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 The tuning mechanisms have been replaced by black Schallers, which I like quite a bit. Also the white pick guard has been replaced by a black one, which gives the bass a completely different appearance.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.