Fender American Standard Jazz V

This is a USA made 5-String 1998 Jazz Bass. Features a 20 fret pao ferro fretboard on a maple neck with an alder body, finished in classy Ocean Turquoise. This bass is strung through the body, so you can get some nice sustain and thickened tone out of it. It also features the standard Jazz Bass controls (Vol-Vol-Tone), and it has 2 USA made Jazz Bass pickups (Bi-Pole Single Coil). Not too many features, but I find anything else unnecessary.

Came with a molded case, too.

As a rock player, I find this bass suits my style more than just "well." The sound this bass makes is amazing. It has the mid-range punch, with some awesome high end, and of coruse, good low end. Very powerful for passive pickups.

The pickups hum some when on individually, but both on kill hum. The strings sound really good, including the low B.

Bought it used, and not a scratch on it. The action was a teensy bit too low, so 3 seconds of work on some strings, now the bass feels fantastic.

This bass is from 1998. I am writing this review in 2004. Not a damn thing has happpened to it, and like all Fenders, this one is probably gonna last plenty more years to come.

Never needed support, and this is my 2nd Fender.

As a well seasoned player (since high school), I know what I want out of a bass. Active electronics is not one of the features I care for. I love the look, feel, and sound of this bass. I know I got an incredible deal on a mint bass. It was worth every penny. I can rock out all I want on a professional bass, and this is my dream bass. Therefore I will GUT the theif if it ever gets stolen. Thank you Fender and The Bass Place. You guys rock forever.

1999 made in the U.S.A. The major features of this bass are: Alder body, graphite reinforced maple neck, 20 fret Pau Ferro fingerboard, two passive jazz pickups, through body bridge with string user-selectable string spacing, ultralite tuners, standard Fender Jazz controls (passive vol-vol-tone), OHSC. My bass has a white finish with a pearloid pickguard. Can really only give it a 7 for features since this is as bassic as all basses get, realizing of course that the majority of basses out there are using the Fender Jazz as their benchmark. This is also one of the few U.S. made 5-strings that does not come with active electronics.

This is a fairly big bass with wide string spacing. It's also not that light, but luckily the strap buttons have large flanges to keep the strap in place. The 5 in-line headstock also adds to the weight (why didn't they use the 4+1 that they have on other basses?)

Sounds like a good Fender Jazz should. The EADG strings all sound like a typical Jazz bass. Deep and punchy with both pickups on, that jazz bass growl with the bridge pickup only, and a Precision bass sound with the neck pickup alone. Of course, there's a bit of buzzing when either pickup is used alone. The sound is great whehter playing with a pick, fingers, or slapping. I find the tone to be much smoother than a Fender Precision.

The B-string is a bit of a different story. Sounds good, not as tight as some other 5-strings I've tried, and you have to be pretty gentle with it. When you are, the sound is deep with gentle attack. If you hit this string too hard, the tone is more muddy and you get a lot of fret buzzing. I haven't changed the strings yet, so I still have to experiment to find the right set. Also, the B-string really only sounds good if you play with your fingers over the bridge pickup. Anywhere closer to the neck and you get the muddy fret buzzing sound.

Overall, I'm only giving it an 8 because there are better (and more expensive) 5-strings out there.

My only problem is that Fender seems to have a problem trying to line up their bridge with their necks. Luckily, each bridge saddle has grooves where you can adjust the string spacing, but right now I'm at the limit on a few of the strings. The pau ferro fingerboard is excellent with a very tight grain, and the bass feels very sturdy. The 4-bolts and neck plate that attach the neck to the body seems a bit weak. Most other 5-strings are using more up to date and sophisticated designs (and more bolts!). Having said that, I've had no problems with the neck alignment so far.

My bass was in pristine condition even though it was used. The only thing the previous owner did was change the bridge. This seems like a very reliable bass. Its features have been tried and tested for decades and it has no extra frills that will let you down in a pinch. It's a typical U.S. made Fender, and there are tons of aftermarket mods that are available for Jazz basses so it also has tons of potential.

