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Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V - Arctic Pearl with Maple Fingerboard

5-string Electric Bass with Alder Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, 2 Single-coil Pickups, and Active Electronics - Arctic Pearl
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Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V - Arctic Pearl with Maple Fingerboard
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The Ultimate Production 5-string J-Bass

The American Ultra neckplate graces Fender’s top-of-the-line production instruments — their most advanced series of guitars and basses for discerning players who demand the ultimate in precision, performance, and tone. The Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V delivers the same iconic vintage vibe and visuals as its ancestors. But play a few notes and you’ll quickly realize that this is a state-of-the-art, high-performance axe. The contoured offset alder body balances beautifully and always feels just right; while the fast, comfortable Modern D neck profile, compound-radius fingerboard, and tapered neck heel turbocharge your playing. Amazing-sounding Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass pickups and active 3-band electronics complete the setup.

State-of-the-art performance, vintage-inspired tone

Plug into your amp or interface and you’ll savor legendary, punchy Jazz Bass tone with the added range of a tight, responsive low B string that extends the versatility of this masterful instrument. You’ll get zero hum, thanks to a dynamic duo of Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass single-coil pickups. The pickup arrangement gives you the low-end punch from the middle-position pickup, along with the aggressive growl from the bridge pickup. Mix up your signature blend, and you’re ready to roll. Whether it’s rock, funk, blues, country, or fusion; the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V has you covered.

Fender’s revolutionary Noiseless circuitry eliminates the signal noise and hum that are inherent in vintage single-coil pickup designs. You can plug the American Ultra Jazz Bass V into anything — from old-school tube combos to digital modeling software — and you’ll experience vintage-inspired tone with the level of performance you expect from cutting-edge modern electronics. The American Ultra Jazz Bass V is equipped with an 18-volt active preamp for optimized headroom and punch. The control layout includes a pickup pan pot; 3-band EQ that lets you quickly shape your tone for any genre, live gig, or studio session; a passive tone control, and a mini toggle switch to disengage the active electronics.

Classic design with high-performance features

The American Ultra Jazz Bass V’s performance-driven features extend to the neck in a big way. While its all-maple construction and eye-catching Fender headstock logo look standard enough, run up the fingerboard and you’ll know there’s a lot more going on. This instrument boasts an easy-playing 10"–14" compound-radius fingerboard with 21 medium-jumbo frets that’s perfect for grooving down low and soloing up high; while rolled and bound fingerboard edges supply endless hours of playing comfort.

The famously fast, slender neck on the American Ultra Jazz Bass V sports Fender’s Modern D profile, which, along with its super-slick Ultra Satin finish, enables enhanced maneuverability. One of our favorite elements of the American Ultra Jazz Bass V here at Sweetwater is its tapered neck heel. Play it and you’ll understand — this perfectly sculpted heel gives you effortless access to the entire fingerboard, while the new 5-bolt neck plate provides an advanced neck join for optimized tone with prodigious sustain. The American Ultra Jazz Bass V is a player’s dream come true.

Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V Features:

  • Solid alder body; gloss finish
  • Bolt-on maple neck, Modern D profile, Ultra; Satin finish with gloss headstock
  • Bound maple fingerboard, compound 10"–14" radius, block inlays
  • 34" scale length; 1.875" bone nut; 21 medium-jumbo frets
  • Fender Light-Weight tapered Vintage Paddle tuners
  • 2 Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass pickups with preamp
  • Master Volume, Pickup Pan controls
  • Bass, Mid, Treble, and Passive Tone controls
  • Active/Passive Mini Toggle switch
  • Vintage 4-saddle Vintage topload HiMass bridge
  • Fender lightweight tapered Vintage Paddle tuners
  • Single-action truss rod, neck heel access
  • Quality crafted by Fender USA

