Bass Emporium Newsletter - May 2008
The Bass Whisperer Reports:
Fender American Standard Jazz V, Black Finish/Maple Neck 5-String Bass w/ High-Tech SKB Hardshell Case
by Ed Friedland
<<News Flash: Fender Hits A New Low! >>
Like many bass players, I identify as a "Fender guy." The Jazz bass was my preferred companion through my formative years, and thirty years later, it's still the benchmark I use to form opinions on other instruments. Yes, playing my Jazz bass, I was a happy man. I could get everything I wanted out of that bass, and all was right with the world. That is, until the 5-string bass was invented. For quite a while, I resisted playing the 5, ("it's a fad...") but ultimately succumbed to its charms in 1987. This began a decades long search for "the perfect 5-string" or more to the point—a B string that didn't suck. While it wasn't impossible to find a good B-string in the early days (Ken Smith, and Michael Tobias built great 5's back then—among others) most options were out of my price range, and perhaps didn't mesh with my Fender-based esthetic. When Fender did join the 5-string parade, the results were underwhelming. Okay, time for some tough truth: Many players feel that Fender 5-string basses have flabby B-strings, and with the exception of their Custom Shop output, the now out of production FMT and QMT series, and the occasional anomaly on the production line, I have unfortunately found this to be the case. As a result, out of the hundreds of basses I have owned over the past thirty years, not one of them has been a Fender 5-string—that is, until last month.
In 2008, Fender introduced their new American Standard line. My first reaction was somewhat muted, I didn't expect any significant improvements. But at the NAMM show, Senior Marketing Manager of Fender and Squier basses, Jay Piccirillo put one of the new American Standard Precision Bass 5s in my hands. Now—the NAMM show is not the best place to judge equipment critically—ever been to one of those rehearsal complexes with 30 bands playing at the same time? Multiply that by 10, (and get rid of the walls) and you've got the NAMM show. But even in the cacophony of the Fender booth, I was able to sense something different was going on here. The B string felt tight. Plugging it in, I noticed right away the note definition was there, and the volume was balanced with the rest of the bass. "Could it be that Fender has finally made a great 5-string bass?"
A few months back, I was sent an American Standard Precision Bass 5 to review for a monthly publication that caters to the bonehead-shredder-Metallica-rules guitar playing crowd, and discovered that my hopes had indeed been realized. The Precision 5 is somewhat of a new breed in that it is a totally passive, traditional 34" scale P bass with 5 strings, and it thrilled me with its massive B string. I was smitten, and had to buy the review instrument, making it my first Fender 5-string. Of course, being a persistent skeptic, I began to wonder if this bass was just a happy accident—another production line anomaly. When the Bass Emporium's first American Standard Jazz 5 arrived, I was eager to see if the B string would live up to my expectations. It did. Even though I had the proverbial bird in the hand, I needed more proof. On a stealth mission to the local guitar Wal-wart big box, I played two more Jazz 5s and confirmed that they all had the same tight, clearly defined B string.
So, it is my pleasure to report to the dis-believing throngs that Fender has indeed built a production line 5-string bass that kicks butt (several thousand of them actually). I know this must seem terribly long-winded, but I'm so excited about this new development, I can't help it. Plus—I get paid per word, (just kidding). This month's review instrument is a black Fender American Standard Jazz Bass 5-string, with a maple fingerboard.
From The Top
Starting at the headstock, we have Fender's new improved tuners, which retain the familiar cloverleaf key, but use a smaller mechanism that trims their overall weight by a claimed 30%. They look right, they work fine, and the decreased weight is a plus with the 4+1 tuner arrangement.
Dual string trees keep the E, A, D, and G string's break angle steep enough to avoid vibration past the nut. Fender is also using their much-loved "spaghetti" logo under a slightly tinted lacquer that gives the bass an aged, "instant classic" look (the tint is also applied to the maple fingerboard and neck). The 1.875" nut width creates comfortable string spacing at the first fret; this has become the default nut width for all Fender 5-strings (with the exception of the Marcus Miller 5 which is 1.825").
The satin finish on the back of the neck, and the rolled edges of the maple fingerboard give the neck a broken-in feel that is subtly pleasing. The "Modern C" neck profile (also standard on all Fender 5s) hits a good balance between chunky/stable and sleek/playable; the Posi-Flex graphite reinforcement rods add rigidity, and, at least on the four different instruments I've sampled—greatly decrease the typical dead spot on the G string. At the base of the neck, it's nice to see they've routed an opening for easy truss rod access—you won't have to disassemble the bass to adjust your neck relief.
Body of Evidence
Fender is touting their new thinner undercoat as a source of better resonance claiming it lets the wood breath. Certainly, a thick-skinned polyester finish won't help the tone, but it would be difficult to say how much of the American Standard's clarity and resonance are a result of this feature, or simply a product of choice woods and a solid neck joint. The alder body gives the J5 a punchy low-mid presence with good highs, and the entire bass weighs in at a respectable 8.9 lbs.
The black finish with 3-ply w/b/w pickguard is the classic "tuxedo" look, but the instrument is also available in three-tone sunburst, Olympic white, and Candy-Cola, a color that brings to mind a can of Dr. Pepper. Fender is limiting the fingerboard options; only the black and Candy-Cola basses are available with maple fingerboards, while the burst and white finishes only come with rosewood.
