Fender short scale Jazz Bass Junior Collection Demo & Review

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Sounds great = lots of versatile Tones . . . I'd get one. Nice job with this. Enjoyed it. I love Jazz & Ray Bass.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks so much for watching and for the encouragement!

[@BlazeOnMoto]

I have one almost a year now, and I love it. There was also some qc issues. I did some.upgrade to it. I have changed the tuners to hipshot Hb10 and picups for dimarzio noiseless and flat strings. Also changed the pots and bridge. Now is a dream short scale bass to play.😉👍
🤘🤘🤘

[@jonathanwong458music]

Wow, I've now heard from several owners who have also had QC issues! Very cool upgrades. Apart from the finish issues, I am also enjoying this Jazz Bass!
Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@GAZZA1960]

Excellent demo, flawlessly played , always insightful commentary.
Iv been thinking about purchasing one..

[@jonathanwong458music]

You’re so kind! Much appreciated! Thanks for watching!

[@richarddresden6869]

Lovely bass and great playing!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks so much for watching and for the encouragement!

[@llynellyn]

I think it sounds good, however there are already many companies making good short scale Jazz basses because Fender ignored the market for so long, and I don't think it sounds "worth seven to eight times the price of something that already sounds good" good. In my opinion instead of making this they should have done a Squire mini J bass to compliment their mini P bass.

[@jonathanwong458music]

There are a few 28.6" mini Js out there, like the CNZ and the Flight, but very few 30" Js. But I agree that the Junior Jazz is too aggressively priced. Also agree that a Squier shorty Jazz would be at a great price point (at 30" maybe). Perhaps Squier thought it would directly compete with their own Mustang offerings??

[@chrisbatten8]

Thanks So much Johnathan Really Nice Video.....Really Lovely Sounding Bass & Lovely Playing man too.....!!!!! Be Lovely to Know the trade off Between Scale Length tone and String Gauges etc.....!!!!! But def some Lovely sounding Short Scale Basses Around for instance my friend Plays a Short Scale - Sting Signature Tele Basswhich I think is Also a Japanese Fender - Which is an Absolute Peach.....and the Tone is So Lovely & Simply needs to be Heard to Be Believed But Just Amazing Fat Round Incredibly Tasteful and Just Utterly Sublime & Such a treat for the entire performance every time I get to listen to it too....!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching and for your encouragement! If you are wondering about the effects of string gauges and scale length, here is a video I made comparing this Junior scale jazz with a vintage full scale 1968 Jazz. I put 100-45s on the short scale, down from the stock 105s.
ruclips.net/video/aWyRd7FgdcQ/видео.html
PS The Japanese-made Sting bass is a cool bass. I had one. It was full scale and had a big round neck on it. Noisy single coil pickup though, but it was part of the charm!

[@bertrandmajorik6589]

12:00 I feel you man, big name experiences are so so.

[@jonathanwong458music]

It’s otherwise a great playing and sounding bass! Thanks for watching!

[@chrismoser9138]

Thanks for the video on this. I was actually wondering if you would get one of these as I bought one last year. I had similar issues with a nut being cut a little off that caused buzzing on the A string. But the Fender warranty took care of that repair. Also had some weird finish issues on the neck - maybe overspray. Luckily it came off relatively easily. Like you though, I like this bass enough to keep it. Was a great way to get my Jazz Bass fix since I switched to short scales a few years ago due to a hand issue. I would also recommend these basses despite the minor issues. I enjoy mine immensely and play it pretty much everyday.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Oh wow! Thanks for sharing this info! So it's not just mine! Disappointing for the price point. I like the neck on this bass. Maybe feels a little rounder than the advertised 9.5" radius, but I like that on a J bass. Can't rip/shred on it quite like a flatter board, but it'll keep one humble!
Thanks for watching and for sharing your experiences!

[@DennisVernier]

I'm thinking about ordering a short scale replacement neck for my Fender MIM Jazz bass. I really like the bass but want a shorter neck.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Are you ordering one from Fender? I am not confident the neck pockets are the same dimension, assuming you wish to transplant it into your full scale Jazz Bass. As I once thought of doing this too with my old F Bass, I was talked out of it due to mismatching body proportions. It may look strange. The Jazz body in the Junior collection is scaled down maybe 15%.
If you otherwise like your current bass, one thing you could try is to tune the whole bass down to D standard (re-setup for it) and put a capo on the 2nd fret. This essentially gets you a 30.5" scale in E standard tuning. Here's a video link:
ruclips.net/video/fYtzrSbnk1s/видео.html
Thanks for watching!

