New Gear: Fender Special Edition Deluxe PJ Bass in Sea Foam Pearl

I rarely see a bass in-store that I can't live without. Usually, I stumble across bass reviews in Bass Player magazine or find new gear on YouTube reviews. On my husband's birthday, however, we decided to pay a visit to our local Guitar Center...and that's when I saw it, the Fender Special Edition Deluxe PJ bass in sea foam pearl. I've always loved sea foam green on guitars and this one, in addition to the black block inlays, caught my eye instantly. I floated over to it before handing it to my husband (I always trust his judgment over my own) to try out. He nodded in approval and I replaced it on the wall. This particular bass was used and listed at $650...not bad considering the regular price was $899 new.

I went home and continued our birthday celebrations, but I couldn't get that bass off my mind. I didn't need another bass (I own five already), but I didn't have one like this...and it was a special edition (which had already stopped being made). So, I got online to do some research, watched video reviews, and checked prices. Musician's Friend had them listed for $799 brand new, so I snagged one. Two days later, it arrived and after a few minor adjustments, I was plucking away.

After a week of playing almost daily, I'm still enamored by this bass. Not only is it beautiful, it plays like a dream...even though I usually prefer playing short scale basses. The neck is fast and thinner than I remember my other Fender Jazz necks to be. Playing with both pickups engaged produces a full, smooth sound--the best of both worlds with the Precision and Jazz pickups.

Specs:

• Precision Bass body with Maple '70s Jazz Bass neck Alder body with urethane finish Urethane body finish Gloss urethane neck finish Synthetic bone nut Maple fingerboard 20 Frets Black block inlays 34 Scale Chrome hardware 3Ply parchment pickguard Fender high mass bass bridge Standard open gear tuning machines Passive Fender Precision split single-coil with passive Jazz Bass pickup in the bridge position Volume, Volume and Tone controls
• We've teamed up with Fender to bring you another great-sounding, unique one-off bass loaded with premium features
• The exclusive Deluxe PJ Bass has a Precision Bass body with the neck of a '70s Jazz Bass
• It features the appointments you've come to love about most Fender instruments like an alder body, urethane finish, maple fingerboard and a Fender high mass bass bridge
• Perhaps the most interesting feature aside from the mash-up of P Bass body and J Bass neck is the combination of Precision and Jazz Bass pickups