Work Log: RANT WARNING. US Fender Ultra BASS GUITAR REVIEW. Contains profanity.

Work Log: RANT WARNING. US Fender Ultra.
The ugly the bad and the good regarding some Fender USA builds.
Contains Profanity

[@csu111]

I have two $800 Sires and had both of them Plek’d. Those $800 basses will smoke most Fender basses. Fender has always been hit or miss.

[@kennethroberts80]

So I am lost if this is true of fenders QC how am I to get the best do everything life time signature instrument? I am visually impaired and just starting to learn. I want a quality easy to play instrument. Your input will be appreciated.

[@user-bp9qp2wb4k]

I was having problems with my 5-string American elite. G string slips off the neck. Went back to the shop and tried a 5 string fender pro 2 which had the same problem, qc at fender sucks. My other 5 strings don't have that problem.

[@edwinwise6751]

Bought 3 different fender instruments in the last 2 years . All had problems that I wouldn’t take the stage with. Even under warranty I had to make the repairs myself. Never again

[@busterrabbit]

How do you get the action down to 1 - 1.5mm? My 5 string Dingwall Z2 is 1.5 -2.0mm which I think is great, lower than my Sadowsky NYC 5 which is set to Roger Sadowsky's figures of 1.6 - 2.4mm which is about a low as it can go. (to be fair I've had it 14 years now and it could do with a fret dress or re-fret and setting up again)

[@BassJapanDirect]

it is all about balance between truss tension (neck flatness) and bridge saddles. Also, bridge saddles need to be set properly to follow fretboard radius. 1.6mm - 2.4mm is pretty decent though.

[@garethhjones]

@@BassJapanDirect The Elites and Ultras have a compound radius which means that towards the higher frets the radius gets flatter. Could that have an affect on the action on the higher frets, if you have to set the bridge saddles to follow the radius of the neck?

[@leagueofotters2774]

I purchased a fender elite p bass and had to have the neck pickup warrantied as it came out of the box dead.

[@MrPrix462]

Thanks for the review. Have you seen any recent Rickenbacker 4003 models to comment on the current quality?

[@BassJapanDirect]

No, but I have heard bad things about the US made Rics too....

[@Cap683]

In general Rickenbacker could make a number of design changes to make their basses better but they don't. Rickenbacker basses sell as fast as they can be made with all of their shortcomings.

[@wei-chengfang9904]

I had a Fender Mexico player Jazz bass, which I bought it brand new but came with sloppy body finish. I also heard from my friend who has tried the vintage ii American basses recently, he said that the sharp fret edges made him think of playing a 2xxx dollar Squier. Since then, I have been swapping all my basses to Japan-made ones.

[@luisborralho4298]

How is this surprising from a company that released a special edition Bass with a misaligned pickup?

[@lawrencecardente533]

I have an American Deluxe 5 with a frozen truss rod. How did that get past the Q.C.department?

[@BassJapanDirect]

Well, after what I've seen I think their QC is almost non existent

[@catdaddyonthebass]

You should be happy that Fender USA is so unimpressive, that's why we come to you for the hookup! :D

[@GonzaloGuerraJr]

How did you get rid of that tightness at the first fret ? I’ve been breaking my head on how to get rid of it .

[@BassJapanDirect]

Had to deepen the notches in the nut

[@yuichituba]

That's really disappointing to hear. I remember playing a couple of 2022 Fender Ultra Jazz Vs back in early 2022 and was blown away by the neck feel, sound, and balance of the instrument. I felt like I didn't need my handicap double strap! But this just shows that their quality control hasn't improved at all. I guess I should thank my wife for telling me that I can't spend 300,000 yen on this bass, lol.

[@warwickdennis4114]

Sometimes one slips through the cracks or process and we get it, then we take it to the shop and low and behold we have a great instrument.

[@J0T4Z0]

Thanks Danny!!! Fender has been lowering his QC dramatically since 2010... You have trying top notch made in japan basses, I agree with your words, is unbelievable that they selling that finishes for USD 2k or more! PD: I love your reviews, this rant too!