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I've been playing bass for 15 years and this is an excellent bass. The thing about playing Fenders is that they sound just like the basses you hear on all your favorite recordings (probably because they used Fenders). Fenders are like the Hondas of basses: they keep their value, are very reliable, there's tons of aftermarket mods available, but there are also more sophisticated basses out there with more features and technology.

It's an amazing value if you can get it used. Paying full price for a new one is a different story.

Late model Jazz V (USA), passive pickups, volume control for each pickup and one tone knob, vintage sunburst(sweet!). Came with standard flimsy case and kit... I think Im going to get a better case to protect my baby... came with strap clips, which ive never used, and like very much.

I play a lot of different styles... funk, blues, hard rock, punk, improv jam, etc. depending on which band im in at the time... I play with either a friends 72Watt peavy or my own BA-112 ampeg. I know... time to get a real amp. But I spent all my money on this bass... Overall, I love the sound. Ive been playing for about 4 years, seriously, and Ive always had the same crappy squier bullet bass my dad bought me in the eighth grade(6 years ago). So this was a much needed upgrade. The low B is kinda slackish, but this is my first five string and Im still getting used to it. I like the sound because with my bullet bass there wasnt any kind of distinct sound... it was just kinda there. This thing has a great personality. I like it a lot!

There on the shelf she sat, waiting... I picked her up and she sounded good, and then when i decided to buy her, Mars set her up even better. No complaints, yet... The quality of this bass just permeates the atmosphere... the finish is top notch, the hardware seems indestructible(I wont be experimenting to find out, though).

It has already withstood a five hour jam session the night after i bought it... hardware seems solid, finish likewise. I like how fender put little fuzzy felt pieces under the strap buttons to keep the finish intact... nice touch. This thing is seemingly very reliable. I dont have a backup, besides my bullet(not going to sell it beacuse its not worth anything, and plus i still have a soft spot for it...). So I dont really have a choice. But Im not worrying, all i need are an extra set of strings, and im jamming all night long!

I bought this less than a week ago, so not yet. Although I do have a question that if anyone can answer, I would be much obliged.... This bass seems to be discontinued... Is there something Im missing? When I bought it, I had seen it there for a few months, and the price went lower and lower, from $1099 to $999 to $899 to $799, which is what i paid for it.. nobody wanted this bass... If you know what i mean, please email me. thanks

This has been my dream bass for a LONG time, and i finally got one. So I m pretty damned happy about it. I love the tone, the look, the construction, the sound, EVERYTHING about this bass is incredible. Again, please email me if you know whats up with the discontinued thing(mentioned above).

A red girl, with mahogany (I think) body and neck, and rosewood fingerboard. The usual passive J pickups. What else can I say?. It's a Jazz Bass with a 5th string. It came with its case, its tuning tools, and its manuals. And a Fender's spaghetti logo sticker, wish I really like.

I use a Marshall Bass State B65 and a very long chain of stomp box. One of them is a Tech 21 NYC Bass Drive DI. It's the top one. My girl alone have a wide range of tones, but with the Bass Drive she gets almost any tone I wish. I really love this sound.

My only complain is the 5th string. I think I hate it. It's a tricky bastard. Some times it tunes, some times it rattles, and makes the neck tuning the hell hard. Without it, she would get a 10 here. It is the only reason I have to sell her and get a 4 strings Jazz Bass. After all, what I love is the sound, not the strings.

She is a beautiful instrument. Very lookly. Hard as she can be, and well made. I think she can last forever.

I haven't contact them, and I think I never will. The day I'll have problems I'll buy good replacements and/or will call a good luthier.

Ok. The sound is pretty. I repeat, I really love this sound. But the 5th string is a headache. If she were stolen or lost, I surely would cry as a little girl, then I would get a 4 strings American Jazz Bass. She will be my main bass forever, or till a get the 4 strings one.

