Fender Jazz Bass

2005 Highway One Jazz Bass. Body and neck made in Mexico. Parts made in Mexico I believe. Starburst color. Passive Electronics. Came with a gig bag included.

I am playing mostly reggae and I have it setup with flatwound strings that give it a very muted sound. I upgraded the bass with a badass bass II bridge. I think all the new versions of this guitar come with that upgrade standard. I also upgraded the pickups to fender custom shop pickups. I had to EQ my amp with this bass because it was distorting because of an overload of bass. I finally got it dialed in and sounds good for what I am trying to play. I wish I would have figured out the EQ before I bought the new pickups...

The action from the factory was just standard. The Finish is nice I think. It is very thin and semi glossed/satin showing through to the sunburst finish.

My biggest complaint with this bass is that I constantly have to tighten the truss rod. It already feels very tight and I am afraid that one day something is going to give. Has anyone else experienced this with Fender Basses?

I have not contacted fender yet about the neck issue. I may contact them and ask about the "Lifetime Warranty" that supposedly covers these basses. Fender has been great to deal with concerning some faulty pickups I bought for my guitar so I assume they will help me out if I asked.

Good for the price. I think I paid around $600.

This one's an MIM, bought new in 2006, with a 60th-anniversary medallion on the back of the headstock. It's tri-color sunburst (black-red-amber). Apart from that, everyone knows the Jazz; 2 pickups that hum-cancel when used in tandem, Vol-Vol-Tone controls, narrow neck, big silver elephant-ear tuners, and a huge hunk of wood to hold it all. I got a big ol' padded leather strap for it and it's very comfy on my once-broken shoulder.

Now to talk about what I did to it. Mexis are O.K. stock, but they make excellent project basses, being solid enough to be worth building on without being too expensive to risk screwing it up. I actually didn't do too much; threw on an aftermarket cast bridge to replace the stamped one (HUGE barrel bridge saddles on this puppy), yanked the pickups and put in a set of DiMarzio Ultra Jazzes, and wired it for independent volume and tone, putting the bridge tone where the jack normally is and boring a hole for a side jack. Add a white pearl pickguard and it looks pretty classy and plays like a dream.

I normally put all-stainless strings (Dean Markley Blue Steels) on my basses, but I'll stick with the Fender Jazz nickelplate strings for this one; fingerstyle produces sparkly highs with a lot of character, and a tight, clean bottom end. Very punchy and sharp when slapped (I play through a Peavey 200W 2x10+horn combo). Very good for blues, rock, jazz, and funk. Turn the bridge volume off full (the joys of stacked humbuckers; the single coils of the stock Jazz will buzz a bit if the volumes are different) and the sound gets a little fuller and deeper; balance more toward the bridge and you get a somewhat tinny, thin sound; the bridge pickup is best used IMO for coloring the neck p/u's fundamental tone. The independent volume and tone mod gives me a lot of tonal variations, bet there are the standard quirks to a passive. With both pickups at full, either tone pot functions as a master, so I roll off the bridge a bit (doesn't take much) to get full flexibility.

I'm giving this category a 10 for what the finished project sounds like; I'd give a good stock Mexi about a 7, and I've run across some examples that barely make a 5. Note to new buyers; If you're looking for a Jazz, play EVERY example you can get your hands on before you pick one up.

I started out with the neck of this bass a bit curved, until I found that even with the neck arrow-straight there was no fretbuzz until I dug in about three times harder than I'd ever play in reality. I like a high action, but even with the action high the straight neck is faster. Found this after I invested in a $900 Yamaha 5-string that plays like butter; now my Jazz comes damn close.

This bass was put together well, but once I started replacing parts I found that tolerances can vary widely. The neck rout of my new pickguard barely fits, and the new pickups required that I fill in the existing holes and drill new ones to make sure the pickups would adjust properly. I got it all together with no real problems though, and the original equipment fit just fine.

Fenders are pretty durable animals if you don't abuse em too terribly. Like any bass, they're susceptible to belt buckle rash and the occasional ding, and they certainly aren't built to withstand the final act of a punk/hardcore gig. Newer models have vastly improved the resistance to minor dings though, with a very thick polyurethane finish. Fenders in the 80s and 90s didn't have near this amount of finish (cheaper, and Fender argued it gave better tone), and you see a lot of em in pawn shops now with buckle rash clear through to the pickup wells. This bass will do a lot better on those scores.

The strap buttons seem to be a long tradition that Fender is loath to change, even though, and perhaps because, practically every new Jazz's buttons are replaced with straplocks. I have Dunlops on mine and they certainly do the trick. I'd gig with this thing without a backup, for sure. If I can't form that opinion about a bass in the store, it doesn't get a second look.

Never dealt with Fender's customer support. The warranty on both my Fender basses (I had a black one that was stolen a few years ago in a burglary) was voided about five minutes after I got them home.

Overall, the stock Mexi's OK, certainly as a solid beginner's instrument, but being such a popular bass, they're the ricers of the bass world. You really get the most out of these instruments with another hundred dollars or so for upgraded pickups and a little electronics tweaking. I think mine cost a total of $500 (not counting the drill, bits and soldering iron I needed to mod it) to get it where it is now, and you'd have to offer me quite a lot to get me to part with it peacefully.

I bought this MIM in about 2000 at Guitar Center. Garden variety 20 fret, passive with standard control configuration. Sunburst with rosewood fingerboard. I changed the loser white pickgaurd to a tortise-shell, added a Badass II bridge (definitely do that!), and changed the pickups to Carvin J99 (don't do that). The upside of that pickup change is when I put my original Jazz Bass pickups back in, they sounded sooo much better (except for that damn hum... another project).

I play rock, blues, and R&B, so it suits me fine. I have a CIJ P Bass, which alternates with this one as my favorite bass. My practice amp is a Carvin Pro Bass 100, and my main amp is Ampeg SVT4Pro... sounds great thru either. My only problem with this bass is the hum I occasionally get, although I'm usually not ratcheted up on the treble that much... maybe I'll explore lining the control cavity with something. The sound is Jazz Bass - warm to growl to breaking glass... what's not to like?

This bass came set up well enough, action was good... basically I saw it played it and bought it... then started changing it, you probably will too. The most important change was the bridge. Then get a pro setup and you will be about as good as it gets. I went a step further and sent my bass to Scott Hembry (http://www.hembryguitars.com/home.htm) and had him relic it. He did a fantastic and reasonably priced job. Now it looks like a 40 year old guitar, and it must be my imagination, but I think it sounds better, too.

Are you kidding? It's a tool suitable for both construction, and destruction. The craftsmanship on this bass was excellent. I'm no expert, but I am a little obsessive and I can tell when things aren't done well and this was done well. I bought it because I had done my homework and thought it was a good value. Also, I'm hung up on Fender stuff.

Who needs it? Find a local luthier.

I started playing after a long layoff about 6 years ago (first gig out of retirement was my daughter's wedding, actually thats what brought me out) and have just been a hobbyist since. I played for several years as a kid then life intervened. I've played and owned Japanese Lawsuit basses, 2 or 3 G&L's, my CIJ P Bass, a MIM PJ special, a 50th Anniversary P Bass (made me feel inadequate, my wife accused me of "bass worship," so had to sell it), and some others I don't recall. This is my favorite. I like the feel, sound, look... I guess you could say I've FUBARed it now to the point where it's a face only I could love.

This is a 1976 Fender Jazz Bass. It was made in USA. I got this bass used about a year ago. It has all the typical Jazz Bass features of that year:
Solid ash body
Maple Neck
Maple Fret board
White neck binding
Pearl Block inlays
2 single coil Fender pickups
2 volume, 1 tone
Black pickguard
Pickup and Bridge covers

The color of my bass is what Fender called Walnut in their catalog. It's transparent brown and is commonly called root beer. I love the color.

The only reason I gave this column an '8' is because it doesn't have "tons of features". It does, however, have all the features I need in a bass.

I play quite a few different styles of music from Classic Rock, Metal, Jazz, and Country. This bass fits all the styles well. It can go fron nice and clean to down and dirty to growl with no effort at all.

This bass has a different sound than my 69 Jazz. This is due to the fact that in the early 70's Fender moved the bridge pickup a bit closer to the bridge. It yields a bit more growl than my 69 Jazz.

I can't speak for the factory set up except for possibly the nut. When I got the bass, the "E" and "A" string slots were cut a bit closer than the other strings. I don't know if it came from the factory that way or if it was a replacement nut. I just cut a new nut and the feel was perfect. The only flaw is that the pickup cavities could have been routed a bit cleaner.

This bass is almost 30 years old and it's still going strong. There is no tarnish or rust on the metal hardware at all. All the string height adjustment screws work just fine. The original tuners are still silky smooth. The potentiometers have absolutely no scratchiness at all. All this from a 100% original bass that has been used regularly. The reason I say it's been used regularly is because the finish on the arm cut has been worn down to the clear undercoat and it has it's share of nicks and scratches, but nothing major. All in all, I would say this bass held up very well.

Alot of people complain about the 3 bolt neck, but I have no problems at all with it. The neck doesn't shift in the pocket and seems solid. Plus, I like the neck tilt screw, since you don't have to unbolt the neck to place a shim in the pocket to tilt the neck. Also, you all may remember that in the early years of both MusicMan and G&L, they used 3 bolt neck joints.

