Optimal Rigs for a Fender Jazz Bass

[butterbean]

So for years I played a Warwick Streamer Stage II through an SWR SM-400s and a Goliath III. Sounded good to me.

Couple of years ago my tastes changes and I fell in love with the look of this: .

Yippy, pretty! I know I am a jackhole for buying a bass on looks.

The sound of the Jazz through the SWR was the worst! There was just nothing to get excited about to my ears. So i got rid of the SWR rig and just got an AMPEG V4BH and an SVT 115E.

Holly brown note! The Jazz is completely different now! More musical, more tones, they are alive! Yeah!

So I was wondering if you have had a similar experience and what rigs you have found help coax beautiful tones out of the tonally temperamental Fender Jazz!

[squashedOpossum]

Originally Posted by butterbean

I don't have an answer for you, I just wanted to say ... HOLY CRAP! That's my dream bass! What year is that?

[Thunderthumbs73]

Originally Posted by butterbean

So I was wondering if you have had a similar experience and what rigs you have found help coax beautiful tones out of the tonally temperamental Fender Jazz!

I don't feel a Jazz bass is "tonally tempermental" at all. Actually, I think it is quite "tonally forgiving" due to it's wide range of tones available from it's pickup configuration and design.

I'm not saying at all that a Jazz bass is a "magic elixir" for any bass amp or cab, or suggesting that everyone should own one, or any of that kind of nonsense. Just that I don't find it "tonally tempermental" at all.

But your results may differ.

My Jazz basses sound great through a whole bunch of different stuff I have, from a Bag End/Alembic rig, to an SWR combo, to even a Roland keyboard amp.

But your results may differ.

[nato101010]

Modern bass+modern amp=good modern tone.

Vintage bass+modern amp=not so good as stated above.

Vintage bass+vintage amp=good vintage tone.



I think that's how that works, anyways.

[Kael]

Warwicks = thick sound. In general that is. There isn't one warwick sound despite people bandying that phrase about. A thumb will sound different from my Streamer LX which will sound different from a double buck which will sound different from... etc.

Jazz = a thinner sound than most 'wicks. If you've grown accustomed to a thicker tone from that warwick then I can see why a cleaner amp like that SWR would not be doing it for you with that Jazz and why you'd prefer an amp that is "thicker" tonally.

I have a fretless Jazz I love through a SWR Bassic Black combo. Honestly, if that combo wasn't so underpowered, I'd be gigging that little SOB regularly. As it is, it is relegated to low volume rehearsal use. Strangely, I don't dig the tone of my warwick through it that much.


PS: Oh, and sweet looking bass.

[butterbean]

It is an 2001? FSR 70s Jazz. You can find them every once and a while here or on evilbay.

Thunderthumbs, I agree with you about the range of tones. I am in awe of my Jazz with the new rig.
I was just surprised by how little there was to be happy about through the hybrid SWR.

It got me to wondering if my problem was a matching issue or just that particular head wasn't so awesome with that particular bass.

I am just curious to know (in case I come down with a case of GAS) what other people's experience with Jazz basses were. I didn't want to encourage trolling or start a war, but I am looking to see if people naturally match them up w/ss or tube amps. Really what I am looking for is people who have gone on a similar journey to share their experience.

Obviously not scientific here since the majority of players rock SS amps. Just wanted to get some feedback, and share.

[billhilly66]

I never tell my amp what bass I'm plugging into it.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by billhilly66

I never tell my amp what bass I'm plugging into it.

Correct!!!

With any new piece of equipment you have a learning curve to go round. You have to spend time with it in order to learn it's nuances and how to get the tone you are looking for. Take that time - it's well worth it.

Paul

[naturalkinds]

Originally Posted by nato101010

Modern bass+modern amp=good modern tone.

Vintage bass+modern amp=not so good as stated above.

Vintage bass+vintage amp=good vintage tone.

Uh. Not sure the boys in the Aguilar thread would agree with this. A passive J with a DB750 is a match made in heaven.

[EricF]

Originally Posted by butterbean

So for years I played a Warwick Streamer Stage II through an SWR SM-400s and a Goliath III. Sounded good to me.

Couple of years ago my tastes changes and I fell in love with the look of this: .

Yippy, pretty! I know I am a jackhole for buying a bass on looks.

The sound of the Jazz through the SWR was the worst! There was just nothing to get excited about to my ears. So i got rid of the SWR rig and just got an AMPEG V4BH and an SVT 115E.

