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

#121
I was a freshman in high school and my best friend played guitar. It was the '80s and he played a Hohner SR Devil. His band needed a bassist and he asked me to play. I bought a Jazz at the pawn shop and it being a wannabe metal band I sprayed painted it this ugly green. I decided my senior year to sell it and come to find out it was a 72. (I sold it for $100.00) To this day I regret 1: painting it and 2: selling it. At today's prices I could never afford to replace that guitar so I purchased the GL.
 
#124
I was pretty much a Pbass guy, until around 1989, when the sax player in my band asked me if I knew anyone who would be interested in a used Jazz bass. I asked him to bring it to the gig and I would check it out. It turned out to be what is now called the Geddy Lee Jazz bass. I fell in love with it immediately, and used it for several years. Unfortunately, it got stolen, but I was hooked on Fender Jazz basses for life. Once the Geddy Lee Jazzes appeared, I tried a few, but they just did not have the vibe of that original one I had in the '80's.
 
#125
Jamvan said:
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...

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Nah, You're good Dude;):hyper::bassist:
 
#126
Farseer said:
I was a freshman in high school and my best friend played guitar. It was the '80s and he played a Hohner SR Devil. His band needed a bassist and he asked me to play. I bought a Jazz at the pawn shop and it being a wannabe metal band I sprayed painted it this ugly green. I decided my senior year to sell it and come to find out it was a 72. (I sold it for $100.00) To this day I regret 1: painting it and 2: selling it. At today's prices I could never afford to replace that guitar so I purchased the GL.
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DOUHT!! (Homer)
 
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#130
Road Hat said:
The school I attended owned a '74 Jazz (complete with covers), and it probably weighed-in at about 11lbs. Amplification was an Acoustic 360. The band leader was a bass-playing nun dressed in a full habit. She got me into the Carol Kaye method, as well as teaching her own style. She played in a swing bass style, and I still smile to this day remembering her big, black, square-toed shoe tapping away as she was 'fully cooking'. :)
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Too awesome! A Bass Nun…how cool is that? The music nun in my grammar school was a tiny woman about 4'6" who taught piano and violin. Classical piano and violin. She was a holy terror to the kids in my school. And she had a nasty corrective teaching technique of smacking your knuckes with a pointer if it was piano, or jamming your violin into your neck if she didn't like what she was hearing during a lesson.

I'd like to think she meant well, although if anything could have turned a small kid completely off music for the rest of their life, it was her. Most of the rest of us in that school actually felt sorry for the kids whose parents ponied up the extra money for "music lessons" with Sister L. (Note: This was in the '60s when that sort of thing wasn't only tolerated, it was considered perfectly natural for a teacher to smack a student around. Hard for many people to believe today.)

About the only thing I can possibly say in her defense is that she also did some general lessons in the classroom for the rest of us. And by the time I finished 8th grade, me - and everybody else - could at least read basic music notation because of her.

Those that couldn't didn't live long enough to make it to 8th and graduate.

Darwin was never so right as when it came to my grammar school. ;)
 
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#131
jnewmark said:
I was pretty much a Pbass guy, until around 1989, when the sax player in my band asked me if I knew anyone who would be interested in a used Jazz bass. I asked him to bring it to the gig and I would check it out. It turned out to be what is now called the Geddy Lee Jazz bass. I fell in love with it immediately, and used it for several years. Unfortunately, it got stolen, but I was hooked on Fender Jazz basses for life. Once the Geddy Lee Jazzes appeared, I tried a few, but they just did not have the vibe of that original one I had in the '80's.
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Could be similar to my 86 MIJ Jazz? Very lightweight, great growl and neck feel.
 
#132
I always kind of wanted one. But once I got into Rush I really wanted one. Especially after watching Rush in Rio or Time Machine: Live in Cleveland 2011, I was drooling over Jazzes. I especially love Geddy Lee's solo in "Leave that thing alone" from the Cleveland concert - I think it's the pinnacle of the signature growly Geddy jazz sound. IMHO
 
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#133
I have loved the Jazz Bass since before I started playing. John Paul Jones had one. And I have always thought he was one of the best players ever. I had my stint with Ricks and custom built instruments but 2 years ago I shed the active thing and went American Standard. I ain't going back. In fact I plan on adding another one next year.

No finer bass has ever been made. The Fender Jazz bass is king.

IMG_0662.JPG
 
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#137
The first bass I ever seriously played, and basically learned on, was a friends Fender Jazz bass plus. I loved it, as it sounded great and was easy to play. Since then I've been a huge Fender Jazz fan. One of my favorite bassists, Tim Commerford, was also using them at that time, so that sealed the deal!

I've also got a special place in my heart for Stingrays. I've always forced myself to choose one or the other, until recently when I realized that was just stupid! So, now I've got 2 jazzes I love, and a Stingray SLO and Stingray 5. Couldn't be happier!
 
#138
I've really been enjoying my G&L JB passive J-style bass. I did an easy and reversible wiring mod so the pickups are in serial rather than stock parallel. This adds huge low-end fullness that to my ears is missing from the stock sound, no need for active electronics and battery. And both pickups at 100% so no hum. The bridge pickup volume control is deactivated so single volume and tone just like a P bass. All the classic J bite and snarl but much fuller sound, passive, volume and tone simplicity with two knobs, love it. For the kind of playing i do, don't need lots of fancy EQ options. Bass volume/tone and amp EQ give me all the tonal options I need. I also have a G&L P-style bass but it stays in the case most of the time since i got the JB jazz about two months ago.
 

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