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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:12 am
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Thanks fjbass, I am an owner of an American Special Jazz and found it perfect in almost every way. The "almost" due to as with you I found the bridge lacking. The tuners are like the Hwy one but would prefer at least 20:1 tuners but not a biggy here. Curious, what did you find that "didn't look right" about the neck on one that you checked out? Was it wavy on the back like some of the MIM's I have seen in the past? I had a nice case made by Wolfpack (padded semi hardshell) that fit this bass like a glove. I put a BabicZ Full contact bridge on that is superior to even the American Standard's heavier bridge in the area of adjustability, sustain, and Quality (paid $64.50). I had a 2004 MIA Jazz that was excellent in all but tone. The pickups that year were not as good in my opinion as todays Fender American Jazz pickups so I changed them to Fralin's. The tuners were and are outstanding on the American Standards. I do miss that and will probably put a set of Hipshot HB-7's on someday but for now these will do.


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:43 pm
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fjbass, thanks, I hope they did indeed wake up. Yes, the 2004 MIA Jazz was a fine bass with the exception of the pickups being enemic sounding.
I got the Oly white with rosewood fretboard. Frets nicely done, setup very good. My amp is a GK 700RBII (Gallien-Kruger). The cab originally an Avatar B115H. I changed the speaker many times. My most recent being an Eminence Kappalight LF 15" Neo that I love. I made a custom cab originally for two high power Eminence Pro 85 watt horns but recently installed a 6.5" 18 Sound Mid range speaker with custom built crossover set at 1800hz-4,800hz and found I no longer needed the Horns (which weighed a ton) so I removed them and use the space to store cables etc.

Here is a link of photo of my amp and cabs:
http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=70647

Here is a link of photo of my bass:

http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=72899

NOTE: The photo of the bass is before I changed the bridge.


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 3:36 pm
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Thankyou, my 2004 MIA Jazz was Sienna Burnt Orange (I think that was what they called it) with a Maple neck. I loved the nice rolled edges on the fretboard and wish Fender had of kept that up. They have to a lesser degree that feels nicer than other basses of lesser quality do. The 2011 Fender American basses have better sounding pickups on both models.


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:05 pm
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Here is my new American Special Jazz with BabicZ Full contact bridge (and a piece of foam).

http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=72981

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2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass
1979 Takamine F-349
2010 Mitchell Acoustic Electric
2008 GK 700RBII amp and Avatar B115H cab
1999 Fender Ultimate Chorus amp


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:18 pm
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fjbass wrote:
Good looking bridge. Is that a string through the body, and straight through, or a straight through only bridge?


Straight through only. I converted several basses over to string through the body with good results and considered doing it with this one using the same bridge upgrade I had used on the others then I saw this bridge and decided to give it a try and have no regrets what so ever. The biggest difference I saw between heavy bridge and heavy bridge with string through the body was it helped make TI Jazz Flats a llittle less floppy feeling which was a plus. This bridge is "heavenly" to adjust saddle height in that you only need to adjust one screw per string instead of 2. It has excellent sustain in and of itself.

BTW: what year model is your bass fjbass?

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2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass
1979 Takamine F-349
2010 Mitchell Acoustic Electric
2008 GK 700RBII amp and Avatar B115H cab
1999 Fender Ultimate Chorus amp


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:36 pm
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You have a beautiful bass. I knew it must be fairly new as it has the newer heavier bridge. If mine had that bridge I would have looked no further but for me to buy it would have been about $80. Of coarse with an extra $6 I could have string through the body which is a nice option.

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2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass
1979 Takamine F-349
2010 Mitchell Acoustic Electric
2008 GK 700RBII amp and Avatar B115H cab
1999 Fender Ultimate Chorus amp


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:25 pm
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A final thought. I got the bridge wholesale. If I only could have gotten it for retail ($89) I would have definately gone with the Fender American Standard Bridge and Ferrules for through the body stringing as I typically used it on my other basses including the 2004 MIA Jazz I once had.

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2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass
1979 Takamine F-349
2010 Mitchell Acoustic Electric
2008 GK 700RBII amp and Avatar B115H cab
1999 Fender Ultimate Chorus amp


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:48 am
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fjbass wrote:
Thanks LTB, I like the High Mass Bridge, and the string through. If you ever get a chance, take a look at a G&L Bass. They have a nice designed bridge. G&L uses it on their US G&L series, and also on the Indonesian Tribute G&L series. One difference between the G&L US, and Indonesian G&L Tribute's bridges. The saddles are a cast zinc on the Indonesian, and are chromed brass saddles on the US. The design of the bridge itself is the same. Leo Fender strikes again with a great design.


