Ah man!!! I got my Fender Ultra 2022 from the factory and the luthier said it is “a badass guitar” after he did the setup on it. Active/passive it doesn’t matter; this thing is beautiful and crisp 🤘🤘🤘
The bass sounds real good, but you are playing it Johnny. I do work on my basses too and guys like us always have a good playing bass, because we can set it up the way we want. People think a bass that expensive should play perfect right out of the box but there is always something that can be changed for your liking. Great video Johnny!
I love all of your videos my friend, but this one was amazingly timely and much appreciated. I've been looking for a really sweet Jazz to add to my set, and leaning towards either an Elite or an Ultra. (I love the idea of the range of tones they can give). This video, and just hearing you seeming to think highly of the Ultra, is really helpful.....thank you!!!!!
LoL you always make me laugh. I bought the Texas tea version used in pristine condition. Things amazing but I still like my Squire classic vibe more. I wish I had a guy like you I could get my ultra set up by near me in Canada!
They BITE and Smack!!!!! Mine gives me everything I ever need. Only complaint is the pretty gold fret dressing wears after a while. Classic old Jazz Bass sound. I highly vouch for em.
I got the Texas Teal black color Fender Ultra Jazz Bass, I dropped a Sadowsky preamp with 4 knob controls in it, it sounds like a real beefy modern Fender jazz bass with better sustain and brighter attack from low mid and high end.
Johnny love this video and some of your last videos. I have that exact fender jazz, you also had a black Rickenbacker 4003 which I just got recently, sold my Yamaha trp6 which you also had and it was the same colour as well. Love your videos.
Hey Johnny would be nice if you could give your take on a fender ultra precision that I’m curious about cos I most def wanna get a precision in the near future or would you suggest something else thanks Johnny
The fact that you can point out numerous yet significant nitpicks for an MIA Fender says a lot about the dubious build of this instrument. Seems to me Fender tried to cram a whole bunch of pro-style features into this bass, but compromised in areas such as construction & setup in order to stay within a certain price point. And to your point: I recently played this exact same model that a fellow bassist had built. It was a good bass, but I was similarly underwhelmed as you. I've played similar-styled basses in that price range that played & sounded better to my hands and ears, and were lighter weight too. As always, I appreciate your honest and unbiased assessments JLL. Keep up the good work, and the good funk.
Just picked up a Fender Ultra 5 love it, I've owned a Sire V7 5, P7 5 M7 5, you could probably nit pick a Dingwall, Fodera or any expensive Bass get what You want and not worry about if its worth it or this cheaper Bass sounds just as good, if the cheaper one sounds as good buy it and don't look back, Lol! I tried to justify not buying a Musicman Stingray for a while thinking that I could get a Bass similar in sound cheaper Lol No! I got my Stingray and couldn't be happier 🤣🤣😂
Hey Johnny, just found your videos and love your content. Question for you: do you like the preamp in the Ultra or do you think putting an Audere Jazz preamp would sound better? Cheers!
I don't understand why Fender changed the premium bass line from Elite to Ultra. I see there is some improvements but is it worth it? I'm not saying it sounds bad but it's expensive and there's others basses for at least costing the half for the same sound.
Hey Johnny what are your thoughts on this bass man I don't understand why this one's supposed to be the expensive one but it doesn't have strings through the body for better tension digging instead it has the badass fake bridge which one do you thinks better?????
It’s a great sounding and playing bass however I don’t think it warrants it’s $ 2000.00 dollar plus change price.. I got the 2020 model for a good price because the store was trying to move it for the new year’s model.. personally I play mine passive because I think the preamp is a bit over the top however it’s really close to being as transparent as you get out of a 3 band FMQ system which I’m not really of but Fender did a good job with this one.. here’s the thing when the preamp isn’t engaged it has a 60’s tone but when you put it on it gets real real close to a 70’s tone with the Dunlop nickels that I have on it..I have the Natural maple/ maple fb so the bass is a little shy of 10 lbs ( All of the Fenders that I have and have owned all fit that criteria ..) IMO if you go change out the preamp to a different system like the new system that EMG has for this particular Bass it opens it up but it changes the tonality of the instrument not for better or worse IMHO , even with the Sadowsky preamp ( which is a damn good 2 band system) the same because I switched out the Fender system for the Sadowsky system and it sounded great but it wasn’t head and shoulders above the FMQ system which tells YMMV when you switch out preamps.. I think the Ultra is one of those basses you just leave it the way it is because it is what it is . You’re either like it or won’t..Kinda like Music Man Sting rays.. you either like them or you don’t.