One new feature is the High Mass Vintage bridge, which has a steel base plate with brass saddles and backstop. It can be strung through the body, or top loaded, and the saddles have narrow grooves that perfectly fit the tapered end of Fender's B and E strings. A non-tapered string will ride over the top, but before you get concerned about tone-loss due to decreased contact between the string and saddle, remember that the bridge found on '60s Fenders had the same small grooves, and those basses sounded pretty good.
A word on the supplied strings; in the past, I have not been overly enthusiastic about Fender strings, but my experiences trying different sets on my own American Standard P5 has led me to a new appreciation of the 8250M nickel-plated steel set that comes standard on the bass. The B string in particular is tight and articulate, and works great on this 34" scale bass.
The pickups are standard Fender 5-string single-coil Jazz models, with a matte-finished plastic covers. Although their noiseless design pickups appear on the American Deluxe series, the sound of straight-ahead single-coil pickups is still a beautiful thing. Personally, I find the amount of hum introduced by soloing the bridge or neck pickup does not outweigh my enjoyment of the tone. The pickups are in the standard '60s J position—what more can you say? It sounds like a Jazz bass.
Just in Case
Fender has also done some work on their hardshell case. The new molded SKB case (included) features TSA approved locks with fiberglass latches, and a handle that stays in position when flush with the case. The case is plush-lined and form-fitted to the instrument, and has exterior indentations that make stacking multiple cases secure. The American Standard series comes with the complete case-candy package that features a strap, cable, truss rod tool, allen wrenches, and owner's manual.
Performance
Playing the new Jazz 5 is a blast. Over the years, I have owned more than a few basses that were attempts at creating this elusive beast, each with it's particular successes and failings, but to finally play a Fender 5-string Jazz bass that has a great B string is both foreign and familiar at the same time. It's all there, the burpy Jaco bridge tone, the meaty articulate sound of both pickups together, and that fat, round, hollow tone of the neck pickup. This bass is not your glassy top-end, hi-fi, boutique show horse—it's an old school, mid-range-punch-yer-lights-out-get-your-hands-dirty, beast of burden. And we love it!
When evaluating B strings, you first must keep in mind that there are differences between 34" or 35" scale. As someone that resisted the 35" scale until this past year, I became accustomed to the nature of the 34" B string. Physics being what they are, a 34" B string is not going to have the same response as a 35" string—the 35" will be tighter, and have clearer note definition through it's range. It is possible to make a bass with a great 34" B string (ask Roger Sadowsky how), but it is a less common occurrence. It helps to use great materials; construction must be excellent—especially important is the neck/body fit, the neck must be stiff and, (if made from wood) beefy. The Jazz 5 has an excellent 34" scale B string, it speaks loud and full in the lower register and holds true up the neck, but does start to get complicated with overtones as you move above the 12th fret. It has a wooly character that blooms, and fills out the bottom nicely.
Tone Test
The Fender American Standard Jazz 5 was recorded direct into ProTools through a Radial Engineering ProDI and Analysis Plus Bass Oval cable. The instrument's tone control was left up full, no additional eq was used, and only minimal compression. No animals were harmed.
Track 1 - Soloing the neck pickup on the Jazz 5 gets a chunky, open tone. It has a strong similarity to the single coil P bass design of the early '50s, and it fills out a groove nicely. It doesn't articulate as quickly as the bridge pickup, so I tend to play a little fatter and slower with this setting-but the B string sure jumps out and smacks you.
Track 2 - Rolling into the middle position, we have the classic and instantly recognizable Jazz bass tone. One of the things I love about this bass is the fact that it is a pure Jazz. While 35" scale Jazz-type 5 strings may have the clarity advantage in the lowest range, the top end of this axe is sweet. This bass is the genuine article.
Track 3 - It's tough to beat the sheer cutting power of the bridge pickup on the Jazz 5. It articulates fast and clear, making ghost notes and embellishments pop out. It also brings more clarity to the B string.
Track 4 - The Jazz 5's slap tone on the neck pickup is pure '70s funk. It has the bark of a P bass with a bit more pronounced high end. The B string responds quite well to the thumb, the note definition is very good on the first 4 frets.
Track 5 - Here we go, this is the classic passive J slap tone. Deep but detailed, with the midrange emphasis that will get you heard, without being abrasive.
Track 6 - Edgy and fast, slapping on the bridge pickup cuts like a Sawz-all through pine. It's a great tone for a solo, or if you need to get heard through a mucky mix of guitars and keyboards. Check out that B string!
Bottom Line
If you're like me, and have been waiting 20 years for Fender to finally start making 5-strings with great B strings, you'll be happy to know that day has come. The American Standard Jazz and Precision 5 are both excellent representations of the classic and well-loved 4-stringed instruments, but with the added bonus of the lower register.
Ed Friedland is a renowned Bassist, Educator and Author. He has authored over 15 books and DVDs and has played with the likes of Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Robben Ford, Paul Horn, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Bud Shank, Lew Tabackin & Michal Urbaniak to name just a few. Ed is also currently teaching at Bass Emporium in Austin, Texas. Check out the Ed Friedland website for full information about him at http://www.edfriedland.com/.