The neck is nice and straight and the truss rod is very responsive. I like the bullet truss rod adjustment because it makes it easier to get to than the adjustment screw on my 69 Jazz, which is at the body.

The frets are a bit worn, but there is no fret buzz anywhere on the neck, and I have fairly low action.

N/A

I've been playing for as long as this bass has been around (29 years). I have always wanted A Fender Jazz since I saw an identical one at the store where I used to take lessons, so, when this one came around, I jumped on it.

I also own a 69 Fender Jazz, 79 Peavey T-40, and a 2005 MusicMan Stingray. I play this bass more than all the others. I used to own a 50th Anniversary Fender Jazz (gold hardware Flame maple top). When I got this one, I got rid of the 50th anniversary. I bought the 69 after this one to augment the 76 since the bridge pickup placement is different on both.

The reason this column doesn't get a 10 is because vintage prices are a bit outrageous. While I wouldn't say that this bass is only worth as much as a $200 bass, It's deffinately worth more than that, I also wouldn't say that they are worth what some of the vintage dealers are asking for them.

I remember when these basses were new, and they were put together very well. They also seem to hold up well. Only time will tell if the newer ones will hold up just as well. We'll see in about 30 years.

About year 5 of owning made-in-Mexico (MIM) passive 4 string fretted jazz bass

black stock, rosewood neck. set up was pretty lousy, if touched at all beyond the factory.

always wanted a Fender when I came back to playing bass after 25 year layoff - and i am glad i bought this thing (about $330 back in '99 from G**tar Center). The 34" scale is a tad big for me (short, stocky fingers) but the neck is a good shape and thickness. Nice weight balance, tho it's a heavy muther

And yet ....

changed roundwounds (too noisy) to thick Fender nickel flats ( which gave too much tension on the neck) then changed to Thomasic-Inkfeld (sp?) flats which I love and still use, mid-size. Pricey but very good.

changed original pickups (decent sound, nice range of tone possibilities, a lot of hum) for Dimarzio Ultrajazz pickups - still get nice tone, much less hum. less signal output though, so a pre-amp is simply necessary to get some more signal. was basically true before, tho less so

changed bridge to a Quan BadAssII - better sustain, looks more substantial, and is

changed white pick guard to black (not easy finding those)- purely personal taste

changed chrome tone plate to black (not easy finding that either) - again, purely personal taste

the output jack is literally giving me static - after 5 years and all the poking around inside the electronics I've done, I'm surprised the guts work at all. going to replace those electronic guts in the next few days.

so if i liked the bass why did i change everything but it's basic shape? good question

i don't really need a bunch of basses, but one more would be nice. i'd consider a Fender, but probably will seek a used upscale thing.

for 300-400 dollars, it was a good buy. but I learned after 5 years of dinking with it that I really wanted a slightly different instrument - Jazz style with the range of tone, but better electronics. maybe a slightly smaller scale would be the ticket for me too.

1968 American Made Fender Jazz Bass Guitar.
4 string, Sunburst finish.
Passive Fender Standard Pickups, Rosewood neck.

Nice fat and full, classic Fender Jazz Sound. Early CBS fit and finish. Due to the passive nature of the pick-ups there are a few loud and dead spots, but nothing too gross. Solid sound with good versatility for it's time. Does pick up stray signals sometimes with those single coil pickups.

It was a used guitar that needed setting up from the start but that was something I didn't know about when I bought this bass used in 1970. Pickups were adjusted well and frets were fine for a used 2 year old bass bought in 1970. Finish had some major dings etc but that wasn't the company's fault.

The bass is over 30 years old and has only let me down once in all these years. I had to get the neck pick up rewound as it had died on me. Bass is reliable as stink easy to play solid as a rock. Finish is long gone, had it refinished long ago. Strap buttons are reliable and still original. Everything's original but the finish. Used on gigs san's backup for years.

Never dealt with Fender as this things been out of warranty for decades.

Been playing bass for money since 1968. This was the Caddilac of Bass Guitars in it's day and based upon the way they've maintained their value over the years you can't disagree. Glad I bought it when I did.

i think it is time that we should start writing reviews about specific years, specially with all that vintage hype going on.

Anyway, 1972, black body, maple neck, black blocks and binding. Custom shceme all the way. It has a green CUSTOM stamp in the neck heel. Black tolex case with leather ends, silver fender logo.

There is a golden undercoat beneath the black finish.

now, i hope not to be biased here, but the only time i took it to a gig, i didnt have time for the sound check and had the soundman and guitarist do it for me. When i came back and played it, oh man, it was gorgeous!!!! To me, that was exactly the way a jazz should sown. Loww with crispy highs and very intelligible mids. It seemed to speak, actually.

(dont be biased by my review, id give a 10 to my ric and a 10 to my other jazz bass too)

The bass came to me from its second owner. It is older than me so i can make no comments on how the factory action was. What i can say is that the neck is amazing. No wraps, no "knots", no veneer swirls, no nothing. The neck is grade AAAA meat. i mean wood.
now, about the body... I am positive it was handmade all the way. And they were probably in a hurry. The belly contour is really deep (almost to the mid of the body), and that makes it really comfy. The rounded edges are sometimes rounded, sometimes very square. I mean, there is one horn where the soft corners suddenly become quite sharp. Nowadays i wouldnt take such quality from a squier or even a 40 buck bass... but i guess it's the "made by hand-fender 70s" vibe. Even the pickup routs are sloppy. oh yeah, the bridge is crappy. I mean crappy like a highway 1 or mim.

The headstock is yellow and cracked, while the rest of the neck is not. This is due to the fact that they used to spray the headstock with nitro and the neck with poly. They also did the clearcoat (body) with poly (so i read somewhere) whick cause odd things: in the sunlight it looks (very dark)green, and under the black lights, it looks blue(lake placid).

PEOPLE, DONT BE FOOLED. MY AMERICAN STANDARD 2000 IS LIKE 400% BETTER MADE, and sounds just as nice.

Another thing, this baby is sooooooo lightweight...

well, the bass had been played live for 20+ years before i got it, so i can say yeah, it is pretty durable. When i got it, the tuners were stiff as dog crap. I mean, they hardly even moved. A little oil fixed it. My am st keys are a lot faster/smoother/better.

The finish... well, it is an early 70's, and the finish is not really thick, although it has an undercoat (gold), paint (black), and a clear coat. Although it had been played a lot, there was no "elbow rub-through." //the previous owner played in a country band with a nice big ol buckle, but more than wearing out the finish, it "bumped it" in.

Anyway, overall, the bass looks like its been treated like crap, for 2 months. So it is in amazing shape for a 32 year old lady.

idoubt theyll do anything for me.

ok, i own a 4003 and an am st jazz, 2000.

To be very honest, i'd go to gigs and see people playing "good" basses (fender, mm, etc). When i walked to them and asked, they'd say "i bought it for 500 or so. I'd always think "these people can hardly play and they have amazing luck finding nice stuff... when will i ever?" And then this bass came in. while these things go for about 2000-3000 on ebay (they show up twice a year), i was able to buy mine from a player who used it for a long time, then switched to guitar (before the 70s basses were valuable), and he sold it to me becauuse he wanted to buy a 12 string, and wanted to finance half of his purchase with what he got for the bass. (nope, i dont feel guilty)

a final thing i'd like to say. Dont buy a vintage bass expecting the "mojo"` to make you a better player, or expecting that the bass should sound amazing just because it is vintage. Maybe i got lucky (with the sound, the body quality is crap). If you have to buy sight-unseen, then buy an american series (not the highway shit). they are pretty well made, sound as good, and weight as much as a late 70s bass.

again, dont expect these basses to do wonders for you. In todays standards, they would be 200 dollar, c-stock basses (ok, if they didnt have binding and struss rod). If the vintage market didnt commad such high prices for them, they be worth nothing, really. I mean, there's hardly any other quality than then being vintage, that would put them above a current us fender. (and, in my case, exactly the sound i was looking for... but if i had gotten it from a 150 buck squier, it would have been the same chances). THe sloppiness in the body adds a little charm to it, though.

Made Around 89' in mexico. It was originally bought fretless, but I replaced it with a fretted neck. Has the standard 2 volume and 1 tone knobs and passive standard jazz bass pickups (Seymour Duncan I believe?). Alder body and rose wood fretboard, finished in black. Crappy fender bridge, replaced in with a Badass. Came with a strap and a cable.

I play Punk and classic rock (blink 182, Beatles) and it sounds awesome! I run it through a DOD DI box. The bass has a warm bright sound to a nice growling sound. Fairly similar to a Ricky 4004. Has a great slap-tone (Better that my Friends Ricky 4003). Its great for stage and studio (I raise the bass content as loud as it can go in the studio). I have no dislikes aboud this bass.

Everything was great except for bridge problems.

This bass sure take takes a beating! I dropped it on the floor a few times and there were no dings and scratches.

Never dealt with fender

I purchased a 1976 Jazz Bass from a Music store in St. Louis about eight years ago.

My Jazz has an Ash body brown in color with a black pick guard, a one piece three bolt-on maple neck with white binding and mother of pearl block inlays. I still have the bridge pick-up cover plate, but the neck pick-up plate and thumb rest are lost. Most vintage basses that I have played had heavy bodies, but this one has light body and heavy neck.

All other equipment is original.

I play mostly funk and rock covers. I own two other Jazzes, a 1993 Mexican, and a 2001 American Standard. My '76 is still my bass of choice. This bass is loud, the original pick-ups are sensative but there is no annoying hum. I can produce any sound I want from this bass. This bass is great for studio and live performances.