Groove I bet it is killer. I can't find the sadowsky preamp so I have a 2011 deluxe 5 I put Aguilar preamp and Delano Pickups it's a beast now. also a 2014 4 string deluxe just put in bartolini preamp and pickups it is also a beast. these basses are made well and play great, if you can find them used for a good price get it and upgrade the electronics. Don't understand why by a $6000 bass when you can get a great bass here and upgrade the electronics.
hey Johnny. my gig bass needs a set up super bad but I don’t have access to the right tools anymore or a bench. any way I could contact you and have you do it at the depot for me ?
This is just MY opinion. I'm a guitar player but I wanted an actual bass to make demos in Logic (was using keyboard basslines). My girlfriend got me this EXACT bass Fender Jazz Ultra Cobra Blue for a birthday/christmas gift. I've gotten a lot better since December 2019 and it's a great bass to learn on. So! ANY bass you get new from a girlfriend for Christmas pretty much is a good bass. ;-)
@@qwikfist8 Well, I'm not a bass specialist - I'm a guitar player. It sounded awesome to me! My actual plan was to get a Yamaha type $500 dollar instrument just to get demo bass parts into Logic and hopefully convince a good bass player to track later on - then she comes at me with a $1,500 Fender Jazz (ok then!) I didn't have it setup right away because it seemed fine. That's where the "I'm not a bass player" thing comes in, a bass specialist might have had a problem with how it came from the factory - it was comfortable and worked for me. After having it a year I brought it in for a setup and the action was a little lower. This past spring I had to adjust the truss rod and intonate myself because up here in Minnesota instruments go wacky twice a year. I lowered it to factory specs. My bass player friend thought it too high for him but action is pretty much to taste and he plays lighter. It's a great bass (that's probably above my pay grade) for me as a home recording guy. I use it 99% of the time through Neural DSP or Ampeg modeling plugins. I always watch Johnny's videos and couldn't believe he was playing my bass. And! Since the Covid thing happened I could probably sell it for $500 more - I see them for 2 grand all the time.
I have a Fender Ultra V. I`m not happy with. I need a new engine and tires. I want more of a new string sound ( round wound) even when the strings are a couple of weeks old. I need more bite , growl, mids, and bottom. I also have a SWR 400S AMP Goliath Jr 3 cab and Aguilar AG 700 amp w/ 410 cab. Not happy! Any suggestions?
If you’re using Nickels Try stringing it with Dadario Pro Steels I’ve also noticed since I’ve moved from the Monster cable to a Pig nose cable the bass gained more oomph .. however your ymmv.
DR Hi Beams for the strings. The fretboard isn't quite as bright as most maple fretboards. Don't start with too much color in your amp, so you can hear the natural sound of these basses. As for the preamp, a little goes a long way in the mix. In other words, small adjustments. They tend to sit better when eq'd near flat. Then add different stuff to get the sound you want for a song or style..
Some people over credit fender for being Fender. If a $1,700 instrument can't work perfectly out of the box, it's a shame, there has already been many, MANY companies that destroy Fender's quality control and specs value.
I mean outside of a fender custom shop bass which costs at least twice as much as the ultra’s, these are the best production basses they make. People have preferences and some are far more picky than others. The vast majority of of reviews ive seen of the ultra almost everyone loves it.
Btw for these reviews you gotta record direct bc doing it like this through and amp and being recorded with your phone or a camera, it doesn’t sound good. We cant get any sense of what it really sounds like. Just sayin.
Depends on what you’re looking for because the Abigail Yabarra 62, 65 L series and true 74 pickups are the pickups that damn’er every pickup luthier and manufacture has copied or tried to and thus the reason when players that owned sells them for a King’s ransom or don’t sell them at all. About the closest thing to them IMO are the Lyndy Fralins that are quite expensive for a true Single coil pickup but it’s a reason why they’re that expensive because they’re about as closest of tone to those Fender pickups..and more times than not he’s sold out of them..just saying
I had two sire v7 and both were so bad it would have cost $300 to get them repaired brand new from the factory. One had a twisted neck and the other one had frets so sharp and so bad was impossible to play. I think sire have lowered their standards
@@Masticatius sorry you had trouble with those 2 ....sharp edges means depending on the year you may have had first generation sires. ..They came out with a second generation with rolled frets that are smoother and the body is lighter....my sire is a 2016...other than a little heavy...the neck is straight the edges haven't hurt my hands and that thing has the cleanest funkiest jazz bass tone ever...Don't give up on them ..try other sites and those second generation sires. For the money with that 18 volt preamp..sire is about one third wat the fender elite and ultra's go for....good luck on finding your forever bass 💥
@@Masticatius oh ok..wow you got that fender at a good price... Check out anaconda ultra J4 and J5 Essence bass guitars.....They look great and sound in my opinion a bit funkier jazz bass growl
Ah man!!! I got my Fender Ultra 2022 from the factory and the luthier said it is “a badass guitar” after he did the setup on it. Active/passive it doesn’t matter; this thing is beautiful and crisp 🤘🤘🤘
The bass sounds real good, but you are playing it Johnny. I do work on my basses too and guys like us always have a good playing bass, because we can set it up the way we want. People think a bass that expensive should play perfect right out of the box but there is always something that can be changed for your liking. Great video Johnny!
