Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V Review

Over priced!!! Over priced ???

I just received this instrument on 5/01/2022. I have 32 years experience playing the bass guitar. After ready lots of reviews and watching tons of video reviews (good and bad) I decided to purchase the fender jazz ultra 5 string bass in the Mocha Burst from Sweetwater (Thank you Matt Alexander). Most reviews did not like the placement of the G-string other reviews were glowing but… read more did not like the price. Sweetwater did an Excellent job (55 point inspection) to make sure it was ready to play right out of the gate (or beautiful custom fitted fender flight case). It plays like a dream the headstock is incredible tuning hold very well. This bass sounds so clear and tight the eq is a dream. WOW is the best word I can find worth every dime. I do warn you buyer beware if you make this purchase at this price anywhere other than Sweetwater your experience maybe not so good. This is my new Ace in the Whole

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Not what i expected

I like the fact that it can be played active or passive. I don't find the new neck to have a wow factor or that I can get any closer on the upper frets because of the new body shape. The body is still in the way of comfortably playing the high notes. It's heavier than my 4 string precision... way heavier. And it has the standard number of dead notes I've come to expect on any Fender… read more bass... like a dozen. Especially on the D around the 7,8,&9 frets. I have other basses in this price category that are far more pleasing to play. It sucks to pay this much money for average.

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Best retirement gift ever!!

I've been a bass player since 1975 & still own a 1966 Jazz bass. Due to its age, I put it aside & played other brands but never found one that played like a Jazz. When I retired in October, my wife wanted to get me the perfect gift to celebrate the occasion. My first thought was another Jazz but in the 5 string version. I play mainly contemporary Christian music & that format of… read more music utilizes the B string quite a bit. Bought it from Tye, had it set up by Sweetwater & then shipped to me. When I got it out of the case, it met every single expectation I had!! And since it is SO PERFECT, I'm contemplating selling the '66 Jazz, along with several others basses, and only keeping this one!!! For me, it's THAT GOOD!!! Couldn't ask for better tone, playability, balance & looks than this instrument. And Sweetwater's customer service is unbeatable!!

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Phenomenal Bass, With One Caveat

I've had this bass for a few days now, and am totally satisfied with the build quality and the tones this thing puts out! This is the best neck I've ever played, and it's not even close. The three band EQ is highly effective, and I'm glad the passive switch is there in the case that a battery runs low during a rehearsal or a gig. All this to say... I believe the bridge Fender is… read more installing on these basses needs a redesign. There is so much material between the string and the body of the guitar, that to get reasonably low action may require a neck shim. I like to set my string heights at 0.090" (treble) to 0.100" (bass), which was not possible due to the G and B string saddles bottoming out. I installed a small neck shim which resolved the issue, but other buyers might not be so enthusiastic about a $ bass needing this kind of modification. Buyer beware is all I'm saying.Otherwise I'm totally impressed with this bass, and look forward to gigging with it.

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Holy crap!

You'd expect for a rather expensive bass to get something that feels and sounds amazing, and this thing delivers! I think this sets the bar for what a professional bass should be. The neck on this feels absolutely amazing, and even though the spacing is wider than my favorite 5 string at home, this is very easy to navigate. The B string sounds HUGE, and it has the deep resonance… read more you hear in the left side of a piano. I've never heard a B string on a 5-er sound so thick and articulate and not that sort of sloppy sound from cheaper 5's. It doesn't feel like the extra string is added for effect, it genuinely feels like a part of the complete tonal range of the instrument. But the feel and tone is Jazz bass all the way. In passive mode it is a very standard jazz tone. Somehow Fender captured the true jazz tone in a noiseless pickup, which is a dream for studio use (my primary use case). It has that honk and sizzle you want, and the slap tones are just on-point. It seems to handle everything from slap, tap, to fat muted mo-town tones. But turn on the active circuit and this thing transforms. The tone shaping on-board is great and is a tweakers paradise in terms of the responsiveness of the EQ. Minor changes make big differences, so you can really scoop, boost, and roll off to sculpt the tone. I only have two minor gripes: the blend knob is very sensitive, so just left or right of the notch seems to dial in the corresponding pickup entirely, which is a shame the blend isn't a little more "wide" so you can hone the balance better. The other minor gripe is that the bass neck wants to dive when playing sitting down. I didn't notice this was a problem when strapped on though. Wearing this thing feels great, and it's not nearly as heavy as other 5 strings I've played. Overall, I am amazed. I'm still dialing in the action and intonation, but once this is set up, I won't be able to set it down.

