Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass

This is going to be a bit of a departure... I do not own this bass, I am a repair tech, with a number of them out with customers...

I won't skew the numbers, would rather leave the info for those that would like it.

Features wise- It's a Jazz Bass. seems to be well appointed. COuld use with a better shielding (have done this one a few of them, much quieter)

Sounds great... That 70's Jazz Tone. I like it...

It is not a P-bass. It won't get that fat "punch to the gut" tone that P's are known for. it is a more articulate beast... finding the proper blend of pickups is crucial!

Fit and finish from the factory tends to be pretty good.

Reliable enough, if it is treated well. Beating it to a pulp ona regular basis will reduce it's lifespan.

Fender can be tough to get ahold of... make friends with your local friendy Fender Authorized repair tech! Those of us on the front lines see a lot of these basses (details in overall impressions) and know how much of a fight they can be..

OK... I like this bass. I like Geddy Lee... BUT

Be careful when you purchase this bass. IT is cool, but make sure it is for you. It is a 70's style reissue... It has a traditional Jazz neck, smaller than a P-bass... less wood, less stability.

Small truss rod changes (like 1/8 turn) can make a big difference with this bass. IF you like low action, this is NOT the bass for you... unless you live somewhere without big seasonal changes... up here in Ontario Canada, These basses can go from Perfect to unplayable to Perfect again over the winter... The necks are small and flatsawn, so there tends o be a LOT of flex... if you do your own wrenching, it may need a few setups, in fall, in winter and in spring... If you like low action. If you are a little more forgiving on the action, it is different in the winter, but not unplayable.

To Fender.... Great bass... Offering it with a quartersawn neck would be a BIG step... but i realize that changes its position on the cost/placement chart.

To prospective buyers... This is a great Bass, if you are looking for a Jazz tone in a little different look... just realize it is going to need to beb abied a bit.

2006 MIJ Geddy lee signature model J-bass. straight black finish; w/b/w scratchplate; black (painted on) 'binding' and black (painted on) inlays; alder body/maple neck+ fretboard; bolt-on (FAST!!) neck; badass II bridge; US single coil passive pickups; 'vintage tuners'.

came with fender gig bag and two allen keys (one of which didn't fit...), which was a dissapointment. A hardcase and polish cloth would have made a me a very happy man

Currently playing in a 5pce melodic metal band- aka a big wall of sound, and this thing cuts through bass-heavy guitars and a full scale piano like nothing else... rolling back the neck pickup gives an uber punchy, defined (Geddy?) growl, and running both pups is great for a crisp, hot signal with plenty of bottom end... which sounds great picked.

Though this thing DOES have american pickups, I found the neck position a little muddy and bland (not at all like a ballsy p-bass tone, as i was told..), and with either of the pups solo'd, there was quite a bit of hum depending on the environment.. nothing surprising. They've since been turfed for Seymour Duncan Basslines for recording.

This bass is the staple jazz tone on steroids; thanks to the badass bridge. It's not going to give you thirty different tones, but why would you need them?

I'm running a Gallien Krueger head and mark bass 4x10. This sounds crisp and punchy through the solid state GK, and for different styles I use a Peavey tb-raxx valve preamp, which really brings out the harmonic value and 'jazzy' warmth in this thing... Whichever way you swing...

(note: sounds awesome with some pre-fx 'cutting and humping', dressed up with some light RAT distortion, with some bass added back in at the amp stage)

*Perfect* factory setup (wow). low action, minimal bow, didn't have to touch the pickup height.

nothing wrong with the build quality, and it looks sexy. Exactly what you'd come expect of an MIJ fender.

they poured a bucket of lacquer on the neck, which looks fine... but kind of detracts from that 'vintage' feel. Some people are moaning about the over-finished backside of the neck, which is 'tacky' and 'slow'. The neck IS 10,000 leagues under the lacquer, but it really is not a problem. It's a VERY fast neck, and i wouldn't ever bother considering sanding it back.

my only gripes:
a couple of bubbles in the neck finish and 'binding'. Don't care. That said, this 'painted on' inlays and binding business REALLY irritates me.
One tuner had a little bit of play in it; another has since done the same.

basically you could stuff this bastard in a wood chipper (with Dunlop straplocks installed, just to be safe..) and it'd come out apples. tough as nuts. usually play live with a backup, but never need to use one.

