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Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass

Summary
Manufacturer URL http://www.fender.com/
Features 8.8 (22 responses)
Sound 9.3 (23 responses)
Action, Fit, & Finish 8.4 (22 responses)
Reliability/Durability 9.4 (20 responses)
Customer Support 4.5 (6 responses)
Overall Rating 8.9 (22 responses)
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Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: GBP 600
Submitted 11/04/2008 at 05:10am by bass player
Email: steppewolf13 at yahoo<dot>com

Features : 8
2007 MIM, Black with tortoiseshell pickguard one. 20 frets but be advised that fretwire is different than new models, these one does not slap like new models. 2 volume 1 tone controls, passive pickups. body is said to be alder but i tried one in London and other in North Cyprus and they were lot different both in tone, resonance and weight so body may vary IMHO. it has a very thick finish which both kills the tone and also increases inductance of heat to body which is bad. i think the Fender Shop in North Cyprus sells Korean models as MIM, be aware of that. Mine came with a dead neck pickup (with a quality control sticker on it) and had to replace it but i did not get help of any kind from the shop and paid a local luthier to replace them. Neck is quite thin and nice. Reverse style tuning machines are nice and holds the tune good. as accessories a padded gigbag is included. it is a good bass depending on the price, plays well and got killer looks but as said, dont but it from North Cyprus, even buying from internet is better i say.

Sound : 8
as said before i got mine with neck pickup dead so replaced both with Fender 62 JB replacement pickups. i dont know whether it is from the wood or the pickups but this instrument has a nice tone now with lots of mid. i play classic rock in a local band and although it weights a tonne it sounds very nice. my rig is a Marshall MB stack with 4x10 and 1x15 cabinets, an MXR DI+ and Jim Dunlop Q105 wah, all connected with Monster Bass Cables and this bass fits very well into the mix. as said, it has nice mids and you can blend the tone wia tone control. you can play classic rock, hard rock and blues with this axe but be informed that this is a 600 GBP reissue classic bass, dont expect too much stuff from it.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 8
as you all know Fender assembly line dont care about anything, they just put the screws, strings and box it. no adjustment whatsoever was made but be sure that it is not because that this one comes from Mexico, when i got my American Deluxe JB i paid a luthier for the initial set up too.
as for action, this is a fantastic bass. i like very low setup because i use pick and like to play like a lead bass with speed and this one fits right away, just fantastic. first thing to do is to toss the supplied strings that Fender Co put on instead of putting them into bin, give it a full freatboard service, than restring it.

Reliability/Durability : 9
this axe is virtually indestructible fellas. maybe i will replace the bridge in few years but other than that its well worth the money. if you live in a hot and/or humid country just service the neck when season changes and thats it, nothing else. i take it out from the gigbag, make the necessary fine tuning and play, nothing else. dont need and did not use any backup for it because it is simple made, no gimmicks on board and was built like a Tiger Tank. my only complaints are about the crappy service given by the local North Cyprus Fender dealer, being COMPLETELY USELESS. i wish Fender would stop selling stuff in North Cyprus and customers would use either Turkey or Republic of Cyprus instead because they are both very close and reliable than the probably faux Korean stuff that this shop sells.

Customer Support : 1
as said before, i purchased this one from North Cyprus Fender Dealer. its name is Kembel LTD. and sells only the problematic stuff with no reliable customer support but hey, even Fender MIC has a useless customer support, why blame the N. Cyprus shop. i received mine with a dead pick up and they did not replace it, just gave a %40 discount. i was delivered the bass in a so called unopened box and as soon as i gave it a try i went back to shop and they accepted the problem after a week. this instrument was supposedly covered with a 1 year warranty but all i got was a %40 discount and they informed me that unless i wont take the discount, they should have to send the bass to USA and this process could take months. so fellas, be advised that Fender instruments are perfect but if you get your hands on a proper one, otherwise a long process awaits you. and also, if you are to buy any from the island of Cyprus, deal with the southern Cyprus Republic Shop and especially not with the North Cyprus Shop Kembel LTD. also you can try Turkey alternatively, for it is close and reliable.

