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Jazz bass opinions please

Which Jazz?

  • Total voters
    129
#23
I have owned and played a MIM pbass and Ibanez SR300. I upgraded the pups on the Ibanez to Bartolini MK400's. An amazing upgrade to a relatively inexpensive bass. Both basses were awsome. Great quality, playability, and sound.

I am not sure if Guitar Center or Sam Ash stores are available in your location so I can only relate my current experience. Recently, I was lucky enough to find an American Standard Jazz manufactured in 2000, in pristine condition at Sam Ash for $700.00. It is light years ahead of my previous basses regarding quality, craftmanship, components, playabilty, sound,...I can't describe enough!

If you take your time, search, and be patient, you will find a MIA Jazz in your price range. Believe me, you will be very happy with an American Standard Jazz.
 
#24
I have a Squier VM Jazz, and a couple of MIM Standard Jazzes. I found I did not care for the pickups in the VM, and swapped them out for '75 Reissue Jazz pickups. The MIM pickups are just fine.

The basic VM instrument is fine, but the electronics are lacking, in my opinion. I suggest you save your money and get the MIM Jazz. It is worth it.

Roger
 
#25
I believe that Fender has addressed some quality issues with the newly manufactured MIM Fender Standard models due to competition for brands having a higher quality standard with their instruments. MIJ Fender basses are a step up from MIM traditionally, but I recommend you try a multitude of Squiers and Standards if you can or compare them side by side with a flat amp at your local music shop. The Squier VM series is incredibly solid for the price, and you can upgrade it as you go with better electronics if you decide that you like the feel and style of the bass.

If you find a solid Squier with a great neck and pretty piece of wood, drop some extra money in some really nice electronics / pickups etc. It'd be just as much as an MIM model with better electronics / pickups.

Best regards,

Brooks
 
#26
jabsys said:
+1 I'd take a VM or CV over a MIM any day, imo the build quality on the MIM is no better, you're just paying more for the fender name.
Click to expand...

I was going to say exactly the same thing, I've played MIMs MIJs and MIAs and some of them sucked some of them were ok some of them were awesome...
but every CV i've played was awesome... trust me you can't go wrong with a CV :bassist:
 
#27
Get the Squier. Tone and playability between the two is so close many can't tell the difference. If you really like it you can upgrade to the std. at a later date. The Squier will sell quicker and have more resell appeal. The Am Std Jazz will depreciate as fast as a new car off the dealer's lot and for what you will loose in resell value you could have bought that Squier!.
 
#28
Can't beat those Squiers for BFTB. Sure the Fender will be "better made", but at what degree and price? Your hardware isn't going to be that much different and the neck might be a bit nicer. The pickups can be a matter of opinion, but an electronics upgrade won't set you back much at all.

No good at soldering? No problem! Check these bad boys out right here:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
DiMarzio Model J Bass Pre-Wired Pickup Set: Shop Accessories & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend

Both of those (IMHO) will smoke those Fender pickups like a free cigarette in a bum's mouth. When you consider you would probably make that upgrade anyhow, why spend more on the Fender? YMMV, but you asked for opinions :bassist:
 
#29
Count me in the Squier CV '60s camp. To this day I regret selling my '65 Jazz, but when I picked up a CV, even after so many years, it felt like I had found my old Jazz. They really are that good. I don't care how good any particular piece sounds, if it doesn't have the feel it doesn't make any difference at all. Fender nailed the feel in the CV. For the price I don't think you can do better, I really don't.

iJazz
 
#31
okcrum said:
Interesting that the posting is pro-Squier and the voting is pro-Fender.
Click to expand...

I didn't vote because the CV option wasn't listed. I've tried several VM Squiers and their feel did nothing for me at all. Same with several of the Fenders I tried, MIM or MIA. The CV just sang to me. Put that option in the poll and I think we'd be looking at a rather different outcome. I'm not the only one here advocating for the CV, and who knows how many voting non-posters might feel the same.

BTW, at today's exchange rate, OP's stated cash of about £250 is right at $395, just about spot on for a CV here in the states.

iJazz

:bassist:
 
#32
BassBob1 said:
Any Particular reason you are not also considering the classic vibe 60's jazz?
Click to expand...
No theres isn't mate, I just forgot about them lol! I think you're right though, I think I need to have a go on as many as I can. There's soooo much choice it's confusing, and thats just in the Fender/Squier range, I've seen a few Jazz basses by brands that I don't recognise, so I've over looked them so far. A lot of these basses don't seem to have an obvious difference, like I think we can all see there's a huge difference between the Jaco Pastorius Jazz and say the Mark Hoppus Jazz, but some aren't that obvious :hmm:
 
#33
If your budget limit is pretty firm then buy a Squier, and that is how I voted based on your concern over budget. They are really fine basses that happen to be priced at close to the optimum value for money point. You might also consider the Ibanez SR300. If you buy one of the Squiers mentioned above it will serve you well for as long as you keep it and that could well be forever. You can always make a real Fender your next bass and you may even want to skip the MIM in favor of an MIA in that case.

That said, in my opinion and experience you definitely will get a nicer bass if you go with the MIM. It is just that you will find that as you move above the upper end Squier price point (in pretty much every brand, not just Fender) the cost curve rises very steeply with delivered improvements. You pay significantly more for a modest improvement. If the price of a MIM is not a budgetary concern then they are well worth buying (I own one that I love) and many others agree that the Fender name itself is worth something. Seriously, if you have dreamed of owning a Fender all your life then neither a Squier nor the most expensive custom bass you can imagine will quite scratch that itch.

Ken
 
#35
I personally think the mim is the best bargain fender has. They are great basses and I have put mine up against the mia and the mia is nicer but not for the price jump. Personally I think sometimes people like the mia just like how women love coach bags. Are they nice? Sure, but it's a image thing to.
 

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