Itching for a Jazz bass....which one?

[Grahams Groove]

Does it matter if I've never liked Rush even a little bit? I know it shouldn't matter, but it would make me remember that I don't like Rush every time I saw the bass although the signature is on the back and isn't legible.

I have the Fender Adam Clayton signature jazz. I am not an AC fan or even a U2 fan for that matter. I bought the bass because it had the specs, sound, and look that I wanted. His signature is on the headstock and I don't even think about it. Sounds great, feels great. I'm happy...

 

[Brother Goose]

It's active but I'm stoked to own Sire jazz basses.

The latest gen are quite exquisite

 

[Gunga Din]

play as many as you can..it will choose you. i bought my mim J off ebay at 2am "gassing while drunk"....it was a good player right outta the box, guess i got lucky...but i modded it with new pups and bridge.View attachment 3835579

Jeez, that brought back some memories from the mid Noughties! Two Warmoth necks and a Rick 4001, both shipped from the 'States, costing me mega £ in freight and Duty/VAT.

 

[707GK]

I have an Am Pro Jazz and the fit & finish are really nice, better than many basses I've tried. Right now, it's my preferred bass because of the feel. The neck is my favorite part about the bass. It just feels like a nice, solid, quality neck. It's super smooth and resonant despite being very thin.

The pickups have mixed reviews. I gigged the V-Mod for a year before swapping to the CS60's. Honestly they're not as bad as some as the reviews make them out to sound, but I did end up switching them out. The V-Mod pickups have a lot of treble and are more low-mid scooped than some other Jazz alternatives. They have a very solid, tight low end, lots of upper mid-range harmonics and are very crisp and clear. They retain some of the classic Jazz Bass voicing but mostly sound like a high quality, modern twist on the Jazz tone. I just like a bit more low-mids in my bass tone, so I swapped for the CS60's. After doing this, I've found the tone knob at about 50% on the V-Mods roughly gets the same tone as the CS60's with tone knob wide open.

 

[DJ Bebop]

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[groooooove]

if you want the highest quality for the price, fender is probably your worst choice

i played a USA G&L jazz bass a student of mine bought about a year ago, i thought it was really, really nice.

bacchus is a really good pick as well.

lots of nice passive J basses out there.

if I were you, i'd just browse the classifieds here for the best deal.

good luck!!

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

In the market for a 4-string J bass with that 'traditional' sound.

Prefer American made. Prefer passive. Prefer used, but without mods. Can spend up to two grand. Would prefer less, of course.

Obvious choice is a Fender Professional or equivalent older models. I guess a basic question is whether spending more than on a used Fender Professional (or equivalent) yields value. I'm partial to a AVRI P bass and I assume a AVRI J would be more than adequate. Is a Vintera close enough, given that it costs a ton less? Other Fender models to consider?

A used Lakland sounds good, too. I assume the Lakland choice is the 44-60 and that a Classic Series would fill the bill just fine.

G&L would be fine, too, but only if it sounds 'right'. Are we talking a JB model? Any other model does it better?

Anything else? Bacchus, sandberg?

I know a Squier or a Skyline or a Tribute would serve my needs just fine, but that's not what I want. Also not in the mood to track down a used Tokai or something like that.

Like every other product now (cell phones, cat food, paper towels, beer, etc, etc), there's too many flippin' choices!

Thanks for your thoughts and help!

Fender standard or professional should work out just fine for you. Then you just have to decide whether you want 60s or 70s tone.

 

[ComeHomeShane]

Less than 2k will get you a completely custom G&L JB! I've a/b tested mine to numerous fenders and prefer the sound and feel of my G&L every time. Obviously there's a slight bias there because my bass is what I'm used to, but getting the comment, "I've never heard a Fender jazz bass sound so good," is always fun

Lot's of great recommendations here, just gotta find what sounds right to you. For me, nothing beats my G&L JB, even top end boutiques.

 

[bdplaid]

In the market for a 4-string J bass with that 'traditional' sound.

Prefer American made. Prefer passive. Prefer used, but without mods. Can spend up to two grand. Would prefer less, of course.

Obvious choice is a Fender Professional or equivalent older models. I guess a basic question is whether spending more than on a used Fender Professional (or equivalent) yields value. I'm partial to a AVRI P bass and I assume a AVRI J would be more than adequate. Is a Vintera close enough, given that it costs a ton less? Other Fender models to consider?

A used Lakland sounds good, too. I assume the Lakland choice is the 44-60 and that a Classic Series would fill the bill just fine.

G&L would be fine, too, but only if it sounds 'right'. Are we talking a JB model? Any other model does it better?

Anything else? Bacchus, sandberg?