Overall Rating : 8
i have been playing for 14 years now. i own a fretless Jaco replica Fender, a 2003 Standard American Fender (ones with the S1 switching)and a 2006 American Deluxe Fender, they are all JB's. as for amplifier, i own a British made Bassstate 150 Marshall combo and a Marshall MB Series Head with 4x10 and 1x15 cabinets. i use Monster Cables all around including speakons, patchleads and for cables with MXR M80 DI+ and Jim Dunlop 105Q wah. people seem to say that Fender Basses play nice alongside Marshall Amps, and i think this is true. i have tried Trace Elliot combo and a SWR Super Redhead. although SWR is a perfect amp, it did not sound well as the Marshall rig with JB's.


Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: 690CAD
Submitted 03/12/2006 at 11:00am by RAY

Features : 8
2003 Mexican 60's Burgundy Mist reissue jazz bass. Matching finish on body and headstock. Nice flame maple neck, nice rosewood board. "Mint green pickguard". Reverse tumers, vintage bridge.Pickups are a bit noisy.

Sound : 8
The electronics need a little improvement on this bass. This is the noisiest of all my jazz basses, definately needs sone shielding in the control cavity etc. and possibly new pickups.The stock pickups are very good, warmer at lower volumes but I find them a little harsh/honky when I crank the volume on my amp. I have 3 other jazz basses to compare to...a Modulus Genesis, US Fender and a Japanese Fender Geddy Lee and the pickups in the Mexican have the weakest output. I have the bass strung with LaBella flats to get the old school thump, but have tried different brands/types of strings. Lindy Fralins or Duncan Antiquity pickups should give this bass the total 60's vibe.The stock pickups are definately playable,but you know they could be better.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Awesome finish. Great playabilty and feel. This has a better finish than my US Jazz.

Reliability/Durability : 9
It's a Fender

Customer Support : 1
None Emailed no response.

Overall Rating : 8
Looks great, plays great, sound is close to my other jazz basses, but honestly I don't feel the stock electonics are near the sound quality of the US and Japanese Fenders. But for the price the build quality is excellent.


Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: US $450.00 used
Submitted 03/05/2006 at 07:47am by MTaylor

Features : 8
This is a 2001 Mexican 60's reiisue J-bass in black. I am primarily a guitarist, and I own a real 61 P-bass that is wonderful, but I am more comfortable playing a Jazz width neck. The features on this are like any others reviewed here. I like the backwards tuners because the seem to hold in tune better than others I've had, also my p-bass has them so, I'm used to them. It was used and came with a G&L hardcase that fits it snugly, although I generally carry it out in a gigbag. Feature wise it's peretty standard, but just what I was looking for. I am going to detract just a tad from the score as the bridge is somewhat cheesy and I may put on a badass.

Sound : 10
I bought this bass, as well as a small portable bass rig, to pick up extra cash playing in cover bands, at casuals, and recording dates. It does all things well, and I was surprised at how nice the pickups sounded. I figured on replacing them, but no need! With the two pickups and separate volumes, I can dial in any sound I need. I use this thru a Gallien Krueger head and an Aguilar 1-12 cab. This setup gives me excellent diversity of tones, and I can just put the bass on my back and the head and cab in each hand and I'm off! The whole rig is very small and easily transportable-just what I need! This bass gets all the classic Fender tones. The only thing I wish it had is a string through body and a heavier bridge. That said, I honestly cannot fault it's sound or intonation.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
This bass was used and had a bit of play wear, but no complaints, it looks very nice and is durable. I don't know how it came from the factory, I bought it from a shop run by a local luthier, and he set it up adjusted it, installing new elixer strings, before I bought it. As such the action is great. In fact this may be the easiest playing Fender bass I've played! It's acoustic tone is bright and piano-like, very responsive. I can find no flaws, but keep in mind it was set up by a pro who does excellent work, so it has benefitted from that.

