Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass

What the other reviewers said is accurate. I've been told the body is alder, though. I'm not a big fan of the neck shape. I find the thin neck to be very fatiguing. I have large hands.

Great tone, the reason I bought it. Really very growly. Not too crazy about the neck only sound, but otherwise very good. I play it only with both pickups wide open and strung with roundwounds. Any changes in tone are done with my tone knob.

This is why I wrote. The neck on my instrument is very bowed. I have cranked the truss rod all the way right to tighten it. I am not using heavy strings (45-105) and I should expect that the action be of some acceptable height. I suspect this is a problem due to the very skinny neck. I am deciding on replaning the fingerboard or replacing the neck with a Warmoth. I suspect not all the basses are like this, so make sure this is something you check out before you buy.

It's a Fender. Anything that can break can be replaced. I am noticing that the bushing for the G-string tuner rattles when I play. This is easily fixed.

I am in love with the cosmetics as well as the sound. I would want to replace the neck, but otherwise am fairly pleased with the bass. I probably wouldn't by it again, though.

2004 Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. Made in Japan. Very simple - two volume knobs (one per pickup) and a tone. No stacked knobs - no batteries - nothing exotic. A quality, straight-forward bass. Standard Jazz specs, passive pickups, extra-thin neck. Full specs can be found on the Fender site.

I play hard and progressive rock and this bass suits both styles very well. I run through a SansAmp RBI, into a Peavey TKO 115 and through the sound board. The pickups are very quiet - I could not detect any extra buzz through my setup. The sound is very good - very thick bottom end with a bit of growl, but no loss of high end dynamics. 'Pop' was the word my guitarist used. It certainly cuts through the mix, without overpowering any other instruments. The sound is well balanced over all four strings and from the top to the bottom of the neck. Tone is consistent and highlights (i.e., plucking, thumping, etc.) stand out.

The intonation was flat from the factory. Since it was ordered through the web, I figured I wouldn't have the advantage of having a shop pro set it up. No problem, really. I took about an hour to adjust the neck (too much relief for me), replace the strings (so-so stock Fenders) and adjust the intonation. The pickup heights were fine. Overall, the bass is easily ajustable and the action can be set very low.

It's not exactly a stunner (black and white), but what is there looks great. No discernible flaws. The binding and gloss finish on the neck is beautiful.

It's a brick - should stand up to any live gigs. Not terribly impressed with the tuners; they seem a little 'loose' for lack of a better word. The finish look good enough to last, particularly on the neck. (Always back to the neck!) The strap buttons are fine - no, they are not locking, but I don't plan on throwing this thing around my neck. I never gig without a backup - always plan for the worst.

Never dealt with Fender directly.

I've been playing bass for over 10 years. I also own a 1993 Fender P-Bass and a 2001 Ibanez SR800. The Geddy Lee will now replace the Ibanez as my main gig bass. It just has more 'cajones'. If it were stolen I would replace it immediately. I absolutely love the sound and feel of this bass. It plays like butter. The neck, the neck, the neck.

I compared this bass to the basses listed above as well as an American Standard Jazz Bass. The American Standard was comparable, but $300 more. No-brainer, really. I haven't seen a better bass for the price.

I wish it had a hard-case, but, for the price, it's very hard to really complain. I'll pick up an SKB case for $70.

This bass was on backorder for over a month, but it was well worth the wait.

Made in Japan. Standard jazz bass pickups and electronics....some say the pickups are American....I honestly don't know. Only comes in black (boringest color ever IMHO) Neck has black block inlays and black binding (neck looks fantastic) Rate an "8" because it needs to come in another color. Has a Badass II bridge (nice move on Fender's part) Tuners are nothing to write home about, but they hold a tune. The neck is a very pale maple color....not that antique yellow look at all. That actually makes the bass look better for some reason.

I play contemporary church music in the style of 70's rock and its all mostly finger style....no slapping, popping or using a pick. Lacks lows a bit. Didn't expect that. Great mids and highs....fantastic definition. I'm sure a boost on the amp will remedy what the bass lacks in low end punch. Sounds good with amp tweaking.....not terribly noisy at all, even with 1 single coil on. I expected outstanding growl. Nope. O.K. growl.....not outstanding at all. You do get that solid feel to the notes that you expect with a good bridge.....gobs of sustain.