Despite the wafer thin neck, i've only needed to adjust the truss rod once, for D standard tuning. I'll mention here that the truss rod is a ***** to get at; you can JUST get away with removing the scratchplate to adjust it. I ground a small semicircle out of the scratchplate around the screw to remedy this. Changed to a heavier gauge of string with no dramas, as well.

1 year warranty. It won't break.

I've been playing 'Geddy' for about nine months now, and it's never let me down.

When I was shopping around, I also considered a musicman stingray, an Ibanez ATK, and a warwick (memory fails me... thin neck and j/j setup). The warwick came close, and the ATK was a kick*** look and tone for its price tag, but this one owned all of them.
My other bass is a Ric 4003. I payed about a thousand more for it, and for all its godly renown, it can trump the Geddy in nothing but sex appeal.

I really, really wish Fender did proper inlays and binding on this. it's just cheap and nasty. And i wasn't happy with the cost-cutting on the gig bag. Also, one of those Fender pushy switchy-on-tone-knob preamp boost.. things.. would be a great adition on these models.

Simply, this is the best thing i've ever played. Sure, it's got the build of your average MIJ, and the painted inlays and binding are absolutely pathetic... but it could be the ugliest thing in the world and I wouldn't care- In terms of tone and playability, it's everything i'll ever need.

Basically just sraight forward, simple controls and passive electronics, just what you want and expect with a vintage style Jazz Bass. The USA vintage pick-ups offer more than adequate volume and tone for just about any voice you would ever need, and work quitely without buzz or hum. Bridge is top drawer stuff, offering added sustain and clarity over the old style stock bridge. Tuners work fine, much like the early 70's style, and they stay in tune, as they should. Razor thin neck profile is the reason I bought this bass. Absolutely fast and near effortless playability. Personally, I don't understand all the bashing over the lack of truss rod accessibility. A few of those *****ing about this probably should not be making this adjustment anyway.

Like any good Jazz Bass, this will cover just about any style of music you choose to play with a simple turn of the tone and/or volume controls. I use it with my group mostly to cover 70's and 80's Classic Rock, with a little Country and R&B. It covers all of these styles well. My regular rig consists of a Hartke 3000 amp coupled with a Hartke 2200 Pro Series cabinet (2-12's). No added effects. I also use stainless steel flatwound strings for a more traditional sound. Just a basic, simple set-up that works well for me in just about any venue our band would play.

First off, factory settings are simply specifications that not everyone will agree on, therefore really shouldn't be judged. I haven't owned an instrument yet that I have not adjusted to my personal preference, and this bass was no exception. Once adjusted, mine plays wonderfully smooth and fast, and has not yet been re-adjusted in almost a year of continuous service. The fit and finish is as good as I've ever seen on a Fender instrument. Better than most. Everything is tight, smooth and well polished.

I have owned and played Fender basses since the mid seventies, and all have been fine reliable instruments, and after about a year of steady work with the Geddy Lee, I don't see any difference in a reliability/durability standpoint from the 70's Fenders ('78 Jazz and '71 Precision) I use to own. I'm confident from this perspective that it will last me until I retire. After that, I'm fairly certian it will still be out there somewhere laying down the groove for someone else for a long time. The truss rod on mine has only been adjusted once, after I got it a year ago. Neck remains straight and true, but I'm sure this won't last too much longer before a re-adjustment will be required. We'll see. So far, it's been great. Use without a backup most all the time. Never worry about the bass failing me, just amps and cords.

