Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass

Just bought me a Fender Geddy Lee Jazz bass. It is as standard as a Jazz Bass gets and the features have been discussed at lenght by other people, so I won't go there.

Simple setup, so less things that can break. Easy as that....

I have been a Geddy Lee fan for as long as I can remember. However, I found out only two years ago, he had a signature bass, when I had my heart set out on a Jazz Bass.
I decided I wanted to buy the best Jazz Bass I could get for the money, so I read a lot of reviews on Harmony-Central. Guess what: the Geddy Lee signature Jazz Bass was raved about by virually all reviewers! That triggered my attention. I went to a large musicstore and tried out all kinds of Jazz Basses (and other brands) and found the Geddy to be the one I wanted.
It took a long time to actually buy one since the 2nd hand market of these basses is not very large (in Holland that is...)

I play rockcovers, using an Ampeg SVT III amp with a 4 x 10" cabinet. No effects. The versitility of the Jazz Bass is enormous. You can go virtually anywhere with this bass, soundwise. My Geddy has a slight hum on the neck pickup when turned up full, but nothing I am deeply concerned about.

I am still trying to find my favorite growling sound, but that is only a matter of time. The neck is also something most reviewers raved about, and they are right! It is very good. I have rather large hands, so I had my concerns about the thin neck, but I find it very comfortable to play.

The bass was bought 2nd hand. The action on the E and the G string are a bit high to my liking, but I will soon have that fixed.

Pickup adjustments are fine as far as I'm concerned. The finish is beautiful and deep. It is very well built and I think it will withstand stage use admirably. However, I will bring my '78 Precision as a back up. At least the first couple of gigs. The tuning mechanisms have been replaced by black Schallers, which I like quite a bit. Also the white pick guard has been replaced by a black one, which gives the bass a completely different appearance.

As said, the bass will hold out nicely on stage I think, but I will bring a backup the first couple of times.

It is a Fender so it is built to last longer than yours truly. I have no cencerns with the finish. I hope it will wear nicely and evenly, like my Precision.

A lot of people have complained about the strap buttons. I have never understood those comments. I have been playing my Precision for 20 years or so, with standard strap buttons and they have never let me down. This Jazz Bass also has standard buttons (I think) and I will not replace them, since I trust them 100%.

Never had to deal with them

I have been playing bass for more than 20 years. I am not a very good player, but I have a lot of fun doing it and that counts in my humble opinion. I have had a couple of basses in my time, but not too may. I (still) have a 5 string Yamaha BB G5 and a very old Westone Thunder I fretless, which are both up for sale. Why? Because I now have my "dreamteam", consisting of a '78 Fender Precision and this Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. I need nothing else.

If this bass was stolen or lost, I would replace it at once. I love the looks, versitility of the sounds available, the comfortable neck and the fact that it is so durable.

I did try some other basses. Several Fender Jazz Bass models, Lakland, Maruszczyk, but nothing came close to this one in playability and price.

2007 made in Japan
4 string 20 fret
Alder body maple neck
Jazz controls (bass/treble, bridge volume, neck volume
Passive electronics
Maybe 1000 coats of finish on the neck and body
Bad *** bridge
Super thin neck
Came with gig bag

Sounds really growly with the bridge pick up cranked and fuller with the neck. I crank both up when slapping. Gives it a really strong sound. I love the sound whatever way I set it.

The action can only be great if you set it up properly. I searched around for one of these and played about 10 or so before I found what I wanted. The factory set up on most that I tried was horrible. After playing with the neck I did get it to where I wanted and very little buzz. The pick ups sound great and are very easy to work with 2 volume knobs and the small bass and treble adjustment. The finish is beautiful. Has a real heavy finish on the neck and body. Almost wish the neck had less.

It's a Fender jazz. Although made in Japan it seems to be just a well built as the made in America Standards. Hardware is beefy. I had to line the pick ups with copper tape and rewire with shielded cable to get the ridiculous buzz out. After that though it is very quiet. Get ready to adjust the neck on this thing at least twice a year if you travel around with this. The different temps will make the neck move like crazy. I guess being a very thin neck you will have that. I would always bring a back up to gigs no matter what I owned. (you never know)

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I own a Modulus Flea, an old 77'Rick 3001, a Jazz 24 and this. The Geddy is my #1. I've been playing for close to 30 years and it doesn't get any more comfortable than this. If it were lost or stolen I would buy another for sure. Probably the new 3 tone sunburst they came out with this year though. Black and white pick guard was the only choice for years. I love the ease of getting the sound you want with the pick up volumes and tone knob. Over all (especially for the money) this is a great bass.

It's a typical Geddy Lee bought in 2006 new. I suspect you all know the rest of the details. Gig bag was the only downer.

The sound is typical 70s Jazz. Great punch and growl. I use it with an Eden Metro and it's great with that amp. I've also used it with a Fender Blues Breaker, (2 x12 version of a '59 Bassman.) That was vintage Fender. I've heard other Jbasses with more snap than this, I've also heard ones that were nowhere near as good. The bass is good value.

Factory setup was good, no buzzes or dead spots, but a little high for my taste. A bridge and neck adjustment put things to right. I have several MIJ/CIJ Fenders and they are, without exception, superbly crafted instruments. The thin neck is obscenely fast but for me can get a bit uncomfortable if it's a long session.

I have to really dock the instrument on this one. The neck needs seasonal adjustment and it spends most of its time in a temperature/humidity controlled room. I ended up using a Dremel and notching the body where it meets the neck so I could more easily adjust the neck. A screwdriver is part of the tool kit if I take this one out to play somewhere. I've the neck start buzzing as the temp rises. Some mentioned a quarter sawn neck should be standard. They may be right.

Never had to use them.

Playing for 30+ years and this is one of several basses I have. My favorite Jbass is the Marcus Miller. Its neck is more comfortable for my hands and the active electronics let it give a very big sound, without sacrificing the '70s Jazz sound. The MM is the one I take for most playing. Yes, I always bring a backup. In spite of my gripes, I think this is a superb bass for the money and I find the MIJ Fenders to be as good as the American Standards if not better. I really think you need to go CS to get better build quality

I've wanted a geddy for years, but since I'm a 5 and 6 string bassist in my working musician life, I could not justify the vanity purchase. I finally found a used on for $400 on CL, I live in Seattle and drove to Tacoma to get it. The bass had been in a wet basement and was pretty beat up. The wood was slimy and there was green corrosion on the frets, pitted jackplate, nasty machines, all screws were rusted. Strings were black with funk. I took it home and took it apart, steel wooled the frets, replaced the jackplate and got new black hipshot machines, black string tree, new black Bad Ass, black screws and a black perloid pickguard. I cleaned up the electronics, but did not replace anything, all my new parts are direct replacements, albeit in black. I took it to my guy to get set up and... holy smokes, this bass is not only stunning to look at, but plays like butter. Rating is 5, it's just a Jazz Bass maaaan..

The bass was a huge hit with fellow musicians, have lent it out to many others for them to play (that's how I roll, yo). Everyone raves about it. If i were to change anything, I'd shield it better but it's not been that much of an issue. Rolling both pups to the same-ish volume usually fixes the hum. I've talked about making the active conversion, but this bass is warm and comfortable and I love the no frills aspect. Oh, and the neck... good lord, the neck.

Got it used, and I don't know anyone that takes a factory set up seriously. Drop the few bucks and get it done right by a pro. I have a Mike Lull jazz 5 string that was PLEK'd, I may have that done to it as well if I have an extra $200 laying around. It's worth it, since I intend to hold onto this bass forever. Again I got it pretty trashed, but the finish gleams nicely after some elbow grease. I love the big Jazz Bass lettering on the headstock too.

I've started using it for casual gigs, mostly blues. played it with Tab Beniot when he came through. It's not given me any trouble at all, it's built like a tank. My other basses are boutique, very expensive (Mike Lull MV5, Fender Marcus Miller V), this one I drag around in a gig bag and it's just solid.

Never dealt with Fender, but everyone is conversant in them and knows how to work on them. Parts are easy to get from a million sources, makes them inexpensive.

I've been playing, recording and touring for 25 years. I play through a GK700RB through an SWR Goliath III, just use a MXR auto-Q effect for solos and to get funky. I have the Geddy, the Marcus 5, the Mike Lull 5, a heavily modded Jazz 5 that's now a 6, Fender Jazz fretless 50 year aniversary bass and an ancient Yamaha BB1100S.
The Geddy conpetes with all of them for sheer fun and playability.

Typical Jazz bass...although the neck is a bit thinner and wider that my other jazz bass...It is very comfortable and not very heavy weighs about 8 lbs.

My band plays various styles of music (classic rock, blues, R&B Otis not Beyonce!, 80's Rock etc etc) this bass fits in well with most of our music. Dialing in the right volume settings is crucial though.

I am running this bass through a GK RB700II and an 8X10 GK cab....it hums a bit but I have yet to play a Jazz that didn't.

When I bought it had round wounds on it, the sound was brittle and sterile...I put on a set of Rotosound LB-77s and this bass really came alive. It has a great growl and lets you know it is there!

This was a bit of a let down, I had to take the neck off and reset it, the string sat closer to the E side so if I fretted to hard our gave a slight amount of up pressure the E string would roll off the edge of the fretboard. This was an easy fix...but one would think that Fender Japan would not let out of the factory...

Built like a Sherman tank, I would take this bass to a gig any day without a backup...

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I have been playing bass off and on for about 10 years now, guitar for about 25 years. I have a Lakland Skyline Duck Dunn and a MIM Fender Jazz...this Geddy Lee is about ready to take the place of my Duck Dunn (which is my numner one)...I have a USA Duck Dunn on order...we will see in time who wins!

My only gripe with the Geddy Lee bass is the limited color choise (any color you want as long as it is black!. I know this is a minor detail but I like standing out in a crowd with wild colored instruments...

MIJ, 2008, standard features, w/gig bag. I upgraded to an SKB/Fender deluxe hardshell case. IMHO it's much better than the gig bag or standard fender hardshell. While there are various P/J combinations in terms of pickups and preamps, I preferred the simplistic nature of the features on this bass. Although, I can see the benefit of the versatility of those other models, I wanted a bass for recording that would bring a good tone all the time without a bunch of fiddling and fuss. Additionally, the MIJ basses appear to have better hardware than many of the USA basses (i.e. bridge/tuners), and the quality can appear to be as nice as a USA bass. Features I would like to see are real fret marker inlays (as opposed to painted on) and a better neck adjustment, either by routing out some space near the adjustment or by placing the adjustment above the nut. While I realize these are cost cutting features, I personally would have paid more for these options and would upgrade to one if Fender issued one. I was aware of these deficiencies when I bought the bass.

I perform indie rock, mellow to hard. My other bass is a Peavey Rudy Sarzo from the 90s with humbuckers. I wanted a bass with single coils. I run the bass through an Orange AD-200B MK1 which is pure bliss. I also compliment my sound with the use of a countryman and sansamp di. This bass just has a nice bite to it.

This is where you have to be absolutely careful. I went to about 5 stores looking at this exact bass in each one, including ones in the box. The fact is each instrument is different. You absolutely have to play a lot of them. Probably the best one I played was dinged up at GC, but I couldn't bring myself to buy it due to the cosmetics. I even ended up taking one home, only to return it the next day after I noticed an issue I hadn't noticed in the store. Thankfully, I was able to exchange it for the one I have which I am pleased with. Out of 10 basses, I can actually say I would have only considered buying 2. I am very picky though and know what I'm looking at. I kind of expected a little better consistency from the MIJ basses than I actually encountered.

It's reliability seems good. I haven't owned it long enough to know how the neck/truss rod will fare over time. I imagine with good care it should be fine.

I really have no idea on this one. I've heard it's a lifetime warranty on the MIJ basses. Don't know.

I have been playing for 20+ years. I have a semi-professional studio with a wide variety of amps.

The usual Geddy Lee jazz bass: I won't bore you with the details, but it's probably a 2007(ish?) model? Usual Jazz bass accoutrement, so: two tone knobs, passive (and low output) vintage pups, badass bass bridge (a must have upgrade), painted on inlays, and the thinnest/fastest neck this side of a Rickenbacker. I'm giving this category a "ten" because -- instead of having a crapload of active ridiculousness -- this bass keeps its perfect and simple. Dial it in. Play.

Our band (original) plays an early 90's style of alt.rock (Husker Du, Pixies, Nirvana) with some nerdy/indie flourishes thrown in (Rush, Fugazi) for good measure.

I have a few basses in the trailer for gigs and tours: this Geddy Lee, a Lakland Darryl Jones Sig, a 1989 Musicman Stingray, and a Yamaha BB614. At the moment, the Lakland and the Geddy are battling it out for "favorite on-stage bass." We're recording our album in Water Studios and MEDIA51 in Hoboken with John Seymour (U2, Alice in Chains, Dave Matthews Band, Santana) and the Lakland won hands down in the studio. LIVE, however, the Geddy rips the Lakland's prissy *** to shreds, to the point that our drummer insists on me playing it.

As the guy below noted, it's low output -- which was annoying with a lower wattage amp, but no problems with my current rig -- and has a very distinct tone. He called it "anemic," which I can see: but rather, I assess it's very focused in the low and mid-midrange, with lots of growl and an awesome bite and a slight overdrive. Which is to say, it sounds very much like Geddy Lee's tone, if you sort of generalize that tone down (he's had tons of different tones over the years: RIC, WAL, etc.). If you want a studio clean, Mark King kind of tone, you're not going to get that. This is a straight up rock bass.

My current live rig is the Geddy into an ALEMBIC F1-X / ALEMBIC SF-2 combination, run through a Behriner Europower 2500 amplifier into a BASSON B810B. My tone is, hands down, the best on any stage I play, to include when we've hit it with nationals. The Geddy through the ALEMBIC DI to the board freaking rips the heart out of the audience, while the middy growl of the Geddy gets a tube warmth added to in the alembic and a TON of *** by the cabinet. Massive.

The manufacturing on the bass is great; people seem to rag a little bit on the Crafted in Japan basses, but actually think they seem more solid than some of the American models and DEFINITELY the mexican/indonesian crap.

When I bought the bass, the action was admittedly high...but after a few turns of the truss rod and adjustment of the BADASS, it now plays like a dream. The neck is ridiculously thin, and fast as hell. Seems to be built like a tank and, unlike some on this forum, I've had no problems with the inlays getting scratched off.

Like I said, I usually have at least two and sometimes four basses at our gigs; I'd never gig without a backup. But in this case, it does seem very durable and has withstood my abuse (I bought the thing over 18 months ago, so I've really lived with it...).

The truss rod, I have to say, is a pain in the *** to adjust since you have to take the neck off and adjust from the bottom. A bullet trussrod would really make my life a lot freaking easier. But, that said, it also hasn't needed much adjustment. In Spring and again in Winter, and I'm usually good for 6 months.

Never dealt with Fender, but I haven't heard anything good. I'll reserve judgment.

When I got this bass, it was a kick *** value for a phenomenal bass. Since now, my scanning of the various online music stores appears that they're raising the price slowly but surely...I wanna say I paid $599 for mine at a local music store, while the current online price appears to be $999. Hmmmm. At either $599-$799 this bass kicks the crap out of everything else around. At $999? It's a way tougher call: for $200 more dollars you can really get some great US-made basses. So, I dunno. If you can get one used, that's really the best way to go, I think.

Anyway, for ME, this thing sounds incredible, looks incredible, built like a tank, etc. I got a fantastic bargain on it. The playability, durability, and sound of this bass are really amazing. Go forth and rock.

Made in 1998, USA jazz pickups, Badass II bridge, etc....

In my case, it was a complete let-down. Compared to a 2007 USA fender jazz standard, it produced a thin, anemic sound when plugged directly into the Fender Bassman and Ashdown I use. I fact, I couldn't get a decent tone out of any amp I tried with this guitar. With an active DI box between myself and the amp, it was a little better, but it was really disturbing how much better the standard jazz sounded plugged straight in. When it comes to bass, I believe it's best to keep pedals etc. to a bare minimum at all costs, so the Geddy was really getting on my nerves. I bought this bass used at a really low price, and just kind of went for it because I believed it was impossible to go wrong with any Fender bass, let alone one that now costs about a grand brand new. Word to the wise: really sit and play this (or any) bass before you pull the trigger.

Though this guitar looks awesome and the super-thin neck is an interesting touch at first, I found that this has one of the most unforgiving necks of any bass I've ever played. Even after raising the action a tad, I got tons of nasty fret noise all up and down the neck. So the thin, wimpy pickups and ugly string rattling that occured finally sent me over the edge, and I promptly sold the bass. Did I just get a dud? Who knows. Again, I guess it just goes to show that you can't ever buy an instrument based solely on a brand name.

On the plus side ??? and with my Geddy, this will be a short list ??? it seems as tough as any Fender bass, and it stays in tune wonderfully. Go ahead and drop it, kick it, whatever. It'll hold up. The electronics didn't ever fail me in terms of functionality. So, what do you want? I'll give it a 9.

no idea

I've played bass for about 14 years. The majority of that time was spent playing a Mexican P-bass. A few years ago, I started playing a bandmate's USA jazz and was really stoked about the tone and slim neck. I wanted one of my own, so when I got the chance to get the Geddy cheap, I jumped. I've never played a Geddy other than the one I had, so it's possible that I got a bad one (most people on this page rave about theirs). But after a VERY brief honeymoon high wore off, I found my bass to be seriously lacking in the low-end, with a neck that turned every note into a tinny fart.
On a side note, I have seen tons of used Geddys for sale from private sellers in my area. Anything's worth a try, I guess, but don't just jump into one thinking it's a sure bet.
My main bass is now an old Ibanez musician. It's punchy, it's got an obiese neck, and notes ring out clear and true. A true workhorse that sounds good at any setting.