Action was high. Taking the neck or pickguard off to adjust the truss rod is a pain. Neck came bowed somewhat out of the box. Saddle heights and intonation will need adjusted after the action problem and the bowed neck are fixed. It wasn't grossly bad at all....but I can't live with it. It would have been awesome if work on it wasn't necessary. The action really is quite high...too high to know if there is much fret buzz at this point. Frets appear to be polished and finished nicely......nicer than any guitar or bass I've ever known. The boring black color was finished quite adequately with no visible flaws. "7" because the action and neck will need a little work.

Everything seems solid. I don't play without a backup.....ever. Jacks and switches can go at any time.....though I'd be surprised with this one.....seems real solid. How about if Fender does the obvious and has it come with strap locks standard. (?) Isn't that a no-brainer by now? A hardshell case would have been nice as well. I'd have even paid a little more to get one. Another no-brainer IMHO.

The only Fender dealer around here hates the guts of people who buy anything on the internet....and they won't really honor Fender warrantees it seems. If they pretend to, they don't make it a priority, you wait forever, and you get back a poor job at best. Too bad for me....I won't pay their price (a measley 20% off), so I'll be fixing my own axe or sending it back for a replacement to Musician's Friend.

Many have said it, and I expect that after the bow in the neck is fixed and the action improves, I'll be saying it myself. The shape of the neck makes the whole bass guitar worth it. I've owned American Precisions and Japanese Precisions, a Rick 4001, and many other basses. Nothing beats the thin shape of this neck. One guy said "If God played the bass, this is the bass God would play." The neck is absolutely fabulous looking and feeling. I wish they made another color. I hate black.....boring except on a Les Paul Custom IMHO. Unless the neck fix reveals alot of fret problems (which I'm 98% sure it won't), I'm gonna love this bass even though its black. Geddy Lee had nothing to do with why I bought this bass. It was for the neck. 95% of the bass players that try it will be very impressed, I'm sure. If you get the chance, pick one up and play it. You'll see what I mean immediately. And yea, I'd replace it immediately if it disappeared.....because of the neck.

For-the-loveof-Pete, Fender, put this neck on another bass or offer a different color option.....no matter what Geddy played. And give us a case and some straplocks.

Feature-wise, this has everything most passive jazz basses have. Two passive jazz pickups, volume/volume/blend, etc. This model has a maple neck and fingerboard with black block inlays and neck binding, just like the early 70's ones. The tuners are vintage style "high post" tuners, which help the make the vibe of this bass great. My two favorite features however are that they come stock with Lee Quan Badass II bridges, an instant improvement from the crappy new stock fender bridges, and the fact it comes with US made pickups.

This is a japanese model, and the fact of the matter is that when fender had a large line of japanese guitars and basses (some of the late 80's japanese guitars are coming fairly collectible), they closed the shop down because the japanese had better quality control then the US Fender's, it was costing them too much. You can be as "I'm an American and I'll only buy American products" as much as you want to if you want to lie to your ears. Imports are great nowadays, you have the japanese Fenders, Sadowsky, G&L, and Lakland all starting import lines, and all of them sound better then American Fenders.

Bottom line, it's just a great jazz bass. Jazz basses aren't complicated and don't have a ton of features, they just sound great, it's pretty hard to make these sound bad! But, due to it's simplicity, I'm giving it a 7.

I play jazz, blues, funk, rock, and hardcore, but recently (for the last year) I've put off paying gigs to play in an all original catchy indie rock band, like the shins or the new pornographers (www.thosetransatlantics.com). Originally I was playing a Musicman Stingray 3EQ through a Gallien Krueger 1001RB, 410 RBH, and 115 RBH. I liked the sound alot but a little too "modern" sounding for our style. Then, I purchased and Ampeg SVT CL head with an Ampeg SVT 610-HLF (the 8-10's are TOO BIG, the 6-10 doesn't sound exactly the same but it at least has handles. I'm not getting the 8-10 until we get our road crew together for the winter tour). This was a HUGE tonal improvement, the head is just a straight-up, plug and play 300 watt all tube monster, but with the tubes i hated the stingray preamp.
I went to a Samash with our drummer and keyboard player and played everything I was interested in, and then came across this and fell in love.

This bass is extremely versatile, it can go everywhere from a flatter sounding bassy growl, which I use for our alt-country and slower songs, to a great tasteful, biting ringy treble tone which i use for our higher energy songs. It sounds like every jazz bass should. I have not used it for recording yet but have played out with it several times and it sounds amazing!

Suprisingly, the set up job was phenomenol! The neck on this thing just begs to be played, it's so thin depth and width-wise, I was amazed this was a factory setup job by fender.

