Hello TB. I'm new to the bass and have been playing a Squier P-bass for about 2 months and feel it is time to purchase something of higher quality. I've narrowed the choice down to the Geddy Lee and the Deluxe Active Jazz Basses by Fender. I've never played either but I have played a Standard Jazz and really enjoyed it. The reasoning for not going with an American Deluxe is I don't want to make a $1,000+ investment mainly because I have never played the other popular basses in that price range such as a Warwick Corvette or MM. Since I liked the Standard Jazz would I be happy with the passive GL or would the active deluxe be a more diverse instrument until I'm ready to purchase another bass? Thanks for your opinions, and sorry my questions/statments are so scattered and vague.
I Have a Geddy and love it. I also have a G & L, Sterling, Rickenbacker...but everytime I pick up the Geddy, I think why play anything else? However, when I first got her, I was unimpressed with the tone. I put in a J-retro preamp and now it's absolutely killer. You have to play one first though, the neck is different. You'll either love it or hate it.
Do a search on these forums and you'll see that almost everyone adores the Geddy Lee. However, don't limit yourself to a Jazz Bass if you haven't tried the other basses available - even if you can't afford a Stingray or a Warwick, they'll be a great many basses in your price range that may suit you a lot better. You haven't mentioned what kind of music you want to use this bass for - the Fender Jazz is extremely versatile in most situations, but there may be better matches for you out there. Don't hate me for saying this, but be aware that after only playing for a short time, you still won't know enough about what you're looking for in a bass (nobody does after only a couple of months) and your Squier P Bass has a lot more mileage in it yet (it was 2½ years from buying my first bass [and I had been playing guitar for 4 years before that] until I bought a second bass, and by that time, I knew exactly the tone I was looking for). I'm not saying you should wait a couple of years before upgrading, but I would strongly recommend you don't rush out and buy something new until you're a bit further down the line, otherwise you may realise that another bass would suit you much better as you mature into an experienced bassist.
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