Great intermediate, rock music bass
Pros:
Good hard-rock sound
Cons:
Not suited well to fingerstyle playing
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I have been playing a 4-string, bottom-of-the-jar bass for about 5 years now, and I'm currently in the process of upgrading to a much nicer 5-string model. I've played probably almost 2 dozen 5-string basses so far, and the Fender American Deluxe Jazz V is one of my favourites.
When the salesperson first brought this one out to me, I was not a fan. For one, I have always hated the thickness of Fender necks. Also, I was looking for something with 24 frets for those great two octave runs, and this bass has 22 frets. It's also a 34" scale, which I'm generally not a fan of either. But he convinced me to try this anyway.
The neck is surprisingly thin, and comparable to Ibanez and Warwick necks in the same price range. It's fairly smooth moving up and down the fretboard as well, and the action is low.
As for the 34" scale, this is a floppy bass. For those not enlightened on the scale issue, let me explain. Basically, if you measure from the point where the strings go into the bridge to the nut, you'll get a measurement, probably 34" or 35". The longer the scale, the tighter and less floppy the B-string. Because the string is so thick, a tighter B-generally sounds more fluid. You shouldn't be able to tell whether someone is playing the fifth fret on the B-string or an open E. It's the same note, and it should sound the same (or comparable).
But despite the 34" scale floppiness of this bass, I kind of like it. It's got a controlled feel to it, and it would be great to play with a pick. Jason Newsted from Metallica plays this bass in fact, and the bass line from "Mudshovel" by Staind comes to mind when I play this bass. That's the kind of crispy, metallic sound it produces (with a maple fretboard anyway. It also comes in rosewood but I hate that).
The Jazz pickups are also nice, and the EQ runs from the deepest of the deep to the biting highs of treble.
I have not yet decided on a 5-string to invest in. This bass will run you anywhere from $1,000-1,200 including the hardshell case, so this is an important decision that I'll definitely sleep on for a while. And for those looking for a richer, smoother sound, I'm recommend a Peavey Cirrus five string (I know, it surprised me too that a Peavey would sound so good!). But this bass is definitely worth checking out. Oh, and make sure you grab the USA version, not the Mexican.