I recently bought a new jazz as my main bass to retire the '76 and use it mainly for the studio, but I keep picking it up and my '01 is now the back-up.

I recently had a set-up and a fret dress done and it sounds better than ever, no fret buzz.

I bought this bass on a humbug from a local music store. When I picked it up I knew I had to have it. No instrument I have ever owned has been perfectly set-up. I always make minor adjustments even after I have had a set-up.

As I mentioned earlier I recently had a fret dress done because I was getting a lot buzz on the A string past the twelfth fret. Once that was done I haven't had any problems since.

Overall I don't see any major flaws other than the body and neck having a few faded spots. This bass is 27 years old and what flaws it has simply come from age and playing throughout the years. Who ever owned this bass before me has had their fair share of gigs.

This bass is as solid as they come. In addition to its somewhat weathered state I have dropped and banged it a couple of times and it keeps on going. The hardware has tarnished a little but that's nothing that polish can't fix. The one draw back of owning vintage instrument is, the neck is sensative to climate changes, so I check the neck regularly.

I would definately use this bass with out a back-up, because this was the only bass I had to use for about seven years after my P-bass was stolen and my Mexican made gave out.

I have been playing for 19 years and I've owned several basses. My '76 Jazz is still the best bass I have ever played.

I am constantly making comparisons between my '76 and '01.I like the basses that were made in the mid-seventies the best. I think Fender should go back to making basses with a sturdier construction, bring back the block inlays as a standard feature instead of making them only for re-issues or something else.

The next bass I buy will probably be a '75 reissue because that's as close as I will get to my '76 eventhough it costs more than what I payed for a real vintage bass.

I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL FENDER JAZZ BASS.

FEATURES:

I don't know for sure what year this bass was actually made but I think I heard that the owner purchased purchased around 96? making it eight years old. Talented hands crafted this beautiful instrement in Japan and its long neck holds twenty-one frets (although I am debaiting weither I should have a fretless neck installed). The bass comes with two volume controls and one tone... by adjusting the knobs to your liking you can pull an endless number of soft, eierry or strong sounds. The fretboard is made from maple and tiny cracks have appeared probaly from the two years sat around in a humid attick (it's still beautiful though). The bass also came with a hardshell case with a little courner missing... no big deal.

It fits my music style like a glove and I can find any type of sound that I need from it. The groups/syles of music that I like include: Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Sigur Ros, Tool, A perfect Cirle, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and The Greatful Dead. The sound of this instrement is really what made me grow to truly love it. I can play with that warm and mesmerizing tone that Waters displays on the great "Echoes". If the mood is right, I can make it sound funky and with a Wah-Wah pettel (that will actually work) I can practicly make that thing talk. The crazy thing is... I HAVE ONLY BEEN PLAYING FOR THREE MOUNTS!!!!! This is one hell of an incredible bass and if something ever happedend to it I don't know what I would do.

The action was horrably high but with time and a hell of alot of patience, I was able to drop it down to my level. There was also some extream bow in the neck but once again, I was able to learn how to fix it. It also has an incredibly nice suburst finish on it with only one minor sign of age. The input switch came loose on it once but I fized that as well.

I would say this this sucker could withstand a train collision with only a few minor scuffs and scratchs. Every this in this area is great. When you hold this bass in your hands you can feel that its a survivor and with a little babeing, it will stay with you through a lot of shit

Original classics US made CBS Fender Jazz 1978, neutral ash body, maple fret board with pearl block inlay, 2 passive pickups, vol, vol, master tone. Big jumbo frets, Schaller Fender license tuners, the neck is a little bit fatter than normal, medium weigh 10 pounds

I mostly use this bass fore slap, the sound is unbelievably something between Larry Graham and Marcus Miller

I level the frets, because when I bought this 25 years old bass it have never been played,
Now its got low action and easy to play

I use this bass in studio and on stage, its built like a tank

This bass has been hide away in the closet fore 25 years, it?s like new.
It?s the best sounding bass I ever had own (I have 5 other Fender J basses) and I will never sell this axe.
Fore some snob reasons many people don?t like Fender from the CBS period, personally I think Fender was builting great quality instrument in the late seventy, and very good sounding fore classics funk and other styls of music

1972 US Jass bass, all original features mentioned above in a brown finish - not my favourite colour but what the hell. Rosewood fretboard (blocks), thee bolt neck and it has a lovely feel about it.

1st thing I did of course was to consign the bridge to the case with the original pick up covers and then it was a simple operation to fit a badass 2 bridge....awesome.

2nd hand #800 sterling bought in 2003.

This bass plays rock/blues like a dream - played straight through a Trace Elliot amp with no effects it suits a wide range of sounds and styles from the lively Geddy Lee bubble bass to the thunder of Geezer Butler's Sabbath style. I love raw hard r&b

Don't unerstand some of the versatility comments above. It's my main bass and I love it!

My only quibble with the bass. The action is a little high at the top end but I pay hard rather than soft handed so this kinda evens out overall.

Will withstand anything I can throw at it night after night - totally solid.

Perfect gigging bass.

Never dealt with 'em - hope I never have to.

Don't think I could ever replace this fine tool. I just love the weight of it, the balance...everything. When you walk onto a stage with a jass bass people know you mean business.

I've experimented with a range of basses over the years - Explorers, precisions, Rickys etc but I've played anything that sounds or feels like this.

Better than sex!!

Bought this last year (2003). i guess its the newest standard jazz (mexian) model there is. i dont know what that is though (maybe 2000). anyway its the usual 20 fret, 4 string bass. 3 knobs, two are for the low end, the other one is treble i think. passive electronics. mine is the greenish one, i thought it was gray from the internet picture but when it got here it was green, but whatever its cool looking.

I play rock (zepplin, metallica, alice in chains, guns n roses, smashing pumpkins, some modern stuff like incubus) and this bass is great for that. i use it with a fender bassman 100 (just got that a few days ago and it kicks ass). back to the bass, it has a pretty good sound - more or less depends on ur amp. the only thing i noticed to be a problem is sometimes it starts to sound muffled. but thats just because of the strings that came on the bass so i suggest u replace them once u buy it.

pretty well setup when it came in the mail. i just had to mess around with the action for a little while and then it sounded pretty good. no real problems with it. the finish is good, kinda shiny. but i messed up the back of mine when i tried to stuff the bass and a guitar in the same gig bag.

this bass seems pretty durable, except for the strap locks. one of those pulled out and i had to super glew it back on and theres been no problem since. other than that i slam the neck around alot against the walls and theres only one ding on it thats not even noticeable. i play at my church alot and never have had to use a backup.

never had to deal with fender. i think it has a warranty - maybe 5 years?

I have been playing for about a year and a half and this is my second bass. (my first was some crappy rogue.) as i said before i use this bass with a bassman 100 and it sounds great. i am pretty sure it sounds good on any decent amp over $300 or $400. i compared this bass to this guys ibanez 5 string that was easily $100 more. i liked this one alot more. partly because of brand because ibanez's are cheapily made. if it were stolen.....i might buy it again, if i didnt i would definatly upgrade to a fender american jazz or maybe a jazz 5 string. whatever i choose i would probably go with fender again. overall, this is a pretty tight bass, if ur gonna buy one - check out sweetwater.com first because i got a great deal on mine ($40 less than musiciansfriends price).

I bought my Jazz Bass about 30 years ago used. It is the sunburst model with the maroon pickguard and the maple fretboard. Standard tone and two volume knobs. All of the tuners and pickups and knobs are original.The neck is more narrow than wide like some other basses.

I play blues, rock and roll and a little country - very little. It is a versatile bass with a solid sound. The pickups are very receptive to the tone controls and you can get a wide variation of sound. It has a good crunchy sound like Entwistle used to get with the early Who.

This bass sounds very good live. I've never like it that much as a bass for recording. That could be my limitations, but it seems to work that way for me. I rate it very highly for a live gig though.

This bass is probably a 1969-71 model. It's been banged up a little over the years, but it doesn't bother me that much. It adds to its character.

I never have liked the maroon pickguard with it though. I probably ought to take it off. Less is more.

I had it set up about a year ago and it plays much better now.

It's big and heavy and could probably take down a small rhino if you hit it right. It does get weary during a job, but it sounds good so I'll just shut up and play.

It is very durable and reliable. The only problem I had with it was the solder on the input came loose on a gig one time a few months ago (this after 30 years of ownership). Fortunately, we were playing at a Harley dealership and one of the mechanics soldered it back on for me and away we went.

No experience.

I think I bought it for about $200 or traded something else in for it.

Seeing as I've owned this bass for 30 years, or more and I still play it and I think it still covers all the musical bases (ha,ha) I can't complain. If it were stolen I would be upset, just as anyone would be, but I don't think I'd get another Jazz Bass. I would look at a G&L which is probably saying I would get another Jazz Bass.

Since I've been running it though an Ampeg 1-15 cabinet I don't think it's sounded any better. It is functional and reliable. It is not flashy or attention getting. In most categories it's what you would want a bass to sound like and be.

