Fender American Standard Jazz Bass

Fender Jazz USA Maple Fretboard 1990. 22 Frets. Body is made of Alder. Standard Jazz Pickups/Electronics make this bass awesome.

Really versatile bass! From Low down pounding hardcore, to funky ska, This bass does it all. The hum isnt that bad, Just watch where your playing.

Setup was great, Bought used though, Had a few dents

This bass is really durable, like a rock, I'd use it without a backup, But I dig in really hard, so I might break strings.

N/A

I'd defintly buy this again, I love the look of it, The flamed maple neck is orgasmic. A very sleek lovely bass, I really need to get a gig bag for it, It hurts getting the tuning pegs in your eyes in bed.

American Standard Jazz Bass
Made in the USA, 4 string, rosewood fingerboard, three tone sunburst body, white pickguard, one tone knob, two volume knobs, two passive single coil pickups, string through body, etc. You know the rest or you wouldn't be reading this, right?

Mine was made in 1999.

It gets a 7 because it has all the features necessary and a few more features than most - but it sure is missing a great deal to be found on more expensive basses.

I play country,blues, rock, and country-blues-rock, and some other styles here and there. Playing about 80% fingerstyle, the rest of the time is devoted to a pick.

The Jazz Bass is a versitile machine for the above styles. It does all of them well. It probably wouldn't do metal or heavier styles all that well without some help from effects and an amp, but that's what them there Iban??? are for.

Right now, I am using Fender amps with this thing and the results are excellent. I do not use effects other than a compresser. Effects aren't all that helpful to my chosen styles of music. A naturally good sounding bass and a solid amp are - that is what I have.

The Jazz Bass is not as deep sounding as it's sister, the Precision Bass, but it has a midrange growl that stands out more. It is noisier than a Precision, depending on your relation to your amp and assorted things in your playing enviorment. However, that is the nature of single coil pickups - like it or not. Also, if you turn up both pickups full, any sort of noise present will disappear.

Likes - one of the best feeling necks on the market, nice body shape, reasonable amount of tone shaping ability, tone burst and rosewood, and the overall look.

Dislikes - stock pickups could be more aggressive sounding. Sometimes difficult to find a nice balance when strapped on your shoulder. Could have more bottom end.

This bass came set up beautifully right from the store. I think they probably set it up when it arrived, though. There wasn't a scratch on it.

It was a nice piece of equipment the day I bought it.

I've used it live - no problems. It stays in tune reasonably well. It will definitely make it through a set no problem.Everything seems very basic and dependable. I would say it needs about 3 adjustments a year.
I would use it at a gig without a backup, but I wouldn't if I didn't have to. It doesn't matter how great a bass is, things like beer, jumping drummers, misplaced objects on stage, etc. can take their toll on any instrument.

Never liked the input jacks on any Fender, however. Even on their guitars, they usually seem outdated and flimsy.

Never had to deal with them yet.

I've been playing for several years now, and I've owned a lot of gear. I've finally got my "collection" toned down to this Jazz Bass, a Stingray 5, and an American Stratocaster (for those rare moments when I "play" guitar).

I pretty much knew what I was getting before I bought this bass. I'd tried it out a long time earlier. I really like the Jazz bass and the Precision bass. If I had to replace it, I'd really be stuck between the two of them or one of those Precision Deluxe's with the J pickup in it. I think a Fender is a necessary member of my music setup, but choosing which one was a chore. The look and feel of the Jazz bass won me over, even though I prefer the P Bass's sound.

I really like the feel of the Jazz bass compared to others I've owned (with the exception of the Stingray 5).
I'm at the point where the sound of a bass alone doesn't do it for me - if my hand feels like crap at the end of a 3 hour show, it isn't worth it.

I might change the pick ups in this thing in the coming years, but that would be about it.

2001 American Standard Jazz Bass,
20 frets,
2 volume, 1 tone,
2 Passive J PUs,
Alder body, Graphite reinforced maple neck,
String-Through body,
Toothpick neck, with incredible rolled edges,
Came with molded hardshell case, strap, all the necessary tools, strap locks, and a lifetime warranty.

Of course, you already knew this.

I cannot say enough about the sound of this bass. Simply incredible, the sustain, the Jazz growl. However, it has only one kind of tone, the Jazz bass tone. No wide variety, no great changes, just one Jazz tone. You either love it or hate. Personally, I love it. It's warm and articulate when played fingerstyle, sharp and quick flatpicked, and snappy when slapped. I don't think there is one thing I dislike about the sound.

