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Geddy lee bass vs. US jazz - huge difference?

Norwoodrules

Norwoodrules

Feb 23, 2009
53
0
Toronto, Ont.
#1
Hi All,

How much of a noticeable difference is there between the Geddy lee basses and US jazz.

I know some of the materials are a little different and the pickups are also different.

I've played both in the store and not really noticed a difference, but the store is tough because, well it's a store.

I own a Geddy and love it, and I'm wondering how much I am really missing between that and a US.

Also, would a used US, say pre 2000s be a different beast than the current models?

I have never played a late '90s fender.

thanks for any opinions
 
#2
Good question. I played a brand new GL J bass yesterday at a store, and I had played a brand new American Std J at GC last week.

The GL has two differences, playing wise: The neck if gloss finished; The US is satin. The fretwork was much better on the US; The GL was a bit sloppy.

Look - if you're happy, then stick to what you have. What you own is a pretty stock J bass (The GL isn't all that special, save for the somewhat rare black blocks).
 
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#3
Just about every GLee I've played had sharp fret ends which protrude past the binding. I have never understood why this doesn't concern most players. If the excessive weight and sloppy fretwork doesn't bother you, then go for it. The bridge pickup on the Am series jazz basses is 1/4 closer to the neck pickup, which makes them sound totally different...but not in a bad way, just different.

If you can scrounge up $1600 (new), you should look at Fender's best kept secret; The Vintage '75 Reissue Jazz Bass.
 
#4
ASQTec said:
Just about every GLee I've played had sharp fret ends which protrude past the binding.
Click to expand...

Mine didn't....hrm..

ASQTec said:
I have never understood why this doesn't concern most players.
Click to expand...

Drives me nuts on my Victor Bailey acoustic.

ASQTec said:
If the excessive weight and sloppy fretwork doesn't bother you, then go for it.
Click to expand...

Excessive weight? haha, I guess having my main work horse a 9.5lb '83 Jazz, the GL is like picking up a feather to me.
 
#5
ASQTec said:
Just about every GLee I've played had sharp fret ends which protrude past the binding. I have never understood why this doesn't concern most players.
Click to expand...

It's a simple fix and it frequently goes away on its own.

You see this A LOT on instruments that have been unsold in storage for a few years.

My explanation is inadequate curing of the original neck/fretboard woods. It shrinks slightly (additionally cures) sitting in a dry warehouse.
 
#6
I tried really hard to like my GL bass. So hard I played it out more than my Stingray to try to like it more. I couldn't get over the glossed neck, and the overall playability was only a little better than mediocre IMO. I haven't played a bass I liked more than my Stingray...it'll happen probably, but it just hasn't happened yet. :smug:
 
#7
A half hour with a fret file and a scratchy, problem rectfied.

ASQTec said:
Just about every GLee I've played had sharp fret ends which protrude past the binding. I have never understood why this doesn't concern most players. If the excessive weight and sloppy fretwork doesn't bother you, then go for it. The bridge pickup on the Am series jazz basses is 1/4 closer to the neck pickup, which makes them sound totally different...but not in a bad way, just different.

If you can scrounge up $1600 (new), you should look at Fender's best kept secret; The Vintage '75 Reissue Jazz Bass.
Click to expand...
 
#9
If you can't notice the difference and don't care about the differences then don't worry about it :)

And for what it's worth, I have liked the Geddy Lee better than most US models I've tried.
 
#10
I`ll tell my impressions, having own both.

IMO, the Geddy Lee is a great bang for the buck bass.
It`s solid and well constructed. The weak points are tuners (similar to some MIM models) and pickups are very good but not great (again IMO)

Apart from that I see no differences with a MIA Jazz (pre 2008), lacquer finish is great, tone is super punchy and neck profile is super comfy (at least for me).

I would divide MIA Jazzes in 4 periods for the last 20 years:

1989-1993: Boner basses. 22 frets, larger upper horn, no string thru bridge.
1994-2000: Back to original shape and number of frets.
2000-2007: S1 switch added. I don`t like it at all.
2008+: Many improvements (bridge, tuners, neck profile, lacquered FB, thinner coating).