[@TerryD23]

I really enjoy the short scale category. After seeing your video, I immediately searched online for a Junior MIJ Precision bass but couldn't find any. Do you know is they are being made at this point?

[@jonathanwong458music]

Unfortunately, at time of writing, there is not a junior precision option. To my knowledge the jazz is the only bass. I hypothesize that it would directly compete with Fender’s mustang offerings. The only other P would be the mini, but it’s a different league and scale length.
If they made a junior P version, I’d get one!
Thanks so much for watching!

[@neukam5083]

Great video on the short scale "Junior" Jazz Bass. My goal with my 28.6 mini JB is to get a PJ/Jazz Bass Special set up. TBX tone, HD bridge and eventually adding in some split coil hot rails, hotter pots. I'm looking to get close to the DUff sound.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching! That Duff tone from the Jazz special.....I fondly remember when I first heard Appetite and the Use your illusion(s) albums in the early 90s . I had just started playing bass and remember asking "how do you get THAT tone?"

[@jasondorsey7110]

Alot of his characteristically aggressive tone is from roundwound strings and playing pickstyle, most any fender bass with decent pickups should get you in the ballpark

[@jonathanwong458music]

And a chorus pedal!

[@neukam5083]

He uses Rotosound 66 and Yellow Dunlops picks. I think Rotos won't fit the 28.6 unless the HD bridge can space it out just a little.

[@MrDanalaimo]

Nice find, Jonathan. I'm also wondering about a P bass version. The price is a deal-breaker for me. Fender should think about Squier for the U.S. market, maybe the Paranormal collection. It sounded real good. Hope you compare it to others, like the Mustang

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching! I’ve thought about doing a head to head A-B comparison with my atelier Z shorty jazz. I don’t have a mustang with a bridge pickup (that is wired). Unfortunately, not very many people make a short scale jazz. I’m sure there is a business reason why these are not offered in North America. A squier Classic vibe-type short jazz might sell! But it will directly compete with the mustang cv. The closest thing would be the Sire U5, but this fender is better in many ways. Almost twice the price though!

[@MrDanalaimo]

@jonathanwong458music if I was closer I'd lend you mine. Maybe somebody else...

[@ludwigvanzappa9548]

Hi Jonathan! It looks and sounds very good! Do you play drums on a gig sometimes?

[@jonathanwong458music]

Hi! Thanks for watching! Yeah man, this J Bass is great, despite the issues I mentioned. I think it sounds big without being overly aggressive or harsh.
Re drums: I'm mostly a pianist/bassist/cellist at my regular church gig these days (I've been a music director there for 12+ years), but when a certain song calls for it or if I don't have a drummer for the week, I'll switch back there. Certainly not my primary instrument, but so fun.

[@willistaylor4077]

Hi Jonathan,
I've ordered a Junior Collection Jazz Bass, from my local guitar shop.
Is shielding required?
And, how do you think the Tone would differ and sound, wirh flatwound strings.
I do now have my, quite chunky, JMJ Mustang short-scale Bass.
Thanks, William from Australia.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Outstanding! Congratulations! I hope you love it when it arrives.
Mine had a thin coat of shielding paint in the pickup cavity. With both pickups on at 100%, mine is dead quiet. But when you solo either pickup, you are going to get single coil hum - better shielding ‘might’ decrease it, but will never completely remove it, as they are single coils.
About flats, that would also depend on which flats you choose. Some are way brighter and clankier than others. For me and my tonal goals, a fretted jazz bass is usually strung with rounds. I put flats on my P style basses. But that’s what I’m used to. But I’m sure flats would sound great on it! Really depends on what you’re after.
I hope yours comes without some of the QC issues mine had. I otherwise love mine and I’ve kept it!

[@MrSparks54]

Wow, that sounds like a full size Fender Jazz to me (I have several). What dealer did you purchase from? Thanks Jonathan. Cheers from Utah

[@jonathanwong458music]

Yeah! I also think it sounds bigger than its size would suggest! But not in a brash and overly aggressive way. Also has more of a 60s flavour over the more strident 70s J bass tone.
This time, I used retro.music-JapanShop (ebay store)
Thanks for watching!

