That is one fine bass. That has to sound better than a MIM I would think. Lot's of nice upgrades. You still have it?
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Squier Jaco Bass -- Hmm
- Thread starter tplyons
- Start date
That is one fine bass. That has to sound better than a MIM I would think. Lot's of nice upgrades. You still have it?
Yeah, this bass is still awesome 6 months later. We played some Weather Report and Jaco tunes at a festival by Lake Erie yesterday afternoon and I had an absolute blast!
IMO, it's one of the best budget basses ever. I am completely happy to own and play one!
IMO, it's one of the best budget basses ever. I am completely happy to own and play one!
I just bought one of these today and it sounds great.
It blew away the $500 MIM fretless Jazz IMO.
I love the ebonal fretboard and the brightness of roundwonds make this bass sound/play phenominal for the $$$.
Now to get Ibanezcollector to completely destroy it....
It blew away the $500 MIM fretless Jazz IMO.
I love the ebonal fretboard and the brightness of roundwonds make this bass sound/play phenominal for the $$$.
Now to get Ibanezcollector to completely destroy it....
Scott in Dallas
Commercial User
- Aug 16, 2005
- 2,084
- 27
- 55
- Disclosures
- Builder and Owner: DJ Ash Guitars
I wish I could play fretless worth a flip. If I had the money I'd buy one just to hang on my wall and embarass myself with every so often. 
I spent some time with this bass tonight at a full volume band practice and i was really impressed.
It doesn't cut as well as my Geddy Jazz but it is much better than any MIM Jazz I have played.
Great instrument for the $$$.
It doesn't cut as well as my Geddy Jazz but it is much better than any MIM Jazz I have played.
Great instrument for the $$$.
I have had mine for a few months now. Initially the bass needed a good set up. With stock pups and pots it was a good sounding bass.
I replaced the pups with Ultra Jazz's, and the pots with 250k CTS (requires enlarging of the neck side of the control cavity), a Havland 0.047 cap, and lined the cavities with copper foil. I also put flatwounds for that vintage thump.
Now the sound is amazing. Thick and meaty with the tone rolled off, and cutting midrange with the bias on the bridge pup. The neck is very comfortable to play and the bass is very resonant both electrically and acoustically. There is only one dead spot (C# on the G string), otherwise I cannot find a single fault with this bass. All for a completed cost less than the price of a MIM. I still marvel at the quality of the finish, and it draws more than a second glance from audience and bandmates alike.
Set up seems to be the biggest factor for tone. I lowered the strings a bit at the nut and had to do major straightening at the neck. There seems to be a sweet spot that requires periodic truss rod adjustment, but I hear this is the nature of fretless basses.
Overall, I am more than pleased with this lowly Squire. Enough that I a seriously considering buying the P-bass version and doing the same mods. As always, YMMV
I replaced the pups with Ultra Jazz's, and the pots with 250k CTS (requires enlarging of the neck side of the control cavity), a Havland 0.047 cap, and lined the cavities with copper foil. I also put flatwounds for that vintage thump.
Now the sound is amazing. Thick and meaty with the tone rolled off, and cutting midrange with the bias on the bridge pup. The neck is very comfortable to play and the bass is very resonant both electrically and acoustically. There is only one dead spot (C# on the G string), otherwise I cannot find a single fault with this bass. All for a completed cost less than the price of a MIM. I still marvel at the quality of the finish, and it draws more than a second glance from audience and bandmates alike.
Set up seems to be the biggest factor for tone. I lowered the strings a bit at the nut and had to do major straightening at the neck. There seems to be a sweet spot that requires periodic truss rod adjustment, but I hear this is the nature of fretless basses.