I`ve owned several 1994-2000 MIA Jazzes and all of them were great instruments. I even prefer them to current ones cause they don`t get dinged or scratched so easily, due to it`s thicker finish (although they`re less resonant of course)
 
#11
I've been playing a GL for a couple of years, haven't been playing much longer than that. Previously played an old Aria SB. Recently picked up a 2008 MIA Precision.

Thoughts over time:

- Initially bought the SB as a friend used to have one and I suppose it was for sentimental reasons. The bass looks and feels like fantastic build quality, neck is narrow top to bottom, string spacing very narrow, I could get fairly good speed at the outset. But the tone seemed honky and weak, the instrument weighs like an anchor.

- Was at GC San Francisco while on a week's holidays in late 2008. Was black friday sale, salesman talked me into buying a geddy lee. Loved the feel, the narrow neck was how he sold it, sounded amazing compared to the Aria. Since then it has taken 2 small knocks and the neck didn't like it at all, lacquer cracked and stripe at back of neck popped out. Pickups very noisy when at different volumes (complain as I might the bass paid for itself times over in gigs).

- Was rehearsing somewhere lately and tried an old squire P that was lying around. To my amazement, thumb of left hand no longer cramping. Realise small neck not so well suited to hand. Went to local Fender reseller and tried new USA precision. Feel is incredible, tone full of nastiness and warmth, To my great surprise, my speed on the neck is faster on the P...little trills and slides are easier to pull off. Geddy Lee hasn't been out gigging since.

Points I am making anyway:

- Small Geddy Lee neck not always a good thing.
- GL build quality / neck stability may not be the best.
- Tuners on my own GL, at least, need an upgrade - both the Aria and the Precision are far more accurate. Maybe GL has low gear ratio, but often I feel it can jump a 1/4 turn and the string has no more or less tension.
- GL is much heavier than P.
- GL neck gloss feels sticky to me.
- Maybe my imagination but compared to rosewood necks on my other basses, the fretboard also feels sticky now. Maybe needs a clean..

My GL will see more gigs once I've refinished that neck, swapped out those tuners, and gotten over the P-novelty.
 
#17
I own an 06 Geddy and an 08 American Standard Jazz.

Insert proof:
005.jpg



Main differences in which the American beats the Geddy are (IMO)

Pickups - The A.S. just has more oomph in the pickup department.

Weight - The Geddy is heavier by a few pounds

Fret Work - I'm finding worse fret sprout on the Geddy as the years go by.

Really the only differences that I care about are the pickups, although the increased fret sprout on the Geddy is concerning me.
 
#18
I've always found the geddy neck to be a bit iffy. If you find a solid one, I say it's a good, almost great bass bass with a bit sub standard pickups. I've wondered about this a lot. The miller signatures seem to be a lot more solid when it comes to the neck than the geddy's I've tried. Might be the ultra thin profile of the geddy, I understand fender has had some problems with them.

Actually, I'd be a lot happier to spend my money on a well selected geddy lee and a pair of good pickups than almost the same amount on a MIA std, mostly because of the looks and the 70's pickup spacing, which I prefer. Then I'd start cursing the alder body.

But in reality, if I wanted a passive jazz, I wouldn't buy either. It would, suprise suprise, be the MIA '75 RI.
 
#19
I guess I'm lucky that I got one of the earlier years of the Geddy Lee. I have none of the issues that others have listed. I like my Geddy as much, if not more than some MIA 75 reissues I've run across, besides most MIA Standards. Great bass for the money imo. MIA J-Basses are mighty fine in general, but it's up to the individual player to decide if the extra money spent is worth it.
 
#20
The current US version seems to me to be a totally different animal for all the reasons mentioned.

But even compared to an original 73 the difference is pretty dramatic ... at least compared to mine.

I have owned both (still own the GL body) and my original is far lighter, the body is more rounded on the edges, the neck much beefier and the pickups way more punchy ... and the body finish is acrylic lacquer instead of poly.

LPB.jpg


The original 1973

73end.jpg


The Geddy Lee

70sRIend.jpg
 

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