This bass WILL take a beating! All the hardware seems as though it will stand up through the long haul, however I may replace the tuners with some vintage style hipshots. The neck and truss rod seem great so far, I've only been through one whole season with it, but it's held in different climates. I will be gigging without a backup, simply because I don't break strings, and I don't beat on my gear.

Haven't talked to Fender, although I'm not expecting them to be great.

I've been playing bass for 12 years, I've owned basses from, Musicman, Rickenbacker, G&L, and other Fenders, and honestly, this is my favorite bass I've ever owned. Although I completely respect his musicianship, Geddy Lee is not the coolest person in the world, but this bass is the jam! I can't believe you can get these new for $650!!!

If this were stolen I would replace it. Although, I might go higher end eventually and get a Lakland Joe Osborn.

My favorite thing about this bass is the bridge, neck, pickups, and the vintage vibe you get from it. I'm poor and play in an original band, so I won't get my hands on a clean vintage early 70's jazz any time soon. I don't hate anything on this bass, but if I had to pick my least favorite thing, it'd be the tuners.

I compared this to a Rickenbacker 4003 and Fender American Jazz's and Precision's. I picked this one because it sounded and played the best, hands down! I wish it came in more colors maybe, like the common colors of 70's jazz basses, your natural's, subursts, candy apple red, just all the classic colors, of course it is modeled after Geddy's old one, and if it came in more colors I'd probably own at least one more, and that's unnecessary!

This is a great bass to add to your arsenal, and as of now, it's the only bass IN mine, I have a ton of faith in it.

This is a 2003 Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, manufactured in Japan. It has all the standard configurations of the famed Jazz bass: Passive Vintage pick-ups, maple neck, vintage tuners, what apperas to be bacl block inlays, and a Leo Quan BAII bridge.

This bass should have a case included, it is a high quality instument at least on a par with Fender American and Rickenbacker products. I quite honestly don't know how Fender price points this bass, I'm not complaining, but it is indeed a value.

This bass lists at $629.00 US, but Guitar Center will work with you.

I play mostly rock and blues, and this instrument perfectly fits the bill. It has lots of punch and clarity, and can attain a great bottom end with proper amp setings. I play thru a GK 1001RBII head with RBH cabinets in the 2x10 and 1x15 configuaration, no effects. The strings I exclusiveley use are Rotosound Swing Bass, 45 65 80 105 (the BEST round wound avaialable IMHO). My pertricular model is extremly quiet, quieter than my 2000 American made Jazz. This bass doesn't achive a plethora of tones, but what it does is excellent and can be utilized by most any musician playing rock, pop, etc.

The action was set a nice medium level, approx 3/32. Pickups were a bit low, but that was an easy adjustment. I had read prior reviews indicating that the neck needed to be removed to adjust the truss rod, not so, at least on mine. The truss screw can be accessed by removing the pickguard and using a smaller, standard screw driver to make the adjustment...no sweat. The neck is the amazing part of this instrument, very well finished and lightning fast. The frets are of the medium jumbo variety and finished well, no sharp edges or high points. All controls functioned smoothly and were properly aligned. I did adjust the action ever so slightly, but this was out of personal preference and not a necessity. The neck is not so much narrower than a standard Jazz Bass, but it is indeed shallower, allowing for fast movement around the fretboard. This neck should be available on all J basses (even if it is a custom type option). This is the best neck curently out there in bass guitar land, at least for those that play more melodic patterns. The BAII bridge is also a welcome addition. The finifh of the instrument was excellent, deep black with no noticable swirls or imperfections.

I've only had the instrument a little over 2 monts and it has been rock solid. One minor preferential truss adjustment when I switched to Rotosound Swing Bass 45 65 80 105. Other than that, the tuners have held tune, and the bass perfoms as a true road warrior. I think the BAII bridge eliminates some string breakage issues I've encountered with string thru the body bridge. The only minor addition was the replacement of the stock strap buttons with Schaller Strap Locks.

I'd read that this bass came with a "limited edition" neck plate, mine didn't. I was planning on contacting Fender to see what gives, but I haven't. I pretty much do all my own set-up and maintenance work...so we'll see how Fender responds to the neck plate issue.