Reliability/Durability : 10
Seems very tough, like any good Fender bass. I don't mistreat it but it is a utility tool and gets carried around a lot, seeing changes in temperature, and a variety of different types of use. I do use it live with no backup, no problem. The poly finish is very durable compared to the nitro on my p-bass and on a Rick bass I use with flatwounds. I am going to install straplocs. I've not had to adjst the truss rod at all.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Used-no rating here

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing guitar over 30 years, and in the last 10 have played bass also. If it were stolen or lost, I'd buy another J-bass, maybe a Mexican 60 like this, maybe something other, sdepending on availability. I love its easy action and great tone, plus it is very attractive looking with the tortoise guard, rosewood board, and black finish. My favorite feature is the neck profile and 2 pickups. I have the old p-bass(really too pricey to use as a gigging bass) and a Rickenbacker 4003 with flatwounds (really for studio stuff only) I had been borrowing a friends 92 American Std J-bass to gig with, and really liked it, so when I saw this one for 450, I bought it and returned his. I like this one better, too-it's more resonant, has better action, and gets a warmer tone. I do wish it had a string through body, but honestly it works so well that I really don't need to change it.


Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: US $650
Submitted 01/27/2006 at 02:38pm by T-Bone

Features : 10
2001 MIM, but they were nice enough to put that "Made in Mexico" on the back of the head stock. Beautiful 3-color sunburst. Came with gig bag. The reverse tuners are silky smooth and stay in tune wonderfully.

Sound : 10
The sound is a wonderful, rich, warm tone. You can get from the classic growl for rock to a James Jamerson Motown warm sound. For blues, I back off the highs with the tone knob and back off the neck pickup volume slightly and it is the best warm sound I get from all three of my basses. You can also get some good slapping and picking sounds, too, with the bridge and full tone. The instrument is built well and feels solid. Never any hisses or noises.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Action needed a little tweaking initially, but then rock solid. The G string initially had poor sustain. I noticed a gap between it and the D string saddle. It was sliding on the base plate of the bridge and dampening vibrations of the string. By moving the G string a groove or two outward on the bridge saddle and retuning, the saddles now all push together and sustain is good on all.

I've never had to adjust the truss rod. Rock solid.

When I bought the bass, the bridge pickup flat out didn't work... dead ...no signal. Don't ask me how I let that detail slip by. It was fixed, but the customer support lacked, see below. I tried another of the same bass months later at another Guitar Center and it had the same bridge pickup out, so Fender must have had a problem for a while. Just watch out for it, Fender will fix it.

The paint is outstanding and shows no wear after years of playing in a gigging band. It looks beautiful and true to the original. I've had people ask me several times what year it is, thinking it was a classic 60s or 70s bass. Makes me proud. Of all the basses I've had or have, this one still remains the best playing one I have. Must be combination of the neck shape, size and finish, but I play nothing as well as this one. If I were to audition, this would be it. I have a genuine 70s Jazz bass and Marcus Miller as my others. Both are cool and awesome, but this one will always be my number one choice.

Reliability/Durability : 10
After making the initial adjustments, this has been rock solid. Never even hints of letting me down on stage. Never needs tweaking. Always my most dependable. I can always get the sound I want out of this one, no matter what amp. Still looks brand new.

Customer Support : 5
Like I said, non-functional bridge pickup when I bought it. My service was a function of the local authorized repair guy, so I don't know how Fender would have been direct. I took it back to Guitar Center who had a local authorized Fender guy. He quickly confirmed the pickup was dead and said he would order another, free of charge. Weeks went buy and I kept stopping into Guitar Center on the day he told me and every week I could tell from the look on his face that he again forgot to order the pickup. After several weeks of this and some pushing, meanwhile I'm without the bass, he finally asked the Guitar Center guys to bail him out and trade me an aftermarket pickup with me paying the difference for the "upgrade" over the cost of an original. I agreed because I really wanted it back. So, I ended up with a Seymour Duncan BASSLINES quarter punder pickup that I paid $40 to have. It was incredibly lame, especially considering it wasn't that great deal for a pickup I didn't want in the first place. Again, that was probably more a lame Guitar Center and their authorized technician problem than Fender. If I didn't recognize that, I would have given them a "1" rating.