Straight out of the box, this bass was set up pretty well. The action was very low, yet did not rattle about on the frets. The pickups were a bit high, but that is easily adjusted. The finish was perfect, and the wood had no flaws on it.

Built like a rock, you could smash it into a wall, stomp on it, and chew up the neck, and it would still play. I would trust this with no backup, if it weren't for the fact that things outside of one's control do happen. However, in a perfect world, I'd play this with no backup.

Haven't had to deal with Fender, don't see myself as ever having to.

I praise this bass enough, Fender really has got it perfect. Out of all my basses, I always pick this one up. It is simply a treat to play. If it were stolen, I'd find the bugger who stole it, and begin a violent bloodbath. I'd then replace it quickly.

This bass is a must for all players (who like the Jazz tone anyway)

I bought this American Standard Jazz new (made 2001). It's white blonde ie. semi translucent over an ash body. Rosewood fretboard over a maple neck. Standard passive J-p/u's and controls.

I play funk/soul/gospel and should have bought one of these years ago, but was swayed by the snobbery that says you must buy a VINTAGE (which means too much money). No way - I've played a few and they are variable at best and often lousy compared to the new ones. It really is out of touch snobbery. The sound is beautiful - warm, gutsy, loads of character. I had a Warwick Streamer Jazzman 5-string but it just didn't have the personality. Like decaffeinated coffee. Having said that, there's only so much tonal variation in a Jazz- it always sounds like a Jazz bass - so either you love it or you don't

Mine had been set up by the shop and plays well. The neck is excellent - smooth, slim. Pickups a good height.

Seems very solid. I doubt the machine heads will have a lot of use. Comes with straplocks which is a good thing, although my fat padded strap only just squeezes in the locks.

No call so far.

I've been playing for 18 years and have had a few basses - Wal, Ibanez, Warwick, but nothing comes close. You can pile on effects and get the best rig in the world but if your bass doesn't have the character to start off with, nothing can add it. For me, the Jazz tone is unbeatable and I can see this one lasting a lifetime.

Approximately 1998-1999 model. Parts and labour done in the U.S.A. Passive bass with controls for bridge and neck pickups, as well as tone. Fingerboard is made of rosewood, body is of ash.

I play, for the most part, rock, pop-rock, alternative, and jazz music. Generally, the sound is very good. For the record, I play this bass through an Ampeg SVT-3 Pro, hooked up to an Ampeg Classic 1x15 cab. The sound from the stock pickups is fairly full. Playing at the neck pickup gives you a very nice and warm sound - very full and punchy. The bridge pickup, when the guitar is set up properly, can be both punchy and fairly full, but when the difference between pickup volumes is too large, you will get a lot of unwanted noise, as well as a horribly unbalanced sound. Plain and simple, you're either going to be using the neck pickup for bass and depth to the tone, while the bridge pickup will give you a less than satisfying thin sound. The tone control gives you a wide variety of acoustic depth, but most of the upper range of the tone control is too sensitive for regular playing due to the unwanted noise interference. If you're looking for depth AND punch in a bass, look at a Precision - or better yet, at names like Ernie Ball, Modulus, and Lakland. You WILL get many dead notes on this bass, other than the famous dissappearing C. Anything on strings 3 or 4 past the 10th fret will dissappear into the mix, despite your settings. Sound will vary a lot from venue to venue though, and generally, it sounds nice.

The action came fairly high for me, and it never lowers to an acceptable level. Bringing the action down to an even reasonable range brings some nasty fret buzzing above the 12th fret. Also, the input jack likes to unscrew itself, so every three or four sessions, I have to screw it back on to keep the patch cable stationary. The pickups were set up well for the action, but I had to bring them down when I lowered my action, obviously. They were nice and even, so I had no problems there. As I said above, the bass has a good amount of dead spots on the fretboard - try before you buy.

This bass is built like a tank. I've used it live many times, and I have had no problems with its construction which would impede a live show - yet.

This bass is a workhorse. Not the nicest sounding bass out there, but also, at its price, its only other real competitor is Ernie Ball, and that would fall down to an issue of musical taste. It works for the music that I play comfortably, but make sure you try it and make sure that its standard sound is the sound of the music you like to play, plain and simple.

'98 or '99 American Standard Jazz Bass, Inca Silver, great fit/finish, solid hardshell moulded case. Killer Jaz Bass - what else is there?