Well, what can I say about this instrument? It's an all original '68 U.S.A. Jazz. three-tone sun-burst. Nothing on this guy has been changed. Nothing. Alder body, maple neck, rosewood fret-board, stacked knobs, (two volume, one tone). My dad gave me this guitar this past May. He said he bought it new, in either '67 or '68. I've 'dated' it to '68. Althou, you can't really just go by the serial #'s on the neck-plate. The neck and tone is classic vintage Fender, the one everyone wants. Every time I play this thing, I feel like I'm cheating on my wife, it plays that good. Bridge is original, tuning keys, pick-ups, every thing original, and still in great shape. My dad takes excellent care of his gear. I just can't believe what these things are going for now. My year is going for around $2,500-$3,000 dollars! Features are simple, easy, and works....I guess that's all that matters.

This guitar, (IMO), is best suited for classic songs, be it Rock-n-Roll, Country, Jazz, Blues, whatever. I play about half and half, Country/Rock, and it works for most. I don't like it on new music, for most studio players are going 5-string now, especially in country. When I feel it's safe to bring it out on a gig, I've got it running thru a Hartke 3500, Hartke 4-10, and Hartke 1-15, and it is really a nice sounding set-up. I haven't had any problems with noise, but my power conditioner helps with that. There is only one thing I don't like on this guy, and that's the chrome pick-up covers. While visually striking, they are not very practical. With both of them on, you either have to play way back by the bridge, or way up by the neck. There is only about and inch or two clearence between them to strike the strings with, so I just take 'em off. But, other then that, this thing is at home on stage, and studio.

Beings that this guy is almost 36 years old, it's in amazing shape. I did have to adjust the truss-rod when I got from my dad. The action was set to high for me. You do have to take the neck off completely, to make that adjustment, which is a minor pain, but no biggy. And, I greased/oiled up the tuning gears, for they were a little tough to turn. But, they are great now. Other then the usual belt-rash on the back, it's in fantastic shape. The frets have never been changed, and they are still in good shape. What can I say...I'm lucky.

It's durability speaks for itself after 36 years. I wish I looked this good when I was 36, (btw, I'm 40). The finish is still good, I changed the original strap-buttons to locks, but, not to worry...I still have the originals. The truss-rod needs tweaking about once a year, for shifting and humidity reasons, but, it's nothing major. Maybe a half turn, one way or the other, usually does it. And, it's a classic, so it's gigable, without need for back-up

never used them.

Been playing since '77, and if this guy was lost/stolen, You'd better keep the guns away from me! The tone is vintage Fender. True, it's not pre-CBS like all the collectors slober over, but if it was, it wouldn't be played out at all. And, I like all my guitars, (Lakland, Yamaha, Peavey, Grand,) to be played, not just to look at. Isn't that what all guitars are made for, to be played? As far as value, I can't rate it that high, 'cause there is no way I'd pay, what these guys are going for now, even if you could find one in as good as shape as mine. That's the only reason.

Early-mid 90's MIM Fender Jazz. Features has been described below often enough so I won't bother re-writing them. Mine is all original, maple neck and head stock, arctic white finish body (which I plan on stripping and finishing it in natural wood color when I get around to it). I give it an 9 cause it has what I need, separate volume control for the bridge and neck pick-ups, and tone control so I can adjust to the type of sound I want. It doesn't have the features of high end bass but I'm not going to compare it with those...only within the range of this bass. The only thing I wish it came with were the bridge and pick-up guards.

I lucked out and mine has a nice full sound. It isn't as bassy or thumping as the Precision but it's better on the subtlties which I was looking for. Bare in mind, I give it a 10 because it sounds great for what it was made for. I play mostly jazz and blues stuff so it fits in with my stuff very well. If you are looking for a full thumping bass, this one may not be for you...but try it out.

I had to have the neck slightly adjusted but I bought it used so I can't say it came from the factory like that. The neck is fast and narrow so for someone like me who has smaller hands, it's great. My hands don't get as tired as they used to. It has the original typical Fender finish. I have the white body with the natural maple neck and head stock. I use mine for recording and it hasn't been noisy at all. Though I've heard if you have florescent lighting near by, it can pick up the electrical noise, but if you case the electronics well, it can minimize that quite a bit. I will give this a 10 because in the price range of this bass, it's finished well, but it would be lesser if I were to compare it to say a Rick or other high end bass.

Haven't had it long enough but I would imagine it would be durable enough to play in gigs. I would play without a back up since this is the only bass in my inventory. I am primarily a guitar player.

I'd give it a 10. I love this bass and it responds to what I play well and the tonal characteristics are great. But then again, it's not the thumping bass sound so it may not be what you are looking for.

1960 Fender Jazz Bass, found in a pawn shop in a very bad part of town several years ago by a friend of mine. When it was found it was still with the original blonde tolex case with gold lining, but several parts had been changed on it. Still intact and original were the tuners, bridge, pickguard, neckplate, control plate, frets, string mutes, and a good bit of the original red finish. Unlike most early Jazz Basses the headstock was not finished to match the original custom body color, and the bridge cover that was on it did not have an "F" stamped into it (it may or may not have been the original bridge cover). Those who know vintage Fender Basses and have seen mine all agree that it is a very early model. The pickups, pots, and knobs had all been changed out when I obtained this bass for $300.00, but at that price it doesnt matter. I replaced the pick-ups with hand wound Lindy Fralin reproductions and Fender reissue pots and knobs. The frets were worn completely down to even with the clay dot laiden rosewood fretboard so I had it refretted with new frets as close to o.e.m. as available and have played it out in clubs for 7 years now. I love this bass!

The sound, sustain, and warmth of this bass is incredible! Great punch and bottom end whether on stage or in the studio.

This bass, being such an early production model, is amazingly still fit and well engineered by todays standards. Keeping rust off of the bridge height and intonation adjustments is a chore but is taken care of every time that I change the strings. The wood on the body is very light and resonant. They just cant make a bass like this anymore.

Being over 40 years old and having suffered from abuse and non-maintainance from previous owner(s), this bass holds up well and id very stable. Just plug it up and play!

The warranty on this guitar expired MANY years ago, lol!

I would have never been able to purchase a vintage instrument of this caliber, so coming across this one was a real blessing. I know that there are modern bass guitars that probably play better, look better, and maybe even sound better, but this one is a dream come true and has been there for me for 7 years. It is irreplacable.

THIS IS THE GREATEST NECK I THINK I'VE EVER SEEN ON A BASS. IT'S FAST, EASY TO GRIP AND SO DAMN SMOOTH. I NEED TO SAY NOTHING MORE ABOUT THE FEATURES, THEY RULE!

ONE WORD: AWESOME!

HERE'S WHERE I'LL SLATE THE BASS A BIT. THE ACTIONS AWESOME BUT BEING A LEFTY I MISS THE COLOUR FINISHES YOU RIGHT HANDERS GET.

THIS BASS CAN TAKE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING, I'M SURE IT COULD WITHSTAND A NUCLEUR ATTACK. IVE GIGGED MINE SO MUCH THAT I'D EXPECT THERE TO BE NOTHING LEFT OF IT BUT IT PLAYS AS GOOD AS DAY ONE. AS FAR AS RELIABILITY GOES ITS VERY RELIABLE, I'VE BEEN GIGGING MY JAZZ FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS AND ONLY ONCE (NOT WHILST AT A GIG) HAVE I HAD TO TAKE IT INTO THE SHOP TO SORT OUT A PROBLEM.

I'VE ONLY BEEN IN CONTACT WITH FENDER ONCE, ABOUT GETTING A CUSTOM BASS MADE AND THEY WERE SHOCKINGLY SLOW AT REPLYING. SORRY GUYS YOU MAKE AWESOME GUITARS BUT YOU CUTOMER SUPPORT SUCKS!

THE BEST BASS IN THE WORLD BY FAR. THE MEX KICKS THE U.S'S ASS AS WELL. BUY A MEX JAZZ BASS AND YOU'LL NEVER WANT ANOTHER BASS, EVER!

92-93 Mexican Fender Jazz 4 String MN211XXXX,
20 medium frets on rosewood fingerboard
Solid top White black White pickgaurd, chrome outjack/ pot plate
Two Vol, One Tone, S/S pickup configuration, factory passive pickups. I belive the body is alder, Wine red mettalic nitrocellulose finish, hardrock maple neck,typical jazz shap,very thin and fast at the headstock. with skunk: ) Elephant ear tuners {schaller licensed}
Registered Ivory nut, hand crafted by yours truly.
Came with original soft case from 92-93

As she sits, the sound needs some work, but it is minor.. i would really like to mount a BADDASS or a individual, strings through the body saddle system of my own design bride. the original bridge is very weak sounding, taking away from what could be fat punchy poppy when you want it sound. the original nut was tossed simply because i got a deal on legal ivory. a selftaught master luthier learned me for 5yrs, and one of the first things i learned was ivory was the best. i would like to try a brass nut as well though.
has the potiental to really live up to its American heritage forged in the 60's

This would be were i have not so nice things to say about my mexi
first, i bought this bass used, from an idividual on ebay. in the pics she had posted, i was expecting a fiesta or dakota red, but found wine red metallic when i unpackaged it. same bass, serials match the photos.the pickgaurd and neck fit nice and tight as well as the nect to the body pocket. pickup pockets are exceptional anyway, so the electronic are crap, i had for several years a Hohner Jazz bazz, this bass was superior to any fender bass i had ever played. its electronics {pots, pickups, wiring} were much higher quality than this mexi, and the chrome outjack plate on the hohner was much muCH higher quality. but im the kind of guy that doesnt like anything factory! it has to be customised. from my ex compaq computer now mailbox, to the lawn tractor's 4 wheeler tyres, i have to make it my own. this bass is no exception, almost half the fun for me. i can take this neck with the fender logo, and this body shaped like a jazz bass, and make the ultimate bass machine for me. for potential i rate it a 10

i dont really plan on playing live anywhere but in the studio for my own entertainment, but this axe feels solid enought to fit the bill.
the finish is SO-SO, i did get it used, and i imagine it was beutiful on the dealer's wall when new. im am debating doing it olympic white, or Daphne Blue, with RERANCH nitocellulose products. i adjusted the truss when i first got it and it has held nicly since

i am my own luthier, ebay is my supplier

i have been a bass player since i was 13, starting in church and bluegrass bands with my great uncle. through high school i played the 4 string with a three piece playing parties, school assembles, talen shows, as well as out of town club gigs {opening act} im now 24 and have owned some nice jazz copies, mainly my much missed Hohner. i dont play in a band, but i do jam with my brother in law. if this bass was to walk off, id be breaking some face, for sure!! i love everything about the shape and sound of a jazz bass, and ill never own anything but.

