Fender American Standard Jazz Bass

2001 usa std jazz bass,2 tone brown burst 1 piece ash body, maple neck, maple fingerboard, string-through-body bridge, replaced stock pickups with bassline quarter pounders

Fender basses are THE bass. Many basses are built and sound better, but at the end of the day, they all wanna be be j`s or p`s dont they.
But. The stock pickups need replacing with, well, anything except whats standard. Once you get the pickups you like, then were talking nice.
The quarter pounders i put in make the bass sound right, still a passive j bass, but with more growl, and thats not a bad thing is it boys and girls.
Jazz basses do what they do, you plug them in, turn up the volume and your good to go...neck pickup for a nice woody retro tone and bridge for cutting highs, roll on both for classic j bass tone and rock, funk, punk away.
The maple board has a brighter, harsher sound than the more compressed, bell-like sound of the rosewood board on my deluxe but the tone of this bass, even unplugged is amazing. Neck is wearing well and sounding better with age.
Used this bass extensively for gigging and recording cos it rocks.
Sound rating would be a 9 if pick-ups werent so poor

When i bought this bass the first thing i done was tweak the truss and sort the action to the way i like it, the neck is like a billiard table and the action is medium. The pickups were adjusted to the cupboard once they were out and replaced but the overall weight (nicely heavy), wood grain, neck and finish are super cool...nut could be a wee bit better like, but hey its ok and doesnt cause any problems

Its a fender, so err, its a beast, it will never die, it hardly goes out of tune even when dropped. The lacquer has chipped on the neck through heavy, down-tuned abuse, and thats whats supposed to happen aint it. Only adds character...
Never gig without a back up kids, its daft

Never had to deal with them

Been playing 20 years semi-pro and pro. I love the feel, look and sound of fender basses so these are the basses for me. Lets face it, they invented the electric bass so old habits die hard...one day i may even own an owld classic, nuff said

2008 American Standard Jazz Bass, purchased late August. All standard Specs, Passive electronics, Alder Body, Maple Fretboard, 3 Colour Sunburst, All usual accessories (Case, strap, cable, alan keys etc)

Well equipped, came with all necessary parts although the case was questionably scuffed and had traces of what looked like glue on it. no complaints beyond the condition of the case in terms of equipment.

Good variety of sounds available from the classic passive pickup setup, with a volume switch for each pickup and tone selector for choice between jazzy smoothness, trebly punch and all the fun between. I play mostly progressive rock and blues, so it suits the tones im looking for, warm and bright, although at times the sound is noticably flat and lacking richness. Furthermore, the pickups are rather noisy and buzzy, although i plan to install some Seymour Duncan "Hot for Jazz Bass" pickups at some point in the aim of noise reduction and a more full sound. This is not to say the standard pickups are bad as such, but their problems are noticable.

The bass did not arrive properly set up, and it took extensive work to get it up to standard, although i'm still experiencing problems with fret buzz despite the high action, much higher than i'd normally play with anyway. Also the A string when played open buzzes badly. I will send it to a tech at some point, but having spent ??850 on it, i expected it to at least be set up properly or enough for me to be able to just tweak it, but the problems have been beyond simply adjusting it. The finish at least looked great, however, like the case, the pickups and scratch plate had some kind of gluey residue on them. Overall i was very disappointed considering Fender's reputation and the cost of it.

Due to the problems described earlier i dont think this bass could withstand consistent live playing before other problems would arise. The hardware seems solid enough though, the bridge being very strong and solid and the pickups feeling well planted. The finish, after only a few plays at home and one live show has already shown signs of wear with scratches and little dents appearing seemingly from nowhere considering the care i try to take over my equipment. I wouldnt not depend on this bass without a backup or having to make adjustments all the time.

I tried to contact Fender about the problems but had no reply at all. This is an area Fender seriously needs to consider.