Holly brown note! The Jazz is completely different now! More musical, more tones, they are alive! Yeah!

So I was wondering if you have had a similar experience and what rigs you have found help coax beautiful tones out of the tonally temperamental Fender Jazz!

Beautiful bass!

However, characterizing the J as "tonally tempermental" sounds like you need to spend more time with it. "Tonally flexible" is more accurate, IMO.

To answer your question, I have found that my Aguilar DB750 with any Aguilar DB-series cab (or combination of cabs) coaxes beautiful tones out of my Fender J...

...and my Fender P
...and my G&L ASAT
...and my Reverend JJ
...and...

[butterbean]

Originally Posted by billhilly66

I never tell my amp what bass I'm plugging into it.

Nor do I. That wasn't the problem, it was my ears telling me they didn't like it.

I literally tried for a year and a half to make it work. Turn this, tweak that, keep the tone knob on the Jazz turned to exactly 5:32, etc.

The tonal response is just different. I should mention that I have heard others say they weren't fans of that particular amp.

I also should say that I am not a fan of the Golaith with that head/bass combo. I A/B'd a Goliath and a SOB with the V4bh and the 15" won. Hearing the Goliath was like smelling tequila after a really bad night of tequila drinking! It kinda made me wretch. I USED TO LOVE THAT CAB!

[butterbean]

Okay now we are getting somewhere! Sounds like DB750 with any Aguilar DB-series cab has gotten a couple of thumbs up.

TO CLARIFY. I now get a myriad of tones out of that bitch. By tonally temperamental I meant that in one amp there were two crappy tones I got out of it, with the new amp it's like the cab is shooting a rainbow of colors out of it. I was just sooo shocked that it could be sooo bad with one and sooooooooo good with another and was wondering if others had the same exp.

[naturalkinds]

Right. So maybe it's more a case of you not liking one of your amplification systems than the Jazz being temperamental.

[RickC]

Interestingly enough, I had a Jazz bass (a '63) with an SM-400 rig at when time, and it didn't work well for me either. I had to "eq the snot" out of the SM's parametrics to get it sounding acceptable to my ears. That all changed when I picked up a Thunderfunk - instant bliss.

/rick

[JTUK]

Don't understand this at all.

I think a Jazz and SWR is a classic sound.

I guess it depends on the Jazz though and I'd be looking very carefully there rather than the amp.
I think there is too much variation from Fender, but then there always has been.
Have to say that the SWR speakers aren't that great anymore. There are better around..Aguilar, for example, IMV.
are a good match, IME.

I would be on the lookout for a DB750 or TFB750_A..but I'd never get rid of the SM400 which I run with a couple of J5's

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by nato101010

Modern bass+modern amp=good modern tone.

Vintage bass+modern amp=not so good as stated above.

Vintage bass+vintage amp=good vintage tone.

I think that's how that works, anyways.

bah...i used to run a jazz into an swr sm-500 as well as a buttload of different rigs from svt's to b-15's to edens to gk's and it always sounded great.

however, for ANY bass, i greatly prefer ampeg tubers. that seems to be my thing, although i can make a good sound with pretty much any amp and bass.

[jg919]

Hi!
Nice jazz - very nostalgic!
I'll be the first to throw a reccomndation to you for Gallien Krueger.
These amps are tight, punchy, LOUD and great with Jazzes, Precisions, MusicMans and Sadowsky's.
It depends on your taste, but DEFINITELY give GK a try!

All the best,
JOHN.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by butterbean

Yippy, pretty! I know I am a jackhole for buying a bass on looks.

there are only two reasons to buy a bass...because it sounds nice, and because it looks pretty. you got both. how can you argue with that?

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by jg919

Hi!
Nice jazz - very nostalgic!
I'll be the first to throw a reccomndation to you for Gallien Krueger.
These amps are tight, punchy, LOUD and great with Jazzes, Precisions, MusicMans and Sadowsky's.
It depends on your taste, but DEFINITELY give GK a try!

john, are there any situations where you wouldn't recommend a gk? i only ask that because i've seen about 5 posts from you, and no matter what the situation is or what the poster's tastes seem to be, you always recommend gk. hell, i'm probably the biggest ampeg tube nut on here and even i don't recommend ampeg for everyone.

[metalmariachi]

I’d say no, but I have played through amps that sounded bad with any bass I plugged into it.
And I have found speaker cabs that sounded terrible with any head.

MM