I know a Squier or a Skyline or a Tribute would serve my needs just fine, but that's not what I want. Also not in the mood to track down a used Tokai or something like that.

Like every other product now (cell phones, cat food, paper towels, beer, etc, etc), there's too many flippin' choices!

Thanks for your thoughts and help!

Fender USA is at the bottom of my list. I don't like the way they play because of the tall frets, and really don't like the new pickups.

G&L always out-fenders Fender. I have a JB4 I'm going to sell soon. 7.5 lbs of classic passive jazz bass. Made in USA and great quality.

Hands down, Sandberg is my fave production bass (the reason I'm selling the G&L).

Don't overlook the Fender Player series. I have one as a P bass and it kills for cheap.

But my all-time fave is a parts Jazz made from USACG parts. It's to die for. It goes in my coffin with me.

 

[nilorius]

Fender professional is the one.

 

[57pbass]

Since there are so many Fender Jazz Bass options these days.. I lost track.
I’m a huge fan of Suhr J Basses.. they’re perfect. Used market would be your best option since they’re in the 3K range new.
G&L is A tremendous used market value and they’re excellent instruments.Mike Lull is also another great brand.
The list goes on.. so many great options

 

[Mark Ambler]

The truth is that it depends what your needs are, what "sounds good" is totally subjective and doesn't necessarily come with a higher price point. i.e. Joe Dart played a Mexican Jazz bass for many years before getting his signature model...

If all i wanted was a passive Jazz bass I would probably opt for a MIA Jazz Bass (already did). However, if I was shelling out more than 1k I would want:

• Under 9lbs and balanced
• Perfect fit & finish
• Easily adjustable truss rod
• 24 frets
• No compromises on looks (I would get the exact color/wood combination I want)
• Made in a 1st world country

Lots of basses meet those requirements, and it's important to note that there isn't one perfect choice, there are lots of basses you can choose that meet your needs and will make you happy, whether it's a Fender, Lakland or G&L.

Do you know which companies make 24 fret Jazz basses? I know Fender used to, but not anymore. Also, Sadowsky make a 'modern' take on a Jazz, but as for ones priced around 1k?

 

[red_rhino]

play as many as you can..it will choose you.

Great advice.

If you can find a used Suhr Classic J in your price range, jump at it. It is everything a jazz bass should be.

THIS! Suhr Classic J is probably the most overlooked jazz bass on the market. Better than most anything in their price range, and easily on a par with more expensive boutique jazz basses. They build passive and active versions. It's not hard to find a used passive one for under $2k.

 

[Burwabit]

The best mod I ever made was putting single coil, stock wind 60's Fralins in my MIA Jazz.

 

[Sam Dingle]

Fender American Standard Jazz from 2009-16 are my choices. Can get for under a grand usually

 

[JoeWPgh]

It's not passive, but a used Sadowsky Metro is a killer J bass.

 

[TrevorR]

Have never played a Sandberg that I didn’t love...

 

[FishDub]

Not playing it much anymore since I switched to short scale but the best Jazz Bass I have ever played is my 1977 Aria/Matsumoku Pro-II Lawsuit.
View attachment 3835549

"Precise Bass"...interesting

 

[FishDub]

Get one of these and be done with it! Fender Roadworn 60s can’t get anymore traditional than this...View attachment 3835603

I have to agree with you..Here is mine with Rosewood board.

 

[Robscott]

In the market for a 4-string J bass with that 'traditional' sound.

Prefer American made. Prefer passive. Prefer used, but without mods. Can spend up to two grand. Would prefer less, of course.

Obvious choice is a Fender Professional or equivalent older models. I guess a basic question is whether spending more than on a used Fender Professional (or equivalent) yields value. I'm partial to a AVRI P bass and I assume a AVRI J would be more than adequate. Is a Vintera close enough, given that it costs a ton less? Other Fender models to consider?

A used Lakland sounds good, too. I assume the Lakland choice is the 44-60 and that a Classic Series would fill the bill just fine.

G&L would be fine, too, but only if it sounds 'right'. Are we talking a JB model? Any other model does it better?

Anything else? Bacchus, sandberg?

I know a Squier or a Skyline or a Tribute would serve my needs just fine, but that's not what I want. Also not in the mood to track down a used Tokai or something like that.

Like every other product now (cell phones, cat food, paper towels, beer, etc, etc), there's too many flippin' choices!

Thanks for your thoughts and help!

I don't know how easy it is to get Sire basses over there but the V7 2nd gen is an awesome instrument, beautifully made and finished, super good preamp and active/passive option. Also not much money. I have one and my only complaint is it's a touch neck heavy - not a diver by any means but 2 hours gigging and I can feel it on my left shoulder. A set of Gotohs would probably fix it if I could be bothered enough