Fender Introduces Select Active Jazz Bass
Fender’s 2013 additions to their Select Series includes the Fender Select Active Jazz Bass. Described as the company’s “top-of-the-production-line”, the new bass features an alder body with a flame maple top and hand-stained Tobacco Sunburst finish with a gloss-lacquer topcoat.
The Select Active Jazz bass sports a neck made of quartersawn maple, with a modern “C” shape and reinforced with Posiflex graphite support rods. Its compound-radius rosewood fingerboard includes 20 medium jumbo frets and white pearloid block position inlays.
The pickups are a pair of Fender Select Jazz Bass single-coil pickups. The active electronics includes treble, mid, and bass controls as well as a mini-toggle switch to choose active or passive modes. Hardware includes a three-ply parchment pickguard, a high-mass vintage-style bridge and vintage-style tuners with tapered shafts.
The Fender Select Active Jazz Bass will be available with an MSRP of $3,199. For more, check out Fender’s website.
Fender Select Active Jazz Bass Overview:
Fender Select Active Jazz Bass Specs:
- Neck Shape: Modern “C”
- Number of Frets: 20
- Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
- Position Inlays: White Pearloid Block Position Inlays
- Fingerboard Radius: 9.5? – 14? Compound Radius (24.1 cm-35.56 cm)
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Neck Material: Graphite Reinforced Maple
- Nut Width: 1.5? (38.1 mm)
- Scale Length: 34? (86.36 cm)
- Neck Plate: 4-Bolt
- Truss Rods: Modern Heel Adjust
- Pickup Configuration: S/S
- Bridge Pickup: Fender Select Jazz Bass Single Coil
- Neck Pickup: Fender Select Jazz Bass Pickup
- Pickup Switching: Pan Pot
- Special Electronics: Active/Passive Mini-Toggle Switch
- Controls: Master Volume, Pan Control, Three-Band Active EQ with Treble Boost/Cut, Bass Boost/Cut and Mid Boost/Cut
- Hardware Finish: Chrome
- Bridge: High Mass Vintage (String-Through-Body or Topload)
- String Nut: Synthetic Bone
- Tuning Machines: Fender/Hipshot Vintage Keys with Tapered Shafts
- Strings: Fender USA, NPS, (Gauges .045-.100)
- Unique Features: Neck Heel Contour, Fender Select Headstock Medallion, Stealth “A” String Retainer
- Control Knobs: Jazz Bass Knobs
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
Beautiful!
That`s a lot of money for a Fender! I had a Jazz American deluxe, and the build quality was very bad. I e-mailed the Fender customer service dept., and they never even replied! Anyway for 3,000 dollars I won`t buy one.There are many Jazz style basses to choose from now and they are better built and sounding!
On that Note a @[1020983444:2048:Pavel de la Fuente] Jazz from Pavel Musical instruments with that same top will be a lot Cheaper,better built,and better sounding!! 3,100 is too much for a 4 string Fender unless it belonged to Jaco or Marcus!!
Nice looking, but you could get a lot more out of a bass if you spent that much with a local builder.
Did you see the price tag on this puppy?
http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2013/01/20/aria-guitars-to-unveil-cliff-burton-signature-bass-at-namm/
Good lord – it’s like they’re trying to financially offset the years of managerial ineptitude in one product launch.
When I think of paying $3,200 for a new J-bass, I think Sadowsky.
Yes, I know they will be discounted… I still think Sadowsky.
3199 MSRP won’t be discounted. MSRP isn’t real world. It translates to around $2300.
…or Mike Lull.
I don’t understand why a video about an instrument would have more talking than playing. That makes no damn sense to me!
and he didn’t say much of anything, for all the talking he did.
I don’t understand why a video about an instrument would have more talking than playing. That doesn’t make any damn sense to me!
Beautiful-yes. I thought the Highway One Jazz was ugly, until I bought one. Then I got another Jazz and a Precision too! They were about $800 each.
I am thinking a Sadowsky or a Mike Lull bass would be a much better investment. The resale value will be higher and better quality over the Fender. I would maybe buy this Fender used for $1500.
White PG does look pretty classic. but see-through acrylic would be infinitely more beautiful.
I like it, but 3200… i’m not sold
Every time Fender unveils a “new” bass it’s just the same dog, different collar. Just the same old overpriced instrument.
I think it is quite different, it is just a question of whether or not to pay the pricetag. The neck is graphite reinforced and they use quarter-sawn maple which is very different from the run of the mill Fender American Jazz Bass. Basses that cost over $2000 SHOULD have these features.
When compared to other vendors the price just doesn’t hold up. I’d rather spend a few hundred more for a Lull or a Modulus GV4J and have a truly solid instrument. The flame is what cracks me up… if you’re going to do it at least put a decent piece of flame on it! You could literally spend $1000 less on another Fender and have just as good of a bass. Makes no sense!
No matter how many times he says; “it can’t be beat.” They’re not going to convince me it’s worth 3 grand.
I’m sure this is an awesome bass out of the box. But like most current production Fenders, compared to a $1000 Jazz Bass, you won’t really be able to honestly tell me there is a $2000 improvement in sound.
Fender continues to lose touch with ordinary, working musicians. I hesitate to click the links anymore, as it’s usually just another overpriced, collector’s plaything.
Cut that price in half and Fender would be competitive.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-American-Select-Jazz-Bass-Flame-Maple-Top-Amber-Burst-/221178696259?pt=Guitar&hash=item337f471243