Not all that long ago, Fender introduced the new Player Series line of basses, which are Fender all the way around; they remind me of the old classic Fender basses, with their look, feel, and tone.

The Fender Player 4-String Jazz Bass sent for the review has more of a traditional body style, which is constructed of Alder wood with a gloss polyester finish. The Modern “C”-shaped Maple neck features a 9.5” radius with the choice of Maple or Pau Ferro fingerboards, which actually depends on your color choice.  Twenty medium jumbo frets, white dots for position inlays, and a synthetic bone for the nut material finish up the fingerboard with a satin urethane finish for the back of the neck.

The electronics are made up of the Player Series Alnico 5 Single Coil Jazz bass pickups for the neck and bridge positions, really bringing out the combination of the Alder body and Maple neck tone woods to give you that classic Fender sound with a little bit of a modern twist.

Controls for the Fender Player Jazz Bass are volume, volume, and tone. The control knobs are the vintage style black plastic type. All of the hardware has that classic Fender nickel and chrome finish with the bridge being the standard 4 saddle and the tuners being the standard open-gear that finishes out the classic look for the Fender Player 4 String Jazz Bass. Strings are Fender USA Nickel Plated Steel gauges .045 – .105.

The Fender Player 4-String Jazz Bass really has that classic look and sound that Fender has been known for and it is at a price that is right for everyone, from beginners all the way to advanced players. The Fender Player Series, in my opinion, gives everyone a wider choice of great basses from Fender, performs both great live and in the studio and will be a workhorse of a bass for a very long time.

I also had the opportunity to ask a couple questions of Fender Product Specialist Max Gutnik about the Player Series basses that others may ask themselves.

With all the great lines of basses that Fender has, why the introduction of the Player Series?

Player Series is the long-awaited successor to the Fender Standard Series. We wanted to give customers the features they’ve been asking for, blending authentic Fender tone and style with a modern edge that’s versatile enough for a myriad of players and genres.

How do you differentiate the Player Series basses from Standard Series basses?

With Player Series, we considered every detail throughout the design process. As a result, this series sets a new benchmark for quality and performance. Player Series basses are the best we’ve ever offered in the $649.99-$774.99 price range. The list of upgrades includes new Alnico pickups voiced to deliver authentic Fender tone with a bit of an edge for more versatility. We increased the body radii to play better and feel more comfortable.  We gave the series a Modern C neck profile with a 9.5” radius and increased the fret count to 22. Finally, Player series features new colors and our classic logo and stamped “F” neck plate for a look that leaves no doubt as to the pedigree of the instrument.

The Fender Player 4-String Jazz Bass is comfortable, sounds great and is a lot of fun to play.

After all, it is a Fender, which is used by multitudes of bassists for it’s sound/tone, looks and feel. I look forward to reviewing the other Player Series basses in the near future.

The Player Precision 4-String and Player Jazz 4-String basses are also available for left-handed bassists.

Be sure to check out the great line of Fender Player Series basses, which includes the Player Jazz Bass available in 4 and 5-string models, as well as the 4-String fretless version, Player Precision Bass, and the Player Jaguar Bass at a Fender retailer near you!