Not sure what year it was made, but I believe it is a 2000 model - I think they've since changed the model to American "Series" Jazz V for 2001. Specs and features have been well covered by others here (passive p/ups, twin volume controls, single tone control, etc.). Though I will say this - one thing that IS included with ANY Fender American Bass is the hardshell case and "starter" pack (strap, polishing cloth, hex-key wrenches, etc.). I think a lot of retailers try to make people think they're GIVING away the case and other goodies, when in fact - Fender builds that into the value you get for going with the American-made products. Just a pet peeve of mine - I think a lot of retailers use this feature to trick you into thinking they're giving you some special deal when it's already built-in to the pricing of the instrument.

The bass isn't feature-laden, but then again it's not supposed to be. Part of the beauty of the Jazz (and it's P-bass cousin) is the simplicity of the design. I love being able to get great tone out of it with a minimal amount of "dialing in" the knobs. I would give it a 10 if they could get the same tone out of humbucking p/ups - but otherwise it's just about the perfect bass for me.

I'm giving it a 10 now........but out of the box it was no better than perhaps 7. Don't get me wrong - the guitar had GREAT tone - I compared it to Ibanez basses, Yamahas, Conklins and Warwicks (and I was surprisingly disappointed by the latter two brands' relatively "sterile" tone). I could get a couple of Ibanez basses to come close to the Fender's warmth, but there's just something about that "Jazz" tone. Clean, meaty and having a depth to it that no other bass seems to be able to match. My problem was with the strings - I played out extensively the first couple of months I had it (have had it for about three months now) and I found the original Fender strings to be extremely noisy - could not slide ANY notes without a great deal of noise no matter how careful I was trying to mute some of it away. Also, others are correct about the B string being a bastard to keep from rattling........but guess what? I found it to be a STRING problem, NOT a guitar problem. I put on a set of Elixir long scale bass strings and both problems disappeared instantly! NO noise from the windings, and I can literally pound on the low B if I want to and it rings true and steady - no rattle at all. BTW - the Elixirs seemed to afford a better range of tone too - brighter and warmer "brights" and fuller, meatier "bottoms" when I'm looking for in-the-basement timbres.

The only mild complaint I have regarding sound is inherent in its single-coil design. At some venues I play, they have "dirty" power and I can get some serious hum from this guitar if I don't use the twin pickups just right to cancel each other out. So, at times I'm forced to use a 50/50 split on the p/up volume controls which can be somewhat limiting - tonewise. Fortunately, the tone control does have a pretty nice sweep to it from high to low so I can usually get the sound I'm after by just adjusting it. I may invest in a good power conditioner to take care of it but for now I can cancel any hum by keeping the volume contols at nearly equal levels. Just wish I didn't have to do that. I play almost exclusively live with this bass and it works well in all of my situations and rooms.

My bass was flawless. Great finish and well put-together. Pickups were adjusted just fine and the relief dialed into the neck was perfect for me (minimal - that is). The actions was a bit high for my liking but a couple of half-turns with the little hex-key wrench (included with the bass) on the saddles took care of that easily and quickly. Intonation was spot-on up and down the neck. Very good example of fine craftsmanship. I continue to be impressed with almost all of Fender's products these days - it seems they are in the midst of another "Golden Era". Lucky us!

I've only used my bass for live playing so far and it has held up its end of the bargain just fine. I don't carry a backup bass as I plan to sell the Guild that the Jazz V replaced. The finish seems to be sturdy and I'm pretty careful about wiping it down at the end of each night so I'm reasonably certain it'll still look good years down the road.

Most of the hardware seems to be built tough and long-lasting with one exception. I do wish the saddle assembly was a bit more substantial. The saddles work fine but I thought (when compared to Ibanez's two "better bass" systems - the Monorail and Accu-cast bridge/saddle assemblies) they could be more stout. The Jazz V saddles are a simple single screw/spring per string combination with the saddles just kind of free-floating over the bridge plate. No guide rails or anything like that keep them in place so the string pretty much will pull its respective saddle wherever it wants to and I noticed the G-string saddle on mine pulls slightly off center - which worries me about the longevity of that saddle screw. Seems to me that even a slight pull to the side will eventually cause a screw failure - but I guess that's what the lifetime warranty is for. Will let you all know if it becomes a problem.

