Fender Modern Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar 

Comments about Fender Modern Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar:

First saw one for sale on a bass forum. I was immediately intrigued with the dual humbuckers. It sold before I had a chance to respond, so an online search turned up (2) used ones with free shipping through Musicians Friend. Received it in as-new condition, plastic still on the pickguard. Had to tweak the trussrod a bit and set the intonation, then it played like butter. Totally silent passive electronics, although I'm used to active circuits, so I have to raise the gain on my preamp to get the desired tone. Very satisfied, probably one of the best inexpensive basses I own.

Comments about Fender Modern Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar:

Very nice for the price. Hot pickups, had to dial the volume back on my amp. Got the sunburst, it's sweet. Minor setup changes out of the box to control buzz (raised the saddle on a couple of strings to reduce buzzing and tweaked the truss rod)sounds great now. Nice thump and get tonal changes from the knobs pretty easily. Tuning keys dissapoint a bit though, that's basically the only weakness. Oh, and it's pretty heavy.

Comments about Fender Modern Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar:

Very nice bass. Plays very, very easily. Only negative is that the sound is a bit thin, but that could be because it comes with smaller gauge strings. Have to play it more to be sure. Very pretty, and looks great. You will need to get a gig bag, for sure, at a minimum.

Comments about Fender Modern Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar:

I like what they're doing with Squire basses recently; I often felt that if they only had that 'Fender' sticker on it, I'd be happy playing many of them... but then, they go for a lot cheaper, too! After trying this bass, I'm not so sure.

So, this bass isnt BAD, really - the looks of it are fine. But here's my deal: I bought a Blacktop P bass last year, and I like it a lot - the only thing I wished it had the J bass' slimmer neck. So, when they came out with the Player's J bass, I was like 'YES!', and I ordered one expecting the same quality. After noticing the differences in the finish and neck, I played it and didnt hear the snap and boom I expected. My friend said, 'oh, it's made in China, huh?', and I didnt believe it but yes, that's the case.Then I thought maybe it was just me, not hearing the sound, but then I compared it back to back with the Blacktop P bass (also dual humbuck-equipped), it definitely sounded weaker! Part of it may be due to the pickup placement - the P has both mounted a little closer to the bridge (and the bridge is heavyer, with steel saddles and thicker metal) - but when I looked closely, the pickups are NOT the same; the Player's Jazz defintely are not as nice! This is a Squire-quality bass with a Fender decal on it.

I love the Fender Jazz neck and dual-pickup design, and this bass is ok... but while the humbucks are quieter, these particular pickups are not as high-output as the Mexican Blacktop Precision, and you when you subtract that from trading out the single-coil snap and clarity of even a standard J bass..... I was not really happy with this purchase. I'm keeping it, but I'm sure I'll be playing the Blacktop or my '70's reissue a lot more often!
Not bad looking, I got the transparent black and the finish is fine. The neck has no 'skunk stripe', the yellowish 'vintage' look, nice gloss. The neck plate is stamped 'Fender' - a nice touch. Got the little plastic control knobs but those are standard. Brass saddles on a sturdy bridge.

The humbucks are just ok; the ones on mine are not great, the tone is kind of muddy. See below.
The appearance is pretty good, no cosmetic flaws really. But after playing and looking at it closely, this is a 'made in china' bass, and compares more to Squires than even a Mexican Fender. The pick-ups, tuners, and bridge are all slightly-less-good than the Mexican Blacktop. Tonight was cold, but to me it seemed like it didnt stay in tune all that well, either.
For the same price, the blacktop P bass is a MUCH better deal. see below

Comments about Fender Modern Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar:

Love this bass. My other J bass I've had for 19 years, I plan to keep this one for that, if not longer.
The doubling of the pick-ups was exactly what I wanted in a J bass and couldn't find, because it didn't exist. And then this thing comes around!
Recieved this bass as a suprise Xmas present. I had been eyeing and was weary due to the fact I hadn't found one in-store that I could test drive. Once I picked it and and hit 2 notes, I knew this bass was better than what I expected.
I have played $1200 Fender J bass' and maybe its just me, because every player has a preference, but this one sounds equal, if not better. And less than half the price!!

Comments about Fender Modern Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar:

I need to let you know how this thing sounds. Imagine that it's daddy was a P bass and momma was a Jazz. Being humbuckers, it looses some of the sweet, airy "bell" tones of the Jazz bass. What it gains is the low-mid "whump" of a P bass while retaining the tonal characteristics of the Jazz - a sweet compromise indeed.
One note on tone: The pickups are better than my original impression led me to believe. They are very sensitive to height adjustment and need to be in their "sweet spot" to get the best out of them. Once I found that spot they really came alive!
Here's the bottom line: Fantastic deal for an outstanding bass - GET IT!
Basic Jazz Bass features with the exception of humbucking double jazz pickups. Vol, Vol, Tone and no coil tap (two conductor wires).
I've been playng bass since 1973 and have seen, especially in the last ten years, an amazing elevation in the quality of instruments at lower price points. Not so many years back, one would have had to spend quite a bit more to acquire a bass of this quality. Solid materials, flawless finishing, very nice electronics and hardware - it's all there.
This is a ton of bass for very little dough. Outstanding value. There is no compelling reason to spend any more.

Comments about Fender Modern Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar:

This is a very nice Jazz Bass, if you always wanted an affordable Jazz Bass with the Fender name on it you can't beat this, great sound, nice action, up grade with new hi-end strings and you can't beat it.
I like the bridge, still getting use to the pickups, tuners are fine and the output is great.
I found the quality to be very good for an entry level Jazz Bass, a little on the shiny side so don't expect it not to scratch a bit.
Great value for any Fender of this quality.

Comments about Fender Modern Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar:

The fit & finish were excellent. The setup right out of the box was nearly perfect, just tune & play. I haven't owned it long enough to find any negatives, but based on experience it should be fine. The quality & tone are far better than the MIM jazz bases I was considering. It played well & sounded great for blues, blues rock, & was also good for slap bass. The pickups & the chunky bridge had great output. I would strongly recommend the Fender Modern Player Jazz bass.
Really impressive jazz bass. The humbuckers add a valuable tonal quality as well as abig boost in bottom. Nice big bridge.
I was quite surprised at the build quality of an imported guitar based on past experience. Playing this bass at a music store allowed me to compare it to the American Standard Jazz bass & found them quite equal.
At this price, i would say a great value. This is a nice axe!