2008 vintage I think. you've seen a million reviews of this bass so I'll skip listing them. I like the simplicity of the controls & am not a fan of those borg-like active basses that can sound like "any other" bass and have more knobs & switches than an analog synth.

very versatile jazz bass & by far the best one I've owned. It trumps the american '62 reissue that I had in the nineties by several degrees. the pickups are pretty close to noiseless on this one (don't know if that's the norm). It's not as aggressive as the '73 JB that I used to own which sounded like a freight train from hell, but it sounds . . . better. was only a rush fan briefly and am thoroughly familiar with their music but have no intention to reproduce it --I suppose you could get the "geddy" sound with this or many other basses. It's not as deep & rich as my old P, but is more versatile & punchy.

I don't want to give the impression that I bought this bass for the set-up, but that was a big part I took the floor model, dings and all. loooow action, no buzzing or dead spots. the neck feels as solid as the 73's. it's heavier than the '62 RI but lighter than the '73. about the same as my '78 p-bass. the neck is identical to the "a-type" neck on the P, but even more sturdy. the pickups are well-adjusted (they must have been brought-up in a nurturing environment). other than a small dent and a scratch, no structural flaws. this baby keeps it's tune better than any other fender I've owned --the late-models with hipshots obviously do the same.

this bass barks reliability better than a rottweiler fed only fillet mignon

playing 23 years. bands, shows, recording, etc. Perhaps I would welcome a hardshell case but, otherwise, no complaints. If the bass were lost or stolen, I would sell or give away the rest of my gear and enter a zen monastery, mental hospital, & probably both.

The usual Jazz Bass appointments. A very basic Bass, that can do anything, IF you get the Jazz Bass Vibe.

I was half looking for a new Bass when I auditioned for a Rush Cover band.. My 18 year old 62 PBass Reiss is getting long in the tooth, and it's time was limited.

I stopped by Music 6000 in Lacey, WA (Shameless plug)and picked up a Geddy and played it for about half an hour on my way home from the audition. It felt REALLY good.

The next week I took it home for a couple days, and never took it back! Regardless of what happens with the Rush Cover Band, The Geddy Lee bass is my Bass of choice :-)

I play through a Mesa BB750 and 4X10 cab. The beauty of this Bass is that the pickups are very low output, so the amp can do all the work! I think that, and the very fast neck, are what I like the most! With low output PU's, dynamics can be had. I think this Basses output is a perfectly flat tone, that can be altered by either an amp, or finger/ picking styles.

I do agree the shielding is pretty poor, but easy to fix.

I changed the factory strings with Roto's and made a couple minor adjustments to the bridge.

I've been hauling it to gigs for a month now, in hot humid weather in it's gig bag, and it's stayed in tune through it all!

No problem here!

I've had the Bass a month now, and have no question about it's durability. This is the fourth Fender instrument I've added to my arsenal that was made in Japan, and I still have them all..

Too New!

This Bass is the best out there! Ya, you could get something with active, battery operated joy, but then the Bass has taken over YOU!

I'm an old fart, and WISH I'd have held on to the 72 and 73 Jazz basses that were given to me in the 80's.. I got rid of them because they weren't "loud" enough compared to a PBass.. my bad. Amplification available will now make anyone with a Geddy Bass SING!

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.

most likely a 2004. bought new beginning of '05. stock features: 2 u.s. vintage single coil pickups, badass 2 bridge, black body, white/black/white 3-ply pickguard, maple neck w/black block inlays and black binding.

play it hard and it'll growl, play it soft and it'll sing sweetly. for the price, it's awesome. i was looking for a little more, and shopped out some parts. replaced the pups w/two bartolini j-style pickups, swapped out the almost perfect but not quite there tuners w/hip shot tuners (bass extender on the E).

i already owned one that straight-from-factory was set up well, but this one went straight to "my guy". swapped pups, tuners....and then did some drastic changes. yanked the frets, refinished the neck with a satiny finish, routed a 3-way pickup selector switch on the lower horn, put in dunlop strap locks, and swapped out the quite boring white pick guard with a vintage looking brownish/red tortoise shell pg. much improvement from the boring black/white color scheme.

this bass is a beast of burden on stage with me, dropped, kicked, stepped on (eat your heart out Jaco). not too many scratches or dings so far, neck still right on. i've definitely played this thing sans backup without any worries!

never had to deal with fender.

i've been playing for almost 8 years. i have two geddys (one fretless conversion), one MM Sterling (active doesn't do it for me). i play through a fleet of effects pedals some vintage, some new, boutique and junk both, run that through an ampeg svp pre-amp crown power amp and then an ampeg 8x10. if either geddys went missing, first i'd put their pictures on milk cartons, then i'd go out and buy a couple more.

Japanese made Geddy Jazz with same stock specs as everyone else.
It's really a pretty bass. I can't find any build flaws at all (and I've looked it over a few times). BadassBridgeII is awesome! Great sustain and playing qualities. The glossy neck is unbelievably fast and comfortable. Makes my tobias feel like a 2x4!

It's a fantastic sound! Nice and loud and I agree it has a natural 'growl' to it when playing hard. It's also easy to get some nice fat smooth bass rollinf from it. I might be wrong, but a earlier review commented on hearing this bass sound on "Moving Pictures" when I believe Geddy played his 'Rick' on that album. Like I said, I may be wrong. Anyway, it sounds great and will work for jueful with the 'tone' knob.

Setup pretty well. It went straight from guitar center to my local music "surgeon" to get setup so I didn't really get a chance to play on the stock setup. I didn't really like the stock strings though. I replaced them with some half-wounds.

So far, nothing has happened to it. Everything works and the neck is staying true. I have a few other basses (Pbass and two tobias') and this is what I play EVERTIME. Those others are my backups now! =)

Fantastic bass. Probably the best playing bass I've ever layed my hands on. I'd buy it again, even if it wasn't stolen! =)

10 - Review date October 2006, Geddy Lee crafted in Japan Jazz bass bought summer 2006 new. Top notch construction, badass 2 bridge, beautiful, skinny maple neck with black block inlays, nice black body and perfect "fit/finish.

I am a R and B, Funk, classic rock guy and it suits me fine. I bought this bass as (believe it or not), it is the closest instrument I could find to my '83, Japan made Squire/Fender Jazz bass (which is heavenly). The difference between the two in playability is non existant and I would put both up against a Mex or American Jazz any ole day. The difference in sound is as follows: The Geddy has hot, hot pickups! The bass is not active but the output is comparable. Besides being aggressively loud in a good way, the Geddy almost creates its own gain/ever so slight fuzz. Do not be nervous though, it is a wonderful tone and the best way I can explain this is to tell you to listen to a few tracks of of Rush's Moving Pictures album and you will hear this basses signiature tone.

Perfect set up from a large Canadian retailer, I do not know if they set it up or the factory did. No noticable flaws!

Here is the bad part......The good news is, warranty covered everything!
After 5 months the neck pickup died and the tone pots soldering failed. These are American vintage pickups with cloth wire wrap and the whole bit but they failed anyway. I should report that I got a loaner covered by Fender and the repair was obviously free but it was a strange disappointment after a fast love affair with this instrument. I cannot however complain about service as ther was no questions asked.

As above - no worries!Fender and my local music store have been great and I expect that the instrument will be repaired properly and promptly!

7 due to the pickup and wiring failure - I am 41 years young, playing 26 years, Have had everything, Rick's, P-bass's, Ibanez, vintage Hofner etc. Very satisfied with my G.L Jazz and my ancient Squier! I would definately buy another as the '06 American Jazz I got as a repair loaner simply did not compare to the palyability and sound of the Jap Geddy model!

Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass ~ made in Japan.
- 4 strings
- 20 frets
- Maple neck w/black block inlays
- Black lacquer finish w/white pickguard and metal plate for controls
- 2 Jazz pickups, V/V/T passive electronics
- Big ass solid tuners
- Fender gig bag

I chose 10 for features because it isn't the amount of features, it is the lack of extra garbage. This bass has exactly what it needs, no more, no less.

This bass is, hands down, the best sounding bass out there. Plus it is so versatile. From slap, funk and jazz, to country, rock and driving metal this bass will cover it all. This bass proves why a well designed and manufactured bass doesn't need active electronics!! The growl and vivid precision of each note is absolutely remarkable. It is no wonder why Geddy chose this bass. I had two Ibanez SR 400 basses (one fretted, one fretless) and after playing this guy honest to God, I couldn't touch the Ibanez again. They immediately went up on eBay.

The bass was setup standard from the factory and is not really a fair question. When you are shipping a wooden instrument to potentially anywhere in the world where climates will be from dry to humid you can not setup decent action in the factory. That is why the instrument manufacturing industry has an unwritten standard for adjustments out the the door. Although standard, the action is set a bit high for my liking but this I expected. Since I am a guitar tech anyways it wasn't more than 15 minutes to dial this guy in. Minor neck adjustment and lowered the saddles a smidge, then set the intonation and it sounds like a star.

The hardware is best explained as; "solid as an oak". The wood is nice and durable and with the larger headstock, larger tuners, solid body and bad ass bridge this bass certainly had to inspire Geddy himself into writing 'The Trees'!!

I replaced two basses with this one bass and I have all the confidence in the world that I do not need to lug around a backup. If something happens to this guy while playing either the stage is on fire or we were nuked!! An instrument just doesn't come much more solid than this.

I have no experience with Fender customer support because I've never needed it. For those that give a lower rating because they've emailed and never got a response...come on guys, with spam filters and the barrage of emails assailed at there customer support it is impractical that you would expect any kind of loving service via email. Try calling them. They are good people and will help you. Email is impersonal anyways so rating Fender Customer Support on electronic email is like rating affection based on a robot!!

Although I am more experienced as a Lead guitarist (27 years) I've been playing bass for 10+ years. I started out playing just so I could record myself, in my studio, and it progressed until bands were hitting me up. It didn't take me long to graduate from Ibanez SR400/500 basses to a 'REAL' bass. What a frickin' difference it makes. If it were lost or stolen I would definitely find the thief and send him back to Fender in the box!! There isn't anything I'd do different with this bass. It was perfect and by the reviews of others, I totally understand what they feel.

If your bass playing and bass sound is blah...I'd suggest giving this a test drive and you'll see. Make sure your finances are in place before you do because you will have to have it immediately.

2004 Geddy Lee has a very smooth neck and nice inlays.

Awesome sound for practically any music. From jazz to rock to worship music.

The looks were great. I love the inlays on the neck. But I'm planning to upgrade the pickguard to a pearl white one and add a J-Retro preamp and add hipshots.

A very sturdy instrument, well designed and solid.

Very helpful.

This is one of the best basses I've ever played on. The bass is just perfect.

This review is for a 2004 Fender "Geddy Lee" Jazz Bass. This is the second one I've owned (2002). The features are the same but the build and feel is better on this one. See below...

Great growl, awesome for both funk and fingerstyle. Not quite as bassy or organic as my 2003 US standard jazz. The Geddy has a snappier sound , more harmonic ring, problably due to the maple neck and different bridge. Very even sounding up and down and across the neck. Great pickups, very little noise..there's a brass plate on the bottom of the control cavity..my US and Mexican jazz basses don't have that...might be a factor?

This is the second Geddy I've owned. The first one (2002) had a thinner neck and cheaper/loser tuners. The 2004 has a slighlty larger neck and the tuners are solid. The finish on this is better than my 2003 Black US Jazz. Maybe they have changed a few specs over the years I don't know, but I recommend trying a few different ones before buying. The 2002 Geddy I had did not like Rototsound strings the action had to be constantly adjusted. A little thicker neck might help. Also the finish on the 2004 neck and body is better than the 2002. The action/playability on this bass is awesome I wouldn't change anything. The Japanese Geddy is slightly under the build quality and playability of my Modulus Genesis Jazz ($2,000 +) and is better than my 03 Fender US($1,100) and Mexican 60's Burgundy Mist Ltd Jazz bass ($800). The Japanese are buiding a great product.

Fender jazz basses are players. The Geddy is definately one well built bass. Only time will tell how the neck holds up but as far as everything else that is why Leo Fender designed his instruments so parts could be changed.

I have emailed fender about the different types of jazz bass pickups...but no reply...too busy taking our money.

Great bass a little different flavour than some of the other Fenders I own..great for funk and rock. For the price IMHO Fender doesn't have a better value in a bass. Just be aware that a thinner neck and certain types of higher tension roundwound strings (ROTOSOUND)can cause problems.

2004/2005 Fender Japan, features as listed. Bought new in late 2005 as a replacement for a "well gigged" 20-yr-old Aria Pro II. Fantastic finish and very easy to play. I've bought an ABS case to replace the included gig bag, a black scratchplate for vanity reasons, Dunlop Straploks to prevent accidents and put a new set of fender 7350M's (the OEM strings) on it. I might change the machine heads to a set of Hipshot Ultralites purely to shave some more weight off the already anorexic neck, but the originals stay in tune even after a right pounding.

Sounds and plays like all basses should and a soundman says the DI sound is louder than some active basses. Plays country, funk, punk and metal beautifully and growls, pops and slaps in all the right places. I use this bass, a Boss TU-2 and a Peavey Combo 300.

Action a little high and a little too much neck relief when it arrived, but a 1/4 (maximum) turn of the truss rod and an Allen key to the Bad-Ass II sorted that out nicely. G string intonation was slightly out, but otherwise a perfect set-up. There is a tiny (2mm)laquer bubble on the fingerboard binding, otherwise the bass is flawless. The neck needs to come off to adjust the truss rod, but hopefully I won't need to do this again. This is the only thing prohibiting a 10!

Gigged a few times, rehearsed plenty and played everyday (yes, everyday). Nice light bass, stayed in tune throughout. Finish still flawless despite the odd "meeting" with the guitarists SG during some on stage japes. Strap buttons replaced with Dunlop Straploks 'cos I really don't want to break it. Only needed to adjust the neck & bridge once. I have no backup bass and I can't see me needing one.

I emailed Fender UK about a replacement scratchplate about 3 weeks ago and have had no reply. eBay sorted me out though!

Been playing over 20 years and only Wal basses are equal to tone and playability of this bass. I would replace this bass tomorrow with 2 more in case they ever stop making them.

Standard Fender Jazz bass made in Japan. The Jazz bass is versatile but when compared to the latest stuff with actives electronics etc. any Jazz bass could only mamange an 8.

As a straight forward solid Jazz bass, this is hard to beat at any price.

Over the years I have owned an eighties Squire, a 60s re-issue, a 62 stack nob re-issue & still own an original 72, a Mexican fretless, an Overwater J5 & a cheep no name jazz copy with EMGs. The only jazz that tops the Geddy Lee is the hand built Overwater with active electronics. Not bad for a mid priced instrument.

The bass has a very agresive, punch about it and cuts thro the mix well with strong mids. It can be pulled back on the tone control to give a warmer sound when needed.

I find that some of my previous (passive) jazz basses required a bit of boost in the bass department to keep up in a live situation, not with this one. It does still have a bit of pickup buzz but that is single coils for you. It is good for any type of music.

I use either a Hartke 3500 or an Eden WT500 amplifier via EBS & Euphonic Auidio cabinets. The Eden proves to be an excellent match to this bass. The Hartke is already a very punchy amp so it all depends how much punch you need.

The bass arrived from a mail order shop and was set up perfectly. A number of other reviews mentioned the tuners, I have had no problem with this bass so it may only be certail instruments.

Finish is completely flawless, everything lines up properly and the badass bridge is a welcome adition.

Only time will tell but I reckon this is built better than my original 72 Jazz and that is still going strong after 34 years. I think this one will be the same........

Never needed to use them.

Been playing 36 years and owned all kinds of basses and equipment during this time. I will always have room for a decent Jazz bass and this is certainly a decent bass. Straight out of the box, this bass delivers.

Bought my Getty Lee Bass used from a dealer got a great deal. The original owner made a few minor changes. The pickgaurge was repalced with a Moto Gray one, and the control knobs where replaced with Crome "skull" knobs. But the main change was the pickups were replaced with EMG active electronics. These mods where done professionaly so the bass looks excellent, body and neck were "like New". I'm usely not so yep on modified basses but this one was a rare find very professionaly done.

It is louder than any other Bass I have every owned, and I've had at least ten basses over the past 25 years. Must be the EMG's. It's very articulate and clean sounding, nice highs or just roll off the tone knob and hear it growl.

Jappaness workmanship can not be beat. The thing that impressed me the most was the great feel to the neck. The black body finish is purfect. NOW the tunners, well they seem to slip and don't always stay in tune. Which is a first because I have owned 7 other Fenders and they always stay solid in tune. I don't know what the problem is but this is the only shortcomming of the bass. Once you tune it up it stays though the gig but as soon as you put it in the gig bag it slips out of tune. Oh and the gig bag looks well paded but the zippers are cheap. Maybe I'm to picky because this is still a great bass but I have never had a Fender before that had any tunner problems. It's a minor flaw to an otherwise AWSOME bass.

Will I replace the tunners? No I think this will get better with age.
Typical Fender durablity is expected. Can't beat it with a stick.

Take good care and it shouldn't need anything.

Been playing 25 years, semi-pro. Own 6 other basses including Carvin 6 string, Yamaha 5 string, and 4 other Fenders. Not sure if I will take this one to my grave with me like my old P-Bass but it's good enough to give to my children when I retire. In consideration of the price I paid, I think this is a GREAT value, that's why it gets a 10 here.

I got my Geddy Lee in 04 and it has enough frets to keep my happy and way more tone options than i could shake a stick at.
I love it i have allways been a jazz bass fan but this model is so much more diverse than any other and the neck is like butter it is all most effortless with its tiny little frets and anorxic neck.

as I said the tone of this beast is so nice i cant decide wether i want to go with high tone or a thundering groove sound it all depends on my mood i change my mind more than my ... well what ever sound i want it has it.
on stage this bass mops the floor with any other i have played live for clarity AND all round good sound from thick low end to ratteling highs

the bad ass bridge was a god send but i had it set up at the shop
and i had some warwick reds put on it and it was awsome
but factory set up i cant really say

never broken yet

same as above so no complaints to fender yet

AWSOME!!! any one who is thinking of getting one do or you will regret it its a bargin and it should be worth so much more.