[@willistaylor4077]

Jonathan,
How would u describe the probable Tone Differences between the this Short-scale Jazz Bass vs a Full-scale Jazz Bass?

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching! In general, I would say that the shorty jazz has a rounder bottom end, fewer overtones/richness in the high end. There's also something in the sustain of the note. I think this shorty jazz's notes don't die off as quickly, which also contributes to it sounding a bit warmer and less pokey and strident than a full scale jazz. This particular Fender junior sounds remarkably huge and I quite like the midrange on it. It's scooped like a J, but there's still meat to it.
I have an older video on this exact topic, albeit with a different short scale J-bass. Here's a link:
ruclips.net/video/xtyCdnXlUvU/видео.html

[@johnnykoh]

Where did you get the bass? Thinking about purchasing this from Canada but no idea who to buy it from.

[@jonathanwong458music]

I purchased this from an eBay seller/dealer from Japan. It was shipped to me in Canada within a few days!
Thanks for watching!

[@kyledouglas1882]

Thanks for the video - Question: What is the bridge string spacing on these? I cant seem to find that listed anywhere.

[@jonathanwong458music]

These have 19mm string spacing. It's a standard Fender 5 screw patterned bent metal bridge - what's great about that is should you not like the stock bridge, you could swap it out for any number of after market/'upgrade' bridges with the standard Fender screw pattern.
Thanks for watching!

[@kyledouglas1882]

@@jonathanwong458music thank you SO much!

[@jonathanwong458music]

My pleasure!

[@jonmatthews4254]

I love short scale basses, so much easier to play. Surprising faults, Fender Japan are slipping!

[@jonathanwong458music]

Yeah, disappointing finish issues. But the neck plays great otherwise. Sounds good, I think!

[@georgegandara6054]

Great videos!!!!!!🇨🇱

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!

[@e-changerauquotidien6304]

Sounds great!!🙂

[@jonathanwong458music]

I quite like how this bass sounds too! Thanks for watching!

[@e-changerauquotidien6304]

@@jonathanwong458music Thanks for making videos!🙂🙂

[@jonathanwong458music]

My pleasure! Having lots of fun

[@LochNessAnthony]

Wish fender japan made a precision junior!

[@jonathanwong458music]

I agree! I’d probably get one!
Thanks for watching!

[@willistaylor4077]

Hi Jonathan,
How would this compare to JMJ Mustang Bass Short-scale, in terms of Tones and Sounds?

[@jonathanwong458music]

Great question! I almost bought a JMJ mustang. It’s very good but there were a few things I didn’t get on with. The first is the nut width. I prefer the more J 1.5” nut and the JMJ is 1.625ish. It’s also a chunkier neck. It’s still very nice, but I ended up getting my Schecter Japan Mustang instead, which I think is a sleeper hit.
In terms of tone, the junior jazz with rounds is much much brighter than the JMJ with flats. You could put flats on the junior jazz but I think the vibe would be different and I’m not sure how to put that in words. A mustang bass with flats has a vibe and a midrange grunt that cuts differently than the scooped midrange of a J bass. You could solo the neck pickup of the jazz and come closer, but the vibe is different. It makes me play and feel differently.
I think the JMJ pricing is also getting up there. ~1850 cdn last I looked. That’s kinda crazy for a MIM bass. The relicing is not for everyone. I think the JMJ looks great, not too overdone. But the tone has a ‘thing’. A good ‘thing’ that the vinteras don’t have. I am keeping the junior jazz and I have it setup with fender rounds to sound like a 60s style J bass. I have my Atelier Z Ken Ken with Dunlops to have a more scooped 70s tone. The Schecter with flats, which you can hear in a few videos and the new mustang p/u series sounds totally different.
I’m just rambling now. But I think these two basses were meant to vibe differently.
Thanks for watching and asking!

[@willistaylor4077]

So....
Since I'm buying a JMJ Mustang Bass Short-scale, in the next few days, would you recommend that I'd get the Junior Collection Jazz Bass, for different jazz bass tones? 😂❤❤❤

[@willistaylor4077]

I have a Classic Vibe Mustang Short-scale Bass, and a Gretsch G220 Short-scale Bass, at the moment.
With the forthcoming JMJ.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Don’t get me wrong, the JMJ is a great instrument!
And yes, I reach for different instruments to get different tones and vibes. It’s an expensive experience though…
Hope you enjoy the new bass!