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Tech Specs

  • Number of Strings: 5
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: American Ultra Jazz
  • Body Material: Alder
  • Body Finish: Gloss Polyurethane
  • Color: Arctic Pearl
  • Neck Material: Maple
  • Neck Shape: Modern D
  • Radius: 10"-14" compound
  • Fingerboard Material: Maple
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Black Pearloid Blocks
  • Number of Frets: 21, Medium Jumbo
  • Scale Length: 34"
  • Nut Width: 1.875"
  • Nut Material: Bone
  • Bridge/Tailpiece: 5-Saddle HiMass
  • Tuners: Fender Light-weight Vintage Paddle
  • Neck Pickup: Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Single-coil
  • Bridge Pickup: Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Single-coil
  • Controls: 1 x master volume, 1 x pan, 1 x stacked treble/bass, 1 x stacked midrange/tone, 1 x mini toggle active/passive switch
  • Strings: Fender NPS, .045.125
  • Case Included: Hardshell Case
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 0199032781

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

My Last bass

After a slight adjustment to the string height I could not be more satisfied with this bass. It is everything fender say it is. After years of adjusting amps to get the tone I want I have a guitar that has 5 adjustments and pickups that kick butt. If I got a job at a music store selling basses this is the one I'd sell exclusively.
Music background: 50 plus years of playing bass on bandstands
Rated 5/5

Fender Ultra Jazz American Rules

This bass is by far my favorite! I have several other basses and this is my first American series 5 string. The fender tone and clarity is unmatched. The noiseless pickups are a huge plus! Everything is great about this bass, however, anyone who plays a fender knows that they are not light weights. Other than that, the feel,the look, the sound....omg, this is the bass to own
Music background: Musician with over 20 years experience.
Rated 4.5/5

It's a fantastic instrument, but in all honesty and full disclosure...

Fender really did a great job making this bass, but it doesn't come without it's flaws which I will describe below. The sound of this bass is inspiring and says Fender all day! This bass is worth its dime. A few things to consider. After some time of playing, I've noticed that the best sound is with both pickups on full and not favoring either the neck or bridge. There are no issues getting a Jaco sound or a P-Bass reminiscent tone. When going active this bass opens up BIG TIME. So much so that I wouldn't go from passive to active in a live setting. It's either you start out in the active mode and can switch to passive, but if you forget to put the bass into active there's probably a 10db difference to consider (about 1/4 to 1/2 turn on the volume knob to adjust. The pickups are not entirely noiseless. In passive mode you in a studio setting you can hear the 60 cycle hum when above 75% volume and the same in active mode, not a deal-breaker for me as it can be easily gated out or lower the volume as there's plenty of headroom. Shielding doesn't remove it completely. In craftsmanship and quality, I'd give it an 8/10. The fretboard had two things I didn't like. First was the stain/lacquer finish was on the frets making them look goldish in color and second was one of the block inlays lacked glue in production and is lifted a hair. I noticed the latter when changing strings. Overall it's a fantastic instrument and wouldn't trade it for anything. It has the iconic Fender sound (and more), it's relatively lightweight (10 lbs 3.6oz), and the finish is amazing. The Artic Pearl finish can really only be appreciated in person as cameras will not capture the full essence of the look. I named mine Goldilocks as the finish looks like gold dust was sprayed on the finish. There also hints of blue and purple surrounding (it truly is amazing). At afar, it looks white and is still a head-turner. Images are attached to show what I am describing. In all, it's truly a beautifully made and playing instrument that will last a lifetime.
Rated 4/5

No Electronics Cavity Shielding

As the title says there is no cavity shielding. For a bass this costly I expected Fender to have either copper paint or copper tape acting as a faraday cage for the electronics to cut down on outside interference. It took about 1.5hrs for me to add the necessary copper tape shielding and reassemble the bass. The bass is now completely quiet! Even though the bass has noiseless pickups this was still an issue. The pickups are basically humbuckers but the two coils are stacked on top of each other rather than on the side. They are not potted and don't have any internal shielding like say an EMG pickup would. Please check out my before and after videos for the results. I was very disappointed I had to do this at all. For a professional instrument it should be turnkey with no need to upgrade or mod the bass. Because of this issue I am knocking off one star.

On to the good stuff!

- action and intonation is spot on! Action and neck relief was a bit high for my taste, needed a 1/4 turn adjustment on saddles/truss rod and it was perfect for me. I like my strings behind my frets! No fret buzz!

-the compound radius neck is VERY comfortable for a 5 string. If you have long fingers like me this will feel right at home for you!

- an unbelievable clear sounding Low B string! Even for a 34" scale.