Features are pretty standard - except for the slim neck - love it - it is very fast and sleek - I hate a bulky feeling neck - replaced the tuners with a set of Hip-shot with a D-tuner - I agree with other users the tuners are very lacking.

The sound is great - has the vintage pickups and if you love that tone it's an awesome bass - I have had Warwick, G&L, Lakland, Kubicki X-factor, Steinberger, Rick, etc... and I seem to come back to the Fender Jazz - I play Modern Worship music...ie. (Planet Shakers, Hillsongs United, etc...)

I am playing through a Behringer 450 watt head and an Ampeg 410 SVT HLF cabinet and I use a Tech 21 Bass Driver DI - that combo is supreme tone...Not great for every application but fits my style just fine.

I like my action LOW - so I had it set up to fit my style of playing the instrument looks great on stage - I have replaced the pick guard with a vintage tortise shell look - looks pretty cool. Every thing else was great - quailty craftsmanship.

I baby my instruments - so they last longer but I play a lot and has never given me any trouble - stays in tune through out gig - Nice...

Never needed any - But feel sure it would be good.

I have been playing Bass for about 27 years and have been blessed to play with some national recording artist as well as Youth Conventions, youth camps, rallys, many outdoor events, overseas, you name it. I love the Fender tone and this bass delivers - If lost or stolen I would probably buy another one but who knows.

October 2002 Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, Crafted in Japan. Body alder, neck and fretboard ash, black block inlays. Passive electronics, two single coil PUs. Simply meat and potatoes - Fender Jazz Bass. For me it's enough so I rate 10. I just added chrome pickup and bridge covers and the fingerpull below the G-string. It looks great.

I use this bass for playing classic rock. It suits well. When the rehearshal or gig begins, I turn all three knobs to the maximum and forget they are there. As i mentioned before - meat and potatoes. I replaced original BadAss II bridge with original Fender stock bridge. No change of sustain at all. No better, no worse. What is more, with the standard Fender bridge there are more mids and higs - that's how I like the sound. More vintage :-)

Factory setup was OK. NO complaints here.
BUT: the bass came in poor cardboard box, no gig bag at all. Weird. Other than that, this bass is not quite certain replica of 1972 Jazz Bass. The body shape is slightly different (sharp edges instead of round ones), block inlays are not inlayed into the fretboard - they are only painted. Tuning machines are not Fenders but no name ones. Damn operation savings!

This bass is really a workhorse. During the three years of heavy use there have been no problems. Pots, tuning machines and pickups have been working, no need to move with the truss rod, no need to open the electronic cavity. Never goes out of tune unless I go wild :-) Thick polysomething paint on the body cracks and wears but who cares?
If i could give a hundred points, I would do that.

No need to contact them.

I've been playing for 12 years. I own Gedy and lawsuit japanese Columbus jazz bass clone from the 1970's. This bass fits me like a glove - comfortable, reliable and well looking. Good job, japanese guys!

I recently purchased a 2005 Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass.As per features....it's basically an early 70's J-bass reissue with a badass bridge and U.S. vintage pickups. Made in Japan...which is not a minus when comes to Fender products.Came with a decent Fender gig bag .

This bass sounds incredible.I play a variety of styles and this thing is versatile enough to do it all. Has a great throaty presence and nice high end without that annoying zingy clang you often get in other basses. Also the lows can go from silky smooth to agressive and growly. The combination of a maple board and badass bridge also make this useful for slapping if you're so inclined.( which I'm not. )This bass cuts through nicely in the mix both live and in studio situations .

Here's where the Japanese put everyone to shame. The finish on this thing is flawless...can't say a bad thing about it. I love the period correct poly finished maple neck and black block inlays. The nect is slim yet solid with great sustain...no doubt the badass helps. Fretwork is impeccable.....better than U.S. standard models. Honestly, I've owned many high end to mid level basses and none of them perform any better than this. The neck pocket is fitted absolutely perfect to the neck.....not even a hairline gap anywhere. My only gripe is that the tuners could be of a bit higher quality, but that being said, they are period correct and seem to function as well as any vintage bass tuner. The action was set up perfect for me right out of the box....nice and low with no buzzes anywhere. The nut is cut as perfect as I've seen on a Sadowsky or my Lakland.

Solid as a rock. This is a straight forward, meat and potatoes workhorse. I would feel totally comfortable without a back-up . So far I haven't had to adjust a thing.

Haven't had to deal with Fender.

I've been playing bass for 20 years now on a semi-pro level and have owned many instruments. I currently own a Lakland, Peavey TL-5 and '67 P-bass....this bass fits right in. I consider myself extremely picky and am a vintage guitar enthusiast.....in my opinion, the Geddy Lee is simply the BEST VALUE in any Fender bass currently produced. I didn't buy it because Geddy's name is on it, (frankly I hate signature models, although Geddy is incredible ) I bought it because it plays as good or better than basses costing more than twice it's price.

I recently acquired a 2005 Fender Geddy Lee signature Jazz Bass. It is a four string, twenty fret bass. Body is alder, neck is maple with a lacquered maple fretboard, which contributes to both aesthetic appeal and tone. Finish is black on body only, while the neck is finished satin, and has a stripe on the back of the neck. The pickups are two vintage Jazz pickups, and the controls included are volumes for each pickup and a tone knob. The pickups are passive.

The pickguard is a 3-ply black/white/black, and there is ebony binding around the fretboard. The rectangular inlays are also ebony.

Other features include a Badass II bridge, open-gear vintage style tuners (which aren't the best, but still work fine), 34" scale length, a sleek "C" profile on the neck, and a gig bag included in the purchase price.

On my own time, I have been learning a lot of Rush tunes, so that is obviously a big help in getting the proper sound and technique there. As for style, I gravitate towards hard rock, preferably rock that is styled after the 1970s to early 1990s. Examples of influence include Metallica, Rush, ZZ Top, Billy Idol, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. However, I play in a band that appreciates a lot of country and blues as well, including bands like Uncle Tupelo and Wilco. The bass is versatile if you twiddle the knobs enough, and has a signature growl that cuts right through any guitar mud to give you a voice in the band.

There is a bit of hiss sometimes when I am running it with a lot of gain, and I have to turn the volumes down if I don't want to play for a particular amount of time. I am running it through an Ampeg SVT-3 Pro head into an SWR Workingman 4x10 and 2x12, and also run it through a Hartke 3500 with a Transporter 4x12 cabinet. I utilize the tube sections of both hybrids to their fullest. To get a bit of extra grit and growl, I use my Digitech BP8 valve processor with some extra gain and compression.

The sound can be described best as being full-range. It has a nice dark growl on the low end, but on the top end, there is plenty of bite to be had. I actually reccomend not setting the tone knob to 100% unless you have a really dark amp without a tweeter. This bass will take your face off if you aren't careful!

The best sound this bass makes, in my opinion, is the piano-like growl that can be found with the neck pickup at full volume, the bridge pickup at 75-85% volume, and the tone knob at anywhere from 60-85%. Other interesting combinations include having less neck pickup volume with full bridge volume, and having all knobs maxed. The variety is there if you fiddle with it, for sure. I'm going to have to try it with a Tubescreamer and wah pedal for the heck of it.

So far, it hasn't been to a gig yet, but it will be soon. My band does rehearse at rather high volumes, though, and it always sounds great. We also recorded a demo with a few ambient mics, and the bass sounds fabulous there as well.

The pros soundwise are many. Too many to list probably. As for dislikes, I can't think of any. This bass sounds as perfect as I've heard thus far. It sounds great whether you pick or play fingerstyle. The only thing it doesn't sound so good at is slap and pop. I would certainly not reccomend this bass for that style, but I don't use it much at all, so no sweat.

The setup was great straight away. The action was nice and low for great playability and that signature growl. The pickups are at just about the right level. I haven't opened up the control cavity to check the quality of work in there, but there are no stray marks anywhere on the exterior of the instrument at all. I've read of a few problems with the tuners, and while they are flimsier than some of the tuners I have worked with, they work fine for me.

Other than the iffy tuning pegs, this thing is rock-solid. I have little doubt in my mind that this bass will remain in great playing condition for years. The finish seems to have plenty of layers, but that is probably because it is made in Japan, where the environmental laws on lacquer finish are different. The strap buttons were fine, but I immediately replaced them with Schaller straplock buttons because I would hate to drop this beauty.

This bass appears to be extremely dependable. I would probably never go to a gig without one backup, but I use a five-string sometimes, so that's part of it. The other thing is that I fingerpick really hard, and burn through G and D strings rapidly. However, the Badass bridge does seem to treat the strings better than the bridge on my other basses.

I haven't yet had to call for support, but I haven't had it long enough to need to anyway. The warranty is 6 years I believe, since I bought extended coverage at Guitar Center. Nice warranty, and certainly worth it.

I have been playing for 8 years, and play both bass and guitar. I have some other nice gear, like a Gibson Explorer '76, an Ibanez RG, a Line 6 Vetta II head, and an Ibanez Soundgear 5-string. I have had a bass stolen before, luckily it wasn't the greatest (just a fretless Ibanez), but if this bass were stolen, I would have to buy it when I had a chance. I would hunt down the guy who stole it, though.

I love plenty about this bass: great looks, great sound, and great playability for a reasonable price. My favorite feature is the solid tone. I compared this bass to a couple of other Fenders and a Warwick Corvette. None of them came close to what I was looking for. This bass is rock-solid.

Bought this as a back up for my 2003 model US series Jazz. Apart from looking like the mutt's nuts it sounds and plays fantastic!!! Not quite as clean and crisp sounding as my US series Jazz but easily sorted out with the introduction of a Bass Graphic into my pedalboard. Have to agree with a previous reviewer that the machine heads appear to be a bit cheap as they have become tarnished quite quickly......However it just makes them look vintage!!!! The BadAssII bridge is a great bit of kit, I like it that much that I have recently purchased a BadAssIII to fit to my US Jazz!!!

I run this puppy through a SansAmp Bass Driver pedal, Boss chorus, Boss octaver and a graphic equaliser into a Laney R4 bass combo and manage to get the most amazing overdriven tone!!! I play with both pick ups on full and use the pedals to shape my sound.

Straight out of the box this Bass was ready to play......as you'd expect from Fender!!! The action was al ittle too high for my liking but didn't take long to sort out. The quality of the finish is excellent. I have recently had a Hipshot D-tuner fitted to mainly use drop D tuning. The string tension remains good and allows for a consistent tone. I had to replace the strap buttons for Grover locking ones as the original buttons didn't look up to the job!!!

I play quite "Hard" so it takes quite a hammering when gigged but just keeps coming back for more!!! I have used this on a number of occasions thru a two hour set as my only bass....It's that good and reliable!!! It's a pity that the same can't be said for my strings!!!

Only dealt with Fender via Email, but have to say there response has been slow in coming!!!

I have been playing bass for twenty years and have to say that I have never owned a better Bass......I never thought I'd say that after I bought the US jazz but this is better!!!! And it looks it!!! If it was lost or stolen I would not hesitate to beg/ borrow/ steal another one!!!

This has been covered in the previous reviews. I really like the neck over the one on my old Fender Precision.

I play a weird mix of alternative, grunge, and Bowie/Beatles/Petty, and it sounds great for everything I need to do. I play through an Ampeg BA-115 and get plenty of low end punch. I even play in a drop-C tuning on occasion, and although the E string has a bit of give in it, I still get a great tone. I wasn't after a Rush sound when I purchased it, but it fits whatever I need to do.

Action was great, and it arrived set up. The first one I received had a bad neck pickup. Once I received a fully operational model, everythig was perfect.

So far so good. I've only had it for a few months, and have had no problems to this point.

I bought mine from Musician's Friend. As I said earlier, the first one I received had a bad neck pickup. I contacted Musician's Friend and they were great. They emailed me a return shipping tag within an hour of my phone call, and had my replacement to me in 10 days after I sent off the defective one. Excellent service from Musician's Friend.

I have not dealt directly with Fender.

Played violin and double bass for 7 years in school, and eventually picked up the electric after graduating.

I used to play on a basic, 10 year old Fender Precision, and my Geddy Lee is far superior. After getting this instrument, I find myself playing better, perhaps because I can hear mistakes that I couldn't hear on my older bass.

If this bass were lost or stolen, I would immediately buy a new one to replace it.

Before my purchase, I looked at Thunderbirds, Standard Fender Jazz Basses, and Ibanezes. None of them seemed to have the positive reponse or features by cost as the Geddy does.

If you want a bass that has a professional look and feel, or want to step up to a new model, you really can't do better than to get the Geddy Lee model.

Great sounding bass. I cut out the pickguard so I can adjust the neck easily with a specific nice fitting flatblade screwdriver. When recording it is best to start with both pickups full on, set tone midrange, adjust board to tweak tone. For live set neck pickup almost all the way on, bring bridge pickup up just to give it bite, leave tone midrange and adjust to blend with other instruments. I only have a noise issue when using a compressor which is not really needed for my playing venues. Tuning keys, Just fix them. Take them apart and lightly sand in the gears with toothbrush and tooth paste. Clean completely. Apply Mobil 1 synthentic grease with a toothpick-lightly.(synthentic has lower odor) normal grease is ok. Vaseling works but gets black and dosn't last as long. I like the new Misfit strings, they are like rotos but don't make your fingers smell like feces.

Bass can do about anything but it likes newer strings.

Set up was ok but low E was hot. Angled pickups to balance string volume.

In St. louis I have to adjust neck during the high humidity part of the year, June through September. No backup needed can adjust neck instantly in a pinch at gig. Replaced strap buttons immediately.

Ben playing for 35 years. Own Aerodyne, Pbass, Fender 5 string Jazz. I probably wouldn't replace it just because I don't play for money any more. Aerodyne sounds fine but doesn't have the fun neck. I sometimes think the P bass is better live but it doesn't sound as good in the studio as the jazz. My wife and other band members think all my basses sound good, not a whole lot of difference in sound. They say just play the one you like to play the most.

Brand new Japanese made Geddy Lee repro. Two volume knobs and a tone knob, passive U.S. Vintage Jazz Pickups, and a Badass II bridge. It's a vintage jazz bass reproduction, what else do you need on it?

This bass suits me just fine. I play alternative rock. Didn't buy it for the "Rush" sound at all. It's just a great representation of a vintage Fender jazz bass. I run it through a Sans Amp RBI in front of an SWR workingman's 4004 Head and through 2 SWR cabs (1x15 and 4x10). This bass has little to no noise at all. Definitely has a very bright sound due to the maple fretboard and single coil pick ups. Very punchy and mid-rangey. Cuts through very well. Only dislike is it kind of lacks true bottom end. But that's why my amplifier has so many knobs. Easily remedied. But every note rings through loud and clear. I haven't found a dead spot on it yet. Great sustain with the Badass II bridge! One thing I noticed though is it forces you to play very precisely. This bass will make you pay for your mistakes because it does accentuate finger noise.

Everything on this bass was set up just as I like it right from the music store. Haven't touched the action. Usually when I buy a new bass I have it set up professionally. No need here. Low action. I thoroughly inspected the bass both prior and after I bought it and I have yet to find one finish flaw on it. It's almost too perfect, which kind of freaks me out a little. No extraneous noise when turning the volume and tone knobs. Haven't found any fret buzz at all. Tight joints. Everything seems really, really solid and well built.

I believe this bass will survive anything you throw at it. Although, I did lightly bang it off the metal corner of my practice amp and it put a nice nick in the clear coat. Kind of bubbled the clear coat around the ding. I am worried about it "spidering." Time will tell as to finish durability. Also, the fretboard is VERY heavily lacquered. Seems like I will have no problems, but also time will tell. Hopefully, the clear coat on the fretboard won't start to flake off. I replaced the strap buttons with strap locks but the stock ones seemed solid enough. I would definitely use it to gig withoug a back up but you're just asking for trouble in general without a back up. Gotta love Japanese manufacturing.

I e-mailed Fender about the pick guard and the position markers on the neck. Their responses were timely and informative. They were even honest about the position markers not being inlays but painted on and they don't know of any stock pickguards that will directly replace this one. They even gave me the web address for a custom pick guard manufacturer. Awesome!

I've been playing about 5 years (self taught), only gig about once a month and practice about twice a month as a band. I can only squeeze in practice and gigs between family time and work. I also own an Epiphone Thunderbird and a Schecter Model T 4 string. This bass is a whole different animal. If it were lost or stolen I would not hesitate to buy another one. I LOVE the neck on this thing. It is a work of art in it's own right. Both in looks and playability. The Badass II bridge is just the ticket as well. One thing is I wish it were offered in different colors or with different choices of pick guards. Also, I wish they would've splurged a little more on the tuners. Seem a bit cheap. But this is one outstanding value.

Purchased in early 2005. Made in Japan, 4 string 20 fret. Simple V/V/T control. Passive 'vintage' single coils. Alder body, maple neck with lovely black inlays. BADASSII Bridge. Comes with no extras (kinda odd huh).

I play a lot of classic rock and try my hand at some alternative more modern stuff. mmmmm soo growly, this thing sounds great! I admit i tried to avoid fender in my search for a new bass because everyone plays one but damn, this thing is great. Very rich sounding, lots of growl, a little dark sounding. Definitely better than the Highway-1 J and the american standard J. Only wish that the pickups were noiseless, but for the beautiful soudns they make they are fine the way they are.

Good action, everything fits nice and tight. Typical MIJ quality.

The frets have withstood the last couple of month with out a hint of wear. I can't see anything breakin as the electronics are quite simple. The neck is soo thin that i might be worried about warping, but i haven't heard of this happening yet to this model. The strap buttons are typical fender stuff. Strap locks are probably a great idea.

Haven't dealt yet.

Wow, this is replacing decent squire p-bass, and it just sounds great. A good professional quality instrument at a very good price. Compared it to most of Jazz basses in the store. And it came down to a used Ernieball Sterling , Warwick Corvette and this. Definitely the best sounding of the group, although the others sounded excellant as well. It also happened to be the cheapest of the bunch.