[@kevinturvey8213]

any idea if they're going to do a precision version? i'd have one in a heartbeat...

[@jonathanwong458music]

A precision 30” would be awesome! I really have no idea if Fender would ever do it unfortunately….
Thanks for watching!

[@ArleyMcBlain]

is it a new line? i wonder if they’ll make a Precision.
i agree with your name being better, but even Gibson’s Les Paul Jr was used on records by pros. Mustang and Musicmaster started as student stuff. Snobs will just pay more, win win haha

[@jonathanwong458music]

The Junior Collection was launched sometime in 2022, but there wasn't a lot of launch fanfare in Canada/USA. There are shorter 24" Strats, Teles and Jazzmasters in the guitar line up, but only a Jazz Bass. A P bass offering would be very cool, especially since I'm a precision pickup guy most of the time.
The name won't deter me (provided it's not offensive) from buying an instrument if it's good and suits me. Maybe 'snobs' would pay more!
Thanks for watching!

[@BrentCulhane]

The space underneath the pickguard is cut to allow a P pickup. Maybe they are considering a P or PJ down the road. Either way, you could swap the neck pickup for a P. You'd just need to figure out getting a custom pick guard.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Cool! Thanks for sharing that info!

[@ezraestrada4992]

Where did you order it, do you mind sharing it? TIA

[@jonathanwong458music]

Through the eBay store retro.music-JapanShop. Thanks for watching and asking!

[@seanb4688]

I was into it but the price lost me.

[@jonathanwong458music]

It is, unfortunately, expensive. Otherwise, it’s been an enjoyable bass for me, so far.
Thanks for watching!

[@seanb4688]

@@jonathanwong458music no doubt, I have a squier mini p bass and I can’t put I down. I always check out the mods you’ve done to yours so as I progress in my playing I have some new directions I can go in. Appreciate your content man, keep rockin’!!!🎸

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for the encouragement!

[@patmoulds]

Enjoying your vids. Seems like the dealer in Japan deserves a shout out for consumer relations. Wouldn’t mind knowing who you used, thanks.

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching and for the encouragement! I love MIJ instruments - I love my Atelier Z, Schecter Japan, Canopus and Sakae drums. Japanese quality and attention to details! Well, most of the time....
I have had nothing by good experiences from Japanese ebay instrument stores - This time, I used retro.music-JapanShop through eBay. Having lurked on these ebay pages a lot, I have found that several of them use the same store photos, but occasionally have different prices and shipping costs. So I pick and choose the cheaper one from a store that still has near perfect ratings. My experiences so far have been great - correspondence sometimes comes with less-than-perfect English translation, but it gets the job done.

[@samlelowitch]

How much does it weigh?

[@jonathanwong458music]

This particular one weighs 7 lbs 13 oz
Thx for watching!

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

Seriously considering . . . but agree on the price . . .

[@jonathanwong458music]

It's a great bass, despite the mentioned issues! I realize the MIJ commands a higher price....but practically, it's not easily available in North America. If Fender positioned it in the Player series price point, I think it would sell. But then it would directly compete with the Player mustang offerings. I'm faaaaar from a businessman, but maybe that's why it's not on our side of the ocean?
I'd be interested to know whether the average consumer would want a shorty jazz or a mustang that's trying to be a jazz (player series).

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

@@jonathanwong458music I have the Player Mustang series (modified). I'd be interested in a Precision version . . .
Basswood nothwithstanding

[@jonathanwong458music]

That would be cool. The absence of that P style model prompted me to get my F bass built!

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

@@jonathanwong458music I just collaborated with Jens Ritter on a crazy new bass . . .

[@jonathanwong458music]

Ooooooh! Playable art/sculpture!

[@Jesuswinsbirdofmichigan]

#72_🇺🇸

[@jonathanwong458music]

Thanks for watching!

[@jellyboy123]

it sounds so beefy.

[@jonathanwong458music]

It does!! Quite fat sounding for a J bass. Thanks for watching!

[@jasondorsey7110]

​@@jonathanwong458musicThe lower string tension adds more harmonic content, resulting in a fatter tone...can make the e string flabby or sound poorly intonated if the break angle is lousy and/or the strings are too light in gauge though

[@jonathanwong458music]

I quite like this bass. Thx Jason!

[@jasondorsey7110]

@@jonathanwong458music Right on, I would probably like it too, congratz on the new toy/tool