Fender offers new Mark Hoppus Jazz Bass
(Dave Molter | Posted 2011-01-08)
One of Fender's more popular signature bass models has been the Mark Hoppus Jazz Bass, first released in 2002 with input from the blink-182 bassist. For 2011, Hoppus and Fender have made a few changes that likely will expand the bass's appeal.
Distinctive since its introduction as a Jazz Bass with a split single-coil Precision Bass® pickup, the updated version carries a change suggested by Hoppus -- reversing the pickup, with the upper half now on the treble side. This pickup configuration has been offered on P bass clones from other manufacturers for some time, but this is Fender's first reversed offering. The change offers deeper sound from the D and G strings by moving that half of the pickup closer to the neck while giving the E and A strings more focus, snap and brightness.
I like the looks of this model -- it's hard to beat a white bass with a red tort pickguard -- and the idea of having the reversed P pickup. About my only change would be to offer a 1.75-inch neck width rather than the more common 1.625".
As in it predecessor, the new Hoppus model features an ash body, maple neck with modern “C” shape and 1.625” nut width (wider than the 1.5” standard for Jazz basses), rosewood fretboard with 9.5” radius and medium jumbo frets, the reversed Seymour Duncan® Basslines SPB-3 Quarter Pound split-coil Precision Bass pickup, single chrome control knob (volume), combination string-through-body bridge with American series plate and Standard series saddles and screws, and one-piece Jazz Bass pickguard (four-ply white pearloid on Surf Green model; four-ply tortoise shell on White Blonde model).
The new Hoppus Jazz Bass is available in Surf Green Transparent and White Blonde. MSRP is $999.99 USD without case.
Dave Molter is Managing Editor and Bass Guitars Editor of MusicGearReview.com. He has played bass professionally for 46 years.