Overall i was very disappointed considering Fenders reputation and the price i paid. I've been playing for roughly 6 years and own a Warick Corvette and Mexican Precision Bass, and i wanted this bass to become my new front runner but after the problems ive experienced i doubt i could trust Fender again or use this bass extensively, even if i do take it to a tech. While i like the look and sound of it even these have their problems due to the somewhat flat sound and easily worn finish. If it was stolen i definitely would not buy another. Overall i would advise caution when purchasing a bass like this, even if you get a good one be prepared to make frequent and time consuming adjustments.

I have purchased a new 2008 model. It's olympic white w/tortous pickguard and rosewood fingerboard. Fender has gone back to the standard electronics (no more push-pickup switch that didn't belong on a jazz)Fender is really promoting the changes on the 08 models and they really are improvements. The polished rolled edge fingerboard just looks good and feels better(compare it to a 2007 neck and it says "class")The new heavy mass bridge puts an end to saddle height slipping and thin bridge design. You shouldn't feel compelled to run out and buy a Leo Quan. You also have the option of running strings through the body or through the bridge. The paint undercoat is said to be thinner in order to allow the body to resonate more freely. I only know this 2008 Jazz sounds great and I did a side by side with a 2007 when I bought this one. It also has new light weight hipshot tuners for less neck dive (great quality). Classy old school bass that Mr. Leo introduced the year I was born (fate I guess),1960. I know it is another passive Jazz bass, but I give it a 10 because of her improvements! The high dollar Jazz style bass makers are gonna have to step it up!

This bass takes care of the "old school sound" that I like to have at my disposal (I've always preferred the Jazz over the P-bass). Nice to have the passive electronics and that classic "fender Jazz" tone. You can get a lot of sounds out of the bass by balancing between the two pups and playing with the tone knob. It doesn't have the active sizzle in the high end but I have other basses for that.I play in an 8 pc. contemporary praise and worship band cover many music styles. This bass works great.

The basses action was too high for my liking but they always are. A truss rod tweeking and saddle lowering was all she needed (I like to noodle with my babies anyway) The only gripe I had about this bass was the fret ends (they were ROUGH!). A shame because otherwise the neck and fingerboard edges feel so great. I suppose it was due to temp. and humidity changes. Instead of trusting the store to take care of the fix, I brought the bass home and carefully filled, angled, and polished the fret ends just the way I wanted them. I haven't seen another 2008 with this problem yet (shopped in four cities), but this was the bass I wanted. No problem with noise other than it is a Jazz. I give this bass a 7 because of the fret ends (otherwise she would get a ten)

I would trust this bass anywhere. Don't NEED a backup but might want other (active) tones available. Built like a tank. I installed straplocks (always do)- better safe than sorry.

I've played for 30+ years and have had a lot of basses. Wished I had kept my early 70's Jazz! O' well,this one is quieter and more handsome as well. I've always had a soft spot for the Fender Jazz. I like the looks and sound (any bass go enough for Jaco...). I think it's cool that Loe Fender introduced this line of bass in 1960 - the year I was born. I may consider dropping an aurdere preamp kit inside of her at sonsome later date. I understand it can purchased for around 150.00. If something happened to this bass I would want another one. If your thinking about a Fender Jazz, be sure to try a 2008 before purchasing an earlier year. The new improvement just might blow you away too!

My Jazz Bass is a '92, so it has 22 frets (as far as I know this was only done from 89 to 92), it had the standard non string-thru bridge and pasive Am Std jazz pickups with knurled pots, but after a few years of heavy use, they were replaced with the EMG active Jazz bass package (Kudos to EMG for having these readily available) and a Badass II bridge. Ash body, rosewood fretboard, and maple neck with skunk stripe. No graphite reinforcement, but that wasn't offer til aound 1995. SKB hardshell case, and set for Schaller straplocks which were replaced with Dunlops. I'll give it a 10 due to its production year. It seems kinda silly to do a review on a Jazz Bass, but nobody seems to have any knowledge on these, so I thought I'd offer what I could.

