LeftyBassist.com

Hi guys,
This topic has probably been beaten to death before but
I was wondering how any of you who feel about Fender custom shop
jazz basses in general.
Being aware that no matter the price point, quality and anything
else appointed with higher end instruments that some may feel and sound great
while others don’t meet up with the expectation.
Looking for a 60’s sounding jazz bass, does it come near this ball park?
Do you feel it is a life long instrument?
Anything else you care to comment on?
Thanks in advance for your input!

I have a 60s spec CS, and another CS (& a half) on the way. Build is superb. The feel is amazing. When you pick it up, you know where that money went.
My only complaint, which is more a matter of preference than anything, was that I didn’t like the hand wound pickups that I spent an extra $200 on. Ouch. Tone is delicious, but I like hotter pickups, so I put over-wound Fralins in it.

As far as it being a lifelong bass- you bet it is. It’s a tank, and the neck is quartersawn so it’ll be more stable than a flatsawn neck theoretically.
As for a comparison to an actual 60s Jazz, can’t help you there, as I haven’t actually played a 60s era model.
Happy to answer any other Q’s if I can.

Cool, thanks Matt!
I was lucky enough to play a lefty 1965 fender jazz bass at Norman's rare guitars. I had to try it so I could once hold and play an authentic sixties jazz bass. Besides the vintage appeal I wasn't entirely thrilled with it, being strung with nylon tape strings may have been a factor and the price tag was definitely out of my reach.
The tone I'm looking for is as an example Bobby Vega's 60's stack knobs jazz bass. After searching youtube up and down, it seemed to me that throughout the 60's some have it and some don't. Custom shop examples do come close and as you mentioned specs are in order with CS. Of course hands are a huge factor of tone along with so many other variables, but when a bass sings (to my ears) I usually can hear it no matter the player or signal chain.
I'll ask you then, if you were to take one bass for the rest of your life would it be a CS? Staying in the Fender realm of course..

Hi Guys,

At one time I owned a 64P, Mike Lull P and several other P basses. When I first played my Fender P within minutes I fully understood what everyone was talking about with old Fender basses. This bass played amazing and had that classic Fender sound. When it came time to raise some funds I had to let go of the 64P however my Mike Lull P is the only bass that had that same playability and Fender sound. I have never owned a CS Fender however I hear that they are amazing so good luck but I wanted to state that Mike Lull makes a great P bass as well.

Yes absolutely

On a non-tone related note, the warranty on CS instruments is solid too. I’d look into that as well.

Thanks for your input guys, much appreciated.
Made the leap and I can’t wait

Ahem, specs please?? Congrats!

Lol, thanks! It’s a 64 3t sunburst with rosewood fingerboard, clay dots, tort guard, alder body.
Simple, no custom anything.
I’ve always loved the classic look, the only 2 things I was debating on were the control plate
stack pots vs not and slab board vs veneer. Got veneer and vvt.
I’ve put off this order for quite a while when after going through quite a bit
of basses, I’ve always come back to the same wish.

Oh man, that’ll be great. There’s a couple (at least as of a few days ago) just like that for sale on Reverb I think it was.

eBay

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 2978508785

Congrats! Great call on the Clay Dots, my 64P had them and it's one thing that just made it stand out. Congrats Again! Please share a photo or two when it arrives.

Really looking forward to seeing pics.

Congratulations!

So that was a quick buy and return, thus I didn’t take pictures.
What a gorgeous bass, seriously what a stunner with great balance, no neck dive, great feel in the hands, great weight, almost perfect..
I’m bummed out but if it’s not a complete yes, then next...

Couple of things I discovered:
I always play a new bass without plugging at first, to hear it out, to feel it out, to hear its raw unpowered tone.
First thing,
and this is a biggie for me, there are basses with a weak E string where the tone doesn’t match the rest of the other strings and has a lack of presence and focus.
That was the case here, not so bad but my 75j E string in comparison kills just like the rest of the strings, no matters what kind of strings I use. The first time I ever played it, it was a ooooh moment, ‘that’s what it’s supposed to sound like’. I thought it was just me the whole time.
Second,
and I was like ‘really?’: the tone pot, as I’ve experience with lefty vintage fenders (due to I think the use of righty pots in lefty 70’s fenders) didn’t cut highs until
passed the 8 to 10 roll off, acting more like a switch. For the price tag unfortunately that isn’t viable, and I wasn’t going to mess with a brand new instrument.
I have re-wired righty pots before in order for them to act a gradual roll off, worked perfectly if you’re not attached to a preference of clockwise/counterclockwise deal.
Third,
and that was a learning experience. I had never really played a bass with vintage frets which are way thinner than I’m used to. Not a good feel under my fingers, bending feels like I’m gonna wear the frets down real quick, plus I’m not exactly a light touch person, I do for dynamics but my default playing is fairly heavy, I need a certain attach for the tone I like.
So in retrospect, I would have the same instrument, with medium jumbo frets, that tone pot better be working as it should, and that E string has to be as focused as the others.
Other than that the tone was there, but I knew I couldn’t get over the other aspects.
It’s most of the time a ‘buy to try’ situation. I’m happy I got to try, and learned a few things..