2000 Mexican Jazz Bass, 4 string, standard no frills configuration. Midnight wine-picked out by my daughter, after trying 6 other Jazz Basses, American and Mexican. Just started playing in bands after a 24 year hiatus. Had a Mustang bass that was really good to me for several years, so stretching these short fat fingers to the long scale was a trial, but natural now. I got a Squire case with it and a good deal at Flint Hills Music in Emporia, KS. Nice guys to deal with.

I am in a three piece band playing old and new country and rock through an old rebuilt Kustom K200b amp with two 15" Carvins. Again, no frills, but lotsa deep deep thump and punch. I have no noise from the bass (unless in the house near the TV). I run 5-6 on the bridge pickup and 6-8 on the neck pickup, with the tone set according to the song. The Kustom is set full bass and treble and volume at 4-6 for most clubs. I am always impressed by the tonal range. No dislikes.

The finish is in great condition, and try to remember to not have a belt buckle on when playing to avoid buckle rash. I am also inclined to offer to break arms of anyone who brings a lit cigarette within ten feet of the tuck and roll Kustom amp. I haven't noticed any problems at all with the action and it stays in tune, still has the original strings--can't believe I haven't popped one yet!

I just started playing live again a few months ago, but have been riding it hard practicing at home for two years, annoying the neighbors (and you kids thought you had all the fun).
It seems to be very strong, but the squire case may not hold up to the travel and banging around for another 10-20 years. A real hard shell case would have been better. I have an old no name bass that I rebuilt, cut the neck down, refinished and added new hardware to, that I take sometimes for a change, but not needed for a backup.

Haven't had a need to call them. I do most of my own amp and guitar repairs, anyway.

I started playing when I was 14/now 50. I have three Kustom 200 amps and a Kustom III-L with various speaker cabs, including JBL, CTS, Rola and Carvin. For guitar, I use a Gibson 335tdw in Walnut color, with a just purchased Digitech rp300 that I am still trying to learn. I am very satisfied with the price and quality, and probably would have to get another one if this one took a walk. I tried several other basses before buying this one (Gibson, Epi, Peavey, P-bass, all pretty nice, too). This bass seems to match my Kustom amps very well- great range and tone. I guess I'm just tickled pink, and glad to be playing at this ripe old age. hahaha

Straight Basic Standard Black (Mex)Jazz Bazz

I have always Loved Fender Gear!

I play through a Fender BXR 300 watt amp that I got a steal of a deal ot 250 bucks ...although I did replace the fender speaker in it with a JBL that I also got for a steal of a deal.

I just recently started using effects on Bass...A Zoom 506-2 and I am very happy with the set up

I would like to get a classic tube SVT sometime in the future however ...

Honestly I was completely pissed off about something that happened regarding the action /setup on this bass and that was that the e string would just drop!!!

I tend to play with my thumb ...pretty hard at times for a punchy sound and the set screw that holds up the e string was not handling it ...I took the bass to the place I bought it from and they said that thier set up guy wasnt in and they were not sure when he was going to be back in and I had a gig that weeked end so I had to do a home repair on it that has held but I am not completely satisfied with ...I shouldnt have had to repair a brand new bass myself at all .
I however believe that has more to do with the store that I bought it from than "Fender" as a company

Doing this repair cause a little damage to the finish ...which just pissed me off more

See comments in the above

I did not deal with the Fender company regarding the repair mentioned above but a fender rep was out to the store not two months after I bought the bass and I was impressed with that .

MY over all rating for fender gear in general is a high 8 to a nine ...I never turn down a deal on fender gear and the above mentioned problem is the only problem I have ever had out of any fender gear ever and I have been playing for over 20 years ...which time included using fender "Bass man Amps " and fender Jass basses ...I understand many people LOVE the "P" bass but I LOve the tones avaiable on the Jass

My next buy will be a deluxe and sometime after that I will have another American Standard...

First of all, this is not a review of any one bass I have, more the range of Jazzes I have tried while looking for the perfect one. I have found several excellent basses, a lot of decent starter instruments and more than a few that are so much firewood.

Everyone knows the Fender Mexi Jazz. 20, sometimes 21 frets, rosewood/maple neck with big elephant-ear tuners, large, heavy offset alder body with pickguard, passive electronics with two volume and one tone pot, 2 single-coil Jazz pickups (many are wound to be humbucking when used together, but I've heard a few that couldn't possibly be wired that way) and a stamped metal bridge. I'm giving it an 8 because, just from the spec sheet, the bass theoretically has a bit to offer.

Here's the first category where the bass-to-bass differences really show. I played one built from Fender custom-shop rejects that looked beautiful, but it was a hum machine when plugged in. Looking around, I found a less flashy and lower-priced specimen that was an absolute tone monster: clean, well-defined, bright sound with just enough of that jazz sound you can only get from the bridge pickup. Beautiful rich sound. Most of them are better for the stage, though if you get a nice quiet one, it should do well for recording work. The only dislikes are that, if the sound you want from a particular specimen of Mexi Jazz is in that bass at all, it usually takes a bit of finding. One tip: if you want a good balanced mix of neck and bridge, turn both down a bit. Having one all the way up makes it far too present in the sound, and having both up just doesn't work 99.9% of the time. This is due to the wiring, which really can't be solved without an on-board preamp. Just one of those Jazz quirks... 7 because when you find a good one, it really shines, but you have to wade through a lot of so-so basses to find your treasure.

The ones I've played atstores have usually been set up decently enough to get a good feel for the instrument, though I have gone to mega-stores and picked up bass after bass to find that the neck has been back-bowed through some method or other.

Again, there's a little bit of QA at the factory to blame as well. the two biggest things to check are the pots and the neck, because those vary the most in my experience. The action should be low with just a bit of upward curve, or should get that way after some tweaking. The pots should turn smoothly. Ones that don't will need replacing very quickly, or the knobs will need to be adjusted (I've had more than one knob rub against the sleeve and make the pot very rough-feeling). 8, because again, most are built very solidly, but there are usually flaws when you're dealing with a Mexi.

If you find a good one, it will stay that way for quite a whilewith a little care. The large alder body will take minor bumps and dings with no problem, but I've seen more than one consigned to a pawnshop looking like it had been mauled by a bear, so they're not rock-solid. Mexi necks also seem to be a bit thinnner than the MIA necks, so the neck will require some care (just don't bang the headstock into anything too hard). It won't withstand a set-destroying gig by any stretch of the imagination. Lastly, replace the buttons with Dunlop or Schaller straplocks. Not that the Fender's buttons are worse than any other, it's just that if you're gonna use a strap at all, straplocks are inexpensive insurance, especially for a bass as heavy as a Jazz.

I've heard horror stories, but have not dealt with them yet, so I can't really give an opinion here. I'd try to buy from a store that's authorized for Fender warranty repairs, or make friends with a good luthier, rather than deal with their customer service long-distance.

I've been playing bass seriously for about 2 years, and am looking for a good jazz-style bass to supplement the P-bass copy and the electric/acoustic I've picked up. A good Mexi Jazz is THE Jazz bass. a poor Mexi Jazz is just so much firewood. The 8 I give this category is for the upper third of Mexi Jazzes, the third most people looking for a good one will settle for. Play a LOT of em, and when you find one that stands out from the rest, pick it up as fast as you are able and don't ever let it go.

Its a black 2002 mexi-jazz bass black pickguard . It's got one volume knob for each pickup and a tone knob but everyone on God's green earth knows what a Fender Jazz looks like. . . Just your standard meat-and-potatoes bass.

I play in a hardcore punk band which has a bunch of ska scales that are really nothing more than your average jazz progressions sped up to 100 miles an hour. it has a really growley, punchy sound now since Fender overhauled the pickups. (the old ones sucked balls) I really like the punchy sound of the p bass but it kinda fades out and gets "boomy" when you hit the F or open E so thats why i decided to get the new jazz series. i give it a 10 for that bright punchy sound the new pickups have. It sounds great live, and i would record with it in a heartbeat.

