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The slimmest jazz necks

#21
Thinnest J necks?

yes - 66 jazz can be really thin, as can early 70’s jazz necks…

for a more reasonable option, I don’t think I’ve ever felt a thinner neck than the first production MIJ Geddy Lee jazz bass (“Limited Edition” neck plate). Definitely the thinnest I’ve ever played, with all the grindy tone of an early 70’s jazz bass.
 
#25
brianrost said:
The early Js from 1960-1964 or so had the slimmest necks. So slim that some, like the AVRI 62J I once owned, warped or twisted. That's probably why the later necks became fatter, to reduce warranty and repair issues.

Since actual basses from that era now cost gigadollars, look into the AVRI or AmOriginal series.
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I have a 1996 '62 AVRI Jazz and had to replace the neck, it was 'soft' and the truss rod sunk into the wood, washers etc didn't help it. I thought it was actually too thin anyway, uncomfortable to play for me. I bought a new American Jazz neck a few years ago (all the name changes confuse me so I forgot which one it is) and it's still quite slim compared to just about everything else I own.
 
#27
Sorry folks, here’s your slimmest Fender Jazz neck. At least the slimmest I’ve ever seen. It makes my standard and MIM Jazz necks feel massive. It was only available in the early 90’s and I don’t know if it was the “anorexic neck” (as one guy who tried it described it), or the dinky body, but it came and went faster than the Dimension. The same neck was available on the Stu Ham sig and (I think) one other model, but the Plus came with Lace Sensors and a Kubicki preamp while the others had different pickup and control setups. They’ve never been plentiful but one does occasionally bubble up on the used market.

2052B22D-CBB5-4CED-83BA-88A4FA13E71E.jpeg
 
#29
Alanjazz said:
Thanks I’ve never had the pleasure of playing a 60’s jazz. But theirs a fair bit a variety and my Mex standard feels quite abit smaller as Fender have confirmed ‘

‘The neck on the American Standard J Bass is slightly fuller, measuring at .830 at the 1st fret and .930 at the 12th. The Mexican Standard is .800 at the 1st and .900 at the 12th. ’
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I’ve had the pleasure of playing one of those 60’s JB with the skinny necks. Personally, I didn’t like it much.

I will also suggest that you consider, while it was very tiny at the nut, the neck widens out rather dramatically by the time you get to the 12th fret, so the benefit applies playing in the first position and diminishes the further up the fingerboard you go.

Personally, I bought my son a MIM JB and found it to be an extremely playable instrument, and when modded with replacement 62s pickups became one heck of an instrument. JMO.
 
#30
fhm555 said:
Sorry folks, here’s your slimmest Fender Jazz neck. At least the slimmest I’ve ever seen. It makes my standard and MIM Jazz necks feel massive. It was only available in the early 90’s and I don’t know if it was the “anorexic neck” (as one guy who tried it described it), or the dinky body, but it came and went faster than the Dimension. The same neck was available on the Stu Ham sig and (I think) one other model, but the Plus came with Lace Sensors and a Kubicki preamp while the others had different pickup and control setups. They’ve never been plentiful but one does occasionally bubble up on the used market.

View attachment 4585479
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Nice looking bass. Those N series Fender instruments were some best ones Fender ever made.
 
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#34
If you are flexible on aesthetics, and a Jetsons fan, the skinniest neck I ever played on a bass with a Jazz pickup configuration--actually, on ANY BASS EVER--was an MIJ 1985 Fender Performer (unrelated to the much more recent Fender Performer series). Sounded gnarly, though noisy without both V knobs cranked.
 
#36
The MIJ Geddy Lee Jazz basses have some of the thinnest necks I've ever played. The MIA Geddy Jazz basses have necks that are a little thicker. Like most Fender products you are better off playing a lot of them and finding one you like.
 
#37
Alanjazz said:
I’m seeking the holy grail of jazz necks.
I have a Mexican standard jazz (2001) it has a lovely thin shallow rounded rosewood neck which I love as it suits my pretty small hands. But I’ve always hankered after an American maple neck- so I’m trying to fall in love with this 2009 US standard. However the neck is bigger .

Which American model has the slimmest neck . Am I into reissue or signature territory?
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Geddy Lee is what you're looking for, I think.
 
#39
Alanjazz said:
I’m seeking the holy grail of jazz necks.
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Welcome to Talkbass.

JRA said:
a "bigger" thicker neck can be 'thinned' or otherwise re-profiled. you don't have to buy an entire instrument just to get a thinner neck. just sayin'. ;)

welcome to TB and good luck on your neck quest! :thumbsup:
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I think this is a good route to go. Have your neck reshaped a bit to your liking. Or, have a neck built to your specs. Dan Ransom in San Francisco does great work. There are guys here at talkbass that do some beautiful work. Take a look at some treads in the luthiers corner, maybe some one here can build/modify a neck for you. If it were me, and I owned a bass I loved but didn't like the neck profile, I would reshape, or build one. I feel that is an easier way to go as opposed to cycling though basses to find a neck.
 
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