Overall Rating : 10
This is my favorite bass and hope to never lose it. After getting over some initial setup changes, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've tried some more expensive American made Jazz basses that haven't felt as good to play. An absolutely great bass.


Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: 700 (Euros (?))
Submitted 01/05/2006 at 06:57pm by Zlich

Features : 9
Made in Mexico, i don't know the...you should know the features by now!!

I just say..it's amazing!!

Sound : 10
The sound is a bit warm, and if you have a great amp. and some effects you'll see that's a very versatil bass, i use to play pink floyd, muse, red hot chilli peppers, and yesterday i . Is not noisy! It's very good at the both, in studio (i use to prefered Geddy Lee..but now..i think this is better)

I really like the sound.

But i think that is a matter of personal opinion.

Action, Fit, & Finish : No Opinion
..you fender setup doesn't seems to be. The pickups are well adjusted. I made a setup on mine 60's a week a ago, the "playbility" is much mooooore. Rosewood..the nice one.

Reliability/Durability : 9
WOW Yes for all!! This one will last for years and years. yes i'll use on a gig without a backup!!

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
I play for about 15 years, i've got a music man( 20M String Ray, the legendary one :) ) and a G&L L 2000 (wicth i love, that is my prefered)

I love the sound, the image of the bass, the warm and rich sound, the neck...

I choose this one, cause i wanted a good fender bass, i really saw the Geddy lee and the Marcus Miller (tremendous basses!!) but the sound i wanted is in this bass.

If someone stole this bass...uh..i think the person will never wake up again. I just love the bass...

And the 60's are a tremendous music decade.

Off review: Sorry my english!!


Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: 450 (Pounds)
Submitted 11/11/2005 at 02:51pm by Bassman

Features : 9
2003 , Mexican 60,s jazz bass, 3 colour sunburst

Very nice slim fast playing neck, its got the traditional post 62 control layout ( 2 vol, 1 treble)
Reverse tuners, always stays in tune (even out of the case !!)
Glass like finish to the body , although I think the lacquer is a bit to thick, nice finish to the neck ...smooth as silk.
Came with a soft gig bag

Sound : 9
I have owned this bass for over 2 years now and I play in a rock n roll, blues style band .
Its excellent for the blues stuff (Hendrix etc), but a little thin for Rock n Roll (I use my Epiphone Rivoli for that )
I personally think it sounds great , I mainly use the neck pickup with the treble rolled down a really fat creamy 60s sound.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 8
The bass set up when it arrived was terrible, but the shop I bought the bass from (Craigs Music, Bodmin) did an excellent set up for me.
Ditch the Fender strings and put on a set of Rotasounds
The bridge is ok , although after 2 years playing it has rusted quite a bit .
The bridge pickup volume knob has broken on the spindle and just turns on the post , I'll fix it one day ?

Reliability/Durability : 8
This bass will more than withstand most knocks and bangs, mine has a few dents and chips , but this just adds to the overall 60s effect !
The hardware to be truthful is up to the job but is not of great quality.
Strap buttons are ok, but lockers are better.
Completly dependable sometimes I never took a backup bass and this workhorse never let me down .

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never dealt with Fender ....bit to far away from the UK
my local music shop helps me with anything I need.

Overall Rating : 9
I have been playing bass for about 6-7 years.
my other guitars are
Fender Precision
Epiphone Rivoli
Gibson SG (Pete Townshend reissue)
Variax 500

Most of the basses I have I never really get attched too...but this one I cannot put down I would buy another tomorrow.
Go buy one great bargain, and all the classic sounds of a jazz bass


Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: US $649.00
Submitted 10/23/2005 at 03:24pm by Joe Kustek
Email: joe at wiredpirates<dot>com

Features : 9
Features. Great work of art. Fender Jazz Bass....