I play with a pick so i had to screw around with the action a little but other than that it was great from the factory.

it is definitley a live bass, i like how it looks on stage and how solid it is. i normally play shows every weekend with my band and it gets tossed around a bit but the paint job is rock solid. As soon as i bought it i got new strap buttons for it, i highly recommend the jim dunlop straplocks cause it gets a little crazy onstage. i dont really have to worry about the truss rod there is a slight bend but it doesnt make it sound any different so i dont care.i would use it live without a backup cause i dont like to waste time bettween songs.

never talked to fender, but i hear theyre nice

I've been playing for about 4 years now and ive been in about 4 bands we play shows in and out of town and we hope to have a national tour this summer. i currently own a teal american Precision with a pearloid pickguard (1 yr old) and a stickered up wine red Fender standard Precision (3 yrs old). i used to have a standard midnight blue jazz bass but this was before they had good pickups and it sucked so i sold it. i play through a yorkville bassmaster 400 with 1x15in speaker. dont get me wrong, i love the american precision but i would definitley have bought the new jazz if it was out the same time as my precision. there is nothing i hate about it except for the bridge but thats just a minor problem so all in all it is a very good bass and i like it better than the american jazzes.

It`s 1999. made in Mexico. 20 frets, 4 string, solid black polyester top, neck with rosewood fingerboard. All features like standard jazz USA. Bridge seems to be week. The sedles are moving when I`m playing and they are giving some click sound (I hate that).

Well it suit my styles very well. I play jazz, funk, pop-rock, but it has some middle freq. that i realy hate on bass, not that middle punch like other jazz basses. Sound is rich, good for studio too. But I dislike that strange mid range...PU`s are very noisy especialy when tone is turned to 10.

I`ve bought this bass used and i adjusted to me...it`s quite well, but i dislike low fingerboard radius because I have to raise g string more then d, but that`s fender :)

This is a 80's fretless Fender Jazz bass made in Japan. Has standard features with the exception of the Badd ass bridge.

This bass sounds excellent. The 80's Japanese fenders are so much better than the USA made ones. I have 2 other Jazz basses - a late 70's, a Geddy Lee signature series(made in Japan) and a early 90's and this one just blows them all away. Get out on Ebay and grab one of these.

The action is Low and fast and stays that way.

The bass is made like a rock and I never feel nervous about using this on stage other than the fact that it's a fretless.

never dealt with them

I have been playing for 20 years and have owned over 40 basses and this is definitely one of my favorites. It has a great Mwaah sound especially with the Mid turned up.

This is a Fender Standard Mexi J-Bass. I have made some modifications to it to improve the sound, but I'm going to review it in the condition that I originally receieved it, and then talk about what I did to make things better. It has 4 strings, rosewood fingerboard, cream finish, standard fender bridge and tuners, low-end passive Jazz pickups.

When I originally received it, I could only listen to it for a short time before switching back to my Rickenbacker 4003. The original Fender pickups were 'farty' on the bass strings and it hummed quite a bit. Later I replaced the pickups and electronics with EMG active Jazz pickups. These days I would rate it a 9, but it's original rating is a 6.

The neck was a tad bowed when I received it, and the action was too high (probably to accomodate the bow). The pickups sucked anyway so who even cares how they were adjusted. After doing a proper setup, I was able to get the action nice and low with no buzz.

With a Mexi J-Bass, you generally get what you pay for, but sometimes you luck out where the construction is concerned. I lucked out. It is a very well-built machine. The finish is good, but it's pearl, so it is undergoing constant alteration with stickers and stuff. The one thing I will say is that I replaced the bridge with a BadAss II. The standard Fender bridge was just as bad as the one on the Squier P-Bass I had so many years ago.

Haven't dealt with Fender in a while or for this bass, but when I've had to deal with them in the past, they've been helpful.

I've been playing now for about 4 or 5 years. My primary basses are a Rickenbacker 4001 and 4003, but the Fender J-Bass (as it exists now) is a good alternative sounding instrument, especially for those songs where the hi-treble tone of the Rickenbacker's just doesn't cut it. If it were lost or stolen, I might purchase an American Deluxe, but overall, it hasn't been a terrible experience owning this bass. I will say that I do LOVE the neck on this bass, it's very fast, even compared to the Rick necks.

Standard Jazz bass, 4 strings two pickups, 20 frets, midight wine color, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard. thin neck:PLAYS LIKE BUTTAH!!!
bought a nice SKB hard shellcase for it.( a neccesity, in my opinion.)

it is plenty deep but not as deep as a precision bass. It has more punch if you want that to slap or funkify your tone.

Like all the Fender Mexicans, you have to play a lot of them to find the one that is best in the store. When you find a good one, grab it and don't let it go.

This sucker has been rock solid for the last two years and I have never had to adjust the neck or even replace the strings, although I think that they are due.

not applicable

I am primarily a guitar player but I love to play bass as well. I have beenplaying for 37 years and I would buy another Fender in a heartbeat if this one were lost/damaged/stolen.

American Fender Jazz, Year unknown, I bought it used in 73. A friend who buys,sells,trades says it's an early CBS. 20 frets, 4 string. lrg black inlays. solid top. had vol.for each pkup and master tone. I added separate strat jack to make room for master vol.(the two single coil pkups act as humbucker when vol is balanced, but it took some fiddling to bring them up and down together.) has orig 1 coil pkups.
guards removed. Used to feed back til I wrapped pkups in waxed string as damper. all passive electronics. wood unknown. neck orig. natural blonde. I added badass II bridge and brass nut. orig huge tuners Fender. with the features I added I give an 8 for features.

I Played it in rock and Disco gigs earlier. Later , rock, funk, R&B,blues and jazz. It's versatile, but I would have liked more sibilance. modern processors fix that nicely. sounds great walking or slapping.full dark and warm.great for stage or studio.

original work was perfect except for bridge which would not intone properly

we'll seehow it holds up. I've had it for 29 years. It has stayed in tune for weeks on the road if I didn't drop it. It's seen alot of temperature changes without problems. Truss rod adjustments hold forever. My finish has worn off back (belt buckles,etc) but fender finish on neck is unchanged.

No experience with this, for best reason.

If I were separated from this bass, I'd be really pissed. But I would probably buy a P-bass and put a jazz neck on it. (perfect feel, with exciting attack sound.
I made a living with it for years, and now it's worth a lot more than I paid for it.

The body of my US made Fender Jazz was made in the mid sixties...(it was a black Custom at the time, with the round tuners)...the neck had a little bit of a hook in it around the 14th fret and I played with it like that for a couple of years until a friend, who was doing sound for "Rush" at the time, gave me a "Deluxe", bound Rosewood neck with the large block inlays. He said that "Geddy" wanted a Jazz with a maple fret-board and that he didn't need this one. Who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth? Needless to say, with the addition of the new neck, my bass was taking on a life of it's own. I didn't like the black finish on the body, besides it had a bunch of divits in the finish, not unlike someone beating it with the round end of a ball peen hammer. I stripped the finish and sanded the body until the dents were gone, then finished it with clear polyurethane. I still have all the accessories, including the huge bridge cover with the Fender "F" and the other pickup cover. I play this bass at least for a little while every day to keep my fingers loose and to ward off arthritis. I still have the original case, although I don't put this bass in it. I purchased a re-issue Fender tweed case to hold this one. I played this bass all through the seventies and eighties...although I have to limit my playing now to a few jam sessions a year and of course, my few minutes a day.

Even though this bass does not have active pickups, with the right amp set-up it really kicks. No buzzes or any other noise for that matter. Sounds great when it's slapped and awesome when its played with a pick. It's punchy for funk and nice and round for anything else. I use Ernie Ball Roundwounds on it and after thy are broken in and have been tension streched, the darn thing stay in tune like no other bass I've ever used. It is versatile enough that you could use it on stage or in the studio...and it has been used in both environments extensively.

Looks great, feels great, plays great....what else is there?

I've been playing this bass for over 30 years and it has never....ever...let me down. I will never sell this bass because it keeps going up in value and is a joy to use, in ALL respects...

I haven't dealt with Fender in quite a few years, but when I have inquired about accessories and other technical questions, they have always been friendly and have gone out of their way to be of assistance.

As I said, I've been playing since the early sixties and I have owned a number of different basses, but Fender makes (Made) the most versitile, longest lasting, overall best sounding, reliable basses I have ever seen. I guess that's why so many bass players use them. I don't think the newer Mexican made basses are as well-made as the older US versions, but I have tried a few in various music stores and they truly hold their own for the price you pay...I mean you can find an old one like mine and pay upwards of $2000.00, or you can pay a whole lot less if you're on a budget and still get a good sounding instrument with a bit of the Fender carisma...

First I'm not a bass player and second this isn't my bass but one I worked on at my store. It is a late 90's Fender Jazz bass, Made in Mexico. You Fender guys(my condolences)know the features.

I will give 7 because....well just because.

Again not a bass player but WHY does Fender but their name on this?? Terible sound. The sound compares to under $200 no-name basses I sell in my shop. Tries through a few amps from 10 watt to 100 watt and it sounded the same ...BAD!!!

Don't know about factory set-up but the bridge had to be replaced already and I did a set up on it this time. The action is ok but the fret work and neck are a joke. Hardware quality is poor, fit and finish are better on my $150 no-name basses. The only thing worst quality than this is Squier...HMMMM??

Fender's are durable. This one has taken a beating but is still HIGH Maintainance!! I have repaired this quite a few times already. Then the customer says that the brands I sell(Fernandes, Washburn, Aria)are not the quality they want?? OK they over paid for this cause it has a FENDER sticker on it.

I'll rate this better because it is still playable. The problems it has is from the initial manufacturing process. Let's call it a Timex, cheap junk but keeps on ticking!!