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This Bass is amazing

I recently Bought one of these Jazz Ultras and it is nothing short of amazing. The New Noiseless Pickups Are So much better than the first generation in all respects. But they retain that Jazz bass growl when in Passive mode. When in active mode it can Get pretty much any tone you want out of it. But I prefer Passive mode. The neck is another thing it feels and plays like no other… read more neck I have played (And I have played many). This neck actually makes it easier for me to play (necks just have to be the right size to work for me due to arthritis. It is a bit heavy but lighter than the Rosco Beck v that I had a few years ago. And I don't usually like the B string on a 34" scale bass but this one is pretty good although it does not ring out like my 35 scale or my Multi scale with the .130 B string it does not get flubby. No to the 55 point inspection. Previously most basses I got had to be set up to even be played. I bought an Epiphone T-bird Classic Pro and the strings were resting on the pickup covers. But they have very much upped their game both of the recent basses I Got were set up almost exactly how I like them. But mainly did not need to be set up to be played and the intonation was spot on. And as usual the bass arrived in great condition And it looks much better than the picture. You could never tell it was a Metalic finish from the pictures.

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I love Rosewood!!

First and foremost i want to thank my sweetwater rep. Paul Eckert! He's been my rep for yrs and has always maintained great customer service and awesome communication. Thanks Paul! The Fender Ultra Jazz V came to me with a tight fit and finish. I opted for sweetwater setup with your choice of strings service and they didn't disappoint. My setup request was spot on! For anyone… read more considering the Mocha Burst model, go for it! It's even more gorgeous in person! The Ultra jazz doesn't disappoint in the tone department with that fender signature growl and crisp highs. I just wish Fender would make the passive tone knob usable in active mode. The neck fit and finish is great, playing the whole fretboard with ease. The quality of Rosewood on these basses are top notch!! Great snap and tone! The block inlays are just icing on the cake! Fender did a great job on the Ultra Jazz models, they're a bit more hefty weight wise but i believe some of that great tone comes from the solid alder being used.

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FENDER ULTRA V JAZZ BASS

It is beautifully made gorgeous rich colors. Well made resonates with great tone. Neck and cutaway make it easy to play and reach notes in the higher part of the neck.

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All That Jazz and More!

I was seriously considering the American Pro Jazz V yet something told me to step up and get the Ultra J Bass. So happy I did go with the Ultra as it plays like a dream. I also have so much tone control going from Passive mode to Active. You can dial in wherever you need. The playability of this Bass is off the hook as tha neck maintains that modern D all the way up and down the… read more neck. I'm not a fan of the compound C to D necks so this Bass keeping the D shape makes playing way up the neck a joy! This Bass is balanced nicely and looks great. Sweetwater Rep David Brehm is a total Pro and a person of integrity and I highly recommend this Ultraburst Bass and dealing with David at Sweetwater!

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Whatever tone and style your heart desires

Overall not a bad bass!! The neck feels great with the compound radius, and the preamp tone is an improvement over their past offerings... however, my only true complaint is the preamp does not have unity gain when switching from passive to active with the eq knobs centered, there is a noticeable boost. No complaints with passive tones. Strictly to my light playing style, I’m… read more not able to lower the action for the G string below 1.5mm with the factory bridge, even with tightening the truss rod to 0.005 ( my preferred relief). I prefer light strings and this bass definitely comes with 45-105’s. Lighter strings won’t fix the action issue, but will absolutely feel better under my fingers than mediums.

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