Budget was not an issue. I have been looking to add a Jazz bass into my collection for sometime. I played a USA version and this model really stood out. It had a really different feel. And once I set it up it was amazing. Took about a week to get it to the ideal set up.

Its a great bass. I use a music man / Spector and handfull of other basses but this is a great bass. I highly recomend it.

Check out my portfolio to hear it. http://musicman.wiredpirates.com

Sound : 10
Sound is tight. Amazing. The mids are great. I really dig just using the bridge pickup. The combination with my preamp are sweet for recording. And its passive. When recording passive is the way to go in my opinion.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 8
Typical music store action. They have no idea how to set a bass up. I bass nothing on action at a store. Soon as I had it home I took it apart. What sucks is you have to take the pickguard off to get to the truss rode. But thats cool. Only a few extra minutes. I have it set up as low as this bass will take. Not crazy about the stings . Will change them in a few weeks and throw a bad ass bridge on it.

Reliability/Durability : 9
It appears to be a pretty solid bass. Should hold up just fine.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Have no idea. What I did not like about this is that I did not get a free set of strings. Like music man bass's give ya. But thats cool... Nothing to worry about.

Overall Rating : 9
Its a great bass. This combined with a music man is a great combination.


Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 09/23/2005 at 10:16pm by Doc

Features : 8
MIM in 2004 , four string, two volume, one tone, Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickups, passive electronics, Alder body, maple neck , rosewood fret board, jazz body style

Sound : 10
Great old school warm growly tones {Thanks to Seymour Duncan's Antiquity pickups } . Great for stage or studio. I really love everything about this bass

Action, Fit, & Finish : 5
the setup from the factory was horrible, as were the stock Fender pickups

Reliability/Durability : 10
This bass will will be around for many years to come.

Customer Support : No Opinion
never delt with them

Overall Rating : 10
This is a great bass all around. I also own Basses: a Fender 62 Jazz reissue, a Spector Rebop and a US Masters B45. Amps : Peavey 20 watt practice amp , Fender Rumbler 100 , Peavey Mark VI head with a 215 cab and a 210 cab. If you have a jazz or a P bass and you want that old school sound, check out the Duncan Antiquities, you can't go wrong.


Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: 500 (?) used
Submitted 07/04/2005 at 08:00am by Night Crawler
Email: dangerous_chris<at>hotmail dot co dot uk

Features : 8
Not sure about the year that this was made, but the '60s reissue jazz was introduced in 2001. It is a MIM model and has the all the usual features of a Fender jazz - 20 frets, 2 single coil pickups, offset body, but since this is a reissue it has has some features not found on Fender basses made today. It has reverse tuning pegs (which never go out of tune!), a strap button on the back of the headstock, finer frets, and the MIM print is on the back of the headstock as opposed the front. The most weird feature is to do with the neck adjustment. Normally the trussrod is adjusted via the top of the neck by the headstock with an allen key. With this model the trussrod is adjusted from the bottom of the neck with what looks like a starhead screwdriver fitting!

The pickups are standard passive vintage alnico models, the neck is a 'C' shape which makes for a nice fast neck which has a high gloss polyurethane finish which feels as if the neck is made of glass.

The body is made of alder (mine has an olympic white finish) with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. I was suprised at the quality of the fingerboard - it almost looks like ebony as it is so dark in colour. This bass is quite heavy, but I don't mind as it feels good and solid and feels like it could last forever! This bass was meant to come with a soft gig bag and the neccessary adjustment tools, but since I bought this bass second hand the original owner must have kept them.

Overall an impressive array of high quality features which you normally wouldn't expect on a MIM Fender. The only thing that lets the bass down is its bridge which is stable but not up to the standard of the other features on the bass, but i've heard that this is a common problem with MIM models. My bass also has a bit of an earthing problem, but as it is second hand, it's impossible to say whether it came like that from the factory or not.