i had to Grind down on that G strings Saddle from the bottom end , wasn't sure why it was overly high even at its lowest possible setting !
I love all of your videos my friend, but this one was amazingly timely and much appreciated. I've been looking for a really sweet Jazz to add to my set, and leaning towards either an Elite or an Ultra. (I love the idea of the range of tones they can give). This video, and just hearing you seeming to think highly of the Ultra, is really helpful.....thank you!!!!!
man, I love your honest reviews. God bless you, my man!
Great video, God bless you and the family.
Love ya man,,your a breath of fresh air!
LoL you always make me laugh.
I bought the Texas tea version used in pristine condition. Things amazing but I still like my Squire classic vibe more. I wish I had a guy like you I could get my ultra set up by near me in Canada!
I miss the spoke wheel truss rod adjustment they had in the Elite series.
Great presentation and tutorial.
Johnny 💯 does best reviews on you tube and gives pros and cons . He has great personality and is excellent bassist ❣️. God bless this man !!!
They BITE and Smack!!!!! Mine gives me everything I ever need. Only complaint is the pretty gold fret dressing wears after a while. Classic old Jazz Bass sound. I highly vouch for em.
Blessings to you and your Queen 👑 and continuous prayers soaring your way Mr Johnny Lee Long 🙏🙏
I got the Texas Teal black color Fender Ultra Jazz Bass, I dropped a Sadowsky preamp with 4 knob controls in it, it sounds like a real beefy modern Fender jazz bass with better sustain and brighter attack from low mid and high end.
Johnny love this video and some of your last videos. I have that exact fender jazz, you also had a black Rickenbacker 4003 which I just got recently, sold my Yamaha trp6 which you also had and it was the same colour as well. Love your videos.
I have 2 custom ricks for sale now a read 2014 and a black and white 1978
Hey Johnny would be nice if you could give your take on a fender ultra precision that I’m curious about cos I most def wanna get a precision in the near future or would you suggest something else thanks Johnny
Got the same bass as well and agree, no changes needed.
Thank you, great review. God bless
Finally someone that can seriously play da bass... great demo J. 👍😉
Amy chance we could see a video of your bass collection?
So much love for you bro🙏🙏🙏❤❤❤ the Hobo Depot is the place to be
No noise. Awesome!
Awesome
Good stuff!
The fact that you can point out numerous yet significant nitpicks for an MIA Fender says a lot about the dubious build of this instrument. Seems to me Fender tried to cram a whole bunch of pro-style features into this bass, but compromised in areas such as construction & setup in order to stay within a certain price point. And to your point: I recently played this exact same model that a fellow bassist had built. It was a good bass, but I was similarly underwhelmed as you. I've played similar-styled basses in that price range that played & sounded better to my hands and ears, and were lighter weight too. As always, I appreciate your honest and unbiased assessments JLL. Keep up the good work, and the good funk.
Well said
Very dead sounding string's ?
I love the sound of this Fender Ultra 4 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 sweet 🔥🔥🔥💫
Just picked up a Fender Ultra 5 love it, I've owned a Sire V7 5, P7 5 M7 5, you could probably nit pick a Dingwall, Fodera or any expensive Bass get what You want and not worry about if its worth it or this cheaper Bass sounds just as good, if the cheaper one sounds as good buy it and don't look back, Lol! I tried to justify not buying a Musicman Stingray for a while thinking that I could get a Bass similar in sound cheaper Lol No! I got my Stingray and couldn't be happier 🤣🤣😂
@@dbass9767 , you are a Master at playing the Bass. Whatever you play, it sounds so phenomenal 💙 You're the G.O.A.T. 🐐💙💙💙💙💙💙😊🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👑
Thank you
@@dbass9767 , you're so very welcome 🤗😊💙
"A lot of times, it ain't about the bass, it's about he player"!! Word!
