NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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PJazzmaster
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NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by PJazzmaster » Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:05 am

I didn't buy much new gear in a long time but I was waiting for this particular Instrument to show up on the used market since it came out 2 years ago The JMJ Mustang Bass. I am not even a JMJ fan but that thing is on my with list since it got released in 2017. The only stringed instrument I had GAS for recently. I still regret not buying an early 70's Competition Blue Mustang Bass for around 400 EUR ( :wtf: :fp: ) a long time ago, in 2006 I think, a time where 60's examples were only selling for a bit over 1k in the US and I thought I would find a cheap 60's one someday, but no luck. ...got a cool used and refinished late 70's Musicmaster Bass at some point so I had no desire to keep searching for a Mustang Bass, till Fender released the JMJ Model.

I am usually not at all into relic and but Fender made it really well on this model. MUCH MUCH better and more convincing than on most of their Custom Shop Relic Guitars and I am soooo thankful that they did not sand the back of the neck :-* It's really only the nitro lacquer that has some checking but it's basically 100% intact. GREAT.

Well, I got it for 200-300 less than the average dealer asking price for a new one. That's totally cool.
The other cool factor is that the one I got is from 2017, so first production run I guess (this model was not available in Europe before 2018 from what I know. 2017 sale was US only, right after the NAMM release).

It's weight is about 3.4 kg ( 7.5 lbs) which is nice because it's less neck heavy than my MM Bass (which is about 3.2 kg), I still love the sound of my MM bass but the Mustang is a bit more "precise" and easier to play if that makes sense. I play that thing 1-3 hours every day since I got it last week, so thats a good sign I think :-* Currently jamming to old CAN records (it has that exact sound) :-*

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Last edited by PJazzmaster on Thu Oct 31, 2019 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by Telliot » Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:31 am

I’m a HUGE JMJ fan, and I hope to get one of these at some point. I don’t need it, but I love short scale basses. Congrats!
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by Maggieo » Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:43 am

LOVE IT!
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by postchrist » Thu Oct 31, 2019 12:01 pm

beauty!! absolutely gorgeous.
lying dog-faced pony soldier.

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by CROSS_guitars » Thu Oct 31, 2019 6:15 pm

I love the look of these!

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by burpgun » Fri Nov 01, 2019 8:23 am

Haven't played one, but have had my eye on one for a while. JMJ's Instagram is a good follow, I don't understand how one guy owns that many basses, even at his level. Playing for Beck and NiN must have paid well. I may be wrong, but at one point it looked like he was teasing a black Mustang release.

I always wonder what mass scale relicing is like. As in, you're the guy on the line with the sander and you mow down the paint in set spots. Next guy chips the paint, etc. Or is it a machine that does the whole destruction process? So weird.

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by Larsongs » Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:13 pm

Congrat's awesome Bass!!!

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by ohm-men » Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:54 pm

Played one in a shop last week. Great bass! Even the relic looked pretty convincing imho. The pick guard had a nice yellow stain kind of thing goind on and the rest of the bass looked pretty much like a real vintage Mustang Bass...

Shows that the relicing thing came a long way. Whoever is doing these relics seam to know what they are doing to make it look good and convincing…

Oh, and by the way....that bass played great…. yummy…
And I never heard of JMJ before, but the guy had a great tast when it comes to Mustang Basses imho…
(Although, Must have seen him playing live a couple of years ago at a NIN concert....)

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by sam » Fri Nov 01, 2019 10:15 pm

Such an awesome bass. If I had a bit of extra cash I’d grab one in a heartbeat (although part of me is still holding out for a vintage model at the right price just like you were back in the day).

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by BlixaFan » Thu Nov 07, 2019 3:48 pm

love it! these are awesome. i wish they made lefty ones. i'd snag one for sure. the relic job looks awesome, it's a cool vintage color, it checks all the boxes for me.

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Re: NBD: it's Blue, it's Shortscale and it feels and sounds great

Post by PJazzmaster » Sat Nov 16, 2019 12:53 pm

Thanks guys! Honeymoon phase is not yet over. It's such a good instrument overall and definitely a keeper :-*

BTW: I like the quality of the fretboard as well the fact that it's actually a proper slab board, even with a "vintage correct" curve where it meets the maple Headstock (although there never was Slabboard Mustang Bass in the 60's)

And big thanks to Fender for keeping the trussrod adjustment at the heel rather than moving it to the Headstock (much better looking that way, in most cases).

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