we looked throughout the history , timeline and significant transitions for inspiration . For instance , as we say – by 1960 , the design of the P-bass had eclipsed the earlier cues culled from the Telecaster ® - now the P-bass had a Strat ® -style headstock shape , comfortcontours , pickguard mounted electronics and 4-saddle bridge . We shape bodies and necks , make hardware , wind the pickups and spray the nitrocellulose lacquer finish right in our Corona factory . Because in 1960 pickups varied in winds , tension , pitch-to-bobbin , scatter – all the little things that affect output and tone – we asked our R & D department to wind us a wide variety of pickups that could conceivably have been wound in 1960 . They all sound so good , and so different , it was incredibly difficult to choose only one perfect sounding design . But we got there !
The American Professional II Jazz Bass Fretless is special for us in many ways – since we were first to put frets on basses , the fretless is a passion for us . We put our popular Slim “ C ” neck on the model , we rolled the fingerboard edges a little more for a smooth feel , the “ Super-Natural ” satin finish feels amazing , and we sculpted the neck heel for comfort in the upper register . The new V-Mod II Jazz Bass single-coil pickups add even more articulation , punch and clarity than ever before .
With the Gold Foil Jazz Bass , we wanted to step out and create a completely new concept – and have some fun , too . When the prototypes presented a stunning , truly outof-this-world sound , we knew we ’ d created something special . It ’ s got an alder body , mid ‘ 60s C-shaped maple neck with bound ebony fingerboard and that magical , perfectly placed gold single-coil pickup . Just one . We spec ’ d it with a matching painted headstock , ‘ lollipop ’ tuning machines and 20 medium Jumbo frets .
We ’ re looking forward to reading your reviews !
[ WM ] Can you tell us about the process that goes into creating and choosing new colors and finishes for basses ?
[ Joey ] Just like the classic Fender colors from the ‘ 50s and ‘ 60s , a lot of inspiration comes from car culture . Cobra Blue in the American Ultra series and Miami Blue in American Professional II are two recent examples . Of course , we also look to Fender ’ s history — and not just the most iconic styles — the fade finishes we developed for Player Plus had their roots in the Elite Strat from the eighties , and Mercury and Dark Night in American Professional II could be seen as spiritual successors to Antigua and Blue Pearl Dust from the ‘ 70s and ‘ 80s respectively . We take color inspiration anywhere we can find it – there are endless shades to start with – and we work closely with our paint suppliers to get exactly the right color .
[ WM ] The only Fender I own with a maple fingerboard is a ‘ 57 P-Bass reissue that came out in the ‘ 80s , the rest have rosewood fingerboards . Specifically for players who ’ ve never owned a bass with a maple board , what
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