Fender '62 Jazz Bass Reissue

Not being an expert on hardware, I don't know much about the width at nut's and such, but here are the basics. My Jazz is a 2003 4-string '62 Reissue Made In Japan with the Fender "Sunburst" finish. It has 20 frets, two volume knobs and one tone knob like most of them. Most of the features are stock, meaning it has the original bridge, tuners etc.

The pickups were changed some year and a half ago, since the original ones sucked very bad, meaning the hum, buzz and grounding issues were intolerable. Being ignorant and having very little choice (I live in Finland), I first went for the Fender Noiseless pickups, but for some unknown reason they were just as terrible and troublesome. I was recommended EMG's Jazz Vintage pickups which I eventually bought, since they were pretty much the only considerable and available option where I live. Yet they sound great, not as funky as I would like, but very good and versatile.

The following applies to the EMG pickups, not the original Fender ones. I really like the overall tone of the bass. The low end sounds pretty much what I want it to sound, yet the mid range is a bit too.. quiet, since I play funk, disco and such, so clear mids would be essential. Very clear and growly highs too. And what sounds really great is when you turn the bridge pickup only about half or 3/4 up, some really cool sound and tone, sounds pretty much like a Precision played with a pick.

The variety in sound and tone is good enough, you can get different tone variations by adjusting the volume knobs, my favourite for a bit rockier tone is when the neck pickup is all the way up and the bridge pickup about half or 3/4 up, very crunchy and ballsy, like some old Precision played with a pick. This setup can also give you some cool feedback growl, especially on higher notes. The neck pickup soloed sounds a bit weak, and very trebly.

The EMG pickups are extremely silent in the means of hum and buzz, even with either pickup soloed.

Oh yes, one essential part of "my sound" is the string selection, which is flatwounds. After discovering these never again will I use roundwounds.

The Jazz suits my music style very well, yet my amp and possible pre-amp could be way better. I have a Laney RBH700 amp with a 4x10 cabinet, which is quite good for rock, but not the best for funkier stuff. I don't use that much effects, the only thing I use at the moment is an Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser, which sounds cool with the "Precision-with-a-pick" setup mentioned earlier.

I've only used it on gigs so far, where it has worked like a charm.

The original Fender pickups were just plain terrible. When I first bought the bass, the pickups had a problem with the sound "fading out" after some time of playing, meaning it went mute eventually. This was fixed at a local music store, not sure how, but after playing for two and half years with the hum and buzz, it was time to go and buy real pickups.

The bass was rather well set-up at the factory, nothing too bad to complain about, apart for the piece-of-crap pickups.

I've played quite a many gigs with the bass and never had any problems. I've had the bass for four years now, yet the bass looks brand new, so they've done a great job with the finish.

I take the bass to my "tech" once or twice a year for some fine-tuning, but that's all she needs.

And yes, I would and have used it on gigs without a backup bass. There's just no need for it. During the seven years I've played bass I've never broken a string with my playing style, all fingers that is.

Never needed to contact Fender, so no experience.

I've been playing bass for a little over seven years now, I started with a late 80's - early 90's Ibanez ATK which I still have. Other gear I own include a 1993 Gibson Les Paul, an Epiphone Strat copy for slide stuff, an old Solina organ and a 1977 Rhodes Mk. 1.

At the moment I feel I should have known a little more about basses, Fenders and others when I went shopping for one four years ago. I guess I went for the '62 Reissue because John Paul Jones had a vintage '62 and that was my Zeppelin boom back then. One contributing factor was the price as well, since (back then) it only cost 750 euros.

If it were stolen, I would definitely buy another Jazz Bass, not necessarily a '62 Reissue, maybe a '75 Reissue or something similar.

When I bought the Jazz, the range to choose from wasn't that great. Finland is a very heavy metal -oriented country and it shows in the music stores. There were countless of numbers of humbucker-fit Ibanez's and such, but I just had to have a Fender. I chose a Japanese made bass because I heard the quality was better than on Mexican made and generally better (and more affordable) than on many American made basses.