Never had to deal with Fender CS.

Honestly, my fellow bottom dwellers, this is a very good bass. I almost looked over this model simply because I didn't really want a black finished instrument. That was almost a stupid mistake. Fortunately, someone put it in my hands and demanded I play it. I cannot thank him enough. Been playing off and on since the seventies where I aquired a preference for the Fender Jazz, so I feel right at home with the Geddy Lee model and its super thin neck. In my opinion, that is what makes this quality instrument even better. I would definitely get another if the unthinkable were to happen to it, because to me, nothing with this good of a sound compares in playability. It's almost as if the neck specification was made especially for me, therefore I love it. Great bass.

The feature is it's an excellent representation of what a Fender Jazz Bass should be. In my opinion every bass wants to be a Fender! This includes the MM bass. Who made the MM? Leo. Leo was sent by GOD.

The sound comes from your hands. Ask any bass player who can really play. This bass just growls and is a kick A slapper. It's punchy and cuts through. It is an extension of your hands. Sounds just as good as any overpriced boutique bass.

I've played on a number of so-called boutique basses and wondered what all the fuss was about. Half of the players with them can't play any damn way. My Geedy Lee felt just as solid, and was put together as well as any 2k-4k bass I've played. The neck is so sweet.
It did need a setup though to get it to my liking.

I'm not some dumb A kid so it will last longer than me. True, truss rod adjustments will be a pain and we alredy know why. You can always find better hardware than what comes stock.

Never needed to contact them. I dunno how long the warranty is for but I've always cared for my basses and not abused them.

I've been playing for 37 years. If it were stolen or lost, I'd buy another SX Jazz bass for $139.00, put an audere preamp in it and some DR strings and a bad*** bridge and commence to kickin booty.
Fpr amplification I'm using an old Trace elliot ah300 gp7sm, and I also have an swr 4004. I run either with two 2x10 bass cabs where I switched the speakers with 16ohm 10's for a total of 4ohms. One cabinet is an old Horizon 2x10. The other is a Peavey 2x10 TVX. Portable and won't break an old man's back.
What I love about this bass is it feels and sounds and smells like a Jazz Bass should. Where would the world of electric bass playing be without a Fender Jazz?
I compared it to other Jazz Bass wanna bees. Sadowski, Mike Lull, Lakland (spelling?) and American mande fenders. Better than the americans, cheaper than the boutiques and much more personality.

Standard passive jazz bass - deduct a few points for not having a pocket cut in the body for truss rod adjustment and for the tuners not being so good.

Instrument has a fantastic jazz bass growl that really sits well in the sound mix with a full band - not as nice of a sound by itself but really fits in well with a guitar and drummer.

Typical stock setup - needed a neck shim, bridge saddles lowered, intonation set, etc. Personally, I find that every bass I have ever owned needs these type of adjustments - so no big deal to me. I did not like the stock string spacing at the bridge - 0.78" (20mm) as opposed to the normal jazz bass bridge spacing of 0.75" (19mm) - not sure why anytime that a company or repair person installs a Bad Ass II that they insist upon using the wider string spacing - I had to get a second Bad Ass II bridge to recut the slots to standard spacing (you cannot get the saddles by themselves). I have also routed a pocket in the body to adjust the truss rod - the very thin neck (which I absolutely love - has spoiled me for any other bass) requires constant adjustment. Do not get this bass if you are not interested in adjusting the neck often.

No problems with the bass after replacing the tuners with Hipshots and grounding / shielding the control cavity.

Fender does not have particularly good customer support - have not needed it for this instrument - put not been very good for others.

Absolutely love this instrument's feel and sound. The neck can be a little demanding but the sound and playability are worth it. This is played through an Eden WT-400 and Eden 410XLT. I have had several other high-end basses (Music Man Stingray 5, Fender American Jazz, Sadowsky Metro) and this bass is the only one that I still have (in fact this is the only bass I now own - I just never played any of the others once I got this one).