I deal with Fender for other things. Their service is on the bottom of the list. Ibanez, Gibson, are on the bottom for customer service!!

Warranty is void now so who cares. Fender doesn't care even if the warranty was good!!

Ok again not my bass, not a bass player. Just a tech and this starined my professional limits. Customer bought it for the Fender name. He plays the $300-400 Fernandes in my store but won't buy cause it's not a Fender?? Honestly this guitar is a level below a Fernandes X series which is comparable in price to Squiers.

Fender people, e-mail me all you want but be open minded and play this side by side with a so-called off brand and you'll find out what your missing.

2001 Mexican J-Bass Standard. 20 jumbo frets, 4 strings, 2 volume controlls ( 1 for each passive single coil ) & 1 common tone controll.
Poplar body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard. Black finish (as ALL my guitars are).
Pretty basic features, & you really MUST switch out the stock bridge, I put a Badass II on this ASAP & WHAT a difference! The stock single coils are peforming quite nicely so far, but I may swap them for Duncan Vintage J's. Out of the box the set up was ok, but in replacing the bridge it's now balls-on!

I play hard rock & this baby just shines live! I play through a Hartke 3000 head. My cab is 2x12 & 2x10. For effects I use a B-30. Playing in a trio, I tend to go for a slightly brighter tone & this bass achieves that tone effortlessly. I tend to leave the neck (?) pickup on 10, & roll just a notch or so back off the bridge pickup. I float with the tone knob between 50% to 75%. I can get virtually any sound I want with this guitar.
The only thing I didnt like with this bass is it's a little heavy, but after taking it to the stage & playing my first 45 minute set with it, It quickly became apparent to me that the other bass's I've had before where just crap in comparison. So, I just work out a little more, no big deal.
What I love about the Jazz Bass is that at first play I noticed just how much the strings resonate through the body! This was before I even plugged in.

Again, I had this bass worked on by a luthier when he replaced the bridge. he set it up to my specs the way he knows I like it. I will say that it was set up very well out of the box.

So far I've only played out with the Jazz Bass once, but it perfomed like a DIAMOND! I played with no back-up & strongly doubt I will ever need to. Needless to say, I'm selling the piece of shit Ibenez I previously gigged with. I put Schaller strap locks on it because I feel safe with them.

I've been playing bass since 1980 & have gone through some grwat, & not so great instruments. The Jazz Bass has, in it's short tenure, become my # 1 bass! I have always bought used, inexpensive bass's because I am also a guitarist & usually spent the lions share on my 6 strings. I've been in my current band going on 3 years now & the time was right for me to make a purchase. I've played Peavey, Guild, Gibson, and Ibenez bass's in the past.. The Jazz is hands down the top of the heap.

2000 Mexican Jazz 4 string, rosewood neck, standard features.

Was looking for that bright sound - which I got. Bought one without hearing it. I knew what they put out and wasn't disappointed. Tad bit noisy with single coils. They could try a reverse-wound option (like other manufacturers have done) but tone may well suffer. I get the bright tone with a pick and use my fingers for "rootsy" tone.

Finish was flawless. Neck did not need any dressing. The bass fits me perfectly - the contours are just right. More comfortable than anything else I've played. This side of boutique-type or custom gear.

The strap buttons were replaced right away. I highly suggest straplocks for anyone out there (I like the Schaller's). I do have a backup but only for Dropped-D tuning. I can rely on it.

Haven't had to contact the company.

Playing basically standard Rock for 20 years. Using Ampeg head & cabinet. My first thought when I got it was "Why didn't I get one 20 years ago?". Incredible value, especially considering the fine workmanship. I may replace the stamped metal bridge with a Badass II, if I can find one. Had trouble getting a third-party hardshell case...should have gotten Fender's. I like the older style rectangular ones. Bass feels good, action and narrow neck is great, looks cool, price is unbeatable. How can you go wrong? May get another in a different color just for variety. The bass it replaces is a Peavey Foundation (a solid instrument too) - I just like the fit better.

Fender Standard Jazz Bass made in Mexico
Blue Agave cool color it had frets too.

It has the best sound. Fender make the best basses bar none. It has a great sound. From punk to classical.

This was the only problem I had. The action sucks on the G string.

This would be a bass I'd use forever and would last forever. For any gig I would prefer a backup bass though.

They were cool about it.

I bought this bass because no one plays bass in my school and I needed one for my punk band. Fender basses rule buy it.

1995 model, made in Mexico, 21 fret neck, 4 string, bridge and neck pickup volume controls (separate), tone control, and passive electronics. Lacks the Preamp of more expensive basses, but a great amount of features for the price.

I play lots of funk and Primus style riffs, and this bass has provided me with the correct sound for these two styles. Has the signature Jazz Bass tone, has a slight buzzing (maybe because the control cavity is not sheilded), but all around very versatile.

Since I bought it used, I don't know what the factory set-up was like, but when I received it, the action and set-up was perfect, arctic white finish is very durable, everything seems to be in order here.

This bass has withstood a vigourous practice schedule and a few gigs with my band, so in this category it is incredibly Reliable. Strap buttons are solid, never have had to adjust the truss rod, so extremely durable.

Excellent deal for the price paid, a good bass for any style.

This is a '99 Fender Mexican Standard Jazz Bass in Arctic White(alder body) with a maple neck/rosewood fingerboard. It has 21 frets, 2 volume, 1 tone. One of the cool things that this does is when both volumes are turned to 10, they become humbucking. Everything is pretty standard. I put a tortoise-shell pickgaurd as well as the vintage knobs and an ashtray bridge cover.

I play everything from jazz to funk to punk. This bass is great for the jazz and funk and even rock. It's got a great growl to it. Nice low end, and the highs can really sing. Great mid, too. Can imitate flea or jaco. Don't get one for punk or metal. Not enough punch to it. Buy an ibanez, or a music man. The Fenders just don't swing it all that great (some sound good, so try it out before buying it.)

Actions pretty good. I had to do some intonation fine-tuning, but other than that, it was good to go.

This bass is pretty durable, as far as tone. The finish chips fairly easy, and fades as well. That's great if you're going for vintage look, but if you want new... not so great. The neck needs adjusted about every 4 months, which isn't bad since I play about 30-50 minutes a day, and about two to three hours on sunday and saturday

Fenders great. They do it all. I haven't had this one worked on, but I work in a fender dealer shop, so I know that they pull through and help out if at all possible.

A nice bass. I have another one thats better for punk and metal, but for what I use it for, it gets the job done.

This bass was manufactured in 1977; it is NOT a reissue. It's a 20-fret 4 string with a natural finish ash body (rather heavy) and a lacquered maple fingerboard with pearl block inlays. The pickups are standard single coil passive J-style, one bridge and one neck, with individual volume controls and a master tone control. The pickguard is black except for the chrome control plate that houses the pots, and there are 2 chrome pickup covers--one that arcs over the strings above the neck pickup and a larger one that hides both the bridge pickup and the bridge itself (I am unaware as to whether these serve any function other than aesthetics). Some of my acquaintances who have picked up my bass have complained that the pickup covers are in the way of where they would pluck--specifically the neck pickup cover--but I root my thumb on the neck pickup cover with no difficulty. The bridge pickup cover needs to be removed to change a string or adjust the intonation/string height. It also features a thumbrest, mounted on the bass side of the strings and screwed into the pickguard. The neck is similar in feel to contemporary jazz basses except for the binding, and the roundover (the edge between the fretboard and the neck itself) is softer and more obtuse than most necks fender has made since 1980. It has the typical narrow nut width of a jazz bass, which most people find more comforable than the wider and less accomodating p-bass neck. The Fender tuners are taller and sturdier than the Schallers on many newer jazzes, and there is a string tree for the D and G to ensure a good string angle at the nut. The end of the truss rod, which takes an allen key, is of an odd bullet shape that, to my knowledge, serves no purpose.

My only qualm about this instrument is that the neck is fastened to the body with an adjustable 3-bolt system that, while designed to allow adjustment of the angle at which the neck meets the body in order to complement truss rod adjustments, also allows the neck to move slightly in a lateral direction, so that sometimes the distance the G string resides from the edge of the neck is different at the nut than where the neck meets the body. I do not know if this is an inherent flaw in the 3 bolt system or whether it is a result of age and/or neglect, but my efforts to tighten the bolts have not alleviated the problem. The pickup covers can be a pain in the ass but they're damn sexy.

This bass sounds amazing. With previous instruments I have had some difficulty finding a balance between punch and low end, but with this bass I was able to immediately dial in a warm, punchy tone that still had quite a bit of low end to it. I play large-gauge Rotosound roundwounds with a straight-up two finger plucking style, but am still able to get several tones, all of which sound good. One thing I have found is that the instrument as a whole resonates amazingly well; when I pluck one string, I can feel it in all of the strings I am muting. However, this means I have to mute all the string I'm not playing rather carefully or they will ring out audibly. The instrument is weighted well and feels solid, and despite its weight is not cumbersome or tiring to play.

This bass was 24 years old when I received it, and hadn't been played for roughly 23 of them, so I immediately needed to adjust the intonation, truss rod, and string height at the bridge saddles. None of these adjustments were difficult, and the instrument actually included a manual that described the latter two. After these adjustments, the instrument plays beautifully with no complaints. I fret and pluck fairly hard, but I have the action set as low as possible to avoid fret buzz. All of the materials used to build this instrument are of fine quality, and it shows.