Features are pretty basic(which is what I like)2 vol nobs and 1 tone.The pick ups sound great,they're the 62 american series.The maple neck w/black inlays looks great and gives that midrange growl.

I play in a Rod Stewart trib. band a Motown soul band a rock band and church band.This Bass fits all genre of music,I own several Jazzes,Marcus Miller(A great Bass for slap)American Jazz and Fretless.This is the bass I grab when I go to my gigs,everyone in each band even the audience has commented on the sound.I've used it in the studio and actually came very close to Lee's sound.The action came set up perfectly for me.It's like your fingers are moving on there're own.The only way I can describe the feel and the sound of this Bass is like when trying on shoes.You keep going through a bunch of them till you come across that one that fits and feels good and you let out a sigh<Thats the way this Bass is to me.Being a Rush and Geddy Lee fan might have something to do w/it also.

.When I shop for a Bass if it is not setup perfectly from the factory I won't even spend time w/it.The action was right for me.That Badass bridge makes a huge difference w/sustain and easy to adjust.The only litlle flaw would be the tuning pegs.I think an original set of 72 tuning pegs would be better.These pegs seem a little loose when turning.I like the pegs to be tighter to turn.

A work horse.It's all there,Fender made a great Bass when they made this one.Sounds better than American made and vintage Basses.For the price can't go wrong.I added strap locks to mine.When these Basses first came out it came w/strap locks.Now they don't.

I'm a big Fender fan.I've never had to deal w/this Company but I know people that have and they never had any Problems.I've tried Warwick Basses the Stingray, Ibanez etc.I always come back to Fender.Ever since I got my first Fender(Precision)in 1979 I've never looked back.

All I can say is go into your nearest dealer and try one.You won't be disappointed.It should be noted I owned a Geddy Lee when they first came out I loved it,but I made a huge mistake when I sold it to buy a Vintage Jazz.I regretted doing that.Long story short I ended up selling the Vintage and got a new Geddy and have no regrets.

Made in Japan, 2004.
Pretty standard as far as features are concerned.
It never came with a case, strap or anything else. I bought a case for it and L&M threw in a set of strap locks.
The body is alder and the neck is maple.

This bass has a real bad attitude when driven hard. ;-)
Real bad ass growl that is so very sweet!
I play lots of classic Rush tunes, and this is THE bass for that venue.
I play usually with both volumes full and the tone full.
The bass mellows out considerably when you turn the tone down for less agressive tunes.

This bass was setup rather poorly when I got it. It had almost no relief in the neck at all! ( 0.002" tops)
I set my basses up to have 0.016" and had to loosen the truss 1/2 turn on this one before I got it just right. The intonation was a breeze to setup as the BadAss bridge is easy to adjust.
The action is very lively and addictive on this bass.
The Geddy bass truly has mojo.

I replaced the tuners about 2 months after I bought this bass.
I found the tuners to be pretty cheap and quite inconsistent. The E tuner was real loose and the D tuner grinded when turned. I didn't really care and went for a set of schallers. Sweet!

Recently I bought a couple of different color pickguards for this bass and discovered that the standard Jazz pickguards do not fit this bass. Beware... I plan on getting a couple made custom... No problem.

The fit and finish is very good on this bass. The neck is so very thin and fast, also straight as an arrow. Also the fit of the neck into the body is very snug, just as it should be.
I'm giving this bass an 9 because of the tuners. If it came with decent tuners, it would have been a 10.

This bass has replaced a Rickenbacker 4003 as my bass of choice. I would have no problems showing up to a gig with only this bass and no backup. I'd leave the rick in the basement! I don't anticipate having any kind of problems with it, unless a truck ran over it.
The only thing that may be less than ideal is the fact that Rotosound round strings really take a bite out of the frets. The frets could be made of a little harder material. Of course Rotos are notorious for eating frets...

Never had to deal with the company.

Overall this is one sweet bass, especially for the price. It can compete with the american fenders anyday in my opinion. If fact the same day I bought this bass, I tried several american jazz basses and none of them had the mojo that this bass has. It just speaks and is so 'alive' feeling. If this bass was stolen, I would replace it in a heartbeat.

Brand new! I would assume it to be a 2004. It is made.... oh excuse me crafted in Japan and has a Q------- serial number. I literaly just got it about 9 hours ago and have been playing it ever since.

It has all the same features as listed before me. Early 70's Jazz Bass design, 4 bolt, 1 piece maple neck with black binding and pos markers, alder body,2 Fender USA vintage J pickups, BadassII bridge etc.....

I bought mine through a mail order house Musicians Buy because they were still selling at the old price $899.99 list, $629.00 price shipped versus all the other guys who are now at the new $999.99 list, $699.00 shipped.

In addition to the cheaper price I also got a Fender deluxe gig-bag, a Fender stand, Fender Tuner, Fender cord and a Fender strap all free. Pretty cool considering this bass comes with nothing from the factory.

I was skeptical about the neck because I had read how thin it was. It is thin but just in a comfortable way totally unlike a late 80's Ibanez bass if you know what I mean. Most of my basses are either 60s-70s vintage or have a very vintage feel. This bass feels good. I can only assume it feels like a 71-72 Jazz Bass felt like when new, squeeky clean and with no wear. I own and have played old Jazzes but most are really loved and broken in.

Feature-wise it has all the essentials for me. If you are looking for a 12 band eq look elswhere. If you are looking for exotic wood that you have never heard of before look elsewhere.

Maple, alder, decent pickups and hardware those are my ingredients for a good bass!

It sounds like I like. Oldschool full and punchy. The pickups are supprisingly good even though I usually swap out the pickups on my Fenders. I have a bunch of old Fender guitars and basses with Fralins, Duncans,Vintage Vibes and even EMGs in them swapped for the originals. I think these ones will stay in.

It sounds like a Jazz bass. If you don't know what that is go to every store in your area and play every Jazz Bass you can find, preferably older than 83 and made in USA. this will give you a crash course in Jazz Bassology. In my opinion the Jazz is the most versitile and most perfect of all basses out there. Even my $5000 Fodera is a knock-off of a Jazz Bass. Albeit a super nice one!!!!

It is a nice sounding bass. I personally like the more complexity to an ash bodied Jazz but the alder is good at pumping out the tone.

From the factory it was supprisingly well set up. I'm not sure if I can give Fender the credit or if Musicians Buy did any adjustments. Either way I was pleasantly supprised. It was even in tune.

I play a half step down typically so I made the adjustments to the intonation and tension and am happy.

The bass seems very well made. The Geddy Lee has been out for a few years (98 I think) and the dudes in Japan obviously have their shit together. Sadly I feel Fender Japan has consistantly made better products than Fender USA for the last 20 years. I love 50s,60s,70s and a few early 80's USA Fenders but the Japanese Fenders ,since 83 or so,have always been good to me. Good sounding and playing at a decent price. Excellent gigging instruments.

I have no reservations with this bass. I haven't played live with it yet but I am not worried. The hardware, Badadd I bridge and vintage style (probably made by Gotoh) tuners are fine.

The finish seems tough and that it will hold up. I have a couple of older Japanese Fenders and they have held up great.

The warranty is 12 months.

I have been playing bass semi/pro or pro for 15 years. I have been playing Piano since 5 and guitar since 12 and a couple years of drums and trumpet. I'm a ripe old 36 now so I have been around but still not too old to learn new tricks. Currently my basses consist of this Geddy Lee, a recent Fender Marcus Miller (also very cool!), 78 Fender Jazz, 77 Fender Precision, 83 Yamaha BB1200s, 77 Rickenbacker 4001, 87 Steinberger XM-4, modified 01 Gibson Blackbird(no I am not a Nikki Sixx fan!)2 older USA Custom Schecter 5 strings one Jazz style 92 the other Tele with MM pickup 96, 99 Epiphone Jack Casady Sig, 68 Hofner 5001, 99 Peavey G-V, 91 Peavey TL-5, 93 Fodera Emp Elite, and 03 Ibanez RKB900.

I play through Trace Elliott, Ampeg, GK and SWR amps depending on gig although I am looking into a Bergantino right now. I own various Trace, Peavey, Eden, Hartke and SWR cabs.

If stolen or lost I would just get another one, That is the beauty with this bass, consistancy at a reasonable price. Honestly, this bass is much cooler than any new squire, Mexican and even USA series basses. Possibly the only equal are the vintage series USAs. They are cool but there are lots on inconsistancies. Trust me LOTS! Yeah they come with pickup covers and a hardshell case but they are twice the price +.

You can get a cover set if you really what to for around $25. They are called ashtrays for a reason and you will soon find yourself removing them. A top line Fender bass case is roughly $125. So if you add up the cost of this bass $629, pickup covers $25 and a Fender Tolex or tweed case $125 you have $779. You can't even touch a true American Fender Jazz for that. The Highway 1's yeah but they are Mexican/American and kinda suck.

For the money you just can't beat it. It's a cool looking, playing, and sounding bass. I just caught the Killers Live Somebody Told Me on a TRL replay one night when MTV was actually playing videos and the bass player was playing a Geddy Lee. I'm sure he too has a few choices in what to play.
What is the best value in an early 70's Fender?????? The Geddy Lee Signature.

Features are standard for a passive J-bass, two volume (for eatch pick-up) and master tone. 70's Jazz Bass style black block inlay postion markers/neck binding. THIN neck, 70's Headstock decals.
Simple, but thats the way I like basses. The real Geddy Lee bass that this is a replica of is a 1972, so machine heads are the old style.
I noticed from looking at Rush concert footage that Geddy's real bass has holes where the pickup covers and finger rest where attached, and since I'm obessesed with detail, I had my freind who is a professional luthier add these holes, also added a "F" backplate, since I think this would be correct for a '72 J-bass. Alder Body, maple neck/fretboard

Being that I play old school rock and metal, this bass can cover all basses great. Pickups have no noise, sound ranges from almost a P-bass low to a growly punchy treble and everywhere in between. Aftermarket BadAss bridge also helps.(Geddys real bass has one) Playing trough my Ampeg 4x10 can do almost everything, from Metal to funk, Jazz anything. Probobaly the most versitle bass I have owned

No complaints, Fender's Japan facility makes great stuff. Black finish nice and deep, maple fingerboard perfect as was binding and hardware. I like a low action, so I had that adjusted.

Its a fender, as long as you dont play Ted Nugent and shoot the thing with an arrow or throw it off a 90-story building, chances are it will be around long after your demise.

Fender customer suppot is hit or miss, get work done locally, most everyone deals with Fender anyway, better than arguing with Fender then sending it out to get it back who knows when.

GREAT bass, eventhough I'm a Rickenbacker man, I must say this bass is one of the best I have owned. Purchased it just because I'm a Geddy Lee fan, but I think this thing will be on stage duty very soon, may even hog the light from my Rick since it is sutch a great bass, and it does not hum so mutch sitting!

features as stated below by all the other bassists no reason to be redundant

this thing sounds great. I like the sound unpluged as well as plugged in. there is a good deal of versatility in how the pickups are blended and the use of the single tone control... as with any Jazz bass...

it has a great sound.

this is were it shines in my mind. I have 72 Fender PJ and i thought IT had a niceneck and feel.... The Geddy bass blows it away. my PJ actaully feels too chunky now. I love the neck on the Geddy Jazz. it is effortless to use, smooth to transision, and just the right size for my hands. My fingers are not at all super long, so it is just right.

the thing is asuper solid bass. It fell to the floor not a day after I bouhgt it... BUY STRAP LOCKS!!!! The stock buttons SUCK and I will have a scar where the tuning peg hit me.... but the Bass is SOLID. it didn't even lose its tuning! dead on.

Never needed Fender's help

I love this bass, and it is fast becoming my favorite axe. (my 72 Fender PJ was #1...and shows it....) I have a gob of basses, RIC 4003/5 RIC 4003FL, lightwave, Guild acoustic, 72 Fender PJ, RIC 4080. and all around like this bass A LOT.

I must say that I had no intention of becoming "one of those guys" that likes Rush, likes Geddy, and buys a bass because it looks like Geddy's, but I played it. I liked it. the neck should be a Fender standard option. Maybe even produce it in more colours... so now I am "one of those guys" BUT the bass is really well made, sounds great and plays just like I need it to for me to express myself musically. GReat bass. the price is good. and the workmanship wonderful. Bravo Fender Japan! Just get Strap locks!!! (yes.. I SHOULD have known better... I just excited to play the bass....

The Geddy Lee Fender jazz bass features are those of a 1972 jazz.Two volume controls and one tone control.Its a four string tone monster,and versitile enough for any style of music.The pickups are passive,the finger board is maple with black block inlays and jumbo frets.The neck is a bolt on neck,and crafted to Geddy Lee specs.

If you like the jazz bass sound,this bass brings the wood.Played through an ampeg svt,it's sound is very full and rich.I LOVE the warm yet bright sound,unlike that of my active musicman stingray,more organic and earthy.

The action on this neck is like butter,it's silly stupid.Best neck I have ever played,and I also own an american standard jazzand a Musicman stingray.I have also played Alembics,Gibsons,Washburns and Yamahas.I've been a player for over 35 years.The finish is very good,until you remove the pickguard,then it takes a nose dive.Around the screw holes,the finish is pitted and poorly done.This is bad for players who like to play without the pickguard.

I just got this bass,but from inspection and comparing and research,I tend to think there will be no problems with its durability.It's realy a very solid instrument.If I did'nt break so many G strings,I would have no problem using this bass without a backup.This is now my main axe,until,hopefuly not ever,it proves me wrong.

I have never had to deal with Fender on a support basis,and I've owned six jazzes and one p bass down through the years.

I would buy this bass again if it was stolen.I've played for over 35 years,and have, and have had many fine instruments.I'm a jazz bass nut and I know a good thing when I play it.This bass,besides the poor finish under the pickguard,if made in america,would cost much more.Made in japan.

2002 model Japanese-made instrument. If you've seen a picture of it, you know the features. The thin neck is great for those of us with small hands, and who have to play for long periods of time. The finish of the neck really reminds me of a rickenbacker neck, but i digress. Looks great, even though i think black is a little plain.

I'd like to state at this point that I don't particularly like Rush, I don't really like geddy lee, and I don't like the way he plays bass. That said, this bass sounds great, as it's just got vintage jazz bass pickups in it. The sound is classic fender jazz, and works great with my ampeg b2-r.

I had a full setup done when i bought it, so i dont know how the factory one was, but thats not too important anyway. There were no manufacturing flaws, all the geddy lee basses i've seen seem to be pretty consistent. Japan has good quality control for fender basses, it seems.

I've gigged with amp for 2 years without a backup. I play for 2 hours at a time usually, and this bass holds up pretty well. The bass has taken it's share of knicks, but has held up very well. The only problem is that the knobs fell off one-by-one, and now they're all off. This also happens on american basses i've seen (but not on squier jazz basses which use a different type of knob... go figure.) The knobs aren't that crucial, and im sure i could've reattached them if i cared. Also, due to the thin neck, setups are required more frequently than my mexican p-bass.

never talked to fender.

I have been playing 8 years. I started out on a used 80's p-bass. This bass is a great value for the money, and really a brilliant instrument to play, and it sounds good. This is a versitile instrument, and other than the name on the back of the headstock, it has little to do with geddy lee.

Black Body
3-play white pickguard
Maple fingerboard with black block position markers
Black Binding around fingerboard
Two US Jazz Bass pickups
BadAss II bridge
70's style fender decaling at headstock
Basic J-bass knobs, two volume 1 tone
Very slim neck (may be an issue with players with leger hands)
Baisc Fender J-bass set-up, but thats all you really need!

GREAT SOUND!!. Has a grwol to it. Very cutting. I play old-school hard rock (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple style) and it cuts and sounds 100% for this type of work. I play it through Ampeg SVT-3PRO head and SVT-810 cab. I replced the factory strings with Rotosound swing bass,
the same that Geddy uses?. Really beefed up the sound from the factory ones, though those where OK too.

Crafted in Japan, but dont let this put you off, I once said "I wont play anything that isn't made in the USA" but the fact is that when it comes to musical instruments, sometimes the foreign made is equal or better to US stuff. This bass is just as nicely finished as my US precision bass. I had to re-ajust the action, set WAY too low.

As far as I can tell, its a typical Fender, tough as nails. My only gripe is the tuners, may be a problem down the road. I dont know if these are a copy of the 70's ones or what (the real bass Geddy Uses that this bass is a replica of was made in 1972, I recall reading)they seem a little cheesey.

Fender makes great products but having to deal with them on customer support sucks. But since almost almost all music stores under the sun carry Fender goods in some capaciy, its often better to have most problems taken care of localy. I would not send Fender anything unless I HAD to

GREAT bass. It has become my main bass, replacing my US P-bass. The slim neck may not be for those with large hands, but since I have small hands for a bass player, its a dream for me. In all honesty I got this bass mainly because its a Geddy Lee (I'm a HUGE rush fan) but I can say it was one of my better buys in my life

you all know the features. their 40+ reviews below if you dont

I have never turned more guitarists heads then with the sound from this bass, my ampeg svt III pro and sansamp rbi. "You cut through the mix so well" "I've never actually heard all the cool bass stuff in that song" bottom line everyone thinks this bass sounds awesome. chunky, raunchy, bright, thick. all at once. the only passive bass I've ever used the tone knob on. It was also better sounding then any american jazz bass in the store. including the $$$$ custom shop 62' reissue and half the price.

this neck is great. I have medium sized hands and they love the thin neck. feels just like my moses graphite jazz neck. my neck has very nice grain figure in the maple and areas of flame in the maple as well. action is the best of all my basses and I didn't touch a thing. It doesn't get much better in terms of looks for a jazz bass. block inlays w/binding over maple. black body, white pgaurd chrome badass, big ol jazz bass logo on the head stock.

its a fender for cryin out loud. the strap buttons will need matches/toothpicks and glue but it will work forever. if it dont anything can fixed or upgraded cheap enough. the tuners kinda suck. I might replace em with hipshots but thats when I got nothing better to buy.

you dont really need customer support with fender. everyone and their brother stocks/ sells parts. its all readily available.