[@cliffords2315]

Hes full of balony, the Fender Ultra's are the best Basses Fenders put out since the 60s. Look at all the basses behind him, the guy is spoiled and bored

[@J0T4Z0]

@@cliffords2315 Best of fender? USA standars are quite low maybe... Boomer and noob comment xddd

[@BassJapanDirect]

@@cliffords2315 lmao Thanks for your judgement, but it is way off. Actually, since you asked, I built my business up myself with years of hard work, and enjoy my work and making music very much. A $2.4k bass ought to be well engineered and properly setup before shipping, this wasn't, it was shit and Fender USA ought to be ashamed, but they wont be, because they just mass produce stuff now with little care for customers or employees...hence the shit QC on display.

[@theoriginalderhythm]

I love the Fender active jazz basses but, Fender is really a hit or miss sadly. I bought a Deluxe V Active MIM in 2019. Its a great bass but, some of the frets needed to be leveled amongst other things. I had some really great technicians work on it and after that it played like a million bucks! No regrets! However, for what you pay for a MIA or even a MIM Fender its still unacceptable. Fender Japan seems to get it right! Even Sire in Indonesia has better quality control and they seem to always make improvements. This is why I'm heavily considering the Fender Kazuki Arai model or a Sire as a back up instead of a Ultra or Player Plus.

[@trying2bhuman474]

What’s a better brand for your money in stead of Fender?

[@mixc8]

Thanks Danny this is like the 3rd video I heard about the QC issues on this bass, I changed my mind on buying it sadly.

[@lukehinkle9614]

Wow.... I have the same exact bass, and didn't have the issues your customer had. My issue is the pups in active mode can be noisy around certain lighting sometimes. Not shielded at all probably.

[@BassBajo]

I’m no master but I’m pretty good at setups. I can’t believe I couldn’t get the darn action low enough without the buzz. It’s a sound monster but what fucking good is it if you’re not satisfied with the playability. I just sold mine, thankfully I sold it for the same amount I bought it for. On the other hand, my PJ Elite and American professional 2 precision are total bad asses. Very disappointed with their latest flagship bass. I’m just glad that I’m not the only person disappointed with it.

[@markkangas7774]

I've got the same bass. Unfortunately, there are no luthiers near me, and I'm stuck with what I got. The action is too high, and I get too much buzz when I try lowering it. Don't know anything about leveling frets, nor do I have tools for that. I searched the planet for this mocha burst Ultra V last year and found it in the Netherlands through Reverb. Now I'm stuck with it. Great sounding bass tho. Just wish there was someplace to give it the proper tlc. Thanks for the video! I'm not alone.

[@BassJapanDirect]

Hi Mark, well from what I had to do to correct this one, it is a matter of poor assembly, many of these issues could be eradicated with careful placement of retainer pins, better neck trajectory etc. I managed to get this one playing very nicely...if you have no luck elsewhere you can always send it over here neck off for a full setup / maintenance, fret dressing etc, and I can get it shipped back to you in nice playing condition.

[@markkangas7774]

You're in Japan??? I'm not comfortable sending it that far away, although I'm impressed with your video. You ticked off all the things I felt were wrong with this bass. And the intonation was terrible. Unless I did the set up wrong, but I followed the steps I usually do. What would the same job cost, and is there any export fees and such? I think I paid an extra $140.00 US just to bring it back to the states. Anyway, I am interested as you sound like a real pro. Should I not be as concerned shipping to another country? I'm in Wisconsin in the USA. Would I just sent the whole case shipped via UPS? Do you insure? Would I have a choice? Lots of questions here.@@BassJapanDirect

[@BassJapanDirect]

@@markkangas7774 Yes correct, Tokyo. So with UPS it should cost about $140 each way with insurance, and you can declare it as "for repair" so I don't have to pay import tax on it. If all the issues are the same as described in the vid, i would charge about $100 to get it playing nicely (just like the one in this video) so it is a fair expense (roughly $380) for you. FYI My customer had taken it to another "luthier" who got it playing a bit better but had not addressed the terrible tension pin placement or neck trajectory and just kind of left it with some buzzing here and there with the statement "it's just the way it is"....so not sure, but you might get the same response from other luthiers more local to you. If you would like to pursue repairs with me here in Tokyo, just let me know and we can arrange it.

