Mij vs Mia Jaco bass

I have the MIA Jaco Artist (not the custom shop) and it is a work of art. It does have a 12” radius for reasons unknown, and a thin but very hard poly finish on the board. I prefer the flatter radius personally. Don’t know the specs on the other model tho.

L

 

Some specs from a 2004 MIJ Jaco: I found them online so I can't guarantee they are 100% correct.
The maple neck has a medium C shaped profile with a smooth amber-tinted gloss finish, moderate shoulder, and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .855" deep at the nut and tapering to .970" at the octave. Side dots and a lined fretboard help with pitch accuracy, The fretboard radius is 7 1/4", nut has a 1 1/2" J Bass width.

 

I'm not sure on the MIJ radius (although every MIJ I've played has been 7.25), but def trust your instinct on the 12" of the MIA, cause it plays amazing.

 

I think earlier models might have had a 9 1/2", but not sure about that. The current ones are definitely 12" tho.

L

 

My 2017 is 12", fwiw.

 

I have two of them actually, I ordered both in 2020, so I assume both are 2020 models. I liked the first one so much I got a second one. QC issues with both, but once I got that straightened out, they're works of art like I said...

L

 

I believe the custom shop version (the beat up one with the epoxy board for more than 2x the cost) is typically made with a 9 1/2" radius, I believe. But the regular Jaco Artist in the regular lineup has been 12" for a long time, and I may even be confused in thinking it was 9 1/2" at one point in its history.

I don't know why the Artist is 12", but it gives the neck a very interesting feel to it. I've always like flat radiuses in general though so I may be biased in preferring it. I'm glad it's 12" personally

And it doesn't sound like Jaco at all with the stock Fender flats it comes with, and hardly like a Jazz bass either for that matter. It has a very distinctive sound that I can't quite describe...

L

 

I would be genuinely shocked if 4/10 bass players knew the radius of the instrument. Heck, I'd be shocked if even 6/10 TB members know. And I doubt the average player could in radius tell the difference beyond "it feels different" and "I like how this one plays".

EDIT: Having owned both, the Relic indeed a 9.5" and the Artist have been 12" since at least 2006.

 

Jaco didn't need to ask about the Jaco Bass neck radius...

 

Yes, T902xxx

 

What was jaco's actual bass of doom neck radius?

never mind, I think you answered my question here.

 

Prob cause there wasn't any choice in the matter.