It's got the nasally Jazz Bass, and the EMG's cleared up the traditional buzz from offset volume pots. I've comptimplated replacing the neck J with an EMG P pickup, but due to the odd body design, I don't want to router it. Jazz Basses always sound like Jazz Basses to me with their original electronics. They work for every style of music, but they're not do everything basses Like Spectors tend to be.

Action's been changed a few times, finish is very worn, but there's a huge difference with how nitro cellulose finish wears to how the other laquer wears, from the 80's on the finish doesn't get that wear the Custom Shop "Relic" basses mimick. Thusly mine looks at first glance like a 5 year old Mexican, rather than a 14 year old American (the Fender logo was changed to the Speghetti style in '95, and mine has the logo the Mexicans use today).

It's been through 2 rainstorms, 14 Wisconsin winters, 14 years of hard use, and the only complaint I have is the original bridge, which was replaced in year #3, because the original rusted to the point that it couldn't be adjusted anymore, before that, vibrations would cause the sadle screws to lower. My '97 Precision does the same thing. I generally look at new Fenders as bodies and necks, the rest can go any direction I want (I'm considering taking Geddy Lee and throwing Duncan 1/4 P and J pickups into it, and maybe an Aguilar Preamp).

Customer service with Fender usaully goes completely with the store said instument was perchased, and they treated me well.

It's a Jazz Bass, and with a little hot rodding, I call it my Jazz Bass. Many have been happy leaving them stock (and I do relize this effects resale, but after 14 years, I don't see myself selling it). It may be retired some day, but never truly replaced. I've tried other New Am Std Jazz Basses, and they feel chuncky to me. The '75 Reissue or the Geddy Lee seem much more similar.

2003 Fender American Standard Jazz bass with S1 switch. Great tuners, nice optional strings thru body bridge. Great satin finish on neck. Body finish could be way better. Pickups can be noisy.

I bought this because it has a warm rich growl. With the S1 switch I can get even more bottom and have a master volume. Pickups can be noisy, I'm talking noise with both volumes on full in SERIES. Fender is just down right cheap..they should shield the control cavity etc. Unneccessary noise is not acceptable at this price point.

Hardware is excellent. Neck has a great satin finish a nice contour. I like the rolled edges on the fingerboard. The body however could be finished better. My Mexican jazz and Japanese Geddy jazz have way way better finishes on the bodies. You can slightly see where the body pieces are glued together (grain) on the back and my bass has a black finish.

Fender basses are players.

Emailed them no response.

Plays great, feels great, sounds great but can be noisy. Finish could be better. Japanese and Mexican jazz basses have better build quality for the price. With a little extra detail to the electronics and overall body finishing this would be a better value. I bought it slightly used (almost mint)but it's not worth the price new.

1983 Fender American Jazz Bass. Pickups have been replaced with EMG P/J setup. Two volumes and a tone. Crimson-burst finish. Maple neck, not sure what the body is, but it's heavy for sure. Came with hard-shell case.

It suits me just fine. I play primarily jazz and funk, but dabble in just about everything. It sounds great. There's no buzz or hum whatsoever. It's got a wonderful bright sound, but has also got a beautiful smooth tone. I play through an SWR Workingman's 15, and I don't mess around with effects. I can pretty much get whatever sound I need from the two combined. I can't really think of anything I dislike about it.

This bass came set up and in fantastic shape. It's got a few scratches, but nothing major. I know everyone frowns on "The CBS years" of Fender, but I can't find a damn thing wrong with this guitar.

It's a tank. It's been going strong for almost 22 years now and shows no signs of quiting. I bring a backup, but I've never had to use it.

n/a

I've been playing for about 5 years now, and I've owned some really crap basses as well as a few nice ones. I currently have a Schecter 004 Elite, and have previously owned a MIM P-bass special and shamefully a Rogue. If it were stolen or lost, I would cry like a bi*ch, then scrimp and save to get another (assuming I could find one, I haven't come across too many). I absolutely LOVE this bass.

