Fender American Elite Jazz Bass - Black w/ Maple Fingerboard Reviews

Fender NAILED the Jazz Elite V so well, I wanted the four string to go with it. The pick ups are incredibly clean and true to name with "noiseless" . Tones galore, sweet neck, and playability is a cinch.

I played high-end basses in my early years (Tobias, Ernie Ball, etc...) and as i got a little older and started a family, the basses were sold off to buy things like diapers and a house...i started playing basses made overseas and tried to upgrade the best i could to maintain playability and tone...bought an MIM Fender Jazz bass from Robbie at Sweetwater, upgraded it, and i still love it...but now i thought it was time to stop screwing around and get the real thing...WOW...the moment i plugged it into my current rig, my wife told me to throw the MIM fender in the trash (how dare she?)...the tone, playability, construction, quality of materials, i cant say enough. i've finally found out how my bass playing heroes achieve their tone - by using the real thing...i teared up the second i started playing it as i feel that i've reached what i've been chasing after for years. Robbie is a super-hero when it comes to service...i only wish the bass would have shown up at my house 14 hours after placing the order instead of 14-1/2 hours !! fast service and great communication with the folks at Sweetwater.

The only bass I've ever owned was a Mexican P-bass. This was a MAJOR upgrade. This is a fantastic bass. The neck feels great and completely natural in your hand. This thing packs a bunch. Switch on the active pickups and you'll blow the walls off of any place. The action allows for perfect play-ability up and down the fret board. It's also a thing of beauty. I could stare at mine all day. Comes with a great case that gives me 100% security transporting it. From the bass to the customer service and everything in between, I don't have a single complaint.

I've been a musician for 30 years (drums & percussion) but have been playing bass for a little under 2 years. I'd been looking around for a bass that I could rely on for the long term and once this became available I had to jump on it.

For all intents and purposes it's exceeded my expectations. The updated neck profile is wonderful. The tones i'm getting are musical and versatile and w/ the 18v preamp, you've always got an extra gear to go to when you need it.

The fit and finish out of the case is spectacular. Pictures do not to this bass justice. You really do need to see it in person to get a full appreciation for it. Thanks to Sweetwater for delivering her ready to go.

Picked one of these basses up about 7 months ago. I have to say, this is the best bass I have ever owned.
Coming from playing bass in a big orchestra and now playing in some small bands this bass is a dream come true.

I can almost always pick it up and play without having to re-tune (although you should everytime you do) Also in fluctuating tempatures it holds tune pretty well! great for those hot summer nights in A/C'd night-clubs!

I'd say the toughest part about this bass is the anxiety that comes with not trying to get any battle scars on it. but it can't be helped, got a few battle scars on mine but it still looks amazing.

Intonation is great and the changing neck feels great on the hands. The jumbo frets feel great too!

This bass also has a passive and active mode. The passive mods is solid but the active mode gives it some real punch. It has a three band EQ and pick-up knobs.

All-in-all this is my favorite bass so far. Looking to pick up a 5 string in about 2 years from now and will most likely go with the American Elite Model.

I have owned and played many basses over the years. Many high end custom made as well as production basses. This bass, the FENDER AMERICAN ELITE, just blows me away! The preamp is to die for, the noiseless pickups are super versatile and you can dial in ANY type of playing from hard funky slap to high end soloing, and EVERYTHING in between. I am a touring musician, who has played all over the world. If you are considering a Fender American Elite... take my advice and buy it, you will LOVE IT! I DO!
Marcus Rameil

I bought the 5 string version of this Jazz bass and am getting ready to buy the 4 string version. I cannot believe how great these new Fender Elite basses sound and feel. I could go on & on about all the upgrades on these new basses but ill try to keep it short.
The neck is the most comfortable necks you will find; much nicer than Ibanez SR basses. The pups are the most quiet pups that Fender has made. They sound amazing. True Jazz bass all the way..... The electronics are by far the best that Fender has put out. You get both passive and active modes. The passive sound very aggressive as it is but then you crank up the active mode and "watch out". I couldn't be happier with my Elite bass, high end all the way. I predict to be playing these basses for a long time.