Best Jazz 5 you ever played

[WG Plum]

I guess it would have to be the Fender Victor Bailey fiver I had, since that's pretty much the only five string J I've played. I'm not fiver fan, but that was a pretty nice bass.

 

[Dbassmon]

Dingwall, hands-down, the best B string I have played. Also very good Spector.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

Mike Lull for me.

 

[bucephylus]

It is somewhat interesting that the lengthy list of makers does NOT include Fender. Rather, only the Custom Shop.

This one is my second fav, and gets a good amount of gig time. It is a parts bass; Fender 2014 American Jazz Deluxe body in trans white Mary Kaye, and 2007 Fender American Deluxe neck. Pat Wilkins had to route the neck pocket 1/4” to accommodate the 22 fret neck.

 

[pbass2]

Sadowsky is the best one I’ve ever heard. The fender elite jazz 5 was really nice too. In general, I don’t really like most 5 string jazzes and don’t think it is a great platform for them. Would much rather deal with a stingray when it comes to 5 strings.

Interesting. I've had L2500s, a Dingwall AB1, Tune, and a couple others over the years, but never a Jazz fiver of any kind. Been pondering one as I recently got a Kiloton V which I adore (great B string IMO, even with flats--it is arguably MM-esque), and want another fiver for rounds, something different from the Kilo. I always just assumed the Jazz configuration made a ton of sense for the five string as they're so ubiquitous...

 

[logdrum]

There is no mystery to the B-String performance on 34" that a nut cut/setup and bridge setup (maybe a better bridge than a bent plate plus one height screw) cannot solve. And why a Jazz pickup is a wrong choice is baffling to me. My main fretless and fretted 5's are jazzes. not in the list as those listed are ABOVE my pay grade. My luthier who made acoustic guitars when he work for Santa Cruz (I really think Luthiers are folks who have experience in Acoustic instruments like Roger Sadowsly did but I digress ), did some magic with the nut on my Squire and DIY built fretless and that chaged the feel and sound of my B string a lot. Comparable if not better than my EBMM Stingray (the fretless for sure ) Both have Hipshot bridges. In my cases basically a metal insert between the bone and wood for the fretless and for the Squire hand carve the bone and widened the slot. And string tree upgrade.

 

[logdrum]

I voted Yamaha. The Nathan East model is the only one I know that has Jazz pickups front and back and have played one. Japan quality. I'd choose this over a Spector or even Elrick.

 

[Five or Six]

I'm the only one that has voted Spector. Only because it's on there twice.

 

[chris_b]

I would vote for my Japanese Sadowsky Metro MV5.

Best Jazz bass I've owned and played in every respect.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Maybe so, but there are others around. I personally have no problem circling back , especially if it's affordable , and Ive learned from experience what I really desire in a bass.

Oh I have circled back many times. I have owned more Stingrays than I care to remember.

 

[DJ Bebop]

That I have played

My two I have, I guess.
A Carvin (Keisel now) Bunny Brunel 5 and a new acquisition, a Harley Benton multi-scale 5. The HB is kinda Jazz-like.

 

[LowEndOperative]

A Schecter Diamond J5, nice bass and quality hardware for the money.

 

[AngelCrusher]

I had a Lakland Joe Osborne, a Moollon J5 and a Sadowsky Japanese Metroline. The Sadowsky stayed. Best neck and the tone can do the hi fi fusion slap sound, the burpy bridge solo sound (without hum or losing low end) and just sounds like a modern J should, imo. Build quality is also the best I have had. And the Lakland and Moollon are great basses.

 

[Gervais Cote]

There is no mystery to the B-String performance on 34" that a nut cut/setup and bridge setup (maybe a better bridge than a bent plate plus one height screw) cannot solve. And why a Jazz pickup is a wrong choice is baffling to me. My main fretless and fretted 5's are jazzes. not in the list as those listed are ABOVE my pay grade. My luthier who made acoustic guitars when he work for Santa Cruz (I really think Luthiers are folks who have experience in Acoustic instruments like Roger Sadowsly did but I digress ), did some magic with the nut on my Squire and DIY built fretless and that chaged the feel and sound of my B string a lot. Comparable if not better than my EBMM Stingray (the fretless for sure ) Both have Hipshot bridges. In my cases basically a metal insert between the bone and wood for the fretless and for the Squire hand carve the bone and widened the slot. And string tree upgrade.

Of you have a picture of your string tree upgrade on your Squier, sharing it would be greatly appreciated !

 

[bgartist]

My Pedulla Rapture J2000 5 is the best I’ve played… sound, weight , balance and the best neck I ever laid my hands on.

 

[Bass1447]

Anyone ever seen a "Fender Custom Shop" 5 string Jazz.

Asking for a friend...

 

[600 Ohms]

Moon Larry Graham 5 is the best I've played. It's got a lot going for it and ticks more boxes than I've ever experienced. And the build quality is superb. It's a thrill to play.

 

[chris lykins]

I voted for my Alleva but for the money there is none better than Nordys so if you see one for sale used I would recommend you grab one. Its what I always play out live and I've had them all.

 

[scubaduba]

Sadowsky Will Lee.

 

[Lo-E]

When I was shopping for a J5 I was not very impressed by Fender’s offerings (they’ve gotten much better since) and I really thought I was going to end up with a Sadowsky.

Jimmy Capollo’s shop was still in NYC at that time and only a few blocks from where I work. I played several of his J5s and I liked all of them better than all of Roger’s J5s that I had played at Roger’s shop the week before. I placed an order with Jimmy for my Alleva-Copollo, which I still have, and I never looked back.*

It’s not that the Sadowsky’s weren’t great basses; they were fantastic but I was looking for a wider neck and more of a vintage Fender feel and the A-C delivered.

*While I was at Roger Sadowsky’s shop he showed me a 5-string P-bass in sherwood green with a Brazilian board that was absolutely spectacular. I had my heart set on a Jazz at the time but, in retrospect, that P was one of the nicest 5-string basses I have ever played, full stop. I absolutely love my A-C Jazz but, damn…. I should have bought that Sadowsky! I could always have ordered an A-C J later when my wallet recovered. Oh, well…. hindsight is 20/20.