I got a 2002 American Jazz Bass a few months ago. I've put this bass through severe testing! It goes through several shows a week in verying climate conditions (e.g. humidity and temperature changes that can influence the neck bow). The neck has held up better than most necks of other basses, but gets a bit dead at the 7th fret. Tonally, it has that nice, punchy mid-bass J Bass sound with both single coil pickups on. The bridge pickup is lacking by it self--it's a little noisey. The neck pickup, while it does give a great bottom end tone, is still a little weak but usable. Overall, i couldn't ask for a better everyday bass. It's got tons of tone options to dial in, the string-through/top-through bridge is great for string excursion, and alder is still one of the best tone woods!

The Jazz Bass is great for a traditional sounding punch in your mid-bass frequencies--which i get from mine. I use it quite a bit for slap and pick styles. For finger styles it's not a versatile, though. Without active pickups, the lower output pickups can get your sound lost in the mix when playing live. In the studio, they have an amazing "chunk" to them. I have found that the best cabinet mix for playing slap style on this Jazz Bass is: 1x15 + 2x10.

Like any Fender from the factory, the setup/action wasn't awe inspiring. But it wasn't bad. My tech only spent 5 minutes tweeking it to spec. There's a 3 tone sunburst (and a tortise shell pickguard that i added to replace the factory white one). I got lucky: many of the sunburst finishes in the last 15 years of Fender have been kinda' cheap looking, but mine is dark and even. I can't complain.

In a live setting, the American Jazz does great. The neck stays put and doesn't give me any buzz, even with a low action. I've had to make on minor truss rod turn this year. But this normally has to be done to any bass when going from the heat and humity of summer to the drier, colder weather of fall/winter in Ohio.

I work in a music store that stocks Fender products, so my support is pretty good. I haven't had to use it, though.

I've been playing for about eleven years and this was my dream instrument. Overall, i'd say that it's been about 90% of what i expected. The other ten percent is the lacking of output volume and off balanced headstock to body weight ratio (it can be weird to play standing up with it). I love the tradional tapering at the nut, giving a narrower neck up top. The only thing that i truly wish was different was the pickups: they're a bit noisey and low output.

A 1992 American Standard Jazz Bass. Fender started making these "first" Am. Std's in late 80's, probably in 1989. In about 1994-95 they stopped making these basses and introduced the second generation of American Standard series, which were totally different from those in late 80's-early 90's.

Features: alder body (three pieces), unique body contours (slightly smaller than regular J-bass bodies, with a long upper horn), dark blue color, Shaller strap-locks.
22 frets one-piece maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. Bolt-on (4 bolts with micro-tilt adjustment). The neck is very slim. It has a dead spot on the 9th fret of the D string. No graphite reinforcement (which is used on Am. Std's made since 1995)
I bought this bass in 2002 and had to change the nut with a bronze one. The stock nut which was made of plastic was in poor condition.
Pickups are single-coils, pssive electronics. Not the stongest signal, great amount of hum when one pickup is on. But the overal balance is pretty nice.
Controls are standard: Volume, Volume, Tone. Strato-type knobs (I don't know, whether they are stock or not).
Pickguard is white/black/white.

I'm a big fan of Jazz music and usually play in jazz-oriented styles. The sound this bass produces is not a standard J-bass sound. It's more modern, but not "too" modern like Tobias, Modulus or even newer Fender Deluxe basses. Probably 'cause it's passive. I've already wrote about the hum & weak sound from the pickups. Also it may be a problem to get a funky (Pastorius-like) sound with the bridge pickup soloed. But with all its good and bad sides, it's a universal instrument. It's suited for many styles. Especially for rock. Its best side is great pick tone, also nice slapping and solo tones.
It has a good tone balance. And this its main feature: not every Fender Jazz Bass has such a good balanxe of lows & highs like this American Standard.

As I have mentioned, I bought this bass in 2002, so it's more than 10 years old. I don't know, how it was set up. The bass came in perfet condition.