Everything on detent sounds pretty darn good
Hey Johnny, just found your videos and love your content. Question for you: do you like the preamp in the Ultra or do you think putting an Audere Jazz preamp would sound better? Cheers!
Absolutely
@@LONGCASTLE777 awesome, thank you!
Would you pick this over a Warwick Pro Series Thumb BO 4-string Bass ?
Drop a Sadowsky onboard preamp with 4 knobs and vtc control it will beef that bass up a lot.
Is this bass still in your arsenal? If so, how's it treating you?
SUPERB BASS PLAYER!
What did you do to straighten out the neck? I have a precision ultra that has too much relief with truss fully tightened.
Hit me up let's talk..Bootjak7@yahoo.com
I don't understand why Fender changed the premium bass line from Elite to Ultra. I see there is some improvements but is it worth it? I'm not saying it sounds bad but it's expensive and there's others basses for at least costing the half for the same sound.
Which basses are you referring to sir, because I'm in the market for a new bass ?
@@redd6399 Sire basses for example. The pre amp is marvelous
@@aldoshiguemi I got a sire, 4 months old and the preamp gave out.
@@TonyOnDrums92 i see. I got a p7 and still works. And i never heard here where i live anyone complaining that i gave out
Hey Johnny what are your thoughts on this bass man I don't understand why this one's supposed to be the expensive one but it doesn't have strings through the body for better tension digging instead it has the badass fake bridge which one do you thinks better?????
Bridge is kinda ok...string through hurt a lot of players because they have to defer away from the strings they use to get longer ones
Thnx Johnny
Instant sub for new-woodish!
More than half of the good performance of any instrument I think is good tuning and setup.
It’s a great sounding and playing bass however I don’t think it warrants it’s
$ 2000.00 dollar plus change price.. I got the 2020 model for a good price because the store was trying to move it for the new year’s model.. personally I play mine passive because I think the preamp is a bit over the top however it’s really close to being as transparent as you get out of a 3 band FMQ system which I’m not really of but Fender did a good job with this one.. here’s the thing when the preamp isn’t engaged it has a 60’s tone but when you put it on it gets real real close to a 70’s tone with the Dunlop nickels that I have on it..I have the Natural maple/ maple fb so the bass is a little shy of 10 lbs ( All of the Fenders that I have and have owned all fit that criteria ..) IMO if you go change out the preamp to a different system like the new system that EMG has for this particular Bass it opens it up but it changes the tonality of the instrument not for better or worse IMHO , even with the Sadowsky preamp ( which is a damn good 2 band system) the same because I switched out the Fender system for the Sadowsky system and it sounded great but it wasn’t head and shoulders above the FMQ system which tells YMMV when you switch out preamps.. I think the Ultra is one of those basses you just leave it the way it is because it is what it is . You’re either like it or won’t..Kinda like Music Man Sting rays.. you either like them or you don’t.
I put sadowsky preamp and noiseless seymour duncan humbuckers in my maple 5string deluxe. It's a monster
Groove I bet it is killer. I can't find the sadowsky preamp so I have a 2011 deluxe 5 I put Aguilar preamp and Delano Pickups it's a beast now. also a 2014 4 string deluxe just put in bartolini preamp and pickups it is also a beast. these basses are made well and play great, if you can find them used for a good price get it and upgrade the electronics. Don't understand why by a $6000 bass when you can get a great bass here and upgrade the electronics.
@@DanCistone so true!! Unless it’s a smith!! Lol
hey Johnny. my gig bass needs a set up super bad but I don’t have access to the right tools anymore or a bench. any way I could contact you and have you do it at the depot for me ?
I’m from the Richmond area also
This is just MY opinion. I'm a guitar player but I wanted an actual bass to make demos in Logic (was using keyboard basslines). My girlfriend got me this EXACT bass Fender Jazz Ultra Cobra Blue for a birthday/christmas gift. I've gotten a lot better since December 2019 and it's a great bass to learn on.
So! ANY bass you get new from a girlfriend for Christmas pretty much is a good bass. ;-)
Kool! Aey did it sound good right out tha 📦and was tha bass @ a decent pr.💰?? Thanx🤟🏿
@@qwikfist8 Well, I'm not a bass specialist - I'm a guitar player. It sounded awesome to me! My actual plan was to get a Yamaha type $500 dollar instrument just to get demo bass parts into Logic and hopefully convince a good bass player to track later on - then she comes at me with a $1,500 Fender Jazz (ok then!)
