When did you become a Jazz Bass guy (gal)?

[Dr. Cheese]

Playing my Peavey Forums so much has reminded me that for most of my bass playing life, I was not a Jazz Bass player. If anything, I loved Stingrays and soap bar loaded basses the most like Modulus and Ken Smith. I think the first Jazz style bass I really bonded with was a Guild Pilot V, and later I bought a Fender Jazz Deluxe V to get more of a Marcus Miller sound.

I also think all of the Jazz talk on TB moved towards Jazzes too. In history, we talk about the "invention of tradition," where people adopt something, and soon act as if they have always done it. I guess that is me and Jazz Basses.

 

[Dluxe]

It was bass solo on Foghat's Slowride that got me into Jazz Basses. I think I was in 9th grade when that came out.

 

[spiritbass]

Listening to Grand Funk Railroad in my youth. This inspired my first new bass purchase - a sunburst Fender jazz bass, of course.

 

[rufus.K]

My 1st bass was a jazz. Still have it

 

[morgan138]

The first bass I borrowed to play around on (I had several months' extensive experience on guitar at the time) was a Jazz bass, so when I got around to buying my own that's what I went with. RIP 1991 Japanese "60s Reissue" that served me well for 20+ years.

After I sold it I went through a short I'M NO LONGER A JAZZ BASS GUY phase before picking up another one. Still love them, no matter how hard I fight it sometimes.

 

[Blaargh]

My dad offered to pay half the money for a bass if I got decent grades in my GCSEs, the only things in the shop that took my fancy were the Fenders, and out of the P and the J I took the AmStd Jazz home. As my first bass was a gift, that was the first bass I ever picked out for myself, so I guess I've always been a Jazz Bass guy.

 

[TMARK]

1989. Scored a 76 Jazz at a pawnshop for $200.

 

[MonetBass]

My high school owned a '71 Jazz, which I played for three years in show choir. It was so easy to play and sounded great, and that was that.

 

[garp]

I started playing electric bass in the early '80s, but it wasn't until October 2000 that I bought my first Fender Jazz. It's been modified a bit over the years, but it's still one of my favorites.

Link Removed

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Pretty recently, actually. I used to think their necks were too small. These days P and Ray necks are too big for those longer gigs that work the crap out of you.

I had a 60's reissue that I never bonded with so I stayed away from them for years until o saw the Reverb video demo of the newer Fender jazz. I fell in love with the look and tone so I picked one up. I was instantly hooked. It's amazing how often you hear that sound on recordings. It's also a very versatile bass considering the simplicity of its setup. I love it

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Full disclosure, my first bass was an ultra cheap Jazz copy with square silver pickups. The rear pickup did not pickup the E string, so I just yanked it off. I had DiMarzio P pup put in the neck position, and a Gibson EBO pickup at the bridge. The EBO pickup sounded like doodie, so I just soloed the DiMarzio. My first nice bass was a Rickenbacker 4000 (bridge pickup only.)

 

[inanimate_carb]

Saw Will Lee playing one on Letterman pre-Sadowsky and figured that was what the cool guys played.

 

[totallywink]

Played a cheap (but lovable) Charvel for years (still have it), then did the whole 5-string thing for a while but on a whim in the late 90s, I played a Classic 60s Jazz and fell hard. I still have the 60s Classic (but now with a 70s Classic Neck) and now, I have a new AVRI 74 Jazz which I am totally digging. I just love everything about the Jazz. It just fits me as a bass player.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

my first Fender in 1978. It was a hunk of junk, but it got me stuck on J basses... Really, it got me stuck on two pickup basses more than the J format. I've had several Ps and I ALWAYS put a J pickup in them (if not already there)

 

[Raw N Low]

My first bass was an active Jazz deluxe. There is just something about the high / mids growl of the bridge pickup that keeps me coming back. I love them so much that I even prefer the PJ setup over the standard P.

 

[BassikLee]

About '82 or so. My third bass, and first GOOD bass. Started on a beat up Musicmaster, then a Gibson SG bass of some ilk. Not one of the cool ones. Anyway, my neighbor played in a band, and his bass player had fallen in love with this new bass maker, G&L. He got an L-1000, and sold me his late 60s/early 70's jazz for $350. Alder/maple, pearl blocks. Baby poop brown, black guard. Four bolt, so it was pre 74. Great bass. I killed it.

 

[KickingBass]

Played an American Fender at GC mostly to badmouth it I think (I was not a Fender fan at the time). I was pretty much instantly converted. My future wife was there and I think she saw my face light up when I started playing it and I was shocked that that ugly bass could sound and FEEL so good. I have now owned 2 Fenders and currently have a Fender PJ and Sire V7 and I now prefer Fender style basses. The headstock and aesthetics eventually grew on me and now I think they look great. Tastes change, especially when you actually play the instrument.

 

[AztecViking]

I haven't become one yet ( owners-wise ) but whenever I visit a GC or Sam Ash I leave the store wanting one after playing a bunch of everything.

 

[Jamvan]

I played most anything but a Jazz up until about 2 years ago. And, technically, I only have one Fender Jazz bass in my arsenal of basses but I've assembled many mutt Jazz basses in the last two years and I can't get enough of them. Love the sound. Love the style. Love the necks. Oh, and I'm ready to assemble a 5 string Jazz here very shortly.

I probably should seek help...

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Saw Will Lee playing one on Letterman pre-Sadowsky and figured that was what the cool guys played.

I remember him playing Precisions back in the Seventies, but I certainly have not seen everything.