I played this bass and recorded with it several times. A very reliable instrument.
I changed the nut and polished the frets. The one thing I didn't like was the bridge. It was too wide, the string-to-string distance was wide than standard Fender, I could not get used to it, and at last decided to change with a standard or vintage one (like on most F-style basses). The one problem was that the newer bridge has five holes and the stock bridge had only three. I did not want to drill newer holes in the body and put it on three bolts leaving two another holes free. I don't understand, why Fender put such a bridge on its basses in late 80's-early 90's, it just did not fit the neck well.
"F" engraved tuners are really nice. Solid and very reliable. Strap-buttons are Straplocks made by Shaller - a great plus for any instrument.
I live in an area, where the humidity level changes very often. Sometimes I have to adjust the truss rod, but not very often. I had a one-piece maple neck MIJ '75 RI J-bass in the past (review is also published) and had problems with truss rod adjustment - sometimes, especially in autumn I had to adjust it every day!. At last I got rid of it and sold that bass.

Never dealt with them.

I'm playing bass for six years. I played various basses, including Fenders, Yamahas, Gibsons, Warwicks, Washburns, Samicks and some others. I like Jazz Bass. My favourite basses are 70's Fenders made of ash. But they cost really high and it's hard to get one with great sound and in good condition. Though this Am. Std. bass is not a typical Jazz Bass, but is also a great instrument for the money.
Newer Am. Standards are totally different basses, I played a few, I did not like the neck shape - it's too beefy (probably because of graphite bars installed into it). They are nice basses, too and that was the only thing I did not like.

I reviewed mine some time ago. Now that I've had it 6 years I still love it but I gotta say... If you're the type that leaves strings on a long time or busts them, then I recommend swapping out the stock "through-the-body bridge" for one of their convertible bridges, thus allowing you to string it from the base of the bridge (vintage style). Once I got rid of that 90 degree through the body bend on the string I got rid of the strings breaking. Yay!

I just purchased a 2001 Jazz Bash. Natural Ash, maple neck.
I got a great deal on it becuase there is a small ding on the head stock, which sucks but helped get the price way down.

You know the rest as I'm not the first one to review this thing. But I give it a 10 because it may not have as many bells and whistles as some of the more modern bass styles but if it ain't broke don't fix it. I mean let's face it: nobody wants an Ibanez.

Came w/ case etc.

My other bass is a Epiphone Viola which looks good and sounds pretty good, but this thing destroys it.
The sustain and tone blow me away. It was between this and the Geddy Lee, the looks of the Geddy neck were pulling me in, so I left it up to tone and sustain and with the through body string set-up solid peice of ash and maple neck this won the contest in a big way. A BIG way. The tone can be tweaked out to what you need and the mids are great really cuts through the mix when I play with my band.
Yeah the p/u's are a little noisy but, meh.

I've always wanted a natural finish j-bass. Luckily I was able to get a great deal on this one. Looks flawless except I'd prefer block inlays as opposed to the black dots..but that's just being picky.
No flaws other than that ding on the head stock. This thing was made with pride. This becomes evident in the playability and in the aesthetics.

Oh yeah, the action is incredible. No buzzing, just enough fight.

I'll be playing live for the first time with this thing on the 16th of April. Wish me luck but I'm sure I'll have no problems. It is built solid and not as heavy as I thought, goos thing.

It came with strap locks which is a nice touch as I don't want to smuck it up yet. I won't be bringing a back up (sorry viola).

The truss rod is easily adjustable, just remove the pick guard. That was another thing that won over on the Geddy which has to have the neck removed to adjust the truss, good call on that one Fender.

Life long warranty is good.

But I have no idea how smooth things will go if I need them to. My last fender never required any service and it was a Squire. So I'm not expecting any issues here.

I've been playing guitar off and on since I was 6 (15 years ago) and bass off and on since 13 but I've really gotten back into it recently. Hence the need for another bass.

I couldn't ask for a better instrument for the money. This is the sweetest bass I've ever played. Yeah the Geddy looked cool but black bodies suck as everyone has one. And yeah Geddy is a good player but the guys a cheese dick.

If it were stolen I'd be really choked. It was a university graduation present from my loving parents so I wouldn't be able to afford it myself and it has sentimental value now. But I'd definetly want another