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Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H
Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass
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Playability
68
Sound
71
Build
64
Value
78
Score
68
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Playability
72
Sound
80
Build
79
Value
72
Score
77
FIND IT ON:
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The Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass was discontinued. It was replaced by the American Ultra II Jazz Bass. Check out our comparison.
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Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H vs Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass Specs Comparison
Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass
General
Brand: Fender Squier Fender
Year: 2022 2021
Configuration: H SS
Strings: 4 4
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: Affinity American Ultra
Colors: Black, Blue, Gray White, Black, Blue, Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Poplar Alder
Bridge: 4-Saddle Standard 4-Saddle HiMass (Toploaded)
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage-Style Fender F Light-Weight Vintage-Paddle Keys with Tapered Shafts
Fretboard: Maple Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot Black Pearloid Blocks
Scale Size: 32" 34"
Shape: Bass C Shape Bass Modern D
Frets: 20 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 10" to 14"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Bone
Nut Width: 38.1mm (1.5'') 38.1mm (1.5'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Ceramic Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup:
Switch: 0 Way 0 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome

Reasons to Get
Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H over Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass

Release Year
2022 vs 2021
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Bass C Shape vs Bass Modern D
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups
H vs SS
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Scale Length
32'' (812.8mm) vs 34'' (863.6mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
78 vs 72
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass over Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Compound Radius
10" to 14" vs 9.5"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Bass Modern D vs Bass C Shape
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickups Brand
Fender vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Pickups
SS vs H
Beautiful cleans
Number of Frets
21 vs 20
Allows to reach higher notes
Scale Length
34'' (863.6mm) vs 32'' (812.8mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Other Key Differences
Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H vs Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass

Bridge Pickup
Ceramic Humbucker vs Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Poplar vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H vs Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
4
Same Headstock
Strings
4
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Nut Width
1.5'' (38.1mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Retainer Bar
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT

Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass Prices

    SET PRICE ALERT

    These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Hand Size Comfortability

    And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H favors large hands more than the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass.

    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands

    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 Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H
    • Comfortable shape
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable neck
    • Narrow nut
    • Short scale

    New Player Friendliness

    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass
    • 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 wood pattern used for guitar building
    Maple

    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.

    Woods Used in the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H

    Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
    Poplar

    Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.

    Woods Used in the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass

    Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
    Alder

    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.

    Winner: Tie.

    Pickup Configuration

    The Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H has an H configuration while the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass has SS pickups.

    A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.

    On the other hand, 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

    The Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass pickups from a more specialized brand than the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Country and similar genres.

    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 Passive preamp.

    Passive: A bass with a passive preamp lacks an onboard electronic circuit for tone shaping and signal boosting. Instead, it relies solely on passive pickups and basic tone controls, typically consisting of volume and tone knobs. Passive preamps don't require an external power source like batteries, making them low-maintenance and dependable. While they offer a simpler and more straightforward tonal character, passive basses are appreciated for their warm and vintage sound, often favored in genres like classic rock, blues, and funk. They are an excellent choice for musicians who value the simplicity and timeless appeal of their instrument's tone without the need for active electronic components.

    Winner: Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass.

    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.

    Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

    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 Jazz Bass.

    Final Sound Quality Scores

    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H
    Pickups 60
    Sustain 75
    Versatility 70
    Tuning Stability 80
    Sound 71
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass
    Pickups 100
    Sustain 65
    Versatility 75
    Tuning Stability 80
    Sound 80

    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 Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H compares to the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass.

    Country of Origin

    The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H is built in Indonesia while the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass is made in United States.

    Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

    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: Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass

    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 Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H has a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

    On the other hand, the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass 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 Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H's are Vintage-Style while the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass'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:

    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H
    • Synthetic Bone Nut
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • No Locking Tuners
    • Made in Indonesia
    • No Expensive Woods
    • No Top Brand Pickups
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
    • No Weight Relief
    • No Luminescent Inlay
    • No Active Preamp
    • No Compound Radius Fretboard
    • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
    • No Retainer Bar
    • No Strap Lock
    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass
    • Made in United States
    • Bone Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • 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 Active Preamp
    • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
    • No Retainer Bar
    • No Strap Lock

    Final Build Quality Scores

    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H
    Quality of materials 56
    Features 70
    Quality Control 65
    Build Quality 64
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass
    Quality of materials 66
    Features 80
    Quality Control 90
    Build Quality 79

    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

    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H Nut Width
    Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

    The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 38.1mm (1.5'').

    This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 4-string bass. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

    Scale Length

    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H's Scale Length
    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H's Scale Length
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass's Scale Length
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass's 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.

    The Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass has the longest scale: 34". The Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H is only 32" long. This is a 2'' (50.8mm) scale length difference.

    This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

    This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

    Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the bass sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

    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

    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H Neck Profile
    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H's neck profile
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass Neck Profile
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass's 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.

    In this case, both have different neck shapes:

    The Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

    The Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass, on the other hand, has a D 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

    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H Fingerboard Radius
    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H's Fingerboard radius
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass Fretboard Compound Radius
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass's Compound 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.

    In this case, the Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

    Fret Size

    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H and Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass Frets Size
    Both have a similar Medium Jumbo 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.

    Final Playability Scores

    Fender Squier Affinity Series Jaguar Bass H
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
    Chord Playability 70
    Solo Playability 60
    Playability 68
    Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
    Chord Playability 80
    Solo Playability 70
    Playability 72