2006 American made Jazz bass in Olympic White Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish. Model number 019-0209-805. Alder solid body, maple "C" neck with rosewood fingerboard, 20 vintage style frets, 2 Vintage Jazz Bass Single-Coil Passive Pickups, Stacked Concentric Controls: Volume 1.(Neck Pickup), Tone 1.(Neck Pickup), Volume 2.(Bridge Pickup), Tone 2.(Bridge Pickup), American Vintage Jazz Bass Bridge (top-loading), Vintage Style Reverse Tuning Machines, Nickel/Chrome Hardware, 4-Ply Brown Shell Pickguard, 34" (long) scale length, 1.50??? width at nut, Deluxe Brown Hardshell Case & Strap, Cable, Meguiar???s Mist and Wipe Kit. Also included but not installed is a string-mute kit and chrome pickup covers. I don't think they will ever be installed. I don't feel I need the mutes and the covers will be in the way.

I love the sound this bass makes. It is so retro! It came with Fender Super Bass Roundwound 7250ML NickelPlatedSteel Strings Gauges: (.045, .065, .080, .100) but I immediately changed them to the period correct Fender Stainless Bass Flatwound 9050L Gauges: (.045, .060, .080, .095). I'm in a insto/surf band and this bass suits that music style perfectly. I only use Ampeg amps and I usually go through a SansAmp DI box. I haven't noticed any noise from the electronics. It simply puts out a smooth warm sound. This bass differs from my other Jazz basses in that it doesn't really growl as much. It also has more variety because there are 2 tone knobs. I would use this bass equally on stage or in the studio.

This bass was not set up well at the factory. The action is a bit high because the neck needs adjustment. I'm surprised Fender would allow a neck to be put out so bowed!
The height of the neck pickup is too low on the bass side. The bridge pickup is fine. The only other flaw is one of the stacked controls feels like it wasn't fully tightened. The knob turns more than it ought to. It's very annoying that I have to bring a new bass to my luthier to fix stuff that I shouldn't have to.

Like all my Fender basses, this will easily withstand live playing. All the hardware is solid and I'm sure I can depend on it. I already have used the bass on a gig without a backup. I don't how often the neck/trussrod will need to be adjusted. It will get its first adjustment soon and I hope it stays. It hasn't really been an issue with my other Jazz basses so I'm not too worried.

One year warranty and I've never dealt with Fender. I don't think I would bother anyway. I have my own luthier.

I've been playing bass for 23 years. I own 19 basses..this being the 19th. I have always wanted a vintage early Jazz but simply can't afford it. (Let alone find one!) I bought this bass through the internet based only on 6 photos and I wished I could have played it before I bought it. I would have made them make all of the necessary adjustments or take money off the price of $1299. That's a lot of scratch for a gut like me but still a lot cheaper than the real thing. If it were lost or stolen I'd be very upset and would eventually buy it again. I love the vintage vibe and the beautiful white finish. I hate that the neck needs to be removed in order to adjust it. My favorite feature is the concentric knobs. If there's anything I wish it had, it would be the "Relic Treatment" by the Fender Custom shop. Even though I have complaints about the setup, I still love Fender and will continue to collect them. I've played many basses in 23 years and I keep coming back to my Fenders.

This is a lefty Fender MIJ 62 Reissue J Bass in the Vintage white finish. It was purchased brand new and made in Japan during 2005. It is passive and has the standard JJ configuration. It has 2 volume and 1 tone controls. It is light, extremely well balanced, has an extremely fast neck, it's delight to play.

It's sounds like a J bass, however the pick ups are not US made (a valid and worthwhile option on the righty models but not available for lefties) making the sound disappointing if you compare to a US made Fender (I own a Hot Rodded US P Bass that sounds fantastic). Be ready to invest in Fender US vintage pick ups if you want a quality sound. The top end is precise, the low end present but a bit muddy and the tpyical J bass mids are lacking a bit of presence. It can adapt to any music style, but careful with slap as the pick ups max out if you hit it too hard (this also happens on the Mexican models but not on US models or models with US Pick ups). This causes the amplifier to pop which is dangerous for speakers.

The bass was flawlessly finished with a near perfect action. No complaints apart from crap pick ups.

It will probably live longer than i will, very light, but very solid. This bass is as simple as they come and i would not expect to need a back up at a gig because it's probably 100% reliable. I may have to keep an eye on the jack plug as the jack seems to slip in almost too smoothly, but I a may be anticipating wrongly. Perfect marks at the moment.

I usually deal with Fender France where i live. I find them very curt when they reply. No dealings with them about this bass though and they would probably igonore me anyway as i bought it in the UK.