Lifetime warranty on hardware included, and it's either one or two years on the electronics (don't remember which). Have not had to deal with Fender service but have had pre-buying questions answered by them on their website/discussion forum and they were helpful and prompt. I suppose if the electronics were included in that lifetime warranty I'd have to give it a 10, but as the saying goes.......$#!! happens (or at least CAN happen!).

Have played bass and guitar for appx 27 years now. This is the best bass I've ever owned and really the first one I "hunted down". All the others were convenient and cheap enough to buy at the time. But I'm now playing more than ever with a group of true professionals - so I thought it was time to invest in a substantial instrument. I did look at many other basses ranging in price from $ 550 on the low end to $ 2000 on the top end and this just seemed to offer the best tone in that price range - though it was far from the top of my "ceiling" price. Again, the higher-end Ibanez basses came close in tone, but the Yamahas and even the Warwicks and Conklins seemed to have no personality at all in their tone. I wish the Jazz V was lighter, but I'm a fairly big guy so I've not had a problem strapping it on for four-hour nights and I decided not to sacrifice the tone this guitar had for some other lighter basses.

I play mostly acoustic-rock and blues in my current group and the Jazz V is extremely well-suited for that. We plan to add an electric lead player and I'm confident the bass will lay down a decent foundation for that too. Other than the bridge/saddle assembly and the aforementioned desire for humbuckers, I'd not change a thing if it meant giving up ANY of the tonal capacity of the guitar. I'm still getting used to playing a 5-string but having the ability to play in higher-up-the-neck positions is quickly becoming evident to me that this is a nice feature inherent to all 5-strings. I probably should have bought this bass years ago but I'm extremely happy that I made the plunge.

This is an American Standard Jazz V Bass '98. MADE in the good ole USA. 5-string, with 20 jumbo frets. It has 2 passive jazz style pickups with 2 volume controls and a tone control. String thru body, with an sunburst finish, really pretty especially with a nice Rosewood fretboard. Came with a strap which was crap, and a Hard shell case. I've had a lot of trouble with the hardshell, and have decided it's a piece of junk. Nonetheless this bass came pretty well equipped. I was happy.

I play a lot of Counting Crows, Dispatch, DMB, but like playing pretty much anything. Sweet thing about this bass is it can do it all. I don't play with a pick usually, but when I've tried it, this bass sounds beautiful. I'm not a very good slapper, at all, but this bass supports my lack of talent. I use a Trace Elliot BX-80, and it has a nice rich sound to it. The volume controls are strange though, they are very gradual in increase, until you get really close to the highest they can go, and they REALLY KICK in hard. It goes from loud to BOOMING. This is both positive and negative depending on the situation. I am not pleased with the B string. It has to be played carefully for the string not to ring terribly. This is it's one flaw I'd say.

Action was pretty sweet, nice and low. Obviously Fender knew what they were doing cause this bass was set up nicely. I haven't ever played with the action, but I guess I could if I wanted to. Pickups were perfect. The finish is one of the coolest parts of my bass. The sunburst finish is beautiful, I love it! This thing played beautifully out of the case, but it also looked amazing. Best of both worlds.

Never had any problems, I'd trust this baby playing live. Everything seems to me like it'd last a long time, minus the case which as I said before is a piece of crap.

I'm happy with this bass, and sure I'd like to get a better one at some point, but I'll always keep this bass cause it's a quality guitar. It's worth paying for because you're not just buying a Fender, you're buying quality, a time tested machine.

This bass was made in 2000 in USA. It's a 5 string. It came in a sweet burgandy colour. There are two tone/one volume controls.
It's an offset body style, and is quite a large bass. 2 jazz pickups, very nice.

