This was quite a spend for me and was done with some trepidation. Many big name brands today, not just in music, are cashing in the long-established reputations to make a quick dollar/euro with shoddy quality control. All I can talk about is this particular purchase and I'm happy to say it worked out for me. Fender still excellent. Everything about the bass is physically beautiful, a tobacco-burst not too different from what James Jamerson played. Chrome fittings are included as optional extras if you really want that vintage feel all the way. Oddly, there was one tiny QC slip up: the volume knob was loose right out of the case. A turn with a jewellery screwdriver fixed that thankfully. Flawless in all other regards. A quick tuneup and I was in business. The setup is great. Of most concern, it IS the upgrade I wanted on my old cheap bass, and then some. Slap style is easy. The wide nut makes things much more playable for me, but I guess that is personal choice. I'm happy to fool around for now with the roundwound factory strings but soon I'll fit the chrome trays and restring with flatwound LaBellas I also bought from Thomann. I bought this to play retro stuff admittedly. That is where my musical taste lies. However this bass would do just as well with more contemporary stuff I'm sure. It feels light and comfortable around the neck. The reverse tuners are weird initially but you get used to it (how often do you retune your bass anyway?!). I won't use the tweed case much sadly but it is aesthetically delightful - kudos to whoever designed. I have an old Tele and Strat and this bass falls into line in the sense of playability, solid 'feel', gorgeous sound, and providing the ability to emulate heroes a whole lot more closely than cheap knockoffs. Fender are still good by me.