Overall, I am more than pleased with this lowly Squire. Enough that I a seriously considering buying the P-bass version and doing the same mods. As always, YMMV
Yeah... I don't mean to be a downer... Its a beautiful bass for a squier and a great price! But the neck feels very cheap... With the way the neck is made it takes the normally soft rosewood and made it hard... Its not a warm feeling bass but the pickups do sound good. Personally... For the same price I'd choose the 70 reissue squier jazz or the "p bass" with the humbucker squier reissue... Aka the squire telecaster bass!
Scott in Dallas
Commercial User
- Aug 16, 2005
- 2,084
- 27
- 55
- Disclosures
- Builder and Owner: DJ Ash Guitars
I thought the board was ebonol and not rosewood. Besides, nothing makes rosewood harder than a big honkin' coat of epoxy.
Chef
In Memoriam
Don't know if this has been addressed yet (its a long thread), but I picked one of these up at GC for $239 just for kicks. I play upright most of the time but I do have good fretless chops. This instrument represents an excellent value...you can't compare it to a high end instrument anymore than you can compare apples and oranges...but its a great value. I wish entry level instruments were this good when I was starting out.
I have been playing this bass regularly as part of my doubling rig and it is a lot of fun. It is somewhat lighter than my MIM 60's reissue J-bass. I didn't like the pickups much...they are OK, but with dominant double stops and 6ths they get really mushy, especially in the higher registers. I put some Seymour Antiquity II's in it and it REALLY sounds good. I am going to put an active pre in it next.
I have been playing this bass regularly as part of my doubling rig and it is a lot of fun. It is somewhat lighter than my MIM 60's reissue J-bass. I didn't like the pickups much...they are OK, but with dominant double stops and 6ths they get really mushy, especially in the higher registers. I put some Seymour Antiquity II's in it and it REALLY sounds good. I am going to put an active pre in it next.
bass is VERY good! I agree that pups needs replacement, output signal is pretty weak, but nothing which DI or preamp cant manage. great looking and lots of fun to play. highly recomended - if you re about to try fretless bass and wants to go economy route first!
Well yes, but neither of those basses are fretless, and if you're after a good, cheap fretless....
I never noticed this on my bass and I do a lot of double stops and chords when I'm playing (though I tend to favour douible stops over chords on fretless!). With the ebonol board it sings, I usually have to tame some of the brightness and articulation from it, call it "artificial mushing" if you will! Mind you, I play through a Trace Elliot head and a Trace Elliot 4X10" cab, so perhaps that has something to do with it, I have become used to "bright" tones!
i've got one of these, it was robbery without a gun. it needs no further modification (mine happened to be set-up well), in fact, i loved that there was no pickguard or mid-pickup & bridge (ashtray) cover to throw out. major props go to whoever came up with this. brilliant.
+1.
I bought one new and shipped it to ibanezcollector to relic for fun and even though it LOOKS great, now it also SOUNDS great. All I did was swap out the stock Duncan Designed pickups for a $40 MIA Jazz pickup set (used on eBay). Oh, I also play it through a Sadowsky outboard Pre/DI box.
Tuners are crap IMO. That is my only issue with the bass. But waddya expect for under $300?
I like the pickups it comes with, though I really want to put a Bartolini preamp and some Bartolini pickups in...I'll might do that one day!
Yeah this bass is silly good for the price. Saw one in my local shop 2 days ago and after playing it, I figured I'd be stupid NOT to buy it. Even though it plays great as is (given the necessary neck and bridge adjustments you always do with a new bass...oh, and new strings) I will probably replace the tuners even though they do a great job (they are still crap - I agree). Pickups...maybe. I get just a *bit* of hum from the bridge pickup when solo'ed with the tone on full.
If anyone has advice on the tuning keys that'll just drop in easily, I'm all ears.
If anyone has advice on the tuning keys that'll just drop in easily, I'm all ears.
Don't sweat the hum from either pickup on a Jazz being soloed. They're passive single coils and if they both are run wide open, it kills the hum. It's just how those type of pickups operate. Good luck, those new Squiers are supposed to be great, according to a couple reviews I've read...especially for the price tag.