I've been playing the better part of 25 years and have grown up on J and P basses, they just always felt good to me. In addition to this I currently own a Fender American J-Bass, a Rickenbacker 4003, and an Epiphone Viola (better in my opinion than the Hofner). The GL J Bass is played through a GK 1001RBII 2x10 and 1x15 GK RBH cabs. No toys in between the instrument and the amp. Strings are the aforementioned Rotosound Swing bass, the only roundwound for me. If this bass were stolen I would definitely buy another, the neck is just so darn comfortable, and the sound so clear.

Japanese made, standard options. Not the greatest of pots or tuning gears but adequate.

Stock pickups are kind of weak. Good range of jazz and rock tones. Lacks bottom end. Clear cutting mids and highs. I use through Ampeg SVP preamp into Blue tube compressor, Crest 1100W power and 2 1-15" Bag Ends and 2 2-12" Bag End Cabs (with Sans Amp foot pedal which brings any rig to life!).

Amazing Neck!!! Can't rave enough about the neck! Sleek and FAST!! Set up at Guitar Center with very clean finish overall.

Overall solid but haven't gigged it enough. Past experience with Fender has been great.

No experience

Excellent bass but I have already ordered a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity II pickups which should bring it to life! May get a new set of tuning gears but the BadAss bridge is great. I'd buy another one in a snap if it was stolen. I've played for 32 years, many years as a pro and have had numerous different basses (wish I'd held on to some of them I've gotten rid of over the years!). This is a quality instrument that will be perfected with the right pickups (and possible replacement pots for smoother control/tuning gears).

2003 Geedy Lee Model, Jazz bass styling. everything is simple but it actually works well. Instead of either on or off, you can hear the differnces. Impressive for Fender basses. I'll give this a ten because the tone pots work. There aren't a lot of features.

Ever been in a fight with Muhammed Ali? Well this can pack that kind of PUNCH! I play through a Behringer V-Amp pro rack mount and a QSC power amp 1400 series and a Hartke 1x15 and 2x10 cabs. this can blow dust in your face and rattle the neighborhood. This guitar can easily get that Rush/ Prog Rock sound. Easy to play, sound for days and this thing just seems to have a soul. You can feel it as you play. No dislikes here.

Bought this from a guy off of Ebay. It was in very good shape. I played the bass the day I got it. How is that for timing. The bass was very easy to get used to. 4 hours later and I was making noise in public and didn't feel awkward at all. I haven't notice anything for flaws.

Durability? You can use this for a baseball bat, an oar, a crutch, an axe, maybe even a spatula and it would still play that night's gig. Reliable, it better be, this stuff pays the rent and keeps the wife in the lifestyle she has grown accustomed to.

Nah.

If it was stolen, I'd hunt you down and let my sound man take care of you. I love playing this guitar. It gets the seat instead of the groupies. Sorry girls. Don't tell the wife ;) I'll take it home with me instead of packing it in a truck after a gig. I also own two Made in Mexico Deluxe Jazz as well and a Yamaha. Those are good, too.

Japanese made and you know the specs. Originally a bit leary of the Japanese origin, but after reading about the quality and talking to some folks I decided to try one out. Also, considering the many quality Yamaha basses out there the Japanese are no slouches at being able to produce a quality instrument.Only an 8 because the features are all so basic and stock. Nothing bad at all, just very average. Sometimes less is more.For what I paid for this instrument, with Bartolinis, and a great SKB FULL case, I don't think I could have done better.

Wel, it originally came with Bartolini passive pickups installed, which I thought would be the cat's behind. After geting it home, plugging it in and trying a variety of things it sounded a bit tame for my liking. So I took it out to gig at full speed to see if there was any difference. While the overall tone was bassy and warm it lacked the life I have grown used to. NOw, thankfully the original owner included the stok pickups with the deal and since I have read rave things about the sound I decided to take a couple of hours to put things back to stock. Not a direction that one would normally go but worth a try. Let me tell you, what a difference! The output was so much better, the overall tone was akin to what I was hoping, the combo of deep bass and balanced overtones was just great, So the stock pickups were the winner for me. I find that the tone control is actually useful on this guitar unlike so many that I just turn to full and forget it. Fingerstyle i scomplexly big, slap and finger pops are great, and the bridge P/U gets the Jazz sound that we all know and love. Again, it came right from the factory. Nice.

The nec k is by far the thinnest I have ever played. It's a fantastic feel. The action as I received it with 45-105's is perfect for me, no buzzing or deadness. The only finish flaw I could find are some noticeable grain valleys that run the lower length of the body. This was a miss in QC but it's an effort to see and at this price level, nothing to concern myself with. The tuners are the worst part though. BMFL size tuners that feel crappy in use. They seem to hold tune but I have every intention of replacing them as soon as I can. Otherwise, the electronice are solid with what I believe are switchcraft, or at the least, Switchcraft quality components. No noise, solid feeling pots. I replaced the white pickguard with a blck MOTO style pearlized pickguard and it's beautiful. It makes the maple neck and black blocks look much more balances in my opinion.