Thanks for your valuable insight here. I looked at quite a few of the G&L tributes before buying my bass. The very nicely designed bridge is one of the things that attracted me to them. I wondered if there truly was a difference in quality of the Hardware and electronics between the USA and Tribute model basses. While electronics may be the same (not totally sure on this) the metals used on the USA's (according to you they certainly are) are clearly superior to the Indonesian Tributes. I found the tributes nice but I could not warm up to the built in preamp models. Not that they were not good or not what others would certainly want but because they sounded like the USA made Ernie Ball Sterling I bought and returned within a couple of weeks because of the "intense" growl they offered with round wound strings. I could have tamed it with flats but I am mostly a round wound string person. Their necks were not as nice feeling as the Sterling was (incredible quality and feel) or the Fender Americans but equivelent to Fender MIM's etc. I wanted to like the Tribute because they were nice looking good quality basses but in the end the Fender American Jazz won out. I can imagine the USA G&L's would be like comparing the MIM Fender to the USA Fender in means of quality and feel.

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2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass
1979 Takamine F-349
2010 Mitchell Acoustic Electric
2008 GK 700RBII amp and Avatar B115H cab
1999 Fender Ultimate Chorus amp


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:56 am
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fjbass wrote:
The US G&L is a high quality upper end bass. I had a US G&L SB-2 made up for me, to my specs. It was incredible.


What did you have them do? And was it expensive? I would have loved to have tried out the SJB-2. Did try the SB-2 and no tone control bugged me.

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2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass
1979 Takamine F-349
2010 Mitchell Acoustic Electric
2008 GK 700RBII amp and Avatar B115H cab
1999 Fender Ultimate Chorus amp


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:55 pm
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fjbass wrote:
The tone control was set on the amp, and balancing out the pup settings on board. US G&L SB-2 with a Vintage #6 neck. (Jazz size neck). Maple fretboard with a Clear Gloss Lacquer finish. 7.5" Radius on the fretboard. Alder body, with a Tobacco Burst finish. White Pick Guard. Hard case. It took about 2.5 months from order to delivery. $1,289.


Bet it is nice a being US made G&L as opposed to the Tribute model. I think I would prefer a 9.5" radius only by what I have read and never really tried one. I can only wonder what a US made SJB-2 would be like?

_________________
2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass
1979 Takamine F-349
2010 Mitchell Acoustic Electric
2008 GK 700RBII amp and Avatar B115H cab
1999 Fender Ultimate Chorus amp


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:31 pm
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Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:19 pm
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Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
Wow!! beautiful American Deluxe, I'm guessing it's a 2010?.....as I noted here in an earlier post I bought a 2010 American Deluxe 5 string with a natural finish & I'm extremely pleased with this instrument.
Some people have commented on noise from the N3 pickups ( are you having this issue with your american deluxe?) Mine is relatively quiet with some minor buzz when in active mode.
I love the 3 color sunburst on your bass,....I would of considered getting the sunburst if it was available with a maple fret board( I even contacted Fender to see if it would be possible) sadly it was not.
Whats your opion of this bass?


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:24 am
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I agree the AM DLX is a Stnd with active on it, This is my first 5- string....I added it to my collection in mid May ( I should add that mine is also a 2011, I was reffering to it as a 2010 AM DlX.....being the new verion of AM DLX ) I think it was made in March..... there's a production date tag in the case ( for the case) that reads April 19,2011.
It was only in my local music store www.long-mcquade.com for 5 days when I snagged it.
there was also a Black one but just as you said I also fell in love with the neck I the natural finish is gorgeous, I also love the stacked pots and the sounds you dial in.
I was how ever on the fence at first regarding the pan pot that only allows you to
choose either the neck or bridge pickup or both full at the middlle position.....I got over it pretty quick & as I said I just love the tones & sounds that come from this baby.

I was originally going to get a Marcus Miller 5 string ( I already have a 4 string)
I compared both basses as they both have the HMV Bridge, Active Passive switch, contured heel, perloid block markers on the neck,moulded case, a B string retainer on the head.
& both basses are made in Corona California.........the Marcus 5 also costs $600.00
more........the neck on the Marcus 5 is slightly thinner but you can get more variety of sounds out of the AM DLX because in passive mode on the Marcus you get only individual volume for each pickup & in active mode you get individual volume & tone for each pick up........needless to say the AM DLX won out. I was playing a little sloppy on the AM DLX when I first got (getting used to the extra string) but after 6 weeks of playing it & messing with the sounds available I have to say I'm playing tight & comfortable on this bass.....I really love it!! Good Job Fender..


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 9:55 am
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Yeah same here , it's pretty much the fanciest bass I've also ever had...later today I'm going to post a photo of my bass collection & a photo I took of my AM DLX the night I brought it home.....there's another trivial accesory I forgot to mention when I was comparing the Marcus 5 string & the AM DLX.
With the AM DLX you get Shaller strap locks.....a trivial but nice bonus....lol.


Last edited by James Coderre on Thu Jan 30, 2014 9:55 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:37 am
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I think That is something really very amazing one.


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Post subject: Re: Any one try the New American Jazz Special?
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:19 am
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Better that than this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VeDZzu_qeY

Stay Brown,
Rev J


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