishibashi
6 - Fender Japan build quality
7 - See link
8 - See link again

Case closed

ferdi

how much of an upgrade will that jap fender be from my mex fender. is there no other bass in the world that will fit with my preferences?

Doctor J

Fender Japan quality is, in my personal experience, at the very least on par with Fender USA quality (definitely more consistent) and at least on par with Rickenbacker quality too. I **** you not. It will be a substantial step up from your Mex bass. The best instruments I own are Japanese. There are other basses but you know where you stand with a Jazz bass. You can do everything on a Jazz bass. When you have a keeper Jazz bass, then you go off and get other basses but a Jazz is like money in the back, musically. It works tonally and aesthetically with pretty much every form of music there is.

feylya

How much are Ishibashi paying you Doc? Between them and Chris, you must be raking it in.

ferdi

yeah, i dont know why i love the jazz so much....i just do. thanks for the advice. how much is shipping from Ishibashi?

Doctor J

About €110-120. There are also a couple of reasonably priced Musicman Stingray SUB's on Chris' site too. Personally, I'm not mad on the oul Stingray but, meh, if it rocks your boat...

$525

ferdi

Stingrays arnt really my bag, Sterlings on the other hand....so that jap fender will end up costing approx 660€ (price 540€ + 120€ shipping)? will i be stung on tax?

one thing i'm a bit worried about, how badly will the chrome p/u covers get in the way?



half the time i play with a pleck near the bridge and frankly the covers look like they'd get in the way something fierce, but having never played a bass with these covers i could be talking through my ass. a little help?

Doctor J

Take them off.

ferdi

ah but they look deadly....

Doctor J

I know. There was one on my Ric and I really wanted to keep it on but it's just in the wrong place for how I play, it had to go.