You should know the drill by now.
Rates a 5 because it's not fancy; it doesn't have anything unnecessary, and has everything necessary (- this is a real flaw in H-C's rating system, since you'd want to give it a 10, but it doesn't qualify as "tons of features"...)

IMPORTANT OBSERVATION.
A) the tone is KILLER.
B) don't buy this bass if you're looking for the "classic Jazz Bass" tone. Get a real vintage Jazz or a more conventional Jazz Bass.

Yes, you can get great, throaty midrange; yes, soloing the bridge pickup and rolling off the tone can achieve the classic "burpy" fusion tone; yes, the neck pickup is deep, clear and growly.
But it doesn't really sound like IT, that classic, slightly honky tone. It's difficult to define, but you'll know when you hear it.

Worth noting: while this would be the ideal bass for rock & metal players, since it sits in the mix with authority, it also has an unbelievable slap tone - in Marcus territory but with perhaps even more "force", as it were....

It has a slightly flat radius, when compared to the standard Jazz profile, and very skinny all around; very comfortable for fast, aggressive playing. Being thus, it will require some vigilance in order to maintain your preferred action.
This is unfortunately rather difficult, as trussrod access is at the base of the fingerboard, and pickguard removal &/or neck removal is required in order to make adjustments.
I also had to install a neck shim in order to get decent action across the whole fingerboard.

(See above. Neck adjustments can be onerous.)
It's a nice, solid instrument, perhaps the single best all-around value in its price range (or even above it).

Never gig without a backup. Just don't. This is based on many years live & studio experience. (Since this bass is so effective, just buy 2!)

Haven't tried to talk to Fender in many years.

This bass is just plain killer. Buy one. You'll play it all the time. This, coming from a dedicated fretless player, and a dedicated Zon player.

Nice features for a passive Jazz bass, except for the truss rod adjustment. If anything the pickguard should have been cut to accommodate adjustments without having to taking it apart. This is a major flaw in my opinion even though it better represents Geddy's bass and the time period of the instrument this is modeled after.

I love the sound. It is closest to the tone, feel and vibe that I've been looking for in my bass tone. I've used MusicMan Sterling, Stingray and Stingray 5 for years. Lately I've been craving a more passive old-school growl, and this is it.

Crafted in Japan instruments are top-notch in my opinion. I've had two others and all three were meticulously created.

I've played a few gigs with it, and it will likely see many, many more. My only complaint might be with the black finish (they should come out with a side line of Geddy's in different colors... they'd sell a bunch). I don't sweat much, but occasionally an outdoor or bar gig will have this thing looking nasty by the end of the night. I find that I have to clean and polish this one quite a lot more often than my others.

n/a

For the money, this is the best true Fender bass there is. It blows the MIM stuff away, and even competes against MIA's (it's better in my opinion). It sounds great, plays great and is generally really cool.

I bought this Fender Geddy Lee in Oct 2006. Specs are easy to find, so I won't bore you with them here.

This bass sounds awesome. Perfect balance of meaty tone, yet clear articulation. I have played this bass in rock, pop, funk and jazz settings, and it has always sounded right at home.

When I bought the bass it was setup well. I don't know if the shop adjusted before purchase or not. I had to lower the pickups just a touch, as I was making contact with a poll piece when I really dug in on the E string. Fit and finish are great, I have not seen a Japanese made Fender that didn't look great.

Totally a work horse. Never a tuning problem. Finish is holding up well, just a bit of the standard buckle rash. I have used it on many gigs with no backup. I have adjust the neck once so far, but I would say that is common on a new bass as it breaks in a bit.