- electronics despite the shielding issue are extremely versatile. I find that I like the passive mode more so than the active mode for the jam band classic rock music I play. The active mode makes the output very hot so be aware of clipping your amps input. For more aggressive styles of playing the active preamp shines.

- tone is typical midrange fender jazz tone. I've played with clone jazz basses for years and they all just don't quite get that authentic fender tone. This really hits the mark on that point, and the added flexibility with the 18v active mode is sweet!


I looked at the Players Plus series and the Ultra. In retrospect that lineup has far more value than the Ultra if you are looking for the true Fender tone. However if money is not a concern and you really want the specific features this bass has that a gearhead like me looks for in an instrument, than this is it. Some may be hard pressed to justify the cost, but it really comes down to personal preferences. I find that musician's who are buying a new instrument focus on "feel" of the instrument first before they settle on tone, because tone can always be set to taste with amps and outboard gear. It's for this reason why I wanted the Ultra.

Thank you to Brandon Buckley for working with me to get this bass! Very knowledgeable and just an overall great guy!

Thank you for reading!
Music background: Bassist and Music Equipment Repair
Rated 5/5

Best bass I've ever played.

I switched from guitar to bass about 12 years agon, and since then I've had a few Ibanez 'affordable models', and a Schecter $ 5 string bass (which has been my main bass for the last 10 years.) This Jazz Ultra is just incredible. The neck feels a little thicker than my Schecter SLS Elite 5 string, but plays just as fast. The maple neck feels superb. My other basses weren't very adept to slap style, but this one feels right at home. There's plenty of room for the right hand if you want to use dynamic picking styles (play by the bridge for a tight tone, play by the neck for superb warmth.) It's not a light bass, mine is 10lb flat however it doesn't seem any heavier than my Schecter (which is a little smaller overall.)

The electronics in this bass are simply amazing. No 'pop' when plugging the cord in. The dynamic range of the 18v active electronics is so versatile. The pots move smoothly, silently, while the tone and feel of the sound being output changes from jazz to funk, RnB, you name it. One thing that struck me instantly was how clear each note sounds. Zero muddiness on the B, clear and precise all the way through the strings and up the neck. What even is fret buzz, I can't find any at all.

I didn't pay for the customized setup, fret leveling or anything extra. Out of the box, once warmed to room temperature, the action is just a tad high for me (everyone's tastes are different, I expect.) That's an easy fix with a truss rod adjustment, and I'll have my luthier in town dial that in after I've played it for a few weeks. (This costs around $ where I live.) I know that Sweetwater has a great guitar shop, and would have done the setup, but I've used my guy for decades. I could find zero flaws with this bass. I'm going to send my Schecter in to Sweetwater for a pickup and some upgrades in fact.

The case is extremely lightweight, the clasps are smooth, and the lock doesn't stick at all. Included in the case's storage compartment I found a signed quality control inspection statement, list of the 55 point inspection items checked, tools, picks, leather-like fender paperwork sack, and warranty brochure.

In summary, I had always avoided Fender because of a cheap Squire I bought in the 80's as a first guitar. I took a chance on getting this Jazz (with much guidance from my sales engineer,) as opposed to a $ Sadowsky and I have no regrets at all. The quality for price seems to me that this was an incredible deal. I love my Schecter, and based on looks alone that bass will always be my favorite. But as far as playability, sound, versatility, this Jazz has it all.

Thanks to Ben Toenges who helped me with all of my questions, and helped me hand pick one of the lightest weight models they had in stock. Planning on ordering a bass? Give your designated sales engineer a call instead of just doing it online, it was a huge help.
Music background: Hobbyist, home studio.

It’s impossible to imagine a world without Fender guitars, and if you’re like many of the guitarists at Sweetwater, then Fender not only made the first guitar you ever bought " they made the last one too! From building the first mass-produced solidbody electric guitars and basses in the 1950s to creating some of the most influential amplifier designs in history, it’s no wonder why Fender is one of the biggest names in the business. As one of the world’s largest Fender dealers, we have countless guitars, basses, amps, effects pedals, and accessories in stock and ready to ship, whenever you need them. We’re always getting our hands on their latest creations, and there’s nothing we love more than to tell our customers all about them! So, whether you’re looking for your first axe or a Custom Shop creation, make sure to give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.

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