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Post subject: 50th anniversary jazz bass - I just don't get it.
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 3:26 pm
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Once again I am confused about what goes on at fender. Here we have a bass selling for about 2800.00 which is really not that much different from the 70s Jazz Bass or the Geddy Lee, both of which sell for about half. Really, if Fender still made the Highway 1, and you put pickup covers on it, you would have 9/10ths of the Anniversary Jazz and for a lot less money.

My humble opinion:
If you are going to sell a rehash of your usual bass for roughly twice what the American Deluxe sells for, why not have block mother of pearl inlays, instead of pearloid (re: toilet seat). Why not have a truly unique take on the electronics, like the Roscoe Beck model? Why not do something really special with the finish, like a dye job or maybe spaulted or bookmatch maple? For 2800.00 bucks I should get some color choices besides fire hydrant red. It's odd that the best Fender models all started off as Artist models to some extent, like the Stu Hamm, Roscoe Beck, etc.

Fender should have taken the opportunity here to show us where we're going, not where we've been.


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Post subject: Re: 50th anniversary jazz bass - I just don't get it.
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 6:22 pm
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The high cost is because it's a limited edition model. I'm not saying I agree, but that's the rational.


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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:20 am
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The Anniversary has a nitrocellulose finish, the GL Signature hasn't.

The Anniversary has the upgraded neck with Posiflex rods and improved truss rod, the GL hasn't.

The Anniversary is made in U.S.A., the GL isn't.


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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:18 pm
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They're going for $1999.99 if your pre order so they're about $600 more than an American Standard. It looks absolutely beautiful and I love the thumb rest along with the hardware. I'd like to see a sunburst which is most likely the color a 1960 Jazz was introduced in.

My concern is, does anyone know for sure if this is American? That neck looks an awful lot like the Jaguar (Japan) bass right down to inlays and the color. I owned a Jag and there were definite lack of sustain issues many felt were caused by the neck and the block inlays.

That said, if I had $2 grand I'd buy it today. :lol:


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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:35 pm
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matbard wrote:
The Anniversary has a nitrocellulose finish, the GL Signature hasn't.

The Anniversary has the upgraded neck with Posiflex rods and improved truss rod, the GL hasn't.

The Anniversary is made in U.S.A., the GL isn't.


Are you sure it's USA? I would think by the asking price it is, but so far I haven't seen anything definitive (in writing) that it's USA. If it is USA, I need to figure out how to get me one. It looks amazing- I love my USA Jazz. :?


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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 6:20 pm
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Could it be there will be two levels of these, or even three?
1. USA LIMITED (1 of x number)
2. MIM or CIJ Anniversary Series but not limited
3. Every Jazz, whether Anniversary Series or not gets an anniversary headstock medallion leading to confusion as people selling used ones as "Anniversary Series" when they were from the regular production run just because of the headstock medallion.
That is what happened during the Fender 60th.


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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 6:46 pm
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I don't see USA anwhere in the specs or name of this instrument. I tried getting close ups of the head stock but I can't. I don't think they'd be selling a MIM or MIJ for over $1K but that neck looks exactly like the Jaguar (MIJ) neck right down to the pearloid inlays. That bass had zero sustain and many commented it was because of those inlays. This has body thru string set up so it should sustain; my USA Jazz sustains forever. I am maxed out right now (bad gas) but I really want one of these if it's USA made and if it doesn't have the sustain problems the Jag had.


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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:02 pm
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FJ Bass, very cool, I just went on to sweetwater. brought up the Fender Jazz 50 Anniversary and was able to blow up the pics. The headstock has no mention of Country which is troubling. I guess I will find out eventually. That said, it is breathtakingly beautiful IMO. I am lusting badly.

With the exception of no maple fingerboard which I prefer and not knowing where it is made, it looks pretty perfect to me.


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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:04 pm
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pmano wrote:
They're going for $1999.99 if your pre order so they're about $600 more than an American Standard. It looks absolutely beautiful and I love the thumb rest along with the hardware. I'd like to see a sunburst which is most likely the color a 1960 Jazz was introduced in.

My concern is, does anyone know for sure if this is American? That neck looks an awful lot like the Jaguar (Japan) bass right down to inlays and the color. I owned a Jag and there were definite lack of sustain issues many felt were caused by the neck and the block inlays.

That said, if I had $2 grand I'd buy it today. :lol:


The comment about the neck is very interesting, in that Fender doesn't list the Jaguar in red anymore (maybe had some red headstocks to get rid of?). This makes me think about the Mark Hoppus "Jazz" Bass which really must be a Precision because that's what it says on the headstock. Maybe, for the sake of clarity, Fender should just refer to their bass bodies as either "classic" (i.e., Precision-like) or "offset" (like the Jazz).

If I had the 2 grand I would get the Reggie Hamilton 5-string, which is the best mix of everything Fender has ever offered, all on one bass. I still think the 50th Anniversary Jazz is just not that special.


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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:13 pm
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I'm guessing it's a USA, mainly because of the posiflex graphite in the neck. Right now the only basses that have this feature are USA basses. Having the graphite requires a completely different neck construction which no other MIM or MIJ basses have.


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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:22 pm
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Also just to add, it's all american hardware. Another reason to believe it's MIA


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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:21 am
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It's made in U.S.A.

Look at the product code: 019-5000-809. All American basses begins with "019". MIM is "013" or other codes.


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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 6:11 am
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Matbrad, thanks. That's what I was looking for, you nailed it. Now I have to try one out and if I like it, figure out how to buy me one. !


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