NA

I love this bass. It definately gets more use than the others in my collection. I upgraded to a hard shell case when I purchased this bass, advise I would give to anyone, better safe than sorry. If this one went missing, I would most definately rebuy another one. My one gripe would be overall output, I wish it was a touch hotter. I have debated changing the pickups, but I love the tone so much, I am sticking with the factory pickups for now. I just have to turn up my amp/pre-amp (depending on the gig) a bit more. If you are looking for a jazz bass, and don't have the money for an American model, go for the Geddy Lee, you won't regret it.

So based almost solely on the reviews I'd read here, I went down to Steve's Music Store in Montreal to try out a Geddy Lee signature Fender Jazz bass. They ordered one for me, because they had none in stock. It finally came in a month later, and it's gorgeous.

This is a 2007 model, made in Japan. Some people cringe when they see "made in" followed by anything other than USA, but it's a well known fact that some of Fender's finest axes came out of Japan. They shut down mass production of the cheaper models there and moved it to Mexico because the Japanese basses were outselling the US made ones. Most people agree that the late 80's Japanese Fenders are of a higher quality than their American counterparts.

On the surface this is a typical Fender Jazz bass. 4 strings, 20 frets, two single-coil Jazz pickups, passive electronics, 2 volume pots, 1 tone pot, black finish, white pickguard. But the first thing you'll notice when you pick it up is the neck. It's the thinnest neck I've ever seen on a Fender. We're talking Ibanez thickness on this bass. It's got a transparent gloss polyurethane laquer coating over the entire length of it, even covering the headstock. This gives the bass a really nice look, and also gives the neck an extremely smooth feel. They finish it off with black binding on the top and bottom of the fretboard, and nice fat black fret markers on the fretboard. There's a debate as to whether these are inlays or painted on. Given that Fender's website refers to them as "Black Rectangular Shaped Position Markers", I'm willing to bet they're just painted on, but they still look sweet. I've always been a huge fan of the look and sound of maple fretboards, and this is actually my first bass without a rosewood fretboard. Considering this is my 5th bass, it's about time I got one!

If you've seen the Rush In Rio DVD, this bass is identical to the one Geddy uses for a good portion of the show, including during the performance of YYZ and Tom Sawyer.

The pickups that come installed on this bass are sweet. They are vintage '62 reissue pickups that sound absolutely fantastic on this bass.

I also like that it comes standard with a Badass Bass II bridge. I've installed one on my Precision, and I can't imagine playing a Fender without one now. They're fantastic.

Let's get the one complaint that everyone has out of the way: the gigbag. Yes it sucks that this bass doesn't come with a hardshell case. Yes Fender did this to keep costs as low as possible, to keep this in the "workingman" price range. Yes I would have been willing to shell out an extra $50 if Fender included a molded hardshell case. But does any of this affect my opinion of the bass? Not in the slightest.

This isn't a fancy bass. It doesn't have active pickups, parametric EQ, stereo outs, midi connectivity, or any of that other high tech stuff. This is a bass made for function. There's a reason why the world prefers vintage guitars: they were simple. They did what they were supposed to do. They didn't light your cigarette for you, or call you a cab if you drank too much during your set. They just sounded great, and so does this bass.

I can't get over the sound of this bass. When I plugged it in at the store, my jaw hit the floor. I was playing it through an SVT Classic at the store, and I play an SVT3Pro with my band, so I knew it would be a close representation. I've been buying guitars from the same guy for the last decade, and usually he just smiles and says sure. This time, he made me pull down at least 10 other basses to try out. At first I thought he was trying to talk me out of buying it. But as every other bass on the wall failed to measure up, I realised he was just showing me that this was a great bass. I compared it to the USA Fender Precision and Jazz bass, an Ernie Ball StingRay, a few deluxe model Fenders, a Gibson Thunderbird, a Gibson Les Paul bass, and even a really nice looking Peavey bass. The active basses didn't cut it for me, because I've always found they lack an organic quality that I really enjoy in my bass tone. The USA Fenders sounded good, but didn't have the thump that the Geddy Lee offered.