This appears to be solid guitar that will easily stand up to the rigors of regular play. All the parts are there to place it on par with much more expensive instruments. I expect no issues. I replaced the strap buttons with Schaller straplocks as I do on everything I own. Call me crazy, but I never gig with a back up guitar or bass, especially a passive instrument. There's just so little to go wrong to justify the extra equipment for me.

No experience.

I have been playing for over 25 years, bass and guitar for 10. I play publicly very often. I have owned a huge variety of guitars and basses. I have high expectations from my instruments and and equipment. If they don't suit me then they are gone. I had a USA Jazz back in the early 80's and love this one as much or more than that one. It's a keeper. If it were lost or stolen I would certainly consider a replacement but for the reasons of variety I might look for a Modulus Q4, but I ain't getting it for $600.00 complete in this condition. It is a great piece. If I could change 2 things it would be the "autograph" on the back of the headstock and the tuners. God love Geddy but I don't love that print. The tuners are an easy enough fix. Favorite feature has to be the beck. Solid and skinny. Just great.

The features have been adaquately covered already. Mine is a middle weight as Basses go. I have not read much in the reviews here pertaining to this. I did notice quite a bit of weight variations between the Fender models on the wall at the local stores. The features on this model fall into the K.I.S.S. catagory. Versitility and ease of play are indicated in the overall high ratings on the Geddy Lee model. Wanting more features is simply splitting hairs. For me it was love at first note. The fun factor playing this instrument is at the top of the heap!

I have found that this Bass will make any sound I want. Playing it straight thru my Peavey amp or whatever amp I connect it to it sounds consistantly good. Regardless of style of music, a little adjustment on the controls and you're good to go. My ears tell me this Bass runs the gammit of tones, light to dark, bright to dull and always warm.

Here's where I was most surprised. I haven't been too impressed with the QC on fit, i.e. neck pockets, etc. with Fender for a couple years now. Their finishes are very good overall, though. This Bass I have exceeds in all catagories from intonation to set-up to fit and finish. Perhaps it's because it was built in Japan.

No need for a back up here. This catagory is why people buy Fenders in the first place.

Although I've never needed help from Fender on their products they have always returned emails promptly and are very helpful. I don't use their authorized repair centers that I know of. I rely on the best craftsperson in my area. In my case I have the luxury of having Mike Lull close by.

I'm a converted guitar player of twenty years. Over the years I've bought and sold several basses. One Guild Pilot, a Kramer Forum III and Fenders. My main criteria for owning this Bass is the neck. It's absolutely perfect for people with small hands or beginners. I can't imagine anyone outgrowing this Bass and would highly recommend it to anyone.

enough of it posted already...loved the Badass II bridge and neck though

ok, i was in guitar center with nothing in my pocket at the time. i just went to look around because i already was having an active deluxe jazz bass sent to me through the music store i work for. well, make a long story short, i picked the bass up and just started tooling around with it. i immediately fell in love with the way it plays, the neck feels so comfortable. right after i got done playing it, i ran over to the nearest bank and took out 600 bucks to pay for it so i can use it that night for my gig. i play progressive/hard rock (tool/a perfect circle) and i love the way it sounded with my rig. mesa boogie m-pulse 600, ampeg pr410hlf cab, and a small board of effects including delay, distortion, and chorus. i got the sound ive been looking for for a long time, i am now stuck on fender because of this bass.

well the action was OK, i was able to due with it for that night and the intonation sounded fine. but with any bass i get, ill set it up to the way i like it.

everything seems good so far, pretty solidly built.

i used the same bass for 3 years without a back-up so, yes i would use it without one.

nothing yet, just about my other bass, they didnt give me any information at all except they didnt send it out yet because everything wasnt for sale for about two weeks because of changes they were making. i ordered it 3 weeks ago and i still havent gotten anything, and i still have to wait those two extra weeks...not fun

ive been playing in a bands for about 5 years now...my old bass is a schecter elite 5 and that held up fine. very easy to play live with, i didnt have to get used to it at all, i felt comfortable enough to play a show with it just hours after i bought it. so far, buying it was a very good idea and i have no regrets.