I didn't have it setup right away because it seemed fine. That's where the "I'm not a bass player" thing comes in, a bass specialist might have had a problem with how it came from the factory - it was comfortable and worked for me. After having it a year I brought it in for a setup and the action was a little lower. This past spring I had to adjust the truss rod and intonate myself because up here in Minnesota instruments go wacky twice a year. I lowered it to factory specs. My bass player friend thought it too high for him but action is pretty much to taste and he plays lighter.
It's a great bass (that's probably above my pay grade) for me as a home recording guy. I use it 99% of the time through Neural DSP or Ampeg modeling plugins. I always watch Johnny's videos and couldn't believe he was playing my bass. And! Since the Covid thing happened I could probably sell it for $500 more - I see them for 2 grand all the time.
Mr Johnny I wouldn’t do anything to this Bass………. Well maybe a set of EMG’S 😊
I have a Fender Ultra V. I`m not happy with. I need a new engine and tires. I want more of a new string sound ( round wound) even when the strings are a couple of weeks old. I need more bite , growl, mids, and bottom. I also have a SWR 400S AMP Goliath Jr 3 cab and Aguilar AG 700 amp w/ 410 cab. Not happy! Any suggestions?
If you’re using Nickels Try stringing it with Dadario Pro Steels I’ve also noticed since I’ve moved from the Monster cable to a Pig nose cable the bass gained more oomph .. however your ymmv.
DR Hi Beams for the strings. The fretboard isn't quite as bright as most maple fretboards. Don't start with too much color in your amp, so you can hear the natural sound of these basses. As for the preamp, a little goes a long way in the mix. In other words, small adjustments. They tend to sit better when eq'd near flat. Then add different stuff to get the sound you want for a song or style..
Try it with new strings and good string not bad ones
Put a clear fender pick guard on it. (Suggestion)
I have two basses that I need to get you Johnny...😭😭
Some people over credit fender for being Fender. If a $1,700 instrument can't work perfectly out of the box, it's a shame, there has already been many, MANY companies that destroy Fender's quality control and specs value.
That big D shape neck didnt work for me......sweet bass other than that!
Your playing is cool!!
it only has cheap rosewood fretboard
I mean outside of a fender custom shop bass which costs at least twice as much as the ultra’s, these are the best production basses they make.
People have preferences and some are far more picky than others. The vast majority of of reviews ive seen of the ultra almost everyone loves it.
Btw for these reviews you gotta record direct bc doing it like this through and amp and being recorded with your phone or a camera, it doesn’t sound good. We cant get any sense of what it really sounds like. Just sayin.
shadakaka
The neck finish is ugly and cheap looking. I agree. Hopefully they drop the orange gummy finish soon
Bro you are the black version of me: Fender Jazz Bass, Harley Davidson, and Samurai sword :)
$2200 that bass better be close to perfect. I'm good with my Cirrus and U.S Millennium, which together didn't come close to $2000 😄
Lot of times it ain’t about the bass, it’s about the player 12:10
These aren’t worth the $
Fender pickups are mediocre at best. Fender has never made good bass pickups
Depends on what you’re looking for because the Abigail Yabarra 62, 65 L series and true 74 pickups are the pickups that damn’er every pickup luthier and manufacture has copied or tried to and thus the reason when players that owned sells them for a King’s ransom or don’t sell them at all. About the closest thing to them IMO are the Lyndy Fralins that are quite expensive for a true Single coil pickup but it’s a reason why they’re that expensive because they’re about as closest of tone to those Fender pickups..and more times than not he’s sold out of them..just saying
Worst jazz bass I ever heard.....my sire marcus miller V7 Jazz tone has spoiled me 💥
I had two sire v7 and both were so bad it would have cost $300 to get them repaired brand new from the factory. One had a twisted neck and the other one had frets so sharp and so bad was impossible to play. I think sire have lowered their standards
@@Masticatius sorry you had trouble with those 2 ....sharp edges means depending on the year you may have had first generation sires. ..They came out with a second generation with rolled frets that are smoother and the body is lighter....my sire is a 2016...other than a little heavy...the neck is straight the edges haven't hurt my hands and that thing has the cleanest funkiest jazz bass tone ever...Don't give up on them ..try other sites and those second generation sires. For the money with that 18 volt preamp..sire is about one third wat the fender elite and ultra's go for....good luck on finding your forever bass 💥
@@chriscureton622 had them this year direct from sire. After the 2nd I just got a refund and found a used American jazz ultra for same price.
@@Masticatius oh ok..wow you got that fender at a good price... Check out anaconda ultra J4 and J5 Essence bass guitars.....They look great and sound in my opinion a bit funkier jazz bass growl
@@chriscureton622 thnx I'll look into them.
Many ppl are selling their equipment over the last little while. I just got lucky