Sound : 8
This bass has major balls!!! It has a great growl and the pickups can be adjusted to suit any kind of music via the vol vol tone configuration. Backing the picups towards the bridge results in a growly, almost nasal tone, whilst backing towards the neck results in a nice, smooth woody tone, not entirely unlike that of a p-bass.

This bass has a great slap sound with both pickups on full. I haven't got around to recording with this bass yet but it's got a great live sound, and I'm sure that it will sound great recorded too!

Since both the pickups are single coil there is a bit of hum from them, which isn't noticeable at all unless you've got the amp turned up really loud. Very impressive indeed!

Action, Fit, & Finish : 8
This bass has a great finish on the neck and body - very high standard, but the pickups and action weren't adjusted that well, but as I have said before this bass was bought second hand so I can't say whether or not it came from the factory like this. About 30 minutes work got the bass set up.

Reliability/Durability : 10
As I have mentioned before, this bass is very solidly constructed in all aspects, and has a great sound so I can't forsee any problems or the need for a backup bass.

Customer Support : No Opinion
I've not had any problems with this bass so far, and haven'tdealt with the company before, so I can't really give this section a rating.

Overall Rating : 9
I've been playing for a little over 4 years, and have owned 2 basses perviously - a Squier p-bass, and a MIM Deluxe p-bass. This bass kicks both of their asses! I still own the deluxe p, but I never play it anymore because I love this bass so much.

If the bass was stolen I would hunt down the thief, and beat him to death with his own arms! My favourite feature of this bass is probably its flexibility - it can deal with anything thrown at it without the need for active electronics.

Overall a great bass for the price that I got it at. I've owned it for over a year so the honeymoon period with it is over (just making that clear in case somebody thinks I'm raving about it because I just got it) and I love it now as much as the day I first brought it home from the music shop.


Product: Fender 60's Reissue Jazz Bass
Price Paid: Euro 650.-
Submitted 06/18/2005 at 12:49am by Fabs

Features : 9
Made in Mexico, this Fender is just another version of the typical Jazz Bass - maybe the most successful bass ever - nothing more and nothing less.
Main features: 2 single coil pickups, offset body design, 20 frets, red tortoise pickguard, vintage style bridge & tuners, 2 separate volume + tone controls, 60?s style Fender logo.
Compared to my "main" Jazz Bass (a 64 custom shop), both neck and body feel a bit "thicker" and the whole instrument is also a bit heavier.
A Fender soft bag was included

Sound : 10
Mexican Fenders are really nice instruments (their quality is comparable to the Japanese Fenders of the 90?s) and this bass is no exception: it sounds like a good Jazz Bass always should.
Maybe the most "universal" bass sound of all time.
Of course there are a lot of very different, fantastic sounding basses out there, but a good Fender Jazz still remains "The Bass" for millions of bass players all around the world.
The Jazz Bass can virtually produce any sound you want, really.
Think: what do "different planets" like Larry Graham (Sly & Family Stone), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report), Aston "Family Man" Barret (The Wailers), Sting (The Police - especially on early recordings - but also on most solo stuff), Marcus Miller and Tim Commerford (Rage Against The Machine & Audioslave) have in common?

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Very good quality, especially if you consider the price tag.
Unfortunatly Fender basses are often inclined to have serious fret buzz problems, but this mexican Jazz Bass is really easy to adjust, the string action is really confortable.
The finish (maybe a bit too thick for my taste) is a high gloss black, the neck has a nice aged/yellow touch.

Reliability/Durability : 10
Rock solid, like all Fender basses.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9
A good Fender Jazz Bass is always a sensible investment.
You don?t necessarily need to buy an expensive Fender USA to get that sound.
Of course my Custom Shop Jazz Bass sounds and feels better (we?re talking about 2000.- Euro price difference!) but a good mexican 60?s Jazz Bass will do almost the same job.
Last tip: like any other instrument, not all Fenders sound and feel the same.
I play bass since 1982 and sometimes I happened to test some very bad ones.
Go to a big music store with a wide choice and take your time to compare a few.

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