Show Full Spec Comparison
| Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V | American Ultra Jazz Bass V | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Fender | Fender |
| Year: | 2024 | 2021 |
| Configuration: | SS | SS |
| Strings: | 5 | 5 |
| Made in: | United States | United States |
| Series: | American Ultra II | American Ultra |
| Colors: | White, Red, Burst | White, Brown, Burst |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Select Alder | Alder |
| Bridge: | 5-Saddle Adjustable HiMass (String-Through-Body or Top-Load) | 5-Saddle HiMass (Toploaded) |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | Fender "F" Light-Weight Vintage-Paddle Keys with Tapered Shafts | Fender F Light-Weight Vintage-Paddle Keys with Tapered Shafts |
| Fretboard: | Ebony | Maple |
| Neck Material: | Quartersawn Maple | Maple |
| Decoration: | White Pearloid Dot 7mm | Black Pearloid Blocks |
| Scale Size: | 34" | 34" |
| Shape: | Bass Modern "D" | Bass Modern D |
| Frets: | 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver | 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 10" to 14" | 10" to 14" |
| Nut: | Ivory Tusq | Bone |
| Nut Width: | 47.6mm (1.875'') | 47.6mm (1.875'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Ultra II Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass (Single Coil / Passive) | Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | Ultra II Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass (Single Coil / Passive) | |
| Neck Pickup: | Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass (Single Coil / Passive) | |
| Switch: | 0 Way | 0 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | S-1 Switch | None |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 3 | 2 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Nickel | Chrome |
Reasons to Get
Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V over American Ultra Jazz Bass V
Reasons to Get
Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V over American Ultra II Jazz Bass V
Other Key Differences
Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V vs American Ultra Jazz Bass V
Shared Features
Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V vs American Ultra Jazz Bass V
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Top Pickup Brand
- Active/Passive Preamp
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Weight Relief
- Retainer Bar
- High-Quality Frets
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both are balanced for most hand sizes.
Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V:
Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V:
Beginner Friendliness
Both meet 4 out of our 6 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first bass to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.
New Player Friendliness
Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in Both
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.
Woods Used in the Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V
Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.
Winner: Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are SS. SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.
Pickups Quality
Both come with some of the top pickups on the market. You can't go wrong with either of them. You'll probably never need a pickup upgrade.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Preamp Circuit
A preamp in an electric bass functions as an electronic circuit that acts as an interface between the bass's pickups and the amplifier. Its main purpose is to amplify and customize the bass's initial signal before it reaches the amplifier, offering enhanced control over factors like tone, volume, and sound attributes. Preamps typically come equipped with tone adjustments, equalization options, and sometimes built-in effects, empowering bass players to fine-tune their sound to suit their personal preferences and the musical environment.
Both basses have a Active/Passive preamp.
Active/Passive: This type of circuit combines both passive and active electronics in one instrument. This versatile setup allows the player to switch between passive and active modes, providing a wide range of tonal options. In passive mode, the bass relies on traditional passive pickups and tone controls for a warm and organic sound. In active mode, the onboard preamp circuit is engaged, offering enhanced EQ shaping capabilities and sometimes a signal boost. This flexibility caters to a broader spectrum of musical styles and playing preferences, as it allows the bassist to switch between the classic, vintage tone of passive operation and the more versatile and finely tuned active mode, all within the same instrument.
Winner: Tie.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Only the Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V comes with some kind of pickup modification: S-1 Switch.
An S-1 switch can do a lot of different pickup combinations. It can split them, connect them in series, parallel, add more pickups to each position, and more. Check out the diagram to know how it affects this model.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V compares to the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your bass to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V has a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.
On the other hand, the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
Winner: Tie.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V's are Fender "F" Light-Weight Vintage-Paddle Keys with Tapered Shafts while the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V's are Fender F Light-Weight Vintage-Paddle Keys with Tapered Shafts
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a bass is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- S-1 Switch Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Active/Passive Preamp
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V
- Made in United States
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Active/Passive Preamp
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Expensive Woods
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a bass might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a bass feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 47.6mm (1.875'').
This is considered a wide width for a 5-string bass. It gives your fingers the extra space you need to play without muting accidentally, but this also makes bar chords harder to perform, especially if you have small hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a scale length of 34".
This is a scale used for baritones and guitars with more than 6 strings. Since the scale is so long, the tension of the strings will be higher. This means that bending will require a lot more strength than with a shorter scale. However, it also allows you to use really low tunings without causing fret buzz and without needing to increase your string gauge too much.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Fender American Ultra II Jazz Bass V and the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V have a D-shaped neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.
Fretboard Radius
Most bass fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
Both have a compound radius. This means both offer you the best craftsmanship when it comes to fretboard design. You'll have an arc to help you play chords close to the nut, while also having a flat design at the higher frets for faster soloing and easier bends.
Fret Size
Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.
