Fender Flea Sig Bass RDWRN SHP

I guess I might be lucky or fender has stepped up in wood selection, at least with this model. Haven't tried other flea jazz basses but the one I got had excellent wood resonance neck and body.

Typical quality issues: action too high, neck relief not good, little bit pointy fret ends -> took it luthier and now its PERFECT.

Sounds like the better jazz basses, totally comparable to the american made. Separate tone controls much appreciated!

Gig bag... buy a hard case.

I would recommend this VERY COOL looking road worn (-> love the finish) jazz bass to anyone looking for a jazz bass.

So buy it and take to luthier -> funk it up!! Mine's a keeper!

As soon as Fender came out with this bass, a faithful replica of Flea's '61 shell pink Jazz Bass with roadworn finish, it jumped right on the top of my wishlist.
I ordered it from Thomann about 8 months ago and it has been my main bass since. I use it for rock and funk mainly, but it is just as versatile as any Jazz Bass.


The Pros:
- The build quality is great. Although this bass is made in Mexico, its quality is on par with American made instruments.
- The Fender Jazz Bass sounds. Want a growly tone? Or rather a Jaco-like low-passed bridge pickup tone? This bass has them all, with incredible sustain.
- The neck is super comfortable and really fast.
- The finish. Pictures don't make justice here, but in live the road worn look is totally convincing, in my opinion. Even the tuning gears has an oily wash on them. If this is your thing, you will love the looks of this bass. By the way, the shell pink color is not a bright, vibrant pink, but a faded, tastful one. This JB is a true beauty.


The Cons:
- The electronics inside have virtually no shielding, and as a result it is prone to picking up quite some noise. Sure, this is the replica of a '61 model, and basses back then didn't really use any shielding, so this bass doesn't have it either. Nothing that can't be fixed, but still, this is a major disadvantage.
- This is not related directly to the bass, but the gigbag that comes with it is pretty "meh". I don't have the feeling that it would adequately protect the instrument, so I have been using a Thomann gigbag instead which is much sturdier and has more pockets.


Great bass overall, and considering that this is a signature series bass, the pricing is really nice too.

This bass is really good looking. But taken straight out of the box was not playable for me. I was expecting it to be set up better. Nut slots where cut too height, That caused strings at 12 fret where like 4mm over the fret-board. Be prepared to set it up to your needs especially if you are looking for very fast neck.

From other side this bass looks unique. And beside it's road worn look fret-board and neck where intact, so it does not feel like you are playing old instrument - and that is good IMHO. Frets seems to be smaller that average, more in the vintage range.