Hi everyone, I’m trying to weigh up the pro’s and cons of picking up a new bass and was looking for some input.
Currently I own a Fender Player II Modified Jazz Bass, and while I like the bass and enjoy playing / owning it, my eye has been rather drawn by the Schecter J4 in sea foam green. Everything about the design of the J4 is very me and I’ve been considering picking one up since my annual bonus came in.
However, it would be an online purchase and so I wouldn’t be able to play it before buying (Gear4Music for any UK bassists reading, so at least it would have a good returns policy). I’m a bit anxious that it would essentially be buying what I have now but in a different colour, as they’re both jazz bases at a very similar price point. It would make it quite an extravegant purchase just for a new visual aesthetic (one that I very much love though!)
I was wondering if anyone had any experience with these two bases and had any insight into if one clearly outshines the other, or if having them both makes sense outside of me absolutely loving the design of the J4. I’m quite sentimental so I’m unlikely to talk myself into trading in / selling the Fender
Nothing wrong with having two Jazz bassses, and the Schecter you’re talking about is very nice …love the black hardware.
Having a backup bass is a good idea, too.
I’d suggest putting on a set of GHS black tapewounds for a much different feel and tone.
Not to mention, they look good with maple.
Thanks for the responses! Apparently I don’t take much convincing because I ordered it on my lunch break it’s exactly what I want from a bass aesthetically so I’d have definitely regretted it if I passed it up for the sake of getting a totally different style.
Those look amazing (as does the bass!) so I’ll definitely give this a try once it arrives and I’m looking to experiment. How would you say strings like this affect the sound? I’ve never branched out much as far as strings are concerned so it’s an area where I’m a bit clueless
Im in no position to talk anyone out of GASsing anything. If you like the way it looks I’d say go for it. My only thing is they are the same bass, almost literally. Same body shape, same neck profile and same pickup config.
I’d be more excited if it’s the same color but different pickup config maybe a P or a PJ. I’m sure Schecter would offer the same color in different model. It’s a reputable brand so buy it blind with confidence.
Aesthetics are very important. If a bass makes you excited to play it just by its looks you are well ahead of the game. After all your best bass is the one you pick up and play
I’ll admit I was a little worried about this but the aesthetics definitely made it worth trying. It arrived today and I’m suprised just how different it sounds compared to my Fender.
Something between the different pickups, strings and setup make it sound almost completely different and I’m enjoying it a lot so far! I’m getting a far clearer slap tone out of it then I do on my Fender, and it’s definitely more suited to the more rocky stuff that I like to play. I think I would still reach for my Fender for more classic stuff where I want a warmer tone but that may come with time on the Schecter as I wear the strings in etc. Only criticism I have is that the “pickup tap” feature means that the tone knob is a little wobbly since you activate it by pulling the knob away from the bass and it’s a little less structurally sound (I think due to needing the leeway to extend from / recede into the bass). Other than that I’m very satisfied!
You can just reset the set screw on the knob. Maybe it was installed properly. The should have included the Allen wrench as part of the “case candy” but if not you can just get them from Amazon for a couple bucks per set.
Unfortunately, the wobbly part is the stem of the pot itself, the knob is secure to the stem, it’s just that the stem itself has a little bit of wobble to it. I’ve been coping by assuming that it’s due to the stem being able to extend outwards I did try taking it off and repositioning it though, sadly no luck
Oh then it’s even easier. You just need to tighten the nut, get some flat wrench set from Amazon again it should be available in a set. The Potentiometer, pot is secured by 2 nuts one on the top and one at the bottom of the pickguard.
I’m almost sure the stock Schecter pickups are simply better than the Fender ones as well. Fender makes good and iconic instruments but their pickups are usually pretty lackluster. Many people swap them out and immediately end up with a better instrument.
Yea so far I definitely prefer them! The only thing they’re missing which the Fender has is that the MIM Jazz has their noiseless pickups, where as the Schecter has a tiny bit of (somewhat expected) noise when muting one of the pickups and just playing on the other. I know that’s due to how dual single coil setups work, but I’ve been somewhat spoiled by the noiseless ones on the Fender so it’s a bit more noticeable for me at the moment I’m already getting used to it though
it should be available in a set. The Potentiometer, pot is secured by 2 nuts one on the top and one at the bottom of the pickguard.