Overall this J bass is great value for money for lefties, provided you are not too picky about your sound or provided you are willing to upgrade the pick ups. I love the neck, the weight, the balance and the look with the vintage white finish. If it were lost or stolen i would replace it with the same rapidly, and if the same existed in a US version (Fender has not made passive lefty J basses for years) i would be willing to pay more and upgrade.

My other insturments are (all lefty):
Fender US Hot Roddded P Bass (P/J Pick ups)
Musicman Stingray 4 Fretless
Hohner B2A Headless

This J bass will no doubt become my main bass once I have changed the pick ups, because of it's lite weight, the slim neck (ideal for smaller hands like mine), the cool vintage white look and it's simplicity (it's plug and play). I play it through a very lite Nemesis 210 combo, and the combination of the 2 are ideal for gigging.

My Fender USA Vintage Series 1962 Jazz Bass was purchased in February 1984 at the Bass Centre in Wapping High Street in the East End Of London. The tags are dated 1982; the manual is dated 1983. This is one of the instruments made by CBS when they pulled out all the stops to offer products that would be of a quality high enough to sell the Fender Company as a going concern.

All the regular Jazz Bass features adorn this instrument; Groove-cut saddles, concentric pots, shell plate, Gotoh copy Kluson reverse gears and so on. However, that`s where the vintage "Re-issue" title seems to get hazy....... on removal of the neck we find that the date mark is Feb. 1963; the body is dated from October 1962.

The neck width at the nut is 1/16th inch wider than all the other Jazz Basses I have owned and the body is so badly matched that the red and yellow portions of the `burst instantly change their hue at the laminate join.

This particular instrument is the quietest Jazz I`ve owned, but plug it in and turn it up, and it`s the most rangy open sounding Jazz you`ve ever heard. I regularly check out all kinds of other basses to see if there is anything out there that might come anywhere close to offering as much versatility as this particular instrument. I have been playing this particular instrument since I purchased it in `84 and can find nothing to touch it.

Now then; what`s the story with the neck and body dates......? Fender don`t answer their mail (like most American companies) so it`s over to the Fender Boffins amongst you ........

This is simply the finest playing and sounding Jazz I`ve ever played. It`s only flaw is the unmatched body laminate. Not a flaw - but an anomaly - as far as regular Jazz Bass dimensions go is the extra 1/16th inch neck width that most Jazz Bass players might find unusual.

The reliability of this particular instrument has spoken for itself; never has any tweek or mod or setting of any kind ever been administered to this instrument; and bear in mind that this instrument has been regularly payed - and still is - since it`s purchase in early`84.

I`ve tried to contact Fender on numerous occasions with regard to finding out more about the neck and body dates. But it seems, as with all the other American companies I try to deal with, that unless you`re Eric Clapton or unless you wanna spend shitloads of cash with `em then they`re incontactable. I gave up trying years ago. Who cares - I`ve got the goods.....

1987 Japanese model, basswood body, with classic sunburst finish, maple neck with rosewood board.

This bass absolutely nails the sound of a classic vintage j-bass on many levels. I have only used it strung with flatwounds, and I can get the Joe Osborn tone with just the neck pickup, or a great growl with both pickups on full. I have only one minor complaint in this area, the pole pieces on th pickups protrude through the pickup covers, as on most j-basses, but the edges are sharp, and you can feel them, if you play over the pickups.

The Japanese finish work is second to none, perfect color blending, and finish. The bass has the typical problems setting the action common to Fenders, the action cannot really be set too low, as choking, and dead spots in the region above the 12th. fret occurs- showing just how good the copy is! It is not difficult to play when the strings are raised slightly to compensate for this. These Japanese bass re-issues are not accurate in terms of the hardware used, but the body, and neck, are dead-on. I have replaced the 70's style bridge with an 'allthread' saddle vintage bridge, and the tuners with the same Gotoh reverse Kluson copies Fender uses on the American made re-issues. It looks great now. The pots are really awful small body cheap parts, which work fine, but will be replaced. Until then, I have installed an EMG BTC control in place of the passive tone, and this bass is so good sounding, it's amazing!

This bass has everything that Fender is noted for, absolute truck-like reliability, great widely accepted tone, versatility, and it's easy to find all of the parts to repair or modify it, and it is, of course, easy to work on........not that it really needs any mods.

