Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Excellent quality, build like a rock. Beautiful blue finish, very well balance. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Everything is top notch: the neck, the body, the hardware. The only thing missing was the strap locks that came with the Fenders in the past. General Your general opinion of this product. Incredible Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? The instrument has a very wide tone range. The pickups are hot, very thick. I tried on a small combo and then on a Peavey head with a 410 cab and in both cases the instrument was superb. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The blue finish is gorgeous.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? In the Mid 70's to late 80's Fender earned a reputation for poor quality control. Unfortunately, they are still fighting that stigma to this day. That said, over the past 5 years Fender has come out with some of the best products in a long long time. Their quality control is top notch. My 2012 American Standard Jazz (3 color SB with Maple neck)was absolutely immaculate right out of the case. Fit and finish was much better than on some of my previous basses which included: - Fender Jazz Bass Plus - Rickenbacker 4003 - Fender Precision Elite II - Fender Jazz Bass FMT Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Where to begin....... - The satin finish on the back of the neck is wonderful. It feels like an old friend - The custom shop 60's pickup absolutely roar. I'm not sure of the output (henries), but they fill the room - The rolled finger board edges and fret dress are immaculate - The current bridge is so much better than what they used 5 to 10 years ago. General Your general opinion of this product. Fender seems to be firing on all cylinders right now. The 2012 American Standard Jazz is another victory for them. The changes are subtle yet incredibly effective. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Don't let the "custom 60's" pickup fool you. Yes, you can get a 60's Joe Osborn type of sound, but you can also get 70's funk, 70's hard rock etc. Its a do-it-all type of instrument. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? When I peeled the protective coating off the pick guard I was really taking aback. The combination of the 3 tone SB, tortoise pickguard and maple fret board is absolutely gorgeous. I'm not big on colors and have always loved being able to see the grain of the wood.