Suits many varied styles righteously. I use it sometimes with some compression, through a variety of amps/rigs but mostly through an SWR Basic Black or an Ashdown ABM 500. The sound was gerat, but not all it could be so some custom-wound Seymour Antiquity IIs solved that problem - and how !!! Sounds great in the studio - friends have borrowed it to make albums and the albums sounded excellent.

Setup etc. was damn fine from the factory. I had to adjust the strings and action to taste of course. No flaws.

Wow does this thing take a heavy pounding. Atta girl !! I almost never have a backup unless I'm concerned about strings breaking - no worries abou the bass.

Never needed to cal them, likely never wil.

The pickup swap has made this a bass that totaly rules. Works great for everything from jazzy stuff to all-out heavy rock. I get cnosistent coments on my sound. Thanks Jazz Bass !!

2000/2001 (not sure, serial number ends in 0) American Standard Jazz Bass. It is black, with the standard hardware that they come with. The tuning keys are really cool, with a little F stamped in them! It has two single coil pick ups with a bridge that strings through the body. I replaced the stock pickguard with a black/white/black one. It looks really killer!!!! It was made in California, just like me;)

I rate it a 10 because it is simple, just like an old muscle car, no rice, please!

This is the really killer thing. All I can say is that it sounds F@#@##@ awsome. It can crank out anything from old Sabbath to easy jazz. I really think this is the best sounding bass I played in the shop, and I played everything in the store, from those German things (with almost no mid or highs, what a waste) to the newer Leo creations. The Fender Jazz was the most versitile by far. The mexi wasn't bad either, just not finished as well.

Great. No flaws that I can see or feel. Smooth as silk!

I have no idea, but it feels very strong. I play with some people at least once a week (just messing around, mostly jaming in scales and some old school rock), and it rips. It always sounds as good as I can make it sound. The player is really the limiting factor here. Everything on this bass screams well made. The pickups are great also. The are not completely quiet, but even playing from TAB on a monitor, they were quiet. Besides, the have that growl, that Fender growl!

They are really cool. It takes a while to reach someone, but when you do, they are right on!!!

I have been playing bass about 6 years. And way back in high school (over 14 years, eh), I messed around a bit. I also have a Gibson SG, what can I say, I love Sabbath. I play the bass through a Crate BX 100 (which kinda sucks for tone)

I have had a Fernandez (Japan) P bass (really good) and Ibanez Expresionist (complete shit). I have always wanted a Fender American Jazz Bass, and my wife let me get one!

I compared it with every thing from around 1200. I almost got the Warwick, but the passive Corvette is really dead sounding to me. I also played the delux p bass (pretty cool). I think the balance of the Jazz bass would be improved with a longer horn, like the Warwick, but that is it.

If it was stolen, I would hope that the person who did it was doing it to feed his family (I could understand that). But if not, I would cry my eyes out. This is really a one time thing for me, as I am a daddy with 2 little girls. I would get a used mexican one and put the correct pickups in it, and a black pick guard of course, if I could not get an American one.

I work at home, and this bass sits next to me. Just looking at it gets me through the day. Playing helps also.

Oh yeah, one last thing. Geezer Butler is the God bass player of the Universe, or something like that;)

later,

MO

1997 USA made 4 string bass, with all the same features as the other reviews. But, mine is Inca Silver, with a tortoise shell pickguard. What a beautiful finish; one of the coolest colors Fender has put out.

Stock single coils were swappped out for active EMG's with passive tone controls. While the EMG's don't have the growl of the stock pups, they are super quiet. Absolutely no noise no matter what blend of front/back is used. Bright, punchy sound with great sustain, much better than other J-basses I've played; probably due to the string-through-body bridge and graphite reinforced neck.

I bought my bass used, and somebody had hacked it up pretty bad as far as action, pickup height, etc. The body had a few dings in it, and it had normal fretwear. After adjusting everything, it was near perfect. The only complaint I have is that the truss rod adjustment is at the base of the neck, under the pickguard; you have to remove it to gain access to the rod.

This thing is a rock. Mine does have some dings in the finish, but I haven't managed to hurt it in 6 months (weekly jamming, monthly gigs.) One big chip in the paint from the previous owner reveals a pretty thick coat of paint, and it seems to be primed well, because it is not chipping any further from this area (a sign of a crappy finish).

Never dealt with them, but my local shop is an authorized dealer and he is a great guy, so they can't be that bad.

Been playing for 10 years. I have owned or played EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE, because I have worked at a couple of large music stores. My gear list is long and impressive, but I won't bother with the details becuase you either don't care or don't belive me. Anyway, this is my favorite bass, by far. It's not everybody's cup of tea, but I love it. If it were stolen (I would never lose it!), I would cry for weeks and try to find a replacement.