I have never needed to contact Fender for support, don't need it.......I do the work myself- I'm a professional guitar repairman.

I have been a professional bassist for more than 30 years, I own a ton of gear, and this bass is high quality all the way. Left handed bassists have a terrible time getting good basses, if you don't believe me, ask any lefty bassist! Fender, in it's infinite Starbucks/Home Depot corporate wisdom, has discontinued making left handed basses, it seems, for now. I got this bass, in near mint condition, with the original hardshell case, and all of the case 'candy' and a strap and cable!! for $410.00 + shipping, a really great deal! My advice to left handed bassists out there- hold on to your gear, I wish I had my old lefty Fenders that I stupidly let go in the 70's! I see these often on Ebay, and there going for more than I paid for mine, usually with only a gig bag, or most often without a bag or case. These are very good basses, and if you want the classic j-bass sound without the $1500.00 custom shop price, grab one!

Bassists take note. I recently purchased a 1962 Reissue Jazz Bass from Mr.Steve Franks at www.superbass.net and I am extremely happy with both the bass and the dealer it came from! Check Mr. Steve out at www.superbass.net. He delivers what he promises, and then some! He communicates very well with you during the transaction and is very conservative in his description of the instruments that he sells.
Back to the bass. Mine is a 1987, three tone sunburst.Rosewood board and vintage RI hardware. No,it is not drilled for the plates nor for the string mutes, but isn't it great that they are now available just about everywhere? You can have the fun and excitement of personalizing the bass to be however truly vintage correct you want it to be. In the mean time, while you are gathering the vintage reissue parts, or real vintage parts, you will enjoy playing a bass that is demensionally correct. The neck feels just like the original 1961 that I owned previously. The pickups sound like the original 1965 that I owned. The finish is glossy, as opposed to the thin, satiny look of a real vintage bass, but there are ways around that too, if it bothers you. Fender Japan, I assume, was the builder of this bass, although I am not sure. There is no JV on the neck plate, it simply begins with V. But there is a website dedicated to Fender Japan, and believe me, even the Japanese Reissues are gaining ground daily as a favorite choice for the players that do not want to risk taking their real vintage instruments into a potentially risky gig! I'll put it this way,the majority of the people that come to see you play can't tell a $300 Ibanez from a $15,000 custom made Alembic. So how can they tell a reissue from the real thing? They can't. It doesn't matter. But to the thief that may be thinking of nabbing your prize vintage bass, they know. And they will pass on the reissue and wait for the real thing. I understand that a real thief will even take the $300 Ibanez, but if you are a vintage purist, you understand exactly where I am coming from. I'd rather not loose a bass at all, but a Reissue costs a lot less to replace than an original vintage, that should have been used in the studio, unless you have stage staffing that allows otherwise, from a security standpoint. The pickups on my bass sound great and have the cotton covered wiring to be vintage or period correct, but if they are not to your liking, Seymour Duncan Antiquities are available and are THE EXACT pick up to use for real Fender Vintage sound.I hear lots of people raving about Lindy Fralin pickups, but I have not yet been sold on their sound. I have and do own Seymour's Pbass Antiquities and they sound EXACTLY like the pickups in Vintage late 50's and early 60's Pbasses that I have owned. The Seymour Duncan Antiquity would make this bass much more believable where tone is concerned, especially since this bass features concentric tone and volume controls. BUT- the Stock Fender pickups are fine. Honestly, they are fine.

I use mine in church for traditional and contemporary services. It is played through an SWR redhead. The sound is purly amazing and extremely versatile. I love the Rotosound Flatwounds that Mr. Steve Franks installed on it for me prior to purchase.

Mr. Steve Franks at www.superbass.net actually called me and asked how I wanted the bass set up! When was the last time you bought an instrument and the dealer did that? He asked what strings I liked, and how I liked the action. He even discussed neck relief with me and gave me some tips on problems with necks on other basses that I own and how to cure them.

Mr Steve Franks at www.superbass.net informed me that the nickel plating on the keys and bridge were a little tarnished, prior to my purchase. Well, he was right and this just goes to show how honest he is as a business man and that he wants you to know upfront about any possible items that might make a difference. Well, the tarnich was very welcome, making the bass look even more vintage. Thanks Steve!

