Which jazz bass and why?

[ravlin]

Has to be a fender... Go to the stratosphere on ebay and pick your favorite fender Jazz bass body that is complete and has whatever features you like. Then get a GOOD fend P bass neck from them and install 4 screws to complete your bass. Beyond the neck, very little about the body justifies the extra $$.

 

[SJan3]

Long story short--I'm in the market for a Fender Jazz bass.
Why? Because I currently don't have one, and "every real bassist needs both a Precision and a Jazz bass".
And it has to be a Fender, because....well, it just does.
(Don't argue the assumptions. Let's just assume them to be true.)

That said, which jazz bass would YOU get? And why?
(I did a similar poll a few years ago, but prices have changed--as has my understanding of the instrument.)

Any insight into the actual differences between the models would be appreciated.
(EG - what's the difference between "vintage" pickups and "V-Mod II" pickups?)

Invalid Link Removed

Not true that every real bassist needs both a Jazz and a Precision bass. Get that assumption out of your head.
You WANT a Jazz bass and that's fine. But some P bass players wouldn't touch a J bass and vise versa.
To answer your question, IMHO the Player ll is the best value in the Fender lineup. It's got the right woods, the right pickups, a comfortable neck, functional hardware, reasonable weight range and Mexico has stepped up its quality control. The American offerings might sport some enhanced features but at what cost?
Only you can decide if it's worth paying more than twice the price for an American bass.
P.S. the "sleeper" is the Standard made in Indonesia. A lot of Fender for the $$$.

 

[Dabndug]

Fender Made in Japan Heritage - the Late '60s would be my pick, but tbe '60s and '70s models are great choices.

Great neck profile, top notch build quality, reasonable price.

 

[SJan3]

I've been playing J-basses long enough to know that I really have to play a bunch of them then pick the one that feels and sounds right. The last one that blew me away (and quite unexpectedly) was a used Fender Highway One that I picked up locally several years ago, which turned out to be the best $600 I've spent on music gear.

Yep, my Jazz is a 2011 US HIGHWAY ONE. Haven't played a better Jazz yet.

 

[gln1955]

First, get yourself somewhere you can try a bunch. The one that feels and sounds best won't necessarily be the most expensive.

Secondly, there are so many used Fenders out there I would never by a new Jazz.

 

[ahbradot]

If I didn't already own the Fender American professional jazz bass then I would hands-down go ahead and purchase the Fender player ii jazz bass.
I recently bought the Fender precision player ii and I absolutely love that bass.
I almost bought the Ultra and I'm glad I tried the Fender player ii because it was perfect fit and tone wise.

 

[jd56hawk]

Not a Fender fan, but it'd have to be an MIJ Hybrid Jazz.
I seriously doubt it'd be as nice as my Bacchus, but I'm guessing it'd be pretty good for a Fender.

 

[Cleezmo]

I'm not really a Fender guy, but of this list, I'd likely either go Am Pro II or USA Geddy. If I was gonna get a Fender Jazz, I'd keep it passive, when I've tried their pre-amps I've never been really impressed, and I feel like other brands do Active Jazz better. But that's me. Not on your list, but the Adam Clayton model would also be on my radar, not because it's an Artist model, but because I think the Sherwood Green color is gorgeous and it meets my criteria above...

As other have said, part of it may be just heading to a store and trying some, you may find that you love a less-expensive one, or you may find that the US models speak to you more, etc. It also might be easier to justify a less expensive instrument if the motivation is just have a Jazz and not so much that it's gonna get played all the dang time.

FWIW I get the 'need to add a Jazz to the stable' concept, I did so back in 2020 - with a G&L JB. It's not my No 1 but it's a great bass, and when you need a Jazz sound, it's nice to have one in the rack. Plus I've always thought that J-basses just look good, so there's that.

 

[Jason Bonilla]

Used ultra. You can find a used ultra or ultra too for around the same price as many of those others. I had an ultra five in mocha burst, and it was one of the best fender basses I’ve had. Had a strong lo mid that is missing in lots of Jazz basses

 

[GodsLove66]

A USED Geddy Lee or a Laura Lee sig! Both EXCELLENT choices floating closer and under the $1,000 mark.

 

[MtManiac]

Specifically at those prices? The American Performer, best bang for the buck and best relative resale.

Second and third would be Player II then American Pro. I own one of each of those.

Typically a P bass guy - I’ve owned Jazzes in the past and have always sold them off but this year decided I wanted to learn some Geddy Lee to make my drummer happy. Bought these two and then he left the band for health reasons, but I did a lot of shopping. The Player II was my favourite value-wise amongst all the ones I tried: Ultra II, Pro II, Vintera II, Standard. I ordered the sparkle sunburst one and while waiting for it to arrive found a great deal on an American Pro, which is just visually stunning - natural ash, maple fretboard. Both sound and look great, but the Player II has what I’d consider a more traditional Jazz bass tone. I like the Pro also though. Anyway, my P’s still get all the action, and they are American Standard, American Pro x2, American Pro II, and American Vintage Hot Rodded PJ.

The Standards are also a great bang for the buck, it was honestly a toss up between that and the Player II, but I liked the sound of the Player II. Vintera II was also pretty good, but didn’t wow me - maybe if it had been a Road Worn but they don’t make those yet for V-II J’s. Ultra II’s are fantastic, but holy heck that price tag. American Pro II left me feeling meh, uninspired.

 

[REV]

For my money the MIJ and MIA Geddy Lee Jazz basses are some of the best Jazz basses that Fender has to offer. The necks on the MIJ can be pretty thin so if that's not your cup of tea the MIA might be your best bet. As many have said, your best course of action is to play as many as you can and pick the one you like the best.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Am Pro II, based pretty much entirely on the natural pine finish. Otherwise, the best Fiesta Red or Midnight Wine bass you can find!

Really, just try basses that look appealing since they’re the ones you’ll want to pick up over and over again.

 

[bobba66]

So many choices.....

 

[DrBnz]

If we're talking Jazz bass, you missed the best one of them all ...... I've had most if not all of those and I sold em all to get my American Vintage II '66 Jazz bass.. Of those on your list - the PRO II is pretty damn good. The ULTRA is damn good "IF" you like the active circuit and you can find a light one.

 

[Micha84]

You go either with "solid" and get a Player or with "great" and get an Am Pro I or Ultra. The in-betweens don't really make much sense to me, unless you try one and find it to be THE bass for you.

 

[CascadeBass]

I chose the least expensive vote, because.... we are talking Fender and I doubt there is much difference in these archaic designs between models, but that is just me. We've been staring at these things for decades.

 

[Phreaky Phriday]

They're all pretty much the same idea and lots are in stock at most music stores, go find a jazz bass that feels right

 

[SharpCat]

I personally hate Fender's preamps, so I would remove all active basses from consideration.

I dunno if I'd say "hate", but there are better preamps out there for sure. Also the fretwork on my Player Plus maple neck was marginal, though I since have seen 2 player plus PF necks that had just fine frets.

 

[TonyP-]

I didn’t vote, but here is my consideration since it was not available.

This is for 4 string specifically.

Get a late 90s to mid 20teens MIM Jazz.

You can get one relatively inexpensive.

Then mod it with the pickups preamp and/or bridge of your choice.