Light basses that sound Fender-y

Under $1000?
Then it's a bit harder...
Also, there are many "Fender tones" - from 60's jazz with alder/maple/rosewood to 70's jazz with ash/maple/maple. And we're still just talking about Jazz...

What you need is (IMO): a good (well-made) bass with a light body (swamp ash, alder, basswood - but don't go too light! You need some density for tone and sustain) and a comfortable and not-so-heavy neck (like maple) and, say, rosewood fb (not maple, unless that's the Fender tone you are looking for).

And next comes another important part: p-ups!
Example: my jazz guru, who's a big Fender fan, keeps saying how much he likes the tone of my new bass, it sounds Fenderish (but with a bit more lows) - yet it has little common with Fender's wood and hardware choice. However, this pair of LeFay Rough Crystals gives it more of a Fenderish edge.
Try looking around in the Pick-ups subforum for p-ups that nail the Fender vibe.

 

Why not comb music shops for a Fender that doesn't weigh too much? I got lucky once and my Squier P-Bass Special is the lightest bass I have and it still balances very well.

 

My swamp ash Tobias Killer B is super light, the pickups are reverse P's and I swapped out pre's so now I have active/passive. Fenderish but not a J clone. It saves a lot of weight with the tiny body and super thin neck.

A lightweight body and hipshot ultralites can help if you want to stay with a full sized Fender shape. You can save a few ounces on the right pickups too, Barts tend to be a bit heavy with the epoxy compared to say an Aero type 1.

A body routed with a large rear control cavity can drop a lot of weight even if you don't want a pre. So if you order from Warmoth or something get that cut out even if you use the front control plate.

 

Put hipshot ulralites or gotoh res-o-lites in your bass. They make all the difference in the world, I have gotohs in my geddy.

 

Go with the Fender Areodyne. I have one, it is MUCH lighter than my Jazz, and sounds real Fendery.....could be because it is a Fender? Anyway, you can get them on line for about 650.00, and even less if you can find one in a store.

 

I talked to a guy at a bar once and he said he uses a CIJ Fender because they are the lightest and he has back problems.

 

That's correct. Check out CIJ Fenders at these links:

http://www.ishibashi-music.com/fenderjp/index.htm
http://guitarjapan.com/fenderjapan/fj_jazz-bass.html

Neither of these sites list the actual weight, but if you email them they'll probably tell you. Generally speaking, the models with bodies made of basswood will be lighter than other Fenders.

 

have a look at the cort artisan series if you can

 

I just got one of these and they weight around 8.5 lb. One of the lightest, production Jazzes around. It has a bit of neck diving, but still very comfortable - although neck diving can give equal or more shoulder pain than a heavy bass. But it could be worthwhile to spend some money on Ultralite tuners.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-FSR-Standard-J-Bass?sku=517887

You could also try to find an used American Jazz Deluxe. Those are usually just below 9 lb., and better balanced.

 

+1

on the fender aerodyne

 

USA Peavey Foundation is passive and does a great Jazz sound and mine weighs in a 8lbs.

 

welll... as much as i hate to be a "salesman" for steinberger. it sounds like your situation might call for one. as ugly as they are (thats y i dont like them), there light weight, and one of there top of the line basses is $999 on musicians friend for the 4 stirng freted version, if i were you. id check it out, or live with the pain... wich i generaly dont recomend.

 

http://www.musicyo.com/steinberger/synapsebass.aspx


theres the link for the steinberger im talking about. the second you see it. youll know its gota be perfict for your situation. (theres nothin to it)

 

umm.....my new, to me, 2001 Fender Jazz Deluxe 5er is lighter than my 4 string jazz....probably between the 8-9 lbs range.....Ash body, maple neck, thunderous tone....

 

How light is light to you JimmyM?

 

They are also great basses. If you buy from a store with a decent tech then you shouldn't have to worry about their support.

 

If you have a Fender whose neck you'd be willing to put on another bass, you could get a lightweight body from Warmoth made to your specifications. Trying to do a whole new project might cost more than $1000, but if you already have a neck (or get one on eBay), you could get a very Fender-y bass with lighter weight.

Like a Dinky J, for instance.

 

Look for old Peavey Foundations and Furies. My Foundation has two Super Ferrite pups (single coil) and it geta fine Jazz sound. The P/J Foundations are good too, and the Fury P-basses are great with skinny little necks. They can often be found for under $200 too.