Geedy Lee Jazz Bass question
 

I have the opportunity to make a trade for a 98 Geddy Lee JB. it has a perloid pickguard and noiseless J pickups, the pickups have the visible "Noiseless" logo on them.
I've never seen a GL bass with this configuration.
the seller says he bought the bass new at Guitar Center in San Francisco and that they sometimes had special edition basses just for them.
I trust what he's saying is true and have no reason to doubt what he says, I've just never seen one.
I'm curious as to how the noiseless pups sound, compared to stock pups, I'm not a fan of "high performance pups, I prefer stock.
also the bass I'd be trading is a mint 1994 51 P bass reissue.
any help or comments would be appreciated.

My friend has a '98 GL bass. I'd have one too, if they made a lefty. Anyway, I doubt that any were shipped with noiseless pickups or a pearloid guard.

They come with 70's re-issue pups, and plain white pg. Someone swapped them out, but who knows, may sound great.

I don't think that trade would be in your favor at all. The stock pickups are single coil and hum quite a bit. The Fender noiseless are ceramic magnet pickups and harsh sounding. I used Dimarzio ultra jazz in the American St. and have had great success. The Getty lee bass is ok but just a show piece, the American standard is a big step up. With the fit and feel a lot nicer. If you watch rush he doesn't even use the "Getty Lee" he mostly plays a 77 American J.

Regardless of whether or not Fender made it that way, without documentation or proof, it is a modified bass.

Playing-wise, I'd take the Geddy. Looks-wise, I prefer the '51 P.

+1
And the stock pups are fine, no, they are great.

He use a Geddy as well as his original Jazz and some other custom shop jazz.

Geddy's main bass is a 72, its what "geddy lee" is modeled after.

I also own a GL and I am 99 percent sure Fender never had a special edition version. All Fender Geddy Lee's come stock with Fender USA Vintage Jazz Bass pickups. Some say there is a lack of bottom end in the stock pups so the 'noiseless' pups in that GL in question might even sound better to you.

I think Getty plays a Squire.

The "Getty Lee" may be a show piece but my "Geddy Lee" is not. ;) You are correct he does not use a "Getty Lee" on stage. The "Geddy Lee" basses are copied off of his Kalamazoo pawn shop find Fender Jazz. He uses few different basses on stage and I believe a few of them are "Geddy" models. Geddy Lee basses seem to get much respect on TB and I know I love mine!!! Rather it is a good trade or not, I don't know. The OP needs to try it out and make a decision after he plays it for a bit.

Yes I know that but I always see him with the 77 , pearl blocks and binding.

That's not a '77, that's a custom shop replacement neck on his '72.

Or maybe Chris Squire plays a Geddy.......

Actually Chris have a yellow 72 Jazz which looks just like Geddy's 72 Jazz. But Chris played this Jazz before Geddy played his.

Oh don't get me wrong the Getty lee bass is a really nice bass but I don't think it would be a fair trade. He should just buy a Getty lee with the stock pickups and keep the 51..if money is that tight buy used but stock.

Ok so then it's not really a 72 anymore it's a custom shop that has a 77 look to it

thanks for the help guys, I think I'm going to pass on the trade because of the non-stock guard and pups.
I also think my mint '94 51 Ri is worth more.
there's another Geddy Lee on cl for $600.00, I might consider that one.

He should get a used MIJ Geddy with stock pups.

don't know about Getty or Geedy Lee basses, but the Geddy Lee jazz basses are pretty nice; i'd say on a par construction-wise with that '51 P (they're both Japanese as i recall, so pretty well made) but more versatile.

+1 to noiseless and pearloid not being stock.