[@vitamenz]

It's a shame their basses aren't as good as they were before. My 1995 Standard Jazz Bass 4 string was amazing with amazing hardware: bridge and tuners etc. Pick Ups were good too. I agree Fender should be more QC aware. Well said and I hope you have been well! Yes, my Fender PJ that I bought a few years ago also had problems.

[@JLP-ORIGINALS]

Ive had no problem with mine. I have the 5 string version. Neck was excellent right out the case. Tight B string too. Best bass Ive owned.

[@BassJapanDirect]

You were lucky! This one was really bad. Consistency matters

[@scootermcgavin2188]

Same here.

[@garethhjones]

I've owned a Fender Deluxe Jazz and an AVG 75 reissue and they could be set up with a very low action. Both were bought used and may have been setup by techs before I bought them. But I bought a Fender Precision Elite new online, in 2018 and the action has never been great, however much I try to tweak it. It also developed a fault with the jack socket, which is a cheap plastic thing and almost impossible to source a replacement for. I won't be buying a new Fender again, unless I get the chance to play it first.

[@BassJapanDirect]

I think you were asking about radiuses in another comment? From my experience, which admittedly is limited, and to MIJ stuff mostly, a compound radius on the fretboard could lead to issues with low or medium-low actions. I think it would be fine with standard 2mm action though. Most makers over here do not compound the fretboard, but do make a compound grip (ie U-D or C-D types). I think Fender USA builds tend to need some proper set-up these days, from what I hear. Having said that I have a great lefty American Pro in stock here, and that is very well made with no issues. Seems it can be hit or miss with Fender USA! The Fender Japan are all great set-up wise, I rarely have to do anything before shipments, always intoned and properly set at the bridge right from the factory.

[@nickpicc]

Meanwhile you can spend the same on an Atelier Z and get some of the best craftmanship out there. Shame on Fender

[@dennisbellinger333]

It’s a common complaint that everyone is in total agreement with. To Americans Fender and Gibson are kind of like Ford and Chevy. Legacy companies that a person would expect more from. Especially in the Q-C departments. But alas it fluctuates back and forth so much that it’s almost like the 60’s where it was the luck of the draw if you could find an instrument that played well. I purchased a new Fender Jazz that the neck could not be adjusted on. I took the hit and traded it for a tele bass that was beautiful and played great. But as I said it was the luck of the draw. Who knows what their problems are. Ultimately, final inspection must be practically non existent at the factory if a $2300 bass has so many problems. As we see on social media there are a ton of complaints directed toward the Fender ultras That the company needs to address immediately.

[@gazfunk]

Sometimes you just get a lemon. I bought a master built custom shop Warwick Corvette 5 string and I had loads of grief with it. I couldn’t get it set up properly. The neck would randomly warp and the preamp just decided to give up one day. Unreal Lol 😂 I just ended up getting rid of it.

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Thanks Danny 🎸🎶🎵

[@garychait3353]

Thanks for this/At least you had the ability to do what Fender didn't/Appreciate the info

[@paultraynorbsc627]

No Carbon rods the deluxe and elite had them

[@carriersignal]

Good review / rant man. Unfortunately, this type of QC is not just exclusive to one thing here in the US, everything has gone to complete and total horseshit. People don't seem to care anymore, and they know they can get away with it. Work ethic has really gone into the shitter here where I am because no one is held accountable. Good help is hard to find, and businesses are reluctant to let anyone go because they often times can't find anything better despite having to sometimes pay more. There is no advantage or real pride anymore for buying American. It sucks.

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Only Fender bass I get are Japanese or FGN

[@hdr96k]

It took 5 Fender Ultra P-basses to get me one that even worked. I'm sticking with Sandberg for the long haul.

[@marcusfletcher6504]

Yessir fender quality has gone down the drain tremendously they have dropped the ball

[@alexaveevelasquez6099]

I think Japanese make some of the best instruments in the world amazing beautiful pieces you have there 👍

[@martinplatzgummer8152]

Thanx a lot for that review! I am a Fender guy,but that is the truth! These instruments are so overpaid!!( Pbass Peformer in 2019=1190€ a.in 2023 the same instr.1390€)[in A.europe)..🤟

[@charleshenrique6636]

I bought a Fender Player Plus bass which here in Brazil is very expensive due to high taxes, and I was very disappointed, with primary errors such as fret finishes, left over and hurting the hand, quality of the nobs and changing the temperature, it goes out of tune a lot and messes with the tension of the strings, I found it absurd to have so many errors for a brand so established in the market. As incredible as it may seem, but I have a Chinese SX jazz bass with greater care in finishing and the sound is only ten percent worth the Fender's price. Fender is dropping quality a lot, unfortunately! It's not worth the price! 