I'll put it to you like this. I wish Mr.Steve Franks the best! I hope that his small operation in Caledonia, Ohio prospers and that the Lord will bless Mr. Franks with many new customers and friends. The gentleman couldn't be any nicer, nor could he be more honest. If you enjoy checking out basses of all types,and want to save money and feel confident that you made the best purchase you could with the money you have available to spend, or if you like trading for something different, give him a shout at www.superbass.net today! God Bless you Steve!

Lastly, about the bass, I like just about all the vintage reissues that Fender makes. I am from Memphis, TN so I really am a Fender Pbass fan. I have been playing bass since I was 8 years old and I am now 41 years old. Of all the Jazzes I have played, and that's quite a few, I would put this 1987 model reissue of a 1962 fender Jazz Bass right up there with the quality of an original 1964 Jazz that I once owned. I won't put it on the same scale as the original 1961 that I had, but for all practical purpose and intent, it has the quality of any orginal 1965 with the cool concentric knob option instead of the 3 knob lay out. I must say though, had it not been for Mr. Steve Frank's, I probably wouldn't be fortunate enough to own this bass right now. I can not praise this man highly enough and I do hope you'll check out his wide selection of all types of basses from $200 to $20,000.00, Mr. Franks at www.superbass.net can serve you in a most humble, honest and professional way that you will never regret!

Ok..a re-issue of the classic stack pot '62 jazz bass. Lake placid blue, pickup/bridge covers, thumb rest, nice hard case. The reason I went for this model was a) because I couldn't a afford $8,000 + for an original b) Because it had a fantastic sound. The case is pointless for me as are chrome covers & thumbrest ..so those lie unused in a cupboard.

This bass has a great sound..really rich, meaty and lovely. It's very versatile too, with the tones fully open it's very bright so i usually roll them off a bit. Plug it through a sansamp and you're in business for just about any session. Great for slap too, which surprised me.

the bass was terribly set-up when I bought it (new), so i spent #30 getting it done profesionally (always a good idea with a new bass), and it's pretty good now though not as low as I'd like it and it still buzzes on the low F. The hardware & finish is pretty good, stays in tune etc. but the finish is cracking up around the neck-plate and the tuning pegs arn't flush with the headstock (annoying but not that important).

This bass is great for live work and totally reliable. i use it all the time on gigs without a back-up.

i havn't had the need to use fender customer support

I've been playing around 20 years and have owned lots of basses, including several fenders and a tokai jazzsound (which was fab). This is definitely the best sounding Jazz I've ever used but sadly not the best made, or the best neck (the tokai was better in these departments!)..but the sound, for me, is everything so all in all i do love it. It's just a shame that fender can't pull their finger out and make these instruments properly (like they did in the early 60's!)...but until I can afford a pre-cbs jazz this will have to do!

Does it really need an introduction? I bought mine new in 1987, and it's made in the U.S., 20 frets, with four strings. It has a swamp ash body, maple neck with a slab rosewood board and clay dots. Standard Jazz layout, with two single coil pickups, and seperate concentric volume/tone controls for each. The bridge has threaded barrels and the tuners are good ol' reverse nickel Klusons. It came with an nasty molded SKB-style case, which I've replaced with a Fender tweed case.

I play rock, blues, and some country and the sound is dead-on. I play through either a Nemesis NP-122 amp or a blackface Bassman with a 2x12 cabinet. The neck pick up is warm but still puts out a nice articulatd sound---it's not punchy like a P-bass, but growls nicely when pushed. The bridge pickup barks like a Jazz Bass should, and is has a bright, trebly sound that really projects. I run the volume and tone controls flat out. I've had less success getting a good sound with both pickups wide open in humbucking mode. The ever-present Jazz Bass noise goes away in this mode, but it seems to lose volume and the tone becomes anemic.

The bass was set up nicely when I picked it up at the dealer 15 years ago. Apart from minor bridge adjustments and truss rod tweaks, it's essentially maintenance-free. Some Jazz Basses seem to develop roller-coaster necks, but mine is still straight as an arrow. Overall fit and finish is quite good.

I've played bass for 24 years, and have owned and played a couple dozen instruments. The Jazz has been my main bass for the last 15 years, and I have no intention of ever parting with it. The nitro finish is beginning to wear through on the upper bout, and I've worn away much of the finish on the back of the neck, but it's holding up nicely. If you can find a 80s-era reissue Jazz for sale ( and good luck finding one...) BUY IT.