This is very good for my music style, which happens to be the heavier stuff like Creed or even Korn and Limp Bizkit. It has a very sharp tone, but there is a lot of variety of sounds even with the amp i'm using(which doesn't have any eq dials). i'm not currently using any effects. it only makes a lot of noise if the treble is up a lot.

The fit and finish were amazing, no complaints at all. Everything is set up properly the way it should be.

This bass can do anything. Trust me....I'm 16 and i've had it for a year almost and absolutely nothing has gone wrong.This bass should last me another 100 years. I would definitely trust this guitar at a live show.... I have complete faith that this thing won't ever break.

I'm not sure about this section...I haen't had to use it yet.

This bass gets a 10. I have absolutely no complaints at all and beleive it will give me years of playing enjoyment in the future. Fender RULES!

Its a made in USA of course, Rosewood Fingerboard, two passive Jazz Pickups, I think its Alder body, and a graphite reiforced neck. Its classic tuxedo finish (Black Body with White Pickgaurd). It included a molded hardshell case. Two tone knobs and one Volume knob

I play lots of styles from Alternitve to Hard Rock to Jazz, it sounds great with all kinds, I'm using a Peavy 210TX. I haven't heard any feedback or dead spots, its got a nice dark rich full sound to it. It slaps well also. The only problem is on smaller amps it tends to be a little quiet, my old Ibanez GSR200 was louder but the sound quality was nowhere near it.

The action was perfect, except the fact the low -b string can seem to be a bit loose. Also the bridge pickup is a little high up, so that sometimes if you slap your string will hit the pickup.

It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Of course its a fender what do you expect!

I haven't had to deal with fender

This is a great bass overall, especially for a 5 string.

I bought my first (and thus far, "only") Fender Bass in 1996. It is an American Standard Jazz 5 featuring a 2 piece alder body with a vintage sunburst finish and a maple neck with graphite reinforcements beneath a pau ferro fingerboard and 20 jumbo frets. There are 5 Gotoh tuners on the head and a string-through-the-body bridge. The preamp is a simple 2 volume and 1 tone configuration connected to 2 Fender American Vintage J-Bass V single coil pickups. The pickups have the familiar exposed alnico pole pieces. This bass was purchased from Fuller's Music House in New Bern, NC for $850, though it listed for $1050. Fuller's included the case and a padded strap in the deal.

Right out of the case, this Fender fit nicely into my gear. I had been playing a Biscayne P-J and a Gibson Victory Bass through a Peavey 410 TX and a Peavey Mark VI head. The Fender was my first foray into the arena of 5 Strings, but I quickly got used to it. I played in a contemporary church praise and worship band and a local Contemporary Christian band, which played youth services / concerts. I was very comfortable playing different styles with my new Fender; progressive fingerstyle, slap, etc. However, compared to the Gibson Victory Bass, which I had been playing, the Fender was just a bit too passive. I kept reaching for the tone control to give it some meat.
The EADG strings provide clear, taut, and punchy tones; however, the B string lacks those same qualities. I wouldn't say the sound is too far off, but I have found that feel of the Low B could use some tweeking. Otherwise, I can cut back the neck pickup and solo the bridge for a good growling tone. I am told that it sounds as good as the older Fender 4 string jazz basses.
A year ago, I did replace the stock pickups with a set of Bartolini 57 J's, which retro fit the Fender perfectly. I also added an active EMG bass / treble concentric tone control. To say the least, I am extremely pleased with my Bass. The Bartlolini's give the Fender an even clearer, almost piano like tone with both pickups turned up. Coupled with the new tone control, the pickups also make the Low B come alive. I believe Bartolini uses a 3+2 split configuration, like a split P for a precision bass. Anyway, I now have got super lows and really hot mids. Recently, I began playing my Fender through an Ampeg B-2R Head. The ultra-mid select cranked up to 2 o'clock and the bridge pickup soloed, provide a killer growl even through the Low B.

