Are Jazz Basses becoming less popular?

[vid1900]

After looking at all the bases at NAMM 2020, I'd say 30% of them were J-Bass copies.

 

[caasi91]

In my short 15 years of playing.
Fenders in P and J varieties are always on the market for a good deal in all sorts of models and price ranges.

I’m always surprised when someone decides to put up their dream Alleva Coppolo or Mayones for sale.

I don’t get how anyone can’t be a P or J guy.
It’s fruits and vegetables.

That said I’m glad to have scored my sweetest jazz bass here on the classifieds so keep em coming.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

This is so weird this is coming up now because just lately I’ve grown a real big love of p bass with flats.

However I put flats on my jazz bass and now I’m cured.

I’m a big fan of Pbass with the mandatory flats (TI flats to be exact )

But my all time favorite bass is a Jazz with Rounds to give me that funky growl that only a jazz bass can give .

I keep both in my collection as I find having and enjoying both to be very necessary.

 

[RumbleMan3]

I’m a big fan of Pbass with the mandatory flats (TI flats to be exact )

But my all time favorite bass is a Jazz with Rounds to give me that funky growl that only a jazz bass can give .

I keep both in my collection as I find having and enjoying both to be very necessary.

Yeah that’s fair enough. I’m not saying completely mellow with no top end, cos the sound of jazz bass with rounds is still very useful. I mean more that the p bass is so popular and that’s never changed because of its meaty sound. And a jazz bass should be meaty too. It can have top end, but that’s not it’s main feature. It’s gotta have that booty, as all good basses need. Hope this makes sense.

I’ve personally found for me that I love flats on a J but u can still get a nice warm meaty sound with some of that growl to it from rounds. That’s just what worked for me personally to get that sound. And the custom shop 60s are my favourite pickup of all time. The best balance of powerful but tight bass, warm thick mids and smooth treble.

 

[Nephilymbass]

I have a fender Mexican standard jazz 5. It fills the backup roll behind my Dingwall nicely. I think it’s a good bass especially if we’re talking for the amount I paid. My first bass was a p bass, I’ve had a few p basses over the years including fender and some clones. I’ve also had a lot of other basses ranging from more classic stuff like musicman stringrayS to more modern stuff like my Dingwall a bunch or warwicks. I don’t think the number of jazz basses on the used market is necessary a bad reflection. First off they sell a ton of them so naturally there’s going to be more used ones for sale.
Also there’s a bigger range of more affordable fender jazz basses in particular than other styles. For example fender doesn’t currently have a made in China or Mexico p5 for example. So obviously you’re going to see way less of the discontinued Squier p5s and your not going to see any used Mexican P 5ers for sale because they never existed

 

[casualmadness]

The more I try other basses the more I love my Jazz.

Same

 

[Rfan]

I love my MIM J with flats. It's a 2002. All stock. Lefty. I have never played a boutique bass but have tried a number of lefties and none felt as good as mine did the first time I played it.

 

[Geri O]

If every single bassist on the planet sold their Jazz bass, I could positively care less.

I’m gonna play Jazz basses, period. I guess I’d have a lot of them to choose from.

(Okay, I’m gonna play P basses and Stingrays, too. Everybody sell those, I still don’t care)

 

[beatdatthang]

I think you see so many Jazz basses for sale because there are so many makers of Jazz style basses. Besides Fender, everybody seems to make a Jazz bass these days. There seem to be way more Jazz models from way more dealers than P style basses. That’s probably why you see them for sale. The market is absolutely flooded with Jazz basses ranging from $100 to over $5000 and everything in between.

 

[JRA]

- P bass = 0.8
- J bass = 4.5
- PJ bass = 8.3
- 7 lb. version of any = 10.0

 

[Stewie]

I played the same Jazz Bass from 1975 to 2016, with many mods. Since I grabbed an MIM P, the J bass has been collecting dust. I also have a Squier 50s style (tele). The J just has too many knobs.