I've never had to take it into the shop, and never used the warranty. I've played a number of Fender basses and amps, and the basses have been consistently wonderful instruments. As for amps, the black face Bassman is just about perfect. I had an unhappy experience with a truly awful Bassman SKB-100 in the mid-Eighties, but no company is perfect.

Right now the Jazz Bass is rubbing elbows with a 70s Precision, a 90s Gibson T-bird, a reissue Danelectro 6-string bass, a 60s Harmony H-22 hollowbody, and a 60s Hagstrom 8-string. I keep going back to the Jazz as my favorite. It has a bunch of great, usable sounds in it, it's lightweight, comfortable to play and it has a nice, 1960s bandstand look to it. I would hesitate to replace it if I lost it because it would be very hard to find a bass that is just as "right" as this one.

My '62 reissue Fender Jazz Bass is stamped August 1993 on the neck. It is an American made Fender instrument. It has a sunburst nitro-cellulose lacquer finish, alder body, small/fast maple neck (with yellow tinted finish to simulate and aged look), rosewood fretboard 1.75" @ nut/7.25" radius, 20 frets (frets are the smaller vintage fret wires), dot inlay markers, vintage 60's Jazz style single coil pickups, a volume and tone stacked knob combination for each pickup, vintage (reverse action) tuners, vintage jazz bass chrome bridge with threaded saddles (top loading), (with a ground wire flat metal strip running from bridge to rear pickup just like the 60's jazz basses), & a vintage hardshell tweed case with orange fuzzy interior. This particular instrument was used as a display bass by Fender at the NAMM show per my dealer. I believe this reissue offers all of the features possible for a vintage copy, so 10 out of 10 for this category.

The reissue jazz bass is well suited to most styles of music though the small vintage fretwires may not suit a slapping or popping style well. I generally play blues, jazz, and classic rock which the bass does quite well. I use the bass in one of two rigs, either a 220 watt combo 115 with 410 extension if needed, or my biamped 500 watt rig depending on the venue. I also use the ART Nightbass SE preamp & multieffects unit. All single coil pickups are prone to 60 Hz hum by themselves and the jazz bass is no exception. When both pickup's are used together they act as a double coil "humbucker" and cancel out the noise interference to a great extent. Taking this into consideration the '62 reissue has no more than normal noise problems than any other jazz bass type I know of. I would describe the sound as punchy and focused for a jazz. I also owned a '73 Fender Jazz and the sound is actually somewhat different. The '62 reissue has a more modern (to me better) sounding single coil with more highs and better punch. Simply rolling off the highs on the tone controls will eliminate this bright presentation if not desired. Blending pickups and experimenting with different tone settings for each individual pickup give a wide variety of sounds for a passive bass. Not just a plug and play type of bass to get the most out of it some time and experimentation will be required. Should work well in either the stage or studio settings, but watch out for the dreaded 60 Hz hum if all is not grounded in the studio. The bass will cut through the mix very well with a tight focused sound, just the opposite of the full but undefined sound of the Fender Precision. I really like the sound of the bass for cutting through the mix. If I require a full sound, I just roll off the tone controls and boost the EQ on my amp. It will not produce modern active bass tones however (probably not the sound you're after if considering a vintage Fender reissue anyway). I find that with my combo it can sound a bit too bright unless I roll the tone controls back to around 7 out of 10. On the biamped rig I can adjust the high frequency crossover to compensate the balance. Due to slightly excessive brightness and ultimate lack of versatility I'll score 9 instead of 10 here. But what this bass does it does very well.

Bass was set up by the dealer and same individual who sets up all of my basses, so I would say nearly perfect. With the vintage (smaller) frets you can get a nice low action on the bass even with light guage strings. Pickups were adjusted nearly perferctly as well. The finish if is bordering on a work of art assuming you like sunburst. Really nice piece of wood on this bass. I see why Fender would want to use it as a display bass at the NAMM show. 10 out of 10.