Construction is solid. The preamp cavity was clean. The neck joint is stiff and strong. From what I can tell, the finish seems flawless. I only wish the white pickguard had been either black or tortoise shell instead.
The "feel" of the bass is very comfortable. While the neck is a bit chunkier than the deluxe series Jazz 5, it is still a good fit for me. (I have sizable hands.) I have found it fast enough, considering that I'm not exactly into jazz/funk/fusion all the time.
The bass lined up real well up and down the neck. The action was set a little hight. I have noticed some string buzzing on the E, but, even that seems to be taken care of with adjusting the truss rod.

I would give my Fender high marks for its quality, which was pretty high on my list in originally purchasing a 5 string. What it could improve on in electronics was simply to use a more complicated system. I don't believe this bass could be improved upon construction wise. Aside from truss rod adjustments every couple of months and string replacements, the only other adjustment I have had to make was to tighten up one nut on the Low B tuner

I have never needed any warranty based repair. I did email Fender to find out about their deluxe active preamp and pickups, however, I never heard back from them.

Overall, this Fender has proven to be a reliable and worthwhile investment. I do wish I had looked into the deluxe series before purchasing the American Standard. Nevertheless, I would definitely stay with the Fender line of basses. I compared the Fender with Washburn, Ibanez, Cort, and Yamaha basses. I might buy a Carvin or a Music Man Sting Ray, but I'll defintely be keeping this Fender.

This is a 1996 model American made 5 string jazzbass. 20 medium jumbo frets, alder body with maple neck and pao ferro fingerboard. This bass has passive electronics, what the manufacturer calls vintage spec pickups and a string through body bridge. The finish is candy apple red which seems to be deeper toward the center of the instrument. I don't know if the finish is supposed to look like that or if it's really a flaw. I've never seen another just like this. Either way it actually looks cool and I think adds to the look of the instrument. There is no "Skunk" stripe down the back of the neck like older Fenders. It has Gotoh tuners like a lot of modern basses. Pity, I don't like the way they look on this instrument. I am considering replacing them with Hipshot ultra lites. I think the ultra lites would give it more of a traditional jazzbass look. Perhaps fender should have considered a tuner arrangement similar to what they have on the Roscoe Beck signature bass. It came with a molded plastic case.

I consider myself a lucky bass player because I get to do it all every time I perform live. The band I'm in is just a working dance band. We are quite shameless with our repertoire. We literally play everything from Merle Haggard to Hootie & the Blowfish, to George Strait and Van Halen. In an average nights performance I get to Play with a pick, fingerstyle, slap & pop, thumbstyle. You name it, we do it. And I can do it all with this bass. I've heard people say 5 strings aren't for slapping. Bull you-know-what! It has standard jazzbass string spacing and with a little practice I was slapping this bass silly. Live I use a Samson wireless to a rack with my tuner, an Arion chorus (cheap guitar chorus pedal used through the amps effects loop,sounds massive!)into a Peavey T-Max head with a 410 and 115 Peavey enclosures. Since this is a passive bass I leave the volume and tone controls up full. I get a deep sounding bass presence with some upper edge. It has the wonderfull jbass growl. It has graphite bars in the neck which must help. Unlike older fenders I have played, this bass has no dead spots in the neck. I have also used this bass to record and was pleased with its sound. The B string can sometimes be a problem though. It definately doesn't have the tightest sound around. I recently played a MM Stingray 5 and it had a much better sounding B string. I have to approach the B string with a little greater finese to keep from getting a flubby awful sound out of it. Pickups are quiet if left full up.

I bought this bass of the wall and played it the last four years and never adjusted anything. And believe me, I've played for 32 years and if I didn't like some aspect of its set up I couldn't rest til it was adjusted to suit me. I thought this bass was very well made. The frets were done perfectly. Tight neck joint. I had no complaints with the set up at all. It was ready to gig when I bought it!

