Fender Fretless Jazz Bass

Purchased in 1993 this Bass is pre-anything Fender "made in Mexico", so it's a Made in Japan era fretless Jazz bass. Basic Black with white pickgaurd, came with all the Standard Jazz bass features. Nothing fancy just a simple design which I bought mostly to play Jazz/swing style big band music.

I have always liked the sound of the Jazz bass, it took me some time to get used to playing fretless as I had a P-Bass before this. But this Bass has become my first line for playing the Jazz/swing music that my big band plays. I have also played it with many smaller combos with excellent results. Just this past year I up-graded the pickups to Fender custom shop 60's, it didn't really need this but I read good things about these pickups in Bass player mag, and they only cost about $100. so I did the job. I use Fender black nylon flatwound strings which really are the best for my music. I think a fretless realy must have flatwounds.

I take very good care of the bass most everything is still "like new" I have never had it adjusted, the neck stays straight, the bass stays in tune well. The neck and rosewood fingerboard have always had a nice feel to them. The fit and finsh was near perfect from the dealer. I have heard many complains about the Mexican made fretless Jazz bass I think mine is far superior to any Mexican Fender I have ever tryed.

I have played about 40 gigs a year steady with my big band since I got this bass in 1993 it has never failed for any reason. Just getting kicked around so many stages the bass has seen alot of use. It still looks and sounds great. I put a new set of strings on the bass about once a year. I don't work gigs without a backup because I don't want to break a string and not have my P-bass standing by just in case. It's only happened once, but live and learn. Most Jazz gigs I tune up both Basses and play the Jazz, the P-bass just sits on the stand till I go home.

No idea, never had any need.

I bought the Bass because hey Jaco played one so what could be better. Compared many fretless basses before I bought the Fender most did not have the nice neck feel of the Fender. I've been playing almost twenty years and I own a Fender california P-Bass special, a Yamaha TRB-5 (5 string), and a Sigma acoustic Bass (check out my reviews for all these posted here at Harmony-central). This Jazz Bass was one of the smartest moves I ever made a true workhorse with great feel and tone.