For something as ubiquitous as a budget jazz bass, have you considered just going to brick and mortar stores and just buy the one you like best?
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Best jazz bass under $1000
- Thread starter oreo speedwagon
- Start date
For all kind of music : Fender American Performer jazz bass, used
For popping and slapping : Bacchus jazz bass
For popping and slapping : Bacchus jazz bass
I truly believe that the very best "Fenders" are made by Lakland.
You can usually fine really nice Lakland Skyline Jazz basses used for well under $1K, or a used Lakland USA Jazz for a little over $1K.
Lakland Skylines are better built than Fender USA and Lakland USA's are much better than Fender custom shop, IMHO.
I’ll throw out another recommendation for Sire.
The Schecter J style basses I’ve played were also impressive. I’ve heard wonderful things about Lakland, but have very little experience with them personally.
The Schecter J style basses I’ve played were also impressive. I’ve heard wonderful things about Lakland, but have very little experience with them personally.
Another vote for the used Lakland Skyline. They play great, they sound great, and they tend to hold their value. I've owned several over the years. I'd still be playing a 44-60 and a 44-64 Vintage P, except they were stolen a few years back.
If you can assemble -- that's what I would do and I have routinely done so for me and for others. If not and we are talking passive, I would get a MIJ Fender (re-issue series or Aerodyne ) or a Bachus and call it a day. My workhorse is a Squire VM 5 but I made it active and upgraded many things and it is below 1K after all is said and done. EMG pickups and preamps and Hipshot plus fret leveling. I have played other Jazz Fives Locally and mine is really good not just because I am biased. It could be lighter but one cannot have everything
There are very fine Squier Vintage Modified Jazz basses available for 1/3 of your budget.
Use the surplus to upgrade the pickups and buy pedals!
Use the surplus to upgrade the pickups and buy pedals!
if you like fender vintage specs vintera/classic series are great , if you like modern radius , get an am std , ampro 2 , am pro 1 they seem to be around a grand maybe 1100 in the classifieds , if you dont care if its a fender there are hundreds to choose from
Don't cry for me. I upgraded myself to a 2005 Lakland USA Joe Osborn signature jazz. It really was built for Joe, complete with reverse tuners.
I see USA jazz basses for around a grand all the time. Stalk craigslist you can also cold call people in different cities to see if they will ship. Often these craigslist people are also active on ebay and reverb and they will be happy to ship I do it all the time. Happy huntingThat's what I was thinking; if it has to be an American-made Jazz, many have sung the praises of the 2012 to 2016 Fender American Standards. It's the period where the Custom Shop '60s were the stock, single-coil pickups and, from what I've seen and read, had decent-or-better quality control. This one is a teensy bit over your $1,000 ceiling, but at this time, most MIA Jazzes are gonna cost a little over a grand, so…
I owned one and it still bites that I had to let it go to pay the bills.
A close second might be something from the MIA/MIM, mix-and-match Fenders. They started with the Highway 1/One Jazzes, continued with the American Specials and are currently branded as American Performers. The bones are made in the U.S., but they're assembled in Mexico and have some parts found in the MIM Standards/Players. I, myself, never owned one, but I sampled a few over the years and they felt very good in my hands.
This one is, in my opinion, priced a little too high, but one might be able to use the MIA Standard linked above as leverage to get a price-match discount.
And last, but certainly not least…
…curate the parts of and assemble a working Jazz based upon your particular tastes, like I've done with my Projekt basses.
A friend of mine has the Fender and when I borrow it for a few songs, I can make it rock although he uses it for dance music and the likes.
For the Bacchus, I tried two and they were missing the oomph on low notes but they were sweet with my popping.
Hey, shut up about the 2008-2016 American standards! (Best Fender build quality evah!)That's what I was thinking; if it has to be an American-made Jazz, many have sung the praises of the 2012 to 2016 Fender American Standards. It's the period where the Custom Shop '60s were the stock, single-coil pickups and, from what I've seen and read, had decent-or-better quality control. This one is a teensy bit over your $1,000 ceiling, but at this time, most MIA Jazzes are gonna cost a little over a grand, so…
I owned one and it still bites that I had to let it go to pay the bills.
A close second might be something from the MIA/MIM, mix-and-match Fenders. They started with the Highway 1/One Jazzes, continued with the American Specials and are currently branded as American Performers. The bones are made in the U.S., but they're assembled in Mexico and have some parts found in the MIM Standards/Players. I, myself, never owned one, but I sampled a few over the years and they felt very good in my hands.
This one is, in my opinion, priced a little too high, but one might be able to use the MIA Standard linked above as leverage to get a price-match discount.
And last, but certainly not least…
…curate the parts of and assemble a working Jazz based upon your particular tastes, like I've done with my Projekt basses.
An under $300 Bacchus BJB1RSM are great enough and on pair to Fender Am Performer J.