This bass is used mostly for live performances and has suffered it's share of bumps and thumps. It has been knocked off it's guitar stand twice (that I know of) and sustained several chips on the finish. The polyester finish seems a bit thick and is prone to chip off. The bass is candyapple red and where the finish has chipped off a white spot is left. I have not noticed any problem with intonation even after being banged on the floor. This bass if Fender tough like you'd expect. I didn't like the factory Schaller strap locks and replaced them with Dunlops. I never take a back up to the gigs and I have never been let down.

I have never had to deal with the Fender folks at all.

I have been playing for 32 years and have played bass for the last 20. I have had other Fender basses. I currently own a Rickenbacker 4001, Ibanez SR-405, and one of the first Peavey T-40 basses to come out(don't laugh it was great!). I fell in love with this bass the first time I saw it. I had read about it but had never seen or played one til I saw this one. I would need therapy if someone stole this bass and yes, it would definately be replaced with another. I love the classis jazzbass look. (I don't like the delux jbass because they changed the body shape!) The B string needs needs some re-engineering for a better sound but overall it's a great sounding bass. I would prefer it had the traditional look "elephant ear" or "clover" tuners. I am preparing to order one with a sunburst colored body and maple neck.

Made in the USA in 1997. Solid Alder body in Olymic White with a white pickguard. 34" scale 5 string with a 21 fret maple/pau ferro neck w/graphite reinforcement, and strings strung through the body. It has a fairly wide neck, just about standard jazz spacing. Standard jazz configuration of Vol/Vol/Tone controls, but the pickups have been custom rebuilt by Seymor Duncan to his own specs, including new alnico magnets and his own winding scheme. Same bobbins from the original pickups were used. They are essentially Antiquities, for a five string. Tuners are Fender/Gotoh, all hardware is chrome.

This bass is lovely in all respects! I play alot of jazz in both big band and combo settings. I also play in a college pep band covering everything from 311 to Diana Ross to Led Zeplin and even Frank Zappa. Versitle is the word for this bass. Very clean, crisp sound all the way to the B-string. Very even tone all the way up the neck, across every string. Has a very full sound across the spectrum. Deep lows and crisp highs. Sounds like a jazz bass. I play it through an SWR Studio 220 and Peavey 210TX cab. For pep band gigs, I use the ST220 or a Peavey Firebass head with a Peavey 215 cab. I've also used a Kern IP777/SWR ST800 w/the 210TX (my favorite combination).

Since I bought it used from a pro bass playing friend in Seattle, I redid the set up to my own tastes. However, it was a breeze to set up the way I like it (super low action, high pickups). Maintains a low action. The finish is flawless, and the construction is near perfect. All frets are very even and well dressed. The neck pocket is very clean and tight. Can't budge it when it's bolted in, can't stick even a piece of paper in the pocket between the body and neck. It looks really good for an opaque finish (I'm partial to transparent/clear finishes). No complaints at all...

So far it's a real workhorse. Never had a problem with it. The hardware is top-notch. I rarely have to set it up or set the intonation. I would (and often do) use it without a back up without hessitation.

Never had to deal with them, but then again... This is Fender. I used to teach in a music store that carries Fender. Customer support is not their forte.

I've been playing for about 12 years. I own a '67 Gibson EB-0, Peavey Axcellerator 6 (35" scale, very modern sound), Yamaha/G&L fretless frankenbass, and Warmoth/Fender Jazz w/SD Antiquities and Gotoh #206 bridge. This bass has it's own niche in my collection. More modern than the Warmoth/Fender bass (which compares to a '62 reissue jazz in every way), much more "fender" than the Peavey. Sounds great on tape, too. The thing that makes this one so special is the set of pickups in it. They improved the sound by at least 100% over the original windings. The B-string is as strong as my Peavey with active pickups and 35" scale. No other Amer. Fender Jazz V I've played sounds nearly as good (especially the B string)! (I've played a few...) The only thing I've considerd adding would be a good 2-band eq such as the East or John Suhr preamps, or a Sadowsky pre. Even passive, it can handle just about everything I've thown at it.