I might buy another just in case something ever happens to this one. stolen, dropped, used to kill my guitarist. you cant go wrong with a jazz bass especially one of this quality for this price.

I originally reviewed this bass and gave it good reviews. But having spent some time with it found I was overly critical. I swapped the original pickups for Seymour Duncan Antiquity II's but found them rather boomy. Despite multiple attempts I reinstalled the originals and have been able to get the ultimate Geddy/Squire tone!

Factory setup was perfect (lucky me). No blems at all.

I've done multiple gigs now and have no worries about its durability.

Never needed customer support.

I've been playing for about 30 years now. While my taste has changed over the years, I think this is the best playing and sounding bass I've had to date (I must have owned over 25 basses over the years). I currently play through 2 2-12 Bag End cabs with 2 1-15 bottoms through an Ampeg svp pro preamp with a Presonus Blue max compressor, a Sansamp driver (the best sounding addition regardless of rig) and Crown 1200 amp. I've never had a better sound. I play mostly Jazz/rock fusion and constantly have other bass players rave about my sound (one of the best compliments I could get other than my playing). If it was stolen I'd not think twice about replacing it!

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.

Bass model: 2003 Geddy Lee Artist series Jazz Bass by Fender (Japan)
Frets: 22, I think
Strings:4
Controls: Volume/volume/tone
Pickups: Fender vintage J/J single coil
Body:?Alder or ?Poplar- not sure.Trad J shape. Finish is a lustrous black. White 3-ply scratchplate
Bridge: Badass II
Tuners: Vintage Fender style
Neck: 70's style, all Maple with block markers in black, thick and glossy finish to fingerboard. Neck is shaped to a slimmer than standard profile, which makes it a Geddy Lee bass!
Accessories:none

I bought my Geddy Lee Jass Bass via the net about 5 months ago and have used it for about a dozen gigs as well as in rehearsal studio countless times. To be honest, I bought it as a good priced early 70's reissue rather than as a Geddy Lee Bass!
My previous main bass was a US'90 Fender Precision Plus. I play mostly vintage RnB (Motown,Stax etc.) and 70's funk as well as classis Santana and some work with an Afro-Cuban outfit.
I bought this bass because I wanted an authentic vintage jazz sound without the high price tag.It contains all the features I would look for in a retro Fender Bass.The badass II bridge is nice extra for me.
I really liked the neck profile and action, I find it a little faster than my P-plus bass. The 70's style colour sceme is just perfect for the kind of music I play. I give it 8 in this category, simply because there are other, better featured J-basses at a similar price (Marcus Miller signature which I nearly bought, but didn't)

The Geddy Lee bass sounds very different from a previously owned Mexican active deluxe J-bass which I didn't like that much.It almost has as much bottom as my P-bass but in addition, the bridge pickup is really excellent for slapping and popping.I would have to say that this bass is more dynamic throughout most of the range than my P/J configured precision (which is also passive)I was surprised by the output of the passive pickups, however the sound quality demands frequent string changes to keep it up there.
(I use Fender nickel 7250's which luckily, were fitted as standard)
I feel that I can really get that authentic 60's funky J-tone without any effort. I use a SWR amp with a Celestion quadbox,but I nearly always play D.I.
Other guys in the band seem to think that my overall tone is darker and a little smoother than with my previous P-bass, with more definition and brightness in the mid and higher range. Live recordings seem to confirm this. I have also found myself slapping a lot more as a result of this.

The ability to sound like a P-bass makes it easy to get a Jamersonlike tone- ballsy, warm(ish) and well rounded, but crank up that brige pickup and, with fresh strings, you can be Larry Graham! Oompa-Oompa-da-ra-ba!I use a P-bass as a studio standard and haven't yet used the Geddy Lee in this situation.

In conclusion, like all good J-basses, the Geddy Lee can really cut through the mix. Oh, and it was really quiet when both tone knobs were in "phase"

I think that the Geddy Lee J-Bass (a la '72 J-bass, which is what it looks like)is a beautiful instrument, it always draws compliments on it's appearance.

First impression after the glorious finish is the sheer playability of this J-Bass with a slim neck and low action it seemed a breeze after my P-bass!
I particulaly liked the finish on the fingerboard, except that it's already begun to lift a little immediately next to the frets.
My overall impression is that the bass was very well setup straight from the box with a low action which I liked.
I do feel, however, that my P-bass plus (now 14 years old) is tanklike in comparison to the J-Bass, the machineheads on the P-bass are fantastic, whereas the vintage style items on the Geddy Lee just lack that 100% solidity feel.Likewise, though the finish on the Geddy Lee is a gem to view, I don't feel, somehow, that it will look quite as good given the same treatment that my P-bass has had over time.(We'll see!)Still, the bass was flawless as supplied, I have had a tone knob work loose as well as the jack socket. Both easily fixed.

Mine is standing up to regular live playing (in some very sweaty situations!) no problems. As per my previous comments I will wait and see if it lives up to the legendary reliability and durability of finish of my P-bass.
I reckon that all the usual J-bass things will happen as we go along,the strap buttons will work loose, certain frets will buzz etc. etc. I hope that the finish on the fingerboard will standup.I also wonder if the slimmer than standard neck will retain it's shape, in other words, ask me in 5 years time!
Adjustment of the neck appears inconvenient, but not a concern for me as I find I rarely have had to do this with the Fenders I have been lucky enough to own. All other hardware just seems like standard stuff to me (except that bridge which has to be an improvement on Fender's effort and is a nice touch as that's what many players customfitted back in the 70's)

I have to tell you a story here.

I live in Melbourne, Australia. Fender want $Aus2300.00 for the Geddy Lee Bass,case excluded, here in Australia. I bought mine for$Aus1000.00 (about $US750.00)on the web.I was initially told that I couldn't have the bass shipped directly to me as Fender wouldn't permit it! (the guy at Musician 123.com told me that Fender have instructed them not to ship product to Australia) Luckily, I have a cousin in New York who took delivery for me and onshipped it to me here in Melbourne. I had it shipped by UPS and with import duty, fully landed, case included,it cost me $Aus1500.00, still more than $800.00 cheaper, well worth the trouble! As a result of this,I feel letdown by Fender on 3 counts!

1. That there is a gross price differential between here and the USA which I can't reconcile (over 120%markup)shipping alone cannot explain this as the bass was made in Japan anyhow!

2. That Fender oppose free trade by trying to prevent me from purchasing my bass where I like and at what price I can get.

3. That Fender will now "punish" me by not providing any warranty as I have purchased my bass in this manner.

Sorry Fender, I love your products, but you have to learn to treat your increasingly mobile customer base a little better than this!

I've back playing for 4 years now after a break of some 25 years! I would like to try the new Stingray SUB active as well as I'm currently playing a lot more funk. My other basses include a 90 P-bass plus, an OLP stingray and an upright.
I bought this bass after reading the reviews on this page and have found them to be accurate.If it were stolen or lost, I would have to try and replace it. I love the tone from low and ballsy through to the bright and strong high end, the style, the finish and the sheer presence of the thing on stage.It is a prince of J-basses.And extremely playable too.The only other J-basses I would like to own would be an original 62 or maybe a highend G&L.

This is weird, but, I feel that there is an uncanny resemblance (in the feel) to the old "JV" series basses from Squier - I wonder if it's the Japanese way? Anybody who knows of those JV basses will realise that they were rather excellent (too much so, some would say, for Fender's liking)and current secondhand prices for those instruments reflect that!

There's really nothing I could say I dislike about this bass.

Won't go into the features, they're already covered.

I love the sound from this bass. The pickups seem very sensitive. If you pluck a string hard, It really comes out in the sound. The sound from using the Bridge pickup alone is just incredible. I wasn't used to the "hotness" of these pickups at first but now I've learned to use them and I really like having that option.

I had to do some tweaking with this bass when I first bought it. The strings were too low and the pickups were a touch to high. Once these were adjusted it was fine.

The reason I bought this was because I was breaking strings on my American J-Bass pretty frequently in a live situation so I needed something reliable.So I bought this bass and have used it for four months of gigging without any problems. This is a solid bass.I rely on it 100%

Never had to deal with them.

I've owned 6 Fender basses in my life other than this one and I must say that this is my favorite of them all

34" Scale
Alder Body
Maple neck with Black Block inlays
Medium Frets
Reissue 1962 J Pickups
Plain White pickguard

It is exactly what it is - a 70's reissue.

Provides the classic Jazz Bass sounds via SWR Working Man, Fender Bassman 100 and some nicer rigs at Guitar Center. IT sounded great through each. I primarily record with this and it sounds just fine direct into the board or via an Bass PoD or a Bass PoDxT. You just get more tonal capabilities via the PoD's.

Varying the volume levels of the individual pickups can really change the sound from nasty snarl to smooth and full. None of the settings were harsh or muddy.

If you are looking for a sweet smooth sound for Jazz then you may want to look at the Marcus Miller model - also a very nice bass.

Perfect from the factory although I am noticing some very small cracks in the clear coat on the fingerboard. I have never had a Maple neck instrument before and given the more aged ones I would say this is just the norm.

The neck is slim and easy to play. Normally I like an unfinished oiled neck as the gloss slows me down but the clearcoat on this neck causes no problems.

The factory action was a little low for my taste but that was easily resolved and it plays perfectly.

We'll see I have not had it long enough.

N/A

I played a boat load of basses before getting this one. All basses have their pluses and minuses. If you love the more aggresive sound of a Jazz Bass then this is your bass. It has snarl and growl built in.

I played no other bass that came close and they had plenty between Guitar Center and Sam Ash. The unique thing about a Fender is the tonal variety that you can get just by how you play it.

For the money paid for this bass it is a fantastic deal. Not fancy, no Phat knobs (LOL!). Simple elegance and a phenominal sound. Try and steal this and you are in for a serious bruising :-)

One thing that I have learned is that it pays long term to buy a decent instrument and this qualifies. When I was but a wee young'n I got a 1978 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe and it plays as nice as the day I got - possibly better. Not so for the dust collecting bargians that grace the back of my closest - Fender Squire J-Bass Special with a warped neck, Fender Squier Strat. Note that Squires only have a 1 year warranty.

Good Luck and you better one before their gone!

Japanese made bass with 20 frets. Maple neck w/ maple fretboard, black block inlays and black binding around neck. Fitted with Badass Bass II bridge (Geddy is known for fitting his basses with the Badass bridges.) Has a real vintage 1972 look, but modernized for today's standards (thumb-rest bar is nonexistant, as well as an absence of pickup/bridge covers.) The neck is very thin, more so than I've felt on any new Jazz basses. The controls: bridge pickup volume, neck pickup volume, master tone. The only accessory that came with this bass was a small Allen wrench for adjusting the bridge saddles and tone knobs. I give this a 10, this bass is absolutely MARVELOUS.

A very aggressive style, and is very well suited for Rock music (my style of music.) The amp I am running it to is a Peavey TNT115BW (15" Black Widow speaker), and it sounds great thru that. It sounded TERRIFYINGLY awesome on an Ampeg SVT Pro that went into a 4x10 Cabinet. It is a fairly noisy bass, the pickups are very responsive to the strings. Fairly rich sound with a good amount of sustain. As for the tonal variety, it lacks the Low end of a DELUXE Fender J-bass, but it certainly can hold its own. It's noticably better for the stage, probably just because of how noisy it can get; but that all depends on the type of music you play.

The bass came with very low action, but still had great sound. The pickups needed no further adjustments. No flaws on the bass that I can tell of (except a loose tone knob, that was easily adjusted with an Allen wrench.)

This bass feels like it is built like a rock, most Japanese Fenders are. The hardware seems very sturdy. I am not worried about the finish at ALL - Fender has always been very good with that. The finish on the fretboard seems to be a little thick, but that is not a downside at all; it actually contributes to the look of the bass. The strap buttons arent goin anywhere. When I got the bass, no neck adjustments needed to be made, and I dont think that there will be a need for adjustments any time soon. I wouldnt use it without a backup, because I never play without a backup. You never know when your adrenaline is going to pick up, and you start playing harder, and snapping strings. I have had that problem before.

I have never had to deal with Fender on issues concerning this bass.

I have been playing for about 4 years... I also own an American Deluxe Fender Jazz bass. If this bass were stolen, I would definitely buy another one, brand new. You just cant beat the price. My favorite feature is the WHOLE BASS. I compared it side by side by my American Deluxe Jazz bass... just out of curiousity. I love this bass as is, and I cant think of any adjustments it would need.

Features are STD and were decribed by others, It is a Japanese J-Bass with STD passive electronic and US Vintage pickups.

I believe the only special features are the Leo Quann Badass II brige, Black Binding and Black Block Position Markers,
Badass II Bridge.

The neck and the fingerboard are maple.

The neck plate is engraved "Fender Limited edition" but I believe it is made since '98 and it is not really hard to get.

Mine is a 2000.

I will rate features at 9 just because it is passive.

It is possible to get a sound close the the P-Bass using only the neck pickup, but the sounds is still more punchy. Using just the bridge pickup or a combination sounds very interesting, very punchy and aggressive. A lot brighter than a P-bass since mine did not feature a brigpe pickup. I like the sound a lot but I will still use my P-Bass for some specific songs that we are playing with the E string tuned down to C#. For some reason my Jazz Bass does not play well with that tuning.

I will have it tuned up with DR LoRider or SunBeam, I'm sure my sound will get better, but it is still awesome and the variety is a lot wider
with the 2 pickups.

Outstanding, and as I mentioned it is not even freshly tuned. I played a 70's US Made J-Bass before buying the Geddy Lee Model, and I believe the later was better.

I was surprised that one of the machine heads had a little backlash , I'll have it verified.
For the balance it is good enough to sport the name of Fender.
My P-bass will still act as a back up (tuned down as explained), all basses need a backup...

Did not need it yet.

I'm playing guitar since '82, bass since '86 but I spent the 90's without serious playing (occasionnal on my Tak 12 acoustic that I still own). Do not let your job take over music, music is a therapy...

I use to play an Fender Precision (USA) in the late 80's, an I started over playing with a Squier Bass Pack in '99. No need to say it is an upgrade. I was considering my Squier as fair (may be I've been lucky with this chinese, the playability is still ok but the sound can't be compared) But now I believe that the sound of my previous Fender was too deep in my memory.

I am using a Fender Bassman 60 (recommended for rehersal in small rooms only). The amp was distorsioning a lot with the Squier, my sound is really better and the distorsion is minor now with my Geddy (with volume over 80%).

In my 2 months shopping process, I played a Peavey and a Yamaha (both Precision-like in the $4-500's), the fender Sting signature, an active 5str. Bass-Collection, an OLP (Chinese passive Stingray), a Mex. P-Bass, an active Washburn and a Rickenbaker 4003. Among these, I found that only the the Ric and the Geddy Lee were interesting soundwise and were a real upgrade compare to my Squier (playability were all better tough).

I really looked for a MM Stingray, but I lost a bid on one (you can't get $1000 from an ATM and banks bus.hours are a shame) and I purchased the Jazz Bass as a result of frustration and I have no regrets.

If it was stolen, I would try again to find a Stingray, try it and decide after.

My rate will be 9 because I am still a Stingray virgin player...


I do not

Made in early '98 I believe, bought new, so i've had it knog enough to know what it is going to do. It's a Jazz bass, but it is modeled after a '72. Maple board with black markers. Ash body. BadassII bridge. I give it an 8 because, well, it's a jazz bass, and they are not known to have all of the features that will blow you out of the water. However, I would only give several other jazz basses a 7.

I owned this bass for about four years before I even really used it much. I was in metal and funk bands, so a Hi-Fi Warwick 5 was my main axe. I recently joined a classic rock style band with a modern edge. Think Michelle Branch-ish. Bottom line, Jazz basses, in general, are a great bass if you are a sideman. They always sit well in the mix, but never draw attention away from the star. I haven't tried to get it to sound exactly like Geddy Lee, so I can't comment there, but it sounds as good as any american Jazz, which is I wanted it to do. The body could be a bit more resonant, but that is nobody's fault but the tree. Any production bass can vary like that.

All were fine, but as a '72 reissue, The tint of the finish on the maple could be a bit darker. Vintage fender guys will know what I am talking about. You do have to remove the neck to adjust the truss rod, but you wouldn't knock a '62 Jazz worth more than you car for this, so I won't knock this one. Again, as with any bass, spend time adjusting it to your liking. You should never think a bass is perfect out of the box, it helps if it is close, but you'll always have to tweak.

I gig with the bass a minimum of once a week. The only time I use a back up is when I am at a clean venue and I feel like taking my vintage P-Bass ('78) with me. 90% of the time, I have no back up and have never felt like I would need one....Knock on wood.

This bass was stolen once. I contacted AJ's Music in Las Vegas, where the bass was purchased, to see if they still had record of the serial # (always write these down, lesson learned). They contacted fender and were able to get it back, which in turn got me my bass back. I didn't deal with Fender directly, but the job got done. I am still going to leave this as NA.

I am a pro, L.A. studio and gig player with 12 years under my belt. I was always a "modern" bass guy, but I knew that I would need to get a Jazz or P bass if I wanted to do a lot of sideman work. I bought this bass because it was cheaper than the American bass, still had an Ash body, and had the BADASSII bridge. The bass just has a cooler vibe that the American Standard too. Bottom line, I love it. I have since played a ton of similar era Jazz basses, and some are better and some are not. No one engeneer in studio or soundman on stage has ever said anything bad, and it always sits great whereever I play or record it. Mabee I'll put some Fralin's in it some day, but I am always happy with the consitancy of the sound. This bass just always works, no fuss. If you want to be a studio guy, this is key. If it was stolen (again) I would collect the insurance money, and spend the difference on an origional '72, but only because of the investment value of a vintage insturment. The best value Jazz bass on the market, hands down.

