CIJ is no longer being made. To me at least, the CIJ and MIM Geddys are equal in quality.
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Getting a Four String Fender Jazz: Which One?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
CIJ is no longer being made. To me at least, the CIJ and MIM Geddys are equal in quality.
I was doing just fine until I bragged about no GAS and then I started looking.
To be honest, my DJ5 is really hard to beat. I have two nice five string Jazzes. I don’t need a four. A four would just be fun to have.
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I thought that too.
One week ago I bought a Fender Precision and I was determined to buy a bass I could try, because in my city there are very few basses available and I got burned more than once buying online.
So I finally found 2. An American Pro and a Japanese Midnight Special.
I loved them both, and would buy either one. But side by side I liked the CIJ better. Just sounded better to me. And the construction is flawless.
I have read here many times about dream necks and so on, and I always thought there wasn't much of a difference.
But now I can say the neck on my new Precision is perfect. And it's 42mm, all my other basses are 38mm, except a 5 string Ibanez that has 45mm.
And I adapted immediately. So I would say (although my experience is very limited) the CIJ Fenders are of exceptional quality, if they are all like mine.
And I have an USA AVRI 64 Jazz at home.
Here it is:
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
I'm still of the belief that you don't buy an instrument without playing it. Those are all good instruments, unless you get a dog (and if you do, it doesn't matter).
price or offer aside, i would certainly recommend an AVRI 64 or Am. Original 60s, but they aren't on the list so I won't cast my vote (obviously)
PV 64 pickups as in the Roadworn, AVRI 64 and Am. Original 60s series .. great jazz bass pickups
I didn't weight the body before building...but the overall bass comes in at just a hair under 9 lbs...
Doc,
A quick Internet search turned up 5 Fender CIJ 75' Jazz Bass RI's under $1,000.00!
A quick Internet search turned up 5 Fender CIJ 75' Jazz Bass RI's under $1,000.00!
I don’t believe AVRI is in production anymore. The American Original has taken its place.
yes correct ... AVRI can be had only as second hand or NOS units ... I own an Orig. 60s and it's the first jazz bass which i fully recognized as such in terms of being able to reproduce the vintage tones which i associate with this type of instrument
Well, I'm a Warmoth fan so that is what I'd be doing were I in your shoes. Order a J body with the 70s bridge PU position. Get the color you want. Pick up one of their in-stock necks for a bit of a savings. Or maybe have them build you one.
By the time you order all the stuff and have a local tech assemble it, you'll be in for about $1400. You'll have a custom-ish bass that will in all likelihood outperform the Fender but won't hold value as well.
If you ask Warmoth to be mindful of weight they may be able to get something for you that weighs less than the Fender items.
By the time you order all the stuff and have a local tech assemble it, you'll be in for about $1400. You'll have a custom-ish bass that will in all likelihood outperform the Fender but won't hold value as well.
If you ask Warmoth to be mindful of weight they may be able to get something for you that weighs less than the Fender items.
I have been told by several BIG NAME bass players at NAMM that, in their opinion, the USA or even the MIM Geddy is the archetypical, perfect early-70s Jazz. One of them, a Jazz Bass connoisseur, said that the US feels as good as his own '71.
Names withheld, so as to not imply endorsement, just opinion...
Diego
Names withheld, so as to not imply endorsement, just opinion...
Diego
... subjective statement although I also like Warmoth ... however you forgot bringing the assembled bass to a technician for final nut and frets dressing ... this may or may not be necessary although this is what Warmoth recommends to do IIRC
If you take away the mystique and nostalgia, this is certain to be true. Manufacturing tolerances and quality control are profoundly better now than they were then, and the only reason a company's products now would not be superior is if they had made deliberate moves to cheapen them. Not the case with Fender instruments, AFAIK.
Plus you can adjust the truss rod without removing the neck. That's actually an annoyance that may prevent me from buying a vintage if I were actually faced with the choice.
not the AVRI '75 or the Marcus Miller ... my '60s is affected by this design feature unfortunately ... but it sounds darn jazz !
True, on a couple of the reissues they went out of their way to be period-accurate and recreated the silly stuff too.
Imagine Ford releasing a reissue '65 Mustang with crank windows and no power steering. Actually that might sell.
er ... in the case of the AVRI '75 and MM models the bullet truss rod with adjustment at the headstock was actually period-correct ... this doesn't require touching the neck for adjusting its curvature and it was an improvement over the original 60s design ... however, this innovation was coupled with the adoption of the three-bolt neck plate which many say is another faulty design (I don't much agree with what seems to be the general consensus in this regard, as the neck of my MM bass is rather stable and easy to play) ..
Sadowsky Metro Express.......
I'd go with the Geddy Lee US, although frankly I LOVE the Geddy Lee MIJ's and I see them for 6-800 used a lot!
I'd go with the Geddy Lee US, although frankly I LOVE the Geddy Lee MIJ's and I see them for 6-800 used a lot!