[@leonardpoindexter5289]

Agree. I bought a American Jazz Bass fretless Pro II. Terrible waste of money. QC is shit. Sold it at a loss after 6 months.

[@shipmodelguy]

Don't know what the work force situation is where you are, but in the US, EVERYONE is complaining about finding competent people to do even the simplest of jobs. Certainly not an excuse, just offering a possible reason for the lack of build quality and the apparent lack of quality control. Being a lifelong Fender player, I know their quality has always been hit or miss, even among the real vintage stuff (ask me how I know). And apparently, the proud tradition continues. Interesting point: the price tag for the original JB was $289.00 US dollars, which is roughly the equivalent of the $2,400.00. Having been around since the first JB came out and watching Fender endlessly reinvent the wheel when they got so right with the first try is both amusing and sad at the same time. I have to say, looking at the high gloss turd in your video, I wouldn't even give you $289.00 for it. What was Fender thinking? Were they thinking, at all?

[@MakeLinuxSimple]

If I had 2,5 grand for a bass i would go with sadowsky or sandberg not the fender. The way Sadowsky produce their necks and freeboard are extraordinary. Sandberg is build like tank. If i want anything fender i would go squire swap electronics and go to luthier for setup, adjustment, modification. I would have better final product for half to 70% of fender price . But you know logo it's everything now because you know Fender the legend. :P

[@toddbrittain1060]

I had a Sadowsky Metro UV70 5. Disappointing to say the least.

[@MakeLinuxSimple]

@@toddbrittain1060 Im curious what was wrong with it? Just uncomfortable to play (which is subjective depends from a player), or it has technical /quality issues? If overall quality is bad at sadowsky price tag I would be raging mad.

[@toddbrittain1060]

@@MakeLinuxSimple No, was comfortable bass to hold/play, but the issues were: (1) Very young wood used in neck construction - neck constantly required tweaking (2) Obvious router marks not sanded out before finishing - just painted over (noticed this as soon as I pulled it out of its case to give it the once over - major WTF moment). (3) Rear pickup died just out of warranty - after about five gigs (4) Hum cancelling pickups IMO sounded too compressed - no sparkle. (5) Sound was pretty un-useable in passive mode. The bass looked nice but had a plastic-y sort of feel. I paid $3400 AUD for it on the strength of reviews read online and was pretty disappointed.

[@MakeLinuxSimple]

@@toddbrittain1060 That's crazy at that price I would be raging mad. From what you say, you would be better of with some squire or Harley Benton, for the fraction of the sadowsky price. You can expect this kind of issues occurs sometimes with bass for 150 - 200 USD /CAD not 3400 WTF . So sadowsky quality control and ethic ceased to exist. PS.Thank you for your replay it is most appreciated/

[@toddbrittain1060]

​@@MakeLinuxSimple I was bummed to say the least, but what can you do. Part of the risk of buying online I guess. I brought the poor-finish issue to Roger Sadowsky's attention and he offered me a 10% discount, so his ethical standards were beyond reproach. I think the issue was probably confined to the Tokyo shop. I have since moved on. I have Yamaha TRB sixes which have much better construction/sound.

[@davidwilson9036]

My 2022 Fender V Ultra eats batteries like crazy. I’m super careful about not leaving it plugged in. Out of warranty. Bummer. going broke with 9 volts

[@rhoodj]

I would like to buy one of this but no more than $1500

[@Gerry926]

I like Fender but I've learned not to trust them, or any mass produced instrument. I got my Dragonfly CJ5 from BJD over a year ago and it's still perfectly set up. Same for my Atelier Z M265. The D-Fly was $400 less than an Ultra and the Atelier was the same as an Ultra. Too bad these basses slip past players wanting something great.