Geddy Lee Limited Edition Jazz Bass, a replica of the instrument he has used for for years. Ok the bass features an alder body with a maple neck/fingerboard (34" scale length; 20 Medium Jumbo frets with black fingerboard binding), this J-Bass is custom-fit with two U.S. Vintage Bi-Pole pickups (neck & bridge), and a Bad AssTM II Bridge.

It's got a decent sound but not as full as my American made Jazz. It's quiet and records well. I will be replacing the pickups in time with a Dimarzio ultra jazz set.

Nice fit and finish. No gaps or other mishaps and fret work was well done. Action is pretty good but I hate the fact you have to remove the neck to access the truss rode. Sure it's a classic bass and sure you can have the body routed for access, but still!!. Also I find the neck a little to thin for my liking.

Should last a long time as it's well constructed and has few error prone parts. The inlays in the neck are not true inlays and this may become a problem in time as the maple board begins to show signs or wear.

I'd say for a big company Fender does a decent job at customer service.

A really cool and pleasing jazz with some nice extras. Still not as good as a U.S. made jazz, but still a very good buy.

I bought this bass brand new. It is actually the second one I bought. The first one (which I sold) was in perfect shape. My current one has a little of the laminating of the top of neck peeling off around the 3rd fret. No big deal. Also some small lines in 2 of the black fret markers. Cosmetics like that don't bother me. The thin neck is excellent, especially compared to the Fender Marcus Miller model. Overall, I am very pleased.

The sound is excellent. The reason I sold my first one is that I replaced the pickups with Active Bartolinis. It lost it's "Unique" sound, but gained absolute silence. I am leaving the original pickups in this one. The best way to describe the sound would be to listen to "New World Man" by Rush. Play along with that song, and you will know what I mean. Excellent.

The factory setup was just average. When I bought it, the bass tech took about 15 minutes to adjust the truss rod and the action. Since then it hasn't needed anything, even with drastic temperature changes. The neck is holding my preferred setting perfectly.

This bass seems ready for anything. It appears it could take a beating, a few spilled beers, or just about whatever abuse you have. I would only question the slight noise, but I guess most passive basses would do that. I'm used to playing a dead-silent Kubicki. I was spoiled with that.

Didn't need it.

I play this bass through a Trace Elliot 1x15 300 watt combo and a Hartke 2.5 XL extension cabinet. This is the best sounding combination I have ever owned. My only request would be a little more fine tuning control over the tone. It's just one small knob that controls both. 1 tone knob for each pickup would be outstanding! Anyway, I will NOT be selling this bass this time.

I wish It came with a cass. Fender puts thier basses in great cases.

I did not want geddys sound nor did expect it. You need alot of outboard gear to ound like that (or a ric). I use a mesa 400+ and two mesa 2x15s. I also have a fender 400 and a 2x10 with a 1x15. I run a good sized pedal board. OD, chorus, EH big muff, wah and delay. It is just like any jazz you have ever heard but for half the price. I dont know how fender got away with this, but if you know jazz basses, they could easily sell this for at least 1200 dollars. I

This bass was adjusted to my standards ten minuets after I got it. LOW and buzzing the frets. It came with no flaws, except for loose strap pegs.

The tone and pickup volumes have either came off or have turned past were they are actually supposed to stop at. But I have giged with this bass over 250 times and practiced a over 600 times with it. So I dont blame this bass for sorta falling apart. Some of the finish on the neck has chiped. But oh well, every thing that has gone bad is my fault. This bass is as tough as nails.

Never dealt with fender...........I should though.

Japanese-made 2002 Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. 4 string Alder body, Flat black finish, black inlaid position markers, Leo Quann Badass II bridge, thin(FAST) neck, passive J-style US vintage pickups, vintage tuners, bound fingerboard, 20-fret maple neck, lusterous finish.

This instrument seems to have a very clear, distinct sound, unlike my old Ibanez bass. Whilst running both pickups with the tone turned down, this bass has a beautiful, bright tone, full of depth and sustain. It does get slightly "twangy" whilst soloing the bridge pickup with the tone turned up, but it doesent seem to receive much hum. Those who built the pickups and wired them did a decent job of avoiding single-coil hum. The only request that I would make would be to switch to the hotter, more modern pickups featured on the American-made jazz basses.

When I was trying out this bass at the store, I noticed the action was far too low for my playing style. It may have been set at a decent level for slap and pop, but it needed adjustment for melodic classical/jazz/alternative playing, where I sometimes use an altered tuning. The folks at the Guitar Center fixed it in a few minutes, and the bass was pretty close to optimal.

I regularly play this bass live with a symphony orchestra and jazz band, and it seems to hold up pretty well. I've owned it for a couple of months now, and there haven't been any problems, but time will be the true test. The finish seems hard and lusterous, and there are no scratches from its tenure as a floor instrument in a Guitar Center. I believe that I can depend on this bass, but on a major gig, I would still bring my trusty Ibanez axe.

Never dealt with Fender, but from the horror stories I've heard, I'm a little nervous.

I've been playing electric bass for a number of years now, and was classically trained as both a cello and electric bass player. I regularly play electric bass with a symphony orchestra and a jazz band. I also own a beat-up Ibanez GSR200 bass(Gets the job done, but mediocre tone), a Squier Standard Strat, an SWR amplifier, and a DigiTech effects pedal. I enjoy playing classical pieces, such as the Bach cello suites on the bass (Muddy on the Ibanez, beautiful on the Fender), old jazz tunes, and misc. Pastorius, Haslip and Stanley Clarke.
The only modifications I would do to the bass would be to install hotter Seymour Duncan or Fender pickups, and possible replace the pickguard with a pearl- or black colored one.
In the store, I compared it with various Mexican Fenders, American ones, and the Ibanez EDA900. This bass completely outclassed its Mexican counterparts, and also outdid many higher-priced American basses (Japanese work ethics, here). I liked many features of the similarly-priced EDA900, but preferred the Geddy's natural tone and better feel.
On an ending note, I would like to say that I did NOT buy this bass because I'm a Rush wannabe. Their music is decent, but I don't particularly like it. My decision was based solely on feel, quality, workmanship, bang-for-the-buck, but most of all, sound.

Brand new, 2002 issued. Refer to other reviews for specifics.

What first grabbed me about this bass was its looks. I have always loved the Fender jazz bass, but this one blew me away. The sound was great with the stock strings, but I play mainly 60's rock. The strings were horrendous for this, which I knew when I purchased it. As was the plan, I quickly put some Fender flatwounds, and the sound was moved away from the Rush sound, and to the standard jazz bass sound. Overall, the sound is gorgeous. It is fantastic in all respects!

Action was set up very nicely, and needed no adjustments. This was purchased "off the wall" from the store, were it had been hanging for a week. The staff all tried it and loved it, and I imagine a few others had tried it as well. Despite this, the finish is pristine. There is not a nick, scratch, or dull spot anywhere in the guitar. It is flawless. My only pet peave is the neck. The maple has many coats of varnish, to a high gloss. Overall, I think the shine on the nect detracts from the look of this fine guitar. It would have been nicer dull, in my opinion. The other reissues with maple necks have the same high gloss, but I'm not sure if this was the standard on the on the original issues. Another concern is over time, will the high gloss on the neck become dull and scratched, and detract? Despite the gloss neck, I give this catagory a 10, as the finish and action is superb. Oh yes, the thin neck is absolutely incredible!

Hardware does seem very durable. I agree that the tuners could be a little stronger, and more like the American issues. The knobs are hard plastic and nice, but they could have been a higher grade, as well. The finish is beautiful, and will last for years. I can't say enough about this aspect of the guitar. Strap buttons are there for life---solid as can be! You will not need a backup with this bass in hand!

My only problem was one of the volume knobs---it sort of grabbed once in a while around the half-way point. I messed with it, and turned with a little tension, and the problem seemed to me fixed. What an easy repair. Because of the volume knob problem the day I brought it home, I give this section a 9/

Haven't had to use them.

This bass is awesome for, most of all, its playability. It is smooth as silk, fast, and responsive. I have a Hofner and Jay Turser Beatle bass, and a Peavey T-40. When I was looking for a new bass, I wanted a long scale which would get rid of some of the weight of the T-40. I fell in love with this bass, and bought it, and it is about 2.4 ounces lighter than the T-40. I didn't gain a thing! Oh well, it is still a keeper. Let me tell you one thing more---I respect Geddy Lee, but am not a huge fan. I did not buy this bass because of Geddy Lee. I bought it because it was the coolest looking Fender Jazz bass with a traditional J sound. I am probably one of the only nuts who bought this without wanting it because of Geddy Lee. I am a McCartney, Entwhistle, and Squire fan above all other bassists, with John Paul Jones thrown in for good measure, and this bass can create the sounds of these greats. I am in awe of Geddy's playing, but am not a big fan, so if you are against buying this because it is Geddy's model, think again. It is a reissue of a Fender Jazz bass that Geddy happened to own, with some adjustments, most notably the thin neck and bridge. Thankfully the signature is on the back of the head stock, as it is unseen---heck, nobody can read the writing anyway! Buy it---you won't regret it.

This is just a good old Fender Jazz bass, no matter who signed the headstock...Volume/Volume/Master-tone knobs, standard Jazz bass set up..nothing more or less. This model does feature the old mid-to-late 70's Larry Graham style block inlays. I rate this guitar a 9 as I think the Fender Jazz bass is the best bass guitar ever created, & this is a very good Fender Jazz bass.

Sounds like a Jazz...'nufff said...

Bought it used, but the layed perfectly...

A+

Never dealt with Fender & hope never to from what I've heard...

I play pro guitar & bass for a living & this bass is one of the few times I've done well in a pawn shop purchase...( They didn't know what they had )I've played ffor over twenty years as a pro, guitar & bass, & feel I have at last found my "No. 1" bass. Very solid, very true intonation & good electronics...

Geddly Lee features have all been covered in prior reviews.

This is where it excels. Mine had almost no single coil hum when soloing either pick up. The tone is old school Fenderish, very hip, especially for slap (some one else elaborated on the slap tone and he was 100% correct). If you use the Fender nickels (super bass) it produces BIG/PHAT tones and lots of the Fender treblish slap accents. Too cool, way cool. Can you tell I love this bass? I am using a Aguilar DB 924 with it...Talk about clean boost and punch! I could go on but then I'd never get through the review.

Japanese quality...Its a Fender so the neck is unsurpassed in comfort, enough said? One more thing: Get a black MOTO pick guard...someone else in this string recommended it and he was right...this bass is awesome with a black MOTO pickguard.

Its a Japanese made Fender, I dont expect any problems

Who knows? I've never contacted them.

25 Years experience, I checked this bass out before I bought it and knew what it was capable of (I just wanted to get the hook up on a deal)I would buy it again 'fo sho' cause it captures the old school jazz tones (and it has the old school slap tones I hear in my head). The only other passive Fender that I might have considered in its place is the 75 reissue (similiar tones, more punch due to the ash body and bridge P/U position). One last thing to share: If you love Fender tones this bass delivers (IMHO better than some of the new Amercian Standards).

2001 Fender Geddy Lee MIJ Jazz Bass. I won't go into a description as it has been already covered in the other reviews. Except If the tuners were better ( I find them a little loose) I give it a 10 for features.

I own quite a few Fender P Basses. I always wanted a nice jazz but never found one that really grabbed me until I played this one. When I first started playing I owned an original 74/75 jazz with maple neck, black inlays and natural ash body, but it was super heavy, had a chunky neck (the bad type)and really didn't have that much character. The GD Jazz is one smokin' bass, great growl , great for funk, more versatile than a P Bass. It has the U.S sixties pickups which I find very smooth from string to string. I also adjusted them dowm a bit as I find them loud and full. I play it thru an Eden/Mesa Boogie system.

Made in Japan is a very good thing when it comes to this bass. The neck on my bass has a beautiful flame maple. The fretwork is excellent. As stated above the U.S pickups are great. The body is medium weight alder with an excellent black finish. Action from the store/factory is excellent. Strings stay in place with the Badass bridge. The only fault I find is the tuners are medium quality.

Fenders can take the use/abuse.

Never dealt with Fender.

This the best value in a maple neck jazz bass period. Actually I'm quite surprised Fender actually presently builds a bass of this quality for the price. I find most of their Mexican and U.S jazz basses don't match up in value. Most real players want the old Fenders (and I have a few) but this bass captures that Fender magic.

I just bought it new at muscians friend, i got a 15 % discount for a bad experience i had there so i got the bass at a great price.The bass is very nice,they sure make them good in japan, at least as good in the US!The finish,the neck,it is a very nice instrument . To be honest , i like this bass better than my American made Fender Jazz

Sounds very nice through my Carvin Pro Bass Amp

Finish is stunning,just beautiful,excellent craftsmanship

This thing is solid,and i dont need a backup for sure

Have not had to deal with Fender

I really like this bass and i have owned other Fenders, this one is sweet and very very attractive

This is a Japanese manufactured "Special Edition" (although these editions have been manufactured since early 2000) of the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass purchased by myself in late August of 2002. The body is made of alder and comes in the gloss Black with White pickguard/chrome electronics cover that "Rush" Bassist/singer/songwriter Geddy lee has been using as his exclusive Bass. The neck is slimmer than your typical J or P Bass and I'm told has been "Shaved" and modeled after Geddy's own Bass and specifications. The fingerboard inlays are not lacquered paint but actual inlays (material unknown). The pickups are American made Fender single coil "J" style. Electronics are passive. Machine heads are high quality items. Volume and Tone pots seem to be standard fare. The "Badass II" bridge is a welcome addition in lieu of the Fender bridge for intonation and height adjustments. Overall craftsmanship is excellent.

I have been playing Bass both for personal enjoyment and professionally and since 1973 (I'm showing my age here)and I own several Fender Basses as well as other Basses to include a 69 P- Bass, 99 "Hot Rodded" P- Bass, and a Tobias Toby 4. I have to admit, I was skeptical of purchasing what I thought would be just a signature "Knock off" copy of a performer's instrument but was I surprised! This Bass sounds GREAT! The tone generated by this instrument is surprisingly rich and deep. Running straight into my amp without any effects I was able to generate deep tones without a lot of treble or "Twang". However, I was able to get a varied amount of that Geddy "Thunk" out of it by running the instrument through my Line 6 Bass POD. The Bass came strung with Fender 105's and seem okay (I swapped them for medium "Blue Steel" Dean Markley's...seem to get better treble and sustain from them) but do yourself a favor and try a different set of your favorite strings. I have had no problem with noise from the pickups, even when just playing either the bridge or neck pickup exclusively.

The set-up as received was good but the action was a little too high for my tastes. The neck as received was metal-ruler straight but I had my local luthier give it a "Tune up" to adjust the bridge and set the action to my liking. A few slight bridge adjustments and this baby was ripping! The neck pickup as set from the factory needed a slight adjustment. Finish and craftmanship was excellent!

I have only owned this instrument a short while and have only played out with it once. I had only been using my "Hot Rodded" P- Bass as my main instrument, alternating with the Toby...until now! I'm playing mostly classic Rock now with the occasional Fusion session thrown in. The Geddy Lee J-Bass really fits the bill. I do not know how the instrument will do over the long haul but I'd put this model up against any Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez, Guild, and Rickenbacher product for the touring/working Bassist! It's totally dependable, built like a tank, and will take a knocking and still keep rocking!

This Bass is a keeper! If I had it ripped off, I'd purchase another! The only thing I may purchase during the long haul is some good quality metal volume and tone knobs (the plastic ones look like thy're the only weak links in the entire system). The price paid for a new one off the shelf is well worth it for a hybrid (Japanses/American) "Special Edition" Fender that lives up to Geddy's reputation!

Geddy Lee Signature Limited Edition Jazz Bass. Aldar Body, Maple neck and fingerboard, black fingerboard binding and block inlays, and a Leo Quann Badass II Bridge. Also features two U.S. vintage pickups. Passive electronics, like all vintage Fenders. Tuners are vintage, bu very solid. The neck is shaved just like Geddy's, so it plays very fast.

I play a lot of slap style bass, and of all the basses I've tried out at music stores, this one has the best sound of all, honestly. It sounds just like Geddy's bass if you want it to, but you can also change your settings for a warmer tone. I like the overall sound of the instrument, but the single coils emmit some noise if they're not both in use.

I bought the bass used, so I can't say anything about the factory set-up. However, I've heard that Fender does not set things up well at the factory. Even though it was used, my Geddy bass had no flaws. The finish was pristine, the neck straight as an arrow, and the overall look was spectacular.

I've used this bass for several live performances, and I have no complaints. It looks great and sounds great both live and in the studio. I replaced the stock strap pins with Jim Dunlop strap locks, and have had no problems. I've only owned the bass a couple of months, but the truss rod has not needed any adjusting. From reading previous reviews, I understand that the neck is very solid, and can withstand temperature changes without needing a truss rod fixing.

I've never really contacted Fender Customer Support, but I've heard bad things about them.

I've been playing bass for five years now, and the Geddy bass is the best bass I've owned overall. For the price, it can't be beat. Try one out, and see what I mean.

I got this from a chain music store back in 2000. I usually buy from idependents, but I had to get this sucka when I found it. Made the store clerks a little mad because it was their favorite bass out of the 40 or so they had hanging. They liked it so much that one of the clerks even slipped a Fender Black Moto pickguard in my bag on my way out of the door and said, "We'll miss her!." Hot Tip ... got to put a Black Moto on that Badboy ... subtle flash.
It's got all of the stock seatures one would expect, with a few exceptions:
The neck is shaved a little thinner and does play faster. It's been through two Boston summer/winter cycles (with no heat or AC) and has not required any truss rod adjustments! I have to rebut what has been said in a prior review ... The binding and inlays are not painted on. Take a closer look - They're just cut better than what you've seen on the sloppy old Americans.
Geddy's sinature is on the back. Thanks for that.
The tuners are phat. Mine are steady as a rock. Only two years old but they already have a nickel patina similar to my '73 J. I can't explain this. Same goes for the neckplate.
Fender doesn't supply a case.
Limited Edition ... looks like a generous edition.