1999, Made in USA, 4 strings, 3 toneburst body, rosewood fingerboard, two J style pups, two volumes, one tone, blah, blah, etc., etc.
If you are seriously interested in a Jazz bass, you know the rest!
It only gets an 8 because there are no batteries required...

I am a reggae, blues, and rock player. Along with the Fender Precision Bass, the Jazz Bass helped define the low end of these musical styles. I am currently using it with a Fender Bassman amp - no effects.

Let's get something straight - the Jazz bass is a love/hate animal. Unlike its sister, the P Bass, you don't just plug this in and get a good tone - there are several different ones lurking inside this bass. Depending on where you are standing, the lighting of the room, etc, your Jazz bass will hum.... it's a side effect of having the single coil pickup sound. In my opinion, well worth it and not something to get into a tiff over. Others would think differently...

This is by far one of the best finished and assembled basses I have ever seen. A great deal of this has to do with the fact the store I bought it at takes care of their products on the floor very well. However, everything was perfect. There wasn't even a fingerprint on it!

I can't speak of the durability of this instrument yet... However, this is the third Fender instrument I have owned (others being a Stratocaster and a Precision Bass). I predict this will only require the usual maintanence a guitar or bass should need. All guitars and basses need care, regardless of brandname, hardware, woodtype, etc...

never dealt with them.

I have been playing for several years now and I also own an American Standard Precision Bass and an Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray. The Jazz is my favourite.

The Jazz is not a do it all bass.... I don't think it would fit into distortion-heavy music (although it is popular with many punk bassists, so I could be wrong).

I would definitely replace it if it were stolen.

Made is USA in 1998, beautifully grained natural ash body with maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, two passive single-coil Fender pickups, string-through-body bridge, white pickguard, three control knobs - one volume control for each pickup and one tone control, famous Fender Jazz neck, thinly tapered at nut, reinforced internally with graphite bars for stability. Nothing very flashy, but high quality versions of everything you need on a passive bass.

I bought this bass for the feel and the flexibility made possible by the neck plus bridge pickup configuration. Without ever plugging in, you can tell this is a great piece of wood from the acoustic tone of the bass. The stock pickups were fairly versatile, capable of producing everything from a bright, percussive slapping sound, to a warm, fat, bassy tone for fingerstyle playing. Of course, when I turn both pickups up I get that classic Jazz growl. I wasn't totally happy with the pickups, however, as they can get a little too muddy when I dial in generous lows. I replaced them with Seymour Duncan Antiquity for Jazz Bass pickups (see my review in the pickups database.) Now this bass sounds exactly like a vintage Jazz and deserves an 11 rating, but as I'm rating the stock version, I'll give it an 8.

Bass was setup well and came from Musician's Friend ready to play out of the box. Of course, I have adjusted the action/intonation and tightened the truss rod in the three years I've had it and currently it's perfect (for me.) The wood is spectacular and the finish is flawless. They really nailed it on this one. The hardware is totally clean and solid. The tuning pegs were a little loose, but I tightened them easily with a socket wrench. Really an amazing job on a mass-produced instrument.

This bass is built to be nearly indestructible. It's really a marvel of design (which is why everyone and their brother copies it.) The wood and hardware are as solid as can be. I'm sure I could abuse it a lot without suffering consequences, but I'm the careful type. Other than the pickguard, which is a bit scratched, the bass still looks brand new. This is my main bass and I never use a backup. Aside from an occasional broken string, I've never had to do any maintenance at a gig. I did have one problem - the strap button at the bottom came loose from the wood. This is a very common problem in basses due to the weight of the instrument. I simply glued a wooden dowel in the hole with Elmer's wood glue and re-inserted the screw. That was that.

Never dealt with them and don't expect I'll have to.

I've been playing bass for almost 12 years. I've owned an Ibanez, a Washburn, a Fender Precision, an Ernie Ball Stingray, an Alembic Spoiler, and a G&L L-2000. This Fender Jazz is more comfortable to play than any other bass I've ever owned. Since installing the Seymour Duncan pickups, it sounds better than anything I've had other than the G&L and is second only to the G&L in versatility. I love the simplicity of the controls, the durability, the quality, the feel, the sound, the way it looks. There are lots of more "modern" basses out there, but "modern" does not equal "better." I prefer the classic simplicity of my Fender Jazz. I plan on keeping this bass for the rest of my life and if it were stolen or lost, I'd be devastated. Eventually, I'd recover and buy another one.