 

[IconBasser]

The jazz bass needs that warmth, that booty. Forget all this twangy, zingy rubbish.

Bass needs to be bassy... not a flippin’ downtuned guitar! People don’t seem to get it. And then they wonder why they can’t be heard in the mix.

Hah! Sezz yeewwww! I love my zingy roundwounds and hi mid grind.

Now, obviously, we aren't aloud to have different needs or different styles of music, and only one of us can be right. Therefore, we fight to the death at sunrise. Weapon of choice?

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Yeah that’s fair enough. I’m not saying completely mellow with no top end, cos the sound of jazz bass with rounds is still very useful. I mean more that the p bass is so popular and that’s never changed because of its meaty sound. And a jazz bass should be meaty too. It can have top end, but that’s not it’s main feature. It’s gotta have that booty, as all good basses need. Hope this makes sense.

I’ve personally found for me that I love flats on a J but u can still get a nice warm meaty sound with some of that growl to it from rounds. That’s just what worked for me personally to get that sound. And the custom shop 60s are my favourite pickup of all time. The best balance of powerful but tight bass, warm thick mids and smooth treble.

I like those CS 60’s pickups myself. They are nice and rich with a fat tone that is so smooth.

 

[Cutter8]

The opposite, probably. You wouldn't see so many for sale if nobody was buying them new in the first place.

^^^ That's the answer. What you are noting is evidence of the popularity of Jazz basses, not a decline in popularity. The reason there are a massive number of used Toyota Camry's for sale isn't because people don't like them anymore, it's because they are so popular that Toyota sells about 350,000 of them a year in the US!

 

[uwrossl]

It goes in cycles I think really. I get on kicks where all I really play is one or the other. Then I bought a Moollon P Classic IV and my Sadowsky MV4 has been collecting some dust along with my Serek because it nails the 63' P vibe and tone. That said I'd absolutely never sell them because I'll come across a project or a recording session that I'll need them for or wish I had them. Played on a funk tune about a month ago and the J was the right tool for the job. Just worked with the arrangement/mix better than the P. Also had the same situation pop up on an alt country/americana tune.

My arsenal consists of:

Rickenbacker 4003
Serek Midwestern (it's my shorty!)
Sadowsky MV4
Moollon P Classic IV

I have zero desire to sell any of them and no desire really to add anything else....short of coming into enough money to afford a Vintage Fender 63' P and a 60' Fender Jazz with the stacked knobs. And that's really out of prestige more than anything! LOL

Basically people often get hyped on whatever they buy that year and then down the road want a spark and switch it up. A lot of people sell something off to get the next piece of gear they've been eying.

 

[Dave Leighton]

Not in my house

 

[FirewalZ]

There seems to be many more used Jazz Basses for sale on places like TB, eBay, Reverb, and Craigslist than what I recall seeing only a few years ago. However, I haven't really noticed an increase in other popular bass models. No, I can't quantify my findings, it's just an observation I've made.

Are people not wanting to keep them like they used to? Is this just all in my head?

....yea maybe. For a while everybody and their brother played a jazz bass, Still very calm and will be a bit less so. I Keep going back to a P bass and/or a stingray for live shows

 

[DWBass]

I'll take them all.

 

[RumbleMan3]

Hah! Sezz yeewwww! I love my zingy roundwounds and hi mid grind.

Now, obviously, we aren't aloud to have different needs or different styles of music, and only one of us can be right. Therefore, we fight to the death at sunrise. Weapon of choice?

Ok, you obviously missed my post after that, where I clarified my thoughts a little clearer.

If you read it, you would have realised I was speaking about my personal experience and preference on jazz basses, and wasn’t speaking on behalf of the whole jazz bass playing population.

Feel free to like what you like. I may not agree with your tastes but I’m not gonna stop you. I hope you enjoy your instrument. I’m certainly enjoying mine.

 

[RumbleMan3]

Not in my house

View attachment 3680774

Love the pickgaurds all over the wall! So cool

I like that stormtrooper helmet too!