I can't add more than has already been stated. It has a great jazz tone and is all about the tone. I threw some Fender flats on mine and it still has a Geddy-esque tone. You can whittle it a bit ... but it's there to sound like a J, baby .. don't fight it.

Nice all around. Of my ten basses this one has required the least attention. It is set up like a dream. Not a flaw that I could locate. That's big, because I am a deatail freak.

Simply unbelievable! This sucka is down for decades. I won't use it on a gig because I value it too much personally. If some cog spit a hawker on it or chunked a bottle at it, I would have to catch a case for assault.

I haven't needed any support. but I know here to find them.

I have a bevy of solid basses and this is my favorite. It rocks harder than my stock '73 Fender Jazz (black) and my '74 Rickenbacker 4001 (black). It has more Geddy tone than either of those, in fact I think this is Geddy's bass! I am Geddy when I play it.
I all seriousness, I would have to sell all of vintage basses before I would sell this one. It may not be as worth as much financially, but it is the perfect J for me. I have played many vintage J's since I've bought this Geddy and I just have to laugh. Congratulations to those shrewd enough to pick up on these. The secret is ours.

Fender's Japanese-made Geddy Lee Artist Signature series Jazz Bass
was introduced early 1998 as a 'limited edition' instrument. Nearly
five years later, it is still being produced. Let's suppose why.

This instrument is one of the seventeen or so fretted four-string Fender logo Jazz Basses featuring on the company's 2002 Frontline
catalogue, and in my view,probably offers the best combination of price,sounds,features and looks.I would like to share with the reader
my experience of a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass manufactured in April 2002.

The body is the classic Jazz shape, with a sharply-defined forearm cutaway and generous rear cutaway. It is made of alder, a good
tonewood, and is lightweight. The black finish (the only colour available) is very well done and looks stunning. Visually, the major feature here is the large,but not overly so, Leo Quan Badass II bridge,a sensible addition.

The neck really looks and feels superb. It is of one-piece maple with
rear skunk-stripe, and has black binding and black block inlays. Comparing these to those found on the American Vintage reissue '75 Jazz. one gets the impression that both features are painted on to the neck -I may well be wrong, but on the US model the fret ends are covered somewhat by the binding. In any event, the effect is unusual and very strikingly different. Side by side with an American Series Jazz, the Japanese model looks much better in its livery,painted on or otherwise. The neck is the shallowest I've seen, and is easy to play. However, truss-rod access is very poor-the neck has to be removed to get at it- and although this basshas weathered well three months of an Irish summer,I will keep an eye on it. The rerlative lack of wood in the neck has so far resulted in no problems at all. The whole feel is of a well-built instrument. The neck is affixed to the body with a neck-plate bearing a large 'spaghetti-style 'F'' and
the legend'Limited Edition'

Frets are of medium size,well-crowned and with no sharp ends.

The tuners,however, are awful. They look cheap,and the posts are loose when string tension is relaxed. They just don't fit with the overall high quality of the rest of the instrument. Thet are very easily knocked out of tune, unlike those fitted to US reissue Fenders.
I intend to replace mine soon.

Pickups are US Vintage '62 models, yet the beveled magnet slugs are silvery in colour and are look quite unlike those found in either the American-made standard or '62 -reissue basses!

Pots are US Switchcraft-type (large) and wiring is 'cloth'covered,the passive circuitry being grounded to a brass plate. All very reassuring.

Because of the tuners, I'll give this section an 8

I play a mixture of jazz,rock, pop and country and the Geddy Lee never fails to do the business. All the usual Jazz Bass sounds are there, and it delivers a throaty growl especially with one of the pots rolled back. The tendency is towards bright,because of the maple board, but with amp EQ correctly set, a warm,yet punchy,well-defined
grainy tone is there. This bass sounds very good indeed, and the sheer mass of the Badass bridge adds sustain. This bass sings-even unamplified, those notes ring out, alaways a good sign. I have not tried it in the studio,so I can't comment. On stage, its light weight and shallow neck profile make it a pleasure to play. I have four other
Jazz Basses, but this is increasing the one I take to the gig.

When delivered, the GLJB was strung with Fender 105's and fret buzz was evident. I dislike Fender strings and immediately replaced these with UK-made Rotosound 90s-my favourite. An excellent action has resulted from this one change, and onky a slight modification of intonation was required. 10 minutes work had this bass in excellent playing order. Pickup adjustment is good, with good 'travel'.
I have aleady referred to the tuners......

This is one solidly-built Fender with a good deal of US componentry.
Finishand 'fit'are good, and the whole thing exudes an air of competence. It has proven totally dependent with no adjustments required since my initial set-up. I never bring a second bass to a gig. Many reviwers of this instrument on this site have complained
about many features of this bass, and it seems to me that Fender may have been listening to them. This bass purportedly emulates Geddy Lee's early 70s Jazz Bass and from a marketing perspective would have appealed to Rush fans. I think,however, that one should view this instrument as a general-purpose Jazz Bass that,given its reasonable price, sits quite rightly at the upper end of Fender's confusing range of Jazz Basses bearing its logo.

This instrument is not available in Europe and I imported it from the US where i'd bought it from Music123.com
When I ordered it it wasn't in stock-within a week Angela had sourced one for me. very good people to deal with, and I recommend them.
I have no worries regarding warranty.

I've been a player-collector for quite some time and if this bass were lost/stolen, I'd go for another. It is a fine instrument, and
it is good to see that Japanese manufacture of Fenders continues.
With globalisation,the combination of product/quality/price has to count- don't get me wrong, but if you're in the market for a top-class Jazz Bass, this one won't disappoint. Just budget for a case, as none is supplied.

The Geddy Lee Jazz Bass is a collectable. If you are a Rush fan then it makes the bass more special. I am and always will be a Rush fan. They are only one of a handful of successful Rock bands that has managed to stay together with all the original members and that really means something to me. They have consistently shown musical integrity throughout their long carreer. This Fender Artists signature Geddy Lee bass is yet another example of then giving their fans exactly what they want and I love this bass. It has all the quality and details of a 70's jazz bass.Alder body with a maple neck. passive electronics. It's only available in black but thats what makes it cool. The badass bridge gives it a better sound and playability. The neck feels like it has been shaved compared to other jazz basses of it's era but I was told thats because Mr. Lee has his necks shaved and the Fender custom shop made an exact replica of his bass to design this series.

The sound is classic Fender Jazz bass tone. This bass is great for playing Rock N Roll and to my surprise it was fantastic for funk slap style playing......I LOVE IT ! I've heard people complain this bass doesn't have enough bottom end but I have to disagree. This bass is cool.The maple neck and midrange tone are great for slap style.

The action was great the people at the Fender factory know their stuff. I don't have to adjust anything. The vintage Fender jazz bass pickups give it the classic Fender tone.One cool thing is that unlike other Fender jazz basses, the single coil pick ups do not buzz when you only have one on. This is cool and unique. The finish is sharp looking. The black binding and black block inlays contrast well with the black body.

This bass is perfect for playing live Rock N Roll like I do. I play in a covers band and this bass can adapt to all the various styles we play. Our drummer is a Neil Peart fanatic and we have that bass and drummer commeraderie thing going on. IN THE POCKET!! The hardware and finish are both professional. Strap buttons are solid and I can depend on this bass for every gig. I don't need a back up bass because this bass is made so well.

Fender and Geddy Lee are both professionals and they know what they are doing.

This bass is a dream come true. I really respect Geddy Lee as an accomplished musician but what I respect more is he and Fender figured out a way to build and deliver a high quality instrument at a very low costs and I tip my hat to both of them. Everything from the "Limited Edition" neck plate to the "Crafted in Japan" mark on the neck look cooler then the American made jazz basses. I think it sounds just as good as an American made jazz bass but plays and looks better. One thing I thought was really great is that if you take the pickguard off the bass does not have empty cavities like all the new American and Mexican made Fender Jazz basses.This means you can have the braless jazz bass look which I always loved.(E.G. Jaco Pastorius). If Geddy Lee reads this I want to say "Thank you".

Built 2002 Japan - read the other reviews for th specifics - or visit Fenders Site for the latest specifics on the bass!

Sounds great - if you are looking for a good 75 type re-issue and want to save about half the cost - then this is the bass to play. Run it through my Peavey Rig and can get all the tones I need - some people state that you do not have the bottom end sound because of the BAII bridge - but minor adjustments on your amp and variations on the volume controls take care of that nicely!

I was surprised at how well the bass was set up - I just had to adjust the intonation a bit on the strings and it was good to go - string height and action were great out of the box! (That is why I give this an 8.

The neck is shaved so it is a bit different (quicker) than what you might be used to - after a few hours of playing - the bass felt right at home in my hands.

The Black finish is just gorgeous!

Being a Fender - I imagine it will last and last. Some people complain that there are no strap locks installed - well I never liked them (Been playing for 30+ Years) and was happy to see that they were not on the bass! The neck was great right out of the box - but due to some comments regarding the neck, I am going to keep my eye on this. After a month - no problem!

I would not hesitate to use this without a bcakup and matter of fact - this is quickly becoming my primary bass!

Never had to deal with Fender so I could not tell you - I did special order the bass - and it was back ordered - but it came in 2 weeks earlier than comitted to by Fender so that is a good thing

Overall, I would state that this is a great bass - my only beef (as with other comments) is that Fender did not include a case - had to buy one seperately for this. I've been playing for 30+ years and would rate this bass as an excellent buy for the money! I would definately buy another if someone were to steal this from me.

Built January 2001, Japanese model, purchased in April 2001. The typical Jazz Bass features, passive pickups - '62 reissues. Alder body finished in black, maple neck with black block markers, polyurethane finish. Badass II bridge.

It was the looks that grabbed me. Not everyone has one of these, either. The price for a vintage 70s Jazz is ridiculous, this reissue is half-to-one third that cost. One bummer... the Badass Bridge doesn't accomodate using the old style chrome pickup covers, won't fit properly.

The neck feels different than the '65 I used to own years ago, and even my Made in Mexico model (which, remarkably had a very similar feel). The Geddy Jazz neck is more shallow. I took some getting used to, but I've learned to really enjoy it.

Another feature I like is the fact that The Geddy Lee signature is on the BACK of the headstock.

I wish Fender would include a case, or even a gigbag with these instruments, considering the cost. Really, how much could it possibly cost Fender to throw one in? $5? $10...?

Fenders are the epitome of versatility. Very user friendly instruments, for just about every musical style. I play funk/reggae/blues, so no problems there. I play through a Trace Elliot Commando 12, and an Acoustic 370 head from the 70s, and a Sunn single 15 cab, also from the 70s. I play with D'Addario chrome flatwounds, and the combination of this bass, with these strings, especially played throug the amp head/cab is superb.
I've heard people commenting on the '62 reissue pickups not having enough bottom end. I'm not the best when it comes to describing tone, but I've also had a '65 Jazz in the past, and I do remember it having a much meatier tone. Part of this may be due to the age of the instrument (the tonal characteristics change as the materials age).

The bass seemed competently assembled, as with any Japanese instrument I've ever seen. I was happy with the setup at the time, but recently decided to have the action lowered, which would ultimately involve a truss rod adjustment. I remember the older Fenders having spring loaded pickups, you turn the screws holding the pickups in, and they raise/lower. Not so on my bass. You turn the screws and nothing happens. In fact you could remove the screws completely, and the pickups would still be stuck in there. Maybe it will involve a little bit of filing on the pickguard, and/or pickup cavity. I don't know, but I figure something like that should have been accounted for at the factory, or dealer.

Fenders are reliable, however. I don't imagine I'd need to worry about a backup bass, other than if I broke a string (which very rarely happens).

The poly finish is very durable, able to absorb those little dings and scrapes.

Strap buttons... now, I remember a couple of years ago when I first heard about these basses, that they were advertised as having included straplocks. But, NO... not anymore. What gives? Is Fender getting chintzy?

Truss rod... now here's where it gets a little silly. I realize that Fender stayed true to the original design of the 70s for this bass (it's a reissue), and admittedly the main reason I bought it was for the looks. But the truss rod adjuster can only be accessed by removing the neck. What a pain in the butt! So what my repair guy did was drill diagonally into the body to allow better access with out having to go through all the other baloney. But the pickguard still needs to be removed first (saving the aesthetics). Now, for the action to be lowered the the height that worked best for me, the truss rod had to be maxed out. What...? My repair guy was actually surprised, and not impressed. Is this a design flaw? I'm not really impressed either. So this is probably going to be a concern in the future. Maybe these things are built in a hurry. Same old story...

Haven't had to deal directly with Fender, or indirectly through the music shop, and I'm hoping I won't ever ahev to, but that truss rod will be on my mind...

I've been playing for about 15 years, and have owned 8 other basses - 4 of which were Fenders, and 3 of those Jazz Basses.

If my Geddy Lee Jazz Bass was lost or stolen I'd own another, but only if it was used.

First, I'll get my rants out:

Fender getting chintzy with the strap locks - no longer offered.

The possible future truss rod problem... I'm crossing my fingers. If it is a design flaw, then that tells me Fender is slipping again (like it did when CBS ran it into the ground in the early 80's).

No case or gigbag being offered, despite the price. Definitely chintzy.

I think Fender should consider reading some of the discussion forums on this website and others, there's a mounting hate campaign against Fender. It's the typical big business losing touch with its customer base (symptomatic with most companies that get to a certain size - case in point... in the last 2 years I've seen Made in Mexico Jazz Basses rise in price here 50%).

On the plus side, I do love my bass. It's a real beauty, plays nice, feels good, sounds like it should.

Its basically your run of the mill jazz bass, with deluxe features, such as 62' reissue pickups, Bad Ass II Bridge, Vintage tuners, Maple fretboard highly glossed over. Black finish.

IF YOU HATE GEDDY LEE'S TONE, then You will DESPISE this bass. It gets one tone and one only, and thats the tone of Rush's Bass prodigy Geddy Lee. Fortunately, Geddy lee has the best tone in the world, very dirty and growling. I am in love with the tone.

The bass set up from the factory wasnt the best they say, but i Still refuse to change it, because I might lose that geddy Tone. Its adjusted right for me, but Some would play it with higher action to avoid fret buzz. This bass Is notorious for that.

This bass Is a Fender. Nuff said. It will take anything you can dish out.

Havent dealt with em. the bastards at the music shop didnt give me my warranty card, so I should probably see if they can give me one.

This is my fourth bass, and I Can honestly say if this bass was stolen or lost, i would get it again. It has so much personallity and the best looks of anybass Ive ever seen. Great Geddy Tone. You can Hit this bass as hard as you can and it will stay in tune and sound great, because thats how geddy wanted his bass for his aggressive style. This is the best bass Ive played to me, But this is not for all people, but its worthy of a ten regardless

My model is brand new and made in the year 2000, with a 21 fret standard neck. It's basically a jazz bass with vintage pickups, a very cool maple neck, and a badass II bridge.

This bass has the best sound quality out of any bass ever! The best part is that it maintains the same sound no matter what amp you play through and sounds just like Geddy Lee's. In addition the neck is not fat and deep and it allows you to maove as fast as your fingers will go. It is great for the blues music I play.

The action couldn't be any better on this bass. There's nothing to stop your skill unless you just suck as a player. The only problem with mine were some buzzing frets high on the A-string. The finish is only black.

This bass is indestrucable ecspecially the neck which doesn't warp at all, even in my weird Utah weather.

Haven't dealt with them.

I've been playing for 6 years and this is my favorite so far. If it were stolen I would probably poop my pants. The only issue is if you wanted to get way from the Geddy Lee tone you couldn't. It's impossible. I don't have a prob;em with this because his tone is the best.

This is from Fender's Artist Series, a copy of Geddy Lee's 1972 Jazz Bass. The particulars of this instrument is an alder body, maple neck and fingerboard, and the Leo Quan Badass II bass bridge. As with any Jazz Bass there are the two single-coil pickups (62 Vintage), two volume and one tone control. If you're looking for a Jazz Bass, this has all you'll ever want, so I'll give it a 9.

I was in the market for a passive bass with a maple fingerboard. Every other bass I own had a rosewood board, so I was looking for some variety. As far as the sound, it sounds like a good Jazz Bass with a little more punch due to the maple board. It lacks a bit for lows, but that's why amps have EQ knobs. Currently I'm running through a bass pod, and the adam & eve with bass at 3 o'clock, mids at 11 o'clock, and treble at 2 o'clock sounds incredible to me.

I had the opportunity to try a new model before I saw the one I purchased, and the setup that comes from Fender stinks...so the first thing I would do in the store is ask to have the bass adjusted to your playing style. After all, if they want to make a sale, two minutes adjusting a truss rod shouldn't kill them from making a sale.
One of the tuning keys is loose, I'll try to adjust that. The only other nitpick I'd have is the finish on the neck. In my opinion, it's way too thick, almost like a baseball bat.

As with most Fenders, this should be a fine bass to take on a gig w/o backup. Although the first thing that should go on any gigging instrument is a set of Straplocks.

Haven't had to deal with them yet, but fortunately I bought the bass from a great dealer.

For the price, you can't beat it. If they offered the neck finished like the Mexico models it would be perfect. If it were stolen, I'd definitely look for a used one, and would probably drop the 700 for a new one. This bass was exactly what I was looking for, and I'm glad I found it.

Contrary to popular belief, the supposed "block inlays" are actually painted black blocks directly atop the raw fingerboard wood. Fender then coats the entire neck in a mildly heavy gloss. The binding seems very genuine however. I suppose Geddy wanted to keep the price reasonable which is typically thoughtful of any RUSH member. The rest of the features are as stated by others (V/V/T, Tuxedo finish, Alder body & a very comfortable maple neck).

Certainly a great "Geddy" tone, but can venture into Marcus Miller or Jaco territority as well. Warmer than the Marcus Bass, but punchier than the Jaco model. These vintage pickups let the player create the nuances, but with admirable boost support. Sounds amazing through any respectable bass rig (Eden, SWR, Ampeg...) In a live situation, tones can range from traditional blues and funk to a softer jazz and modern rock sound.