[@JonnyProsser]

Absolutely shocking

[@son0fsocal]

You have to remember that they make thousands of these instruments, they ship them worldwide wide, when I got mine 2 months ago I automatically took it to a professional luthier for a complete set up.

[@BassJapanDirect]

Sure, but that does not excuse the stupid string retainer placement, uneven nut notches, uneven fretwork, and at this price you really should not have to take the instrument to a luthier for at least a few months after purchase. But alas, this is what happens to many brands once they mass produce stuff, it isn't just Fender.

[@InTuneWithMike]

No mass produced bass should be over $1.5k in my opinion. Look at BassMods even their cheaper MOD 5 series aren’t mass produced and they blow fender out the water. Fender is robbing people because they know they’re a big name in the industry that can get away with it!

[@maliwilliams7262]

For 2K??LOL!! )I've been Playing for Decades, and They're the Perfect Example of "Brand Name" Fetish!!

[@davidpeters44]

I totally get this rant.

[@paulsnijder2031]

Well Fender is doing that because they want everyone to buy their Custom Shop stuff, anything lower than that is not important for them. I think f.e. G&L, MusicMan, Sadowsky is doing a much much better job on QC.

[@UCEg7z1wK]

You can still get better Fender instruments MADE IN JAPAN at lower price but with far more better craftsmanship and QC control. Anyway, I use Moon bass instead of Fender...

[@BassJapanDirect]

Yes, we often stock Fender Japan and Moon are one of the best builders in the country.

[@Belman5]

Seems like Fender make good instruments but not consistently. Best to try before you buy if at all possible, otherwise be prepared to receive a lemon.....and if it is a lemon, send it straight back.

[@BassJapanDirect]

Or take it in to a decent techie for a proper set up if sending back is too much of a hassle. This played great after spending time on it and it now resides with a superb bassist here in Japan (@yuki_atori), who seems to use it a fair bit.

[@Belman5]

@@BassJapanDirect it's great that you managed to resolve the issues. And yes, if someone knows what they are doing most issues should be fixable.

[@CarlCumby]

Why not send it back? If it's a new instrument bought from a legit Fender dealer there should be no issue if it was that bad. I know it's Japan and you had to maybe bring it in and might have to wait for another, not sure how buying US models works over there now, I'm guessing you can't just go to Sweetwater and have one shipped over there.

[@BassJapanDirect]

It was bought used by my customer, I just repaired it. The bass was made on April 2022.

[@Galdasturis]

💔

[@alexaveevelasquez6099]

I Agree 👍 trim your nose hair 🙃

[@BassJapanDirect]

Every time I do it grows back with a vengeance! 😂

[@recordlabeldao7820]

Well fender is starti g to go the gibson route where gibson almost got bankrupt. I feel like the fender is going to the old gibson quality...

[@Mike-Olds-1]

Fender 👎

[@JessicaSinclairDoomsday]

I got the same bass and it's perfect, the guitar shop serviced it for me before i picked it up - i bought it brand new this year. Mine is a 4 string bass. Only morons and fake bassist play on fiver.

[@BassJapanDirect]

Yes, morons can handle that extra octave that is required for a lot of professional work these days...I guess you have a little more learning to do before you graduate from imbecile to moron. I made that graduation 20 years ago which took me on tour and got session work, then I graduated from moron to twat when I got into playing six string ;) xx

[@sanchobas]

@@BassJapanDirect 😄👍🤝

[@craigmack-cv3cp]

This ain’t demo…. this bloke on here venting cause he don’t like the bass and now EVERY new Fender is garbage 🗑️ lol 😂. He cussing 🤬 and fussin cause he pissed off about a used bass … not a new bass a used bass . Whenever you buy used you don’t know damn thing bout the bass except what seller tell you .😂😂😂😂😂😂🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@BassJapanDirect]

Maybe get your facts straight before posting otherwise it can make you look foolish. Firstly, correct it was never intended to be a demo, read the title! Secondly, as I clearly said, I didn't buy the bass. It was brought to me to fix because it was playing like shit, from new. It played like shit because it was poorly assembled and badly engineered compared to other basses in the same price bracket, period. The main issue was the badly placed string retainer, the other issue was uneven frets. Come on Fender USA, be better!