Regardless of your opinion of Rush's music, you've got to give credit where it's due. Geddy's bass tone is monstrous. This instrument successfully recreates the tone that's graced a ton of classic Rush tracks. I play in a punk band called Humanifesto, and I think we'll all agree that the only similarities between punk and Rush are that they're both 4-letter words with a "U" in them. But the tone on this bass is great for punk rock, I cut right through the fast guitar riffs and break-neck drumming with this baby. I've heard a lot of people say that Fenders aren't any good for heavier music styles. All I have to say to them is this: the bassist of Rage Against The Machine uses a Fender Jazz. The fact is, a Fender bass will almost always be a great choice, regardless of the kind of music you play.

The tonal variety of the Jazz bass is impressive, even with the limited controls. I prefer the ballsy sound of all three knobs on 10. When I want a bit of a fatter sound, I drop the volume of the bridge pickup to 5 to cut back a bit on the highs that the bridge pickups puts out. For a great dub-reggae sound, I found dropping the bridge pickup to 0 and the tone knob to 1 or 2 gives a really round, dub-style tone.

I really couldn't ask for more out of a bass.

The guitar was perfectly setup when we cracked open the box. The action was perfect, no fret buzz at all. The pickups were at just the right height. Everything was setup and finished perfectly. The Japanese shop's attention to detail is remarkable. Even the intonation was dead on after a boat ride over from Japan! Not much else to say on this subject, it was in great condition.

This bass feels like a tank. It feels much sturdier than my Mexican Precision bass, which has already survived 5 years of me thrashing around stage and falling on my face with it. I have no fears of it breaking down.

The finish looks fine. Again, easily better than my old P-bass, which only has paintchips on it from where I smacked it into stuff when I wasn't looking.

I replaced the strap pegs with some Straplok pegs, because the way I fly around on stage, there's no bass that would survive long on me without straploks.

I'll always bring a backup bass with me, but that's just because I break strings fairly often (I play damn hard), but strings have nothing to do with the quality of the bass.

Never spoke with them.

I'm running this bass through an Ampeg SVT3Pro head into an Ampeg Classic 6x10 cab, with a SansAmp Bass DI as a preamp driver. The sound I get out of this rig now is utterly insane. I feel like I've finally found the tone I've hunted for years. Who knows how I'll feel two years from now, but at the moment, I can't imagine ever needing another instrument! Although... that Jaco signature model is pretty nice too...

I've got a 2003 model. They all come setup the same as far as I know: black body, white pickgaurd, maple neck w/black markers, 2 J-style pickups, etc. The bridge is solid, the pickups sound good, and the neck is fast!!! I wish it included a fitted hard case.

An absolutely great sounding bass. My only complaint was the strings that came on it. I quickly dumped the stock roundwounds and put some D'Adarrio Chromes (flatwounds) on it. This bass has a wonderful tone both live and recorded. It's quiet as long as you're using both pickups, but you'll pick up a little hum if you fade a lot. It is very versatile and I've used it to get great Jazz, Funk, Rock, Punk, Grunge, and Metal tones. Both on stage or in the studio, this bass does the job. There is just something about a J-bass that is incredibly universal.

Mine came setup like crap! The action was too high, the pickups were too high, and the neck wasn't flat. I had to take it in to a local shop and have it adjusted. Once adjusted however... it plays like a dream. The fit and finish are pretty good, but it's definitely not an American model.

This thing is a tank. No qualms whatsoever about use and abuse. since the initial adjustment (see above) this thing has played fabulous and I'm sure it will last for years to come. I don't think I'd ever go to a gig without a backup, but this bass has never let me down.

I've never had a problem with a Fender. **KNOCK WOOD**

I've been playing for about 10 or 11 years. I have 3 basses in my arsenal right now, but I've owned several. This is my favorite bass, if it were ever stolen... I'd cry... and then buy another. The Geddy is just a universal, versatile, easy to play, and great sounding bass. If I had to keep only one bass... it would be this one... far and away.