As a guitar technician, I was disgusted how horrible the factory setup was. There were multiple tags from various "inspections" including "playability", but the actual condition of the instrument was a disaster (typical Fender really). Besides needing a moderate truss-tightening and drastic saddle lowering, the frets needed to be releveled and the neck joint required a shim to optimize high register play at reasonable heights. Once these were addressed, the bass played as Geddy would probably have intended it to be.

Tuners a bit clunky, but they hold up nicely. A longterm bass for sure. Needs TLC like any other instrument. Once factory faults were remedied, the instrument really came together as a solid instrument.

Fender's customer service is a disaster. Nobody seemed to know whether or not the block inlays were real or not. I heard multiple opinions from the same office. Obviously, the employees do not actually spend much time with the instruments themselves. A solid musician/manufacturer relationsip is impossible.

I have been playing for 9 years and the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass is the seventh bass I've purchased. I bough it mainly as a backup, but actually use it half the time because of its friendly weight. Cheers to Geddy Lee for putting his autograph ON THE BACK of the headstock (I've never liked them on the front). For the money, the GL Jazz is definately a great buy and comparible to some of the higher end American series. I prefer it's punch and versatility to any of the American rosewood fingerboard basses. Good luck.

My instrument comes from the very first batch of Geddy Lee Signatures coming out from Japan in 1998. Alder body finished in jet black (absolutely flawless job), 3-ply (w/b/w) pickguard, a very slim maple neck with black block markers (very unusual even for 70's Jazzes, and probably Fender did not make such feature available for more than a couple of years), bound fretboard (also in black), vintage-style tuners, US '62 reissue pickups and a Leo Quann Badass II bridge. This bass sports a "Crafted in Japan" sign at the back end of the neck (denoting american parts assembled in Japan - alas, alder is a very unusual timber choice for japanese instruments), Geddy's own signature at the headstock's back, and finally, a "limited edition" engraving at the neck plate. The strap buttons are "straplock ready". Indeed, a very nice package for such a modest street price.

Controls are the usual Jazz Bass fare, two volume controls(neck & bridge pickups) and a single tone control. The knobs are traditional bakelite models. No case or gig bag was included.

The Geddy Lee Signature sports the characteristic "growl" of Jazz Basses from the early 70s, and that makes it a rather agressive sounding instrument that cuts well in a live band situation. Unfortunately, I don't think that Fender really nailed the the bottom end found in Geddy's own instrument - not a lot of subsonics going. However, I had the chance to experiment with this bass in about a dozen recording sessions, and despite its susceptibility to pick up noise from TV and computer monitors, it is possible to extract a wealth of useful bass tones messing a bit with the bass own volume and tone controls, and tasteful EQ from the board (or active DI boxes). On such occasions, I ran the bass direct, using a combination of a Demeter Tube DI and SansAmp Bass Driver. Live, I run the bass through either a vintage Ampeg SVT head/cabinet or a Trace-Elliot 122H 2x10 combo, getting very good results in both situations.

I bought this bass used, so I cannot comment on the factory settings. The body finish is pretty flawless, the fretwork is very good. However, some of the block inlays show some flaws in execution - but nothing that detracts the general feeling of attention to workmanship this instrument gives. I did have to redo the action setup to fit my tastes, but the inclusion of an original Badass bridge made the job pretty straightforward. I noticed that the pickups output is very sensitive to pickup height, so be sure to find an optimum position for both pickups, specially the bridge unit.

This bass is very sturdy, and up till now it doesn't show any signs of gigging abuse. The straplock-ready strap buttons are a plus regarding safety, spaecially if you are an hyperactive player onstage (as I am :-)). After my initial setup work, no further adjustments were necessary, but please note that the truss rod is not readily accessible, like in all Jazz Basses from the period. Finally, I must state that I've played several gigs without any other backup instrument - and the Geddy lee Signature didn't let me down a single time.

Fender offers a lifetime warranty for the original purchaser, so that does not apply in my personal case. However, I've used their customer support several times for my other instruments, and they're very helpful and friendly.

I could compare this particular model with my other instruments, but I belive that a simple statement woul do a much better job: The Geddy Lee Signature, as some online vendor put, is simply the best passive, non-custom instrument Fender has put out in years. It's packed with features such as american-made pickups, an original Leo Quann Badass Bridge, and a truly distinctive finish to boot. Wether you're a fan of Geddy Lee or not, you can't ignore the awesome package of extras you get with this bass for such a price - with sonic results that are equally as impressive. Absolutely a deal.

Fretboard, which is produced in Japan, is slim. 2 black lines to go on sides of the fretboard define the *look* of this bass, which is simple yet unusual. Jazz bass body, which as we know is a solid shape for creating a solid rock. This bass is a "classic with a little bit of enforcement". Great for the price tag!

Sound can be solid or warm, depending on you tuning and amplifier. I use SWR Workingman and I get pretty much any tone I want. Well, to tell you the truth, I have 2 passive EMG pickups installed on it. These make it more suitable for rock, but the rich sound that this bass produces is far greater than any passive bass I can find in this price range. Be sure to use right effects and a good amplifier...

After all, this is a Fender Limited Edition. Everything was near perfect as of the moment I bought it... I had to change my pickup, cuz ... well, EMG kicks ass in my opinion...

It is not the lightest bass, but not the heaviest either. If you aren't like one of these skinny boys you'll be fine standing with it for a long time. This bass is so reliable that I use it everywhere. I wouldn't be scared to get on stage without any other back up bass. No, seriously...

I don't know. I don't even need to worry about it. I take a good care of it and every part of this Fender Limited Edition bass is built to stand a long time without repairs, I suppose.

I love this bass. If anyone asks me for recommendation on a passive 4 str bass under $1000, this is one of the first ones I'll tell them about. I don't know about Fender's active circuit bass or 5 str bass, but as far as 4 str passive bass goes, they proved to me with this bass that they've got what I want...

The features are of course as described in the other reviews... All in all, it's a fantastic "options package". To explain my rating: the neck is nice and slim, noticeably slimmer than on other jazz basses -- especially towards the headstock end. The block inlays are nifty. The Badass II bridge is a great feature that seems to me to give this bass more "snap" than other jazzes. The pickups -- US '62 Vintage -- are decent, but need some help from a preamp or something for a fuller bottom end. At least they're passive, as God intended.

I play in an alternative/retro rock band and have recently played around with a britpop/trip hop project as well. This bass has suited both. The Geddy Lee has the sweetest growl of any non-Rickenbacker I've ever played... I don't think the American made models can hold a candle to it in the midrange. And remember, midrange is the part of your tone that will punch through to the audience's ears, so it's important. You really get that late 70s/early 80s "flat" Geddy Lee/Adam Clayton sound with this bass.

The low end is not as full, on the other hand, which limits this bass' tonal variety. It's a matter of taste, though, so if you want a bright, in-yer-face growl and don't need a huge bottom, go for it (for this reason, someone who plays a p-bass, Gibson/Epiphone, Musicman or any other bottom-heavy bass might want to look into this bass as a handy punchy second for the studio...).

The action (some buzzing) and finish (a couple of nicks) had both been a bit... *abused* when I bought this bass. I've played others in stores without these problems. I'm sure these things were from being at the retailer I bought from, so I won't hold it against Fender.

This bass has been pretty solid overall, and I would have no problem using it as my sole instrument at a gig. Again, God bless passive pickups. Unfortunately, however, this bass has needed two truss rod adjustments in my 9 months of owning it. That's a bit high, but I am picky about action, which should be taken into account. One of the tuning keys is pretty loose already, though, which is inexcusable.

We'll see when I try to get that tuning peg fixed or replaced. It's still under warranty, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I've been playing for eight years and I've owned a few other basses including a '73 Rickenbacker 4001. It really says something about this bass that I've used it pretty much exclusively since I got it, at the expense of the Rick. This bass is not a jack-of-all trades. However, by not trying to be, it's great for what it is: a VERY playable bass with a silky growl. It's perfect for me and would probably suit a lot of people who try to play athletic and creative bass lines -- she can keep up with you.

I would have bought it for the features, sound, price and feel (not to mention look) even if I wasn't a Geddy Lee fan. IMHO, it's simply the only non-"vintage" jazz bass Fender still makes that has any personality. I had the money for an American Standard but opted for the Geddy Lee for the more assertive tone and faster neck, and let's be honest, block inlays are COOL.

The only way I want to change it is to drop in a J-Retro preamp so I can tweak the low end a bit more. Graphite reinforcement of the neck would be a plus, too, to prevent the need for more truss rod adjustments... it's kind of ironic that a bass named after a (fellow) Torontonian can't handle the local climate.


If this bass were stolen, I'd cry, cry some more and then go out and try to find another one. This bass is way more than the sum of its parts and in my book it gets a...

Yep its a jazz like many others but, this one came with a badass II bridge as well as passive 1962 vintage pickups! That matched with a maple neck, makes this bass growl. Seriously you can get an impressive growl out of this bass.. I bought this bass (1998) without a case. Being made in Japan caused some concern but those were laid to rest once I plugged it in. The only downside to this bass would be.. that fender made the truss rod unaccessable, I have since routed a small hole at the pickgaurd end to gain access, fortunately it hasnt needed any adjustments!The neck has remained true. For that i give it an 7.

This bass sits nicely with the music i currently play.. Im in a christian band http://fishoutofwater.iuma.com and when we recorded thats when I knew that this was the only bass for me. It tracked wonderfully being punchy, bright, and crisp, my parts really leaped out of the mix. On stage (when using my Eden 2X10, 4x10 combo) if I need to cut thru the mix I only need to raise the tone knob a bit. If your into Geddy Lee's sound from T4E, and Moving Pictures this may be the bass for you.

This bass came from the factory ready to play. No adjustments were needed. The action was set low and I found no fret buzz whatsoever. Also this bass possibly due to its maple neck has great sustain much better than my other 2 basses. Again the only flaw this bass has is access to the truss rod.. I have seen the Jaco Jazz and it too has this same flaw design. Aside from that, it finish, action , and fit were very good!

I've played this bass in numerous gigs for the last 3 years and so far it has stood the test of time and road. Its hardware has held up though the varnish on the frets has worn away in many spots, but then again I do play this bass alot. Only recently did I have to tighten the strap buttons and so far the neck has not needed any adjustments. For me this bass is dependable and yes I do play it without a back-up.

I havent had to deal with customer support yet..

Ive been playing for nine years, gone thru a couple of ampegs and 10" cones but have settled on 2 things. Eden amps/cones, and this G. Lee bass. It just sounds better than my G&L, and another fender jazz that I own. If I lost this bass, I would consider buying another but probably would just buy an american Jazz standard and install the 1962 vintage pickups, badass2 bridge myself. I think thats where the sound of this bass lies. Oh yeah, and a maple neck too! I love the sound of this bass it tracks very well in the studio and on stage, I just hate the lack of access to the truss rod. If thats something that would bother you.. then I wouldnt recomend it. Just remember that I've had mine three years now and it hasnt needed an adjustment, so I guess they did do something right over there.

I have been waiting for two years to get my hands on one of these.Alder body,maple neck and fretboard,passive vintage Jazz pickups,custom binding and inlays,Badass 2 bridge,and vintage tuners.
The Geddy Bass! That Moving Pictures growl! I haven't changed a thing on it(except the strings) I've been using DR Hi-beams because I can't find RotoSound SwingBass strings anywhere.They have that nice bright "piano string" sound to them. The last bass I will probably ever own.I'm monogamous and I see no further need to search any further,as I have found my soulmate bass!!

Being a student/fan of Geddy for the past 16 years,my heavily Rush influenced style of playing really comes through on this thing.That growling,single coil Fender Jazz tone is awesome.No dead spots mean I can venture further up the neck without sacrificing my bottom-end.The combination of this easy playing,no frills bass and my wall of SWR 10" speakers is capable of delivering one low-frequency orgasm after another.

The bass came from the factory in mint condition and was set up like they knew it was for myself.I only wish that they had let Ged beat on it for a while and possibly transfer some of that Geddy mojo to me.

I haven't owned it long enough to rate the durability factor. Judging from my past experiences with Fender instruments,I dont view this as being a problem.They have an impeccable reputation with this kid!

Fender rules. I got this bass directly from the factory. My contact at Cascio/Interstate Music in Milwaukee informed me that it was one of the last 2 that they had.They busted their butts getting it to me before it could get lost in the NAMM show traffic,which was happening a scant few days after I ordered it.Thanks Dave!!!

1998 Limited Edition bass, made in Japan, 20 frets, 4 string, volume/volume/tone, Vintage 1962 Jazz Bass pickups, passive electronics, alder body, maple neck, black finish only, Badass II bridge, vintage style tuners, maple fretboard with black lining and block inlays, hard case extra.

I bought this bass because I am a huge fan of Geddy Lee obviously. I play in a popular modern rock band. I play through an Ampeg SVP Pro preamp, Crown power amp, and SWR Goliath III and Son Of Bertha cabinets. This bass has that typical Jazz bass growl with a full round bottom, very light midrange, and decent high end. With the stock pickups, this bass doesn't have the punch to cut through high stage volume. I replaced the pickups with Bartolini 9E's which have greatly improved the sound of the bass. This bass has a hefty, very solid feel to it (due to the alder wood), compared to my 1990 American made Jazz Bass Plus.

This bass seemed to be well set-up from the factory and the action was decent albeit a little low. I discovered no noticeable flaws in the fit or finish of this bass upon delivery.

This is my main bass, and since I play at least one gig every weekend it gets a lot of use. After about three months, I noticed that the varnish coating the fretboard was starting to peel off at the most used frets. I took it back to the dealer where I bought it and he said that it would be covered under warranty but would take quite a long time to get it back. So since I need the bass, and since the warranty on all Fender basses built after 1998 is lifetime, I will wait to have it repaired. Also, I recently took it in to have it set-up, and the neck needed quite a lot of shimming to get it straight. I always carry a backup bass with me to every gig.

All Fender basses manufactured 1998 or later have a lifetime warranty.

I have been playing about 20 years, I also own, besides my two Jazz Basses, several Steinberger basses. I probably would try a different model of Jazz Bass if this one was lost or stolen. I love the heft of this bass, it just feels solid and it plays like a dream. With the addition of the Bartolini pickups, it now has more punch and volume than before.

1998 Limited edition made in japan. 20 frets, Alder body with 70's maple jazz neck. Two volume with master tone. Two vintage 62 passive jazz bass pickups. Beautiful black finish with white, black, white pickguard. Maple fretboard with black block inlays and black binding. Vintage style tuners chrome plated. Baddass II bridge. Did not come with case.

This is a reissue of the fender jazz Geddy Lee used to record the permanent waves and moving pictures albums. It is modeled after a 72 jazz bass. I play in a contemporary christian rock band so I needed a bass that can give me very diverse sounds. The sounds out of this one are the typical 70's and 80's bright growlly jazz bass sound. It sounds great unplugged and screams going through a ADA MB-1 preamp with crate 2X10 and Fender 1X15 cabinets. I usually play with tone knob all the way up and rely on the amp for drastic tone changes. I do other subtle tone changes using the two volume knobs. It is common fact that with jazz basses to get a midrange boost you just roll back one of the volume knobs. However a common occurence with jazz basses is that you get 60 cycle hum when you solo a pickup. On the Geddy Lee model this does not occur. I dont know why, since it has passive pickups. But since I was happy with it I did not bother to find out why. With the mable neck the sound is naturally brighter with a snappier top end. Sounds great for slapping. What I dislike about is that the bass is very light. It does not feel real solid like an american made bass. I think that it is very odd that all of fender's limited edition instruments are made in Japan. I am willing to bet that the original model that this is based on is an american made. If the bass had not played so well, I probabbly would not have bought it. I used this bass to record several songs on my bands CD and the sound on tape is very full and punchy. Overall my bass sound sat very well in the recording mix

When I first got it, I thought it was set up great. I could not believe how low the action was. It played like a hot rodded Ibanez guitar. however, after awhile when I really started digging in, I noticed that the E string was getting horrible fret buzz right around the third fret. The neck was set up very well so i simply corrected the problem by raising the action on the E string and it plays perfect now with higher action. The intonation was fine and everything else was put together real tight. The badass bridge is a nice alternative compared to the other bass bridges I have on my other basses. The extra weight at the end helps the sustain pretty good. The finish was gourgeous. The smooth feel of the maple fretboard makes fast runs easier to play. The only flaw probably happened in transport because I did not buy it with a case. The end of the headstock is a little scratched up but it is barely noticable. You think fender would have done a better job packing it up for shipping.

Since this is a passive instrument, I definately use it without a backup. I cant say about the strap buttons, because the first thing I did was put strap locks on it. I dont trust any regular strap buttons. I definatly think that the finish will last with proper care, but the pickguard will probably yellow over time. I dont like the open back tuners because I think they will be more prone to corrode than the newer closed tuners, I will give it a eight because of that.

The Geddy Lee limited edition was only available in 1998. I however was able to obtain one in mid 1999 at an awesome price. There was a price increase at fender recently. The customer service guys were awesome because they allowed me to get this bass at the original lower price. I also own a american deluxe jazz and american standard precision bass. One of the pots on my jazz deluxe grounded out and needed it to be replaced. The guys at fender immediatly fixed it and got it back to me within two weeks at no charge. Lifetime warranties are the way to go.

If you are able to still get a Geddy Lee model, go for it. If you can't and you want a Jazz, get an American standard and you will be happy. Whats awesome about this bass is is the baddass bridge and the neck. The neck is is thinner than the American standard necks and has a great feel to it. The only thing which would have been nice to have was a choice of different finishes. Dont get me wrong, the black finsh with the white pickguard looks awesome. However, it would have been nice to see what the bass would have looked like in a transparent blue with matching block inlays. The reason I got this bass is because I was looking for a jazz with passive pickups and a maple neck. I had always loved the tone Geddy got out of his jazz on the moving pictures tour and since I was able to get it at great price the choice was made.