This is the area where I will address my only major complaint of the instrument. In accordance with staying true to the early '60's jazz basses, Fender designed the truss rod to be adjustable at the body end of the bass. This means the neck must be removed to adjust the truss rod. BAD MOVE PEOPLE!!! Not only is it a major hassle, but it has resulted in damage to the finish on my bass when my dealer's setup person (normally very, very careful) slipped with the screwdriver while attempting to loosen the stupid neck bolts. I now have a relatively small but deep ding through the finish and have seen another played '62 reissue with exactly the same finish scars! I have also heard that stripping out the screw hole is a very common problem after a few adjustments to the truss rod which requires a maple dowel rod insert to correct the problem. I feel the buyer should have the option in ordering to get the truss rod adjustment at the headstock like all modern instruments. I don't care how careful one tries to be, if the neck has to be removed every time a small truss rod adjustment is needed (which will be frequently on a thin Jazz Bass neck if the bass is played out much) damage to the finish is almost a certainty! OK enough on that subject. All other aspects of reliability and durability are great. This bass will easily withstand live playing, and as it is passive there is no reason to think you couldn't rely on it to gig with for many years to come just like the original '62's. I always have a backup bass on hand in case I break a string or want a very different sound, however I would never question the reliability of the '62 reissue. Because of what I consider a major design flaw on the truss rod adjustment location, I can only give 4 out of 10 here. Otherwise would be 10 out of 10.

I have delt with Fender in the past and found them to be very helpful and nice. They are quite busy, so you may have to leave a message but my experience has been postive in dealing with them. Because of this I'll score 9 out of 10.

Overall this is a very fine instrument. I have been a bassist for 20+ years and have played a '73 Fender Jazz in the past. The '62 reissue holds it's own with the older jazz basses. the pickups do have a more modern sound in my opinion but I consider that a plus. Roll back the treble and you have more of the traditional '60's sound. I own several other basses and this has been my main axe since I bought it. Not only do I love the neck, but the instrument exudes quality and is very much at home in a small jazz combo or a hard driving classic rock band. I have even played bluegrass with it and really enjoyed the tone I was getting in a primarily acoustic setting. The only real complaint is the truss rod adjustment requires removing the neck. Because of this I will give an overall score of 9. Just too many things going for it to score lower, but if truss rod issue weren't there I'd score 11 out of 10....it's that good for a passive vintage sound!

Specs: Three tone sunburst alder body, one piece "aged" maple neck with a slab rosewood fretboard, vintage frets (smaller fret wire), dot markers, two volume and two tone knobs (in the stacker configuration), reverse long stem tuners, chrome bridge with threaded saddles (top loading), came with chrome pu and bridge covers, a thumbrest and string mutes. Made in the USA

It's a great sounding bass, otherwise I would not have bought it. But I wouldn't say it sounds like the older jazz basses I have or have played. The pickups are more modern sounding (more treble response). It throws off a nice even spectrum of mid, low, and high overtones. It probably a bit on the "mid"y side. I think this will make it stand out in the mix though. Quick runs sound good on this bass-very good note separation. You can get a useable slap tone out of it, but it's more like and old school slap sound not a modern scooped active slap tone. My only real complaint about the tone is I wish the E string was a little more bass-y. I think this bass would sound best for rock, blues, jazz, or funk.

The workmanship of the bass is excellent. The frets are dressed well, the neck pocket is tight, and it seems to be very solid. The finish is amazing (if you are a fan of the old three tone bust.) The bass is not an exact replica of an original 62, mine has two volume and two tone knobs (that are hidden as the rubber grips to maintain the stcked knob look). The dot inlay placement is not quite correct also. But general the feel and appearance is there. The action of the bass is a little on the high side, but I may adjust that out. The neck is very wide and thick, not making it the easiest bass to play, but I prefer wider necks so that doesn't bother me. If you don't pass on this bass.

This bass seem sturdy enough, I don't forseen any problems. The truss rod can only be adjusted by taking off the neck, which is a pain and the truss rod is not graphite reinforced. I have heard some stories about neck warpage on the RIs, but I'm not all that concerned about it. Fender now make replacement necks should that ever happen.

I've never dealt with Fender.

I have many basses, and this might be the best jazz style bass I own. I think I would replace it if it was stolen, but I don't think I'd pay $1200 for a new one. I got such a good deal on it I couldn't pass it up. It was mint and I got an awesome case and all the accessories for $750 out the door. The thing I like most about it is the look and feel. It is beautiful and plays like an old jazz should but I wouldn't say it sound like an old jazz, but that's okay. I bought bass because it sounds good, not because I thought it sounds like a real 62. It's closer than the American std to that sound, but not as close as the Relic series. However, if you dropped in some SD antiquities pus and let this thing age 20 years I think it may sound close to an original 62.