This is without a doubt the most solidly constructed instrument I have ever touched. The finish is as glossy as the day it was manufactured, the hardware is extraordinarily sturdy, and I've broken 3 straps by swinging it around without budging the strap buttons whatsoever. The truss rod and string height stay exactly where i put them, and I haven't needed to adjust them in months.

I play in a very enthusiastic indie/emo rock band, and my bandmates and I have a pronounced tendency to crash into each other and stationary objects (drums) while playing and leaping around. This means that, in the several months I have owned this bass, I've subjected the bass to several cracks in the varnish and chipped the back of the neck a bit. However, this damage occurred in EXTREME situations, i.e. falling onto the bass and banging into the unrounded end of a cymbal stand. Less solidly built basses would have fallen to pieces; I would know, my last bass (an Epiphone EB-3) has a fingerboard that is separating from the neck and other hardware damage that this bass has resisted. This thing has withstood the trevails of playing live, and then some. I don't bring a backup to gigs, for I cannot even conceive of the incident it would take to put this bass out of commission.

I've never dealt with Fender.

These basses are not cheap; I got extremely lucky finding one in near mint condition for half of what these instruments go for everywhere. However, based on my experience with this instrument, it is certainly worth the money, and I would have paid much more to get my hands on it. I've been playing for 6 years, and I can't imagine ever wanting another instrument. If it were stolen or lost I would hate to have to touch another bass. Since purchasing this, I've made it a point to play every Jazz Bass I can get my hands on, and of the Jazzes sold now I'm yet to find one that compares.

This one is an early Mexican Jazz - '94 or '95 I think. It's just a good ol' 4 string Jazz bass with Candy Apple Red finish and rosewood fingerboard. As soon as I lifted this thing off the stand in the guitar store, I knew it was different. It's heavier than other Mexican Jazz basses and the wood grain on the back of the neck is really pretty. It originally had a white pickguard which I replaced with a white pearloid. I changed the pickups with Fender Vintage Jazz Bass pickups. These came with so much extra cloth insulated wire that I was able to re-wire the entire thing with this heavier stuff - cool! The volume pots and tone pot are original as well as all other hardware. I work on guitars for a few local guitar shops so I know how to make subtle neck and set-up changes that make a big difference. I filed smooth and polished the fret edges, polished the fret crowns, and waxed and buffed the back of the neck. Best feeling bass neck I've ever played - bar none! This may have been a "plain-Jane" when I got it, but with $145 and a few hours time, it has turned into a real jewel. There's no fancy features - just what is needed to be a joy to play and sound great!

I've always played Fender basses - but before this Jazz, it was always a Precision. My first was a '71, then a '76 that was my main axe for 15 yrs. with a few others along the way. Several years back I switched to a 5 string Ibanez with active electronics. It had a much more pronounced mid-range and recorded beautifully. I have had the opportunity to work with several musicians through the years that have gone on to the "big time". Two of the most notable (I WILL NOT name drop!) play Jazz basses exclusively and have monster tones both recorded and live. This is what prompted me to take my Mexican Telecaster into the guitar shop and trade it for this red Jazz bass. I can safely say that I'm converted to the Jazz for life. I know that the pickup change and wiring change is what gave this bass it's killer tone! If you have the bucks - go for it! The vintage pickups just sound warmer and smoother than the stock - but not darker. The high end is clear and defined. The mids just absolutely "talk". I'm currently plaing through a Hartke 5000 head, 4 10's, and 1 18. I use compression and sometimes on a solo I use a phaser. It's a very simple set-up. I've never in my musical career had so many compliments on my sound. Awesome bass!!

If you want a bass that comes from the factory with impeccable quality, perfect set-up, and great sound that costs less than 3 grand, you should get a Carvin. If you're willing to get the work done or do it yourself, a Mexican Fender can be "transformed" into a fantastic bass for a very reasonable price. After my work on this thing, it compares well with custom shop Fender basses. Anyone who has played it cannot believe it when they see "Mexico" on the headstock. The raw materials for a great instrument are there - it just takes time and money to bring it out. If you're going to keep the stock electronics and leave the frets undressed and unpolished, it will be a mediocre bass at best for a relatively good price.

I gig with this bass every weekend. I usually have backup - but have never needed it. I've "tweaked" the set-up twice since my original overhaul 2 years ago. It holds tune perfectly. I'm more confident with this instrument than any I have ever owned. With normal care, it should last for many years.

I like Fender - always have. They're a great American company and I've had many positive experiences with them - no negatives.

I've been playing over 30 years. I have enough other gear to fill a small barn - but you don't really care. If this bass were lost or stolen, I'd be devastated - then I would go out and buy another one off the shelf and work on it. If it came out as nice - great, I've got another "keeper". If not, I'd try another, and another, etc. These are so cheap, you just can't lose. GREAT VALUE FOR THE MONEY!!

A 1983 American made . I got it when it was 10 months old .It was my first real bass . It had 20 med frets , which I removed while watching Live Aid in 1985 ( I am dating myself!) Heavy Alder body .
I epoxied the finger board , which gave it a brighter voice than bare wood . ( I am a Jaco freak ) It was originaly white ; I stripped the finish and gave it a Tung oil finish . I also took steel wool to remove the gloss from the back of the neck . I hate glossy neck finishes . Everything else is totally stock. This is the years that Fender made the super heavy bodies . I hate wearing this thing on a strap . I rather play my 1994 Mexican with EMGs , which is fretted .

Typical Fender Jazz Bass sound . It actually has gotten a more vintage vibe due to it's age . Very mellow and dark . The pickups are
pretty nice . I wouldn't replace them , unlike my Mexican , which had terrible pickups.

This bass isn't the best example of Fender work . In fact , I think the early to mid 1980's are the worst for Fender . The finish was bad when I got it . The neck pocket wasn't very tight , and the routing around the pickups are terrible . The soldering was pretty lame too .
There seemed to be no attention to deatail . They were seriously living off they're past .

Since 1984 , I've never had any problems , and as a teen I used to throw this thing around like Sid Vicious ( That was easier than learning to play ). I think you can kill someone with it and it will still play in tune .

I have never dealt with Fender.

I would buy another Fender Jazz Bass , But either a newer one or an older one . This one came from the CBS owned Fender in its last years , poor quality . The best thing CBS ever did was sell Fender to its employees . The only reason it sounds decent is due to the weaking of the pickups magnets .

This review is on a 1972 Jazz Bass that I no longer own. American made, maple bolt-on neck with bound rosewood fretboard, nice frets, big square inlays. The necks on these things flare out ridiculously - too thin at the nut and too wide at the body. This was the primary reason why I abandoned this bass without regret.

I played rock with this bass in the early to late '70s, and as a backup to my Gibson T-Bird. Always tuned standard, and kept it stock including keeping the huge chrome tailpiece & pickup covers intact when I played it, mostly with a pick. I never played slap, but in retrospect feel that the bass would have much better suited to slap with the wide string spacing at the body and relatively high action. A good, clear tone, but unimpressive by today's standards. (Well, by anyone's other than Fender, that is.)

This bass was as well set up as any Jazz I have ever played, which was a bit too high for my liking. The black finish was very good, but I was never hard on it. The bass was mint when I finally let it go in 1985, albeit for a little pot noise that was from lack of seeing action. I kept the bass as long as I did mostly because it looked so good. IMO the best looking Fender bass ever. I played a P-bass also, but it was so incredibly ugly and big by comparison to the Jazz.

The bass was durable in every respect, but even the case was in perfect condition when I sold it. I always had a backup, but there would be no reason to suggest that one was actually needed for lack of reliability. So I will give it an (untested) 10.

Never dealt with, but have never heard good things about them. Especially now that they make such poor quality instruments.

The Jazz was the first high-end (well, for it's time anyway) bass I ever owned. It was soon replaced as my primary instrument by a '72 T-Bird, and then both saw their demise when I discovered Rickenbackers in the mid '70s. I let go of it because there was no comparison between it and my Ric. It was heavier, the string spacing was too inconsistent, and the sound was unimpressive. For a Fender, it was nice looking though. I have mostly used Rics for the past 25+ years, my current main instrument is a Ric 4003S/5 (5 string), and I use 8 string basses more than fours. I would not keep a bass if I couldn't give it an overall rating of 9.

My left handed fender jazz bass is a 99' and made in the mexico plant.Maple neck w/mahogany insert,beautiful rosewood fretboard,2 standard passive jazz pu's,2 vol. 1 tone knobs,and a beautiful midnight wine finish.For some reason,people have a problem with the bridge on these,but this one is perfect for me.

When i first got the bass,i thought it was too dark,but when i started playing around with it,i got some really good tones.Really dark,rich tone.I love it!

Since i bought it used,i dont know about the factory set up.it was about a year old when i got it,and it had some rust on the pickups.The rust does nothing the the sound quality.I love the finish.

With reliability,all i have really done with it was play around the house.I've dropped it a couple times,and got scared that it would chip or ding,but to my suprise,it was perfect.

n/a

I've been playing for around a year,and this bass fits my needs perfectly.I play punk,rock,and metal and it can definatily handle it.If it were stolen or lost,i'd cry,because i cant afford another one at the moment.But if i had the cash,i'd definatily buy another one.

It was made Desember 1966 Jazz Bass (USA), there's a 4 string basses. There's only 2 Volume and tone.I use this without pick guard or other accesories in the body (all the accesories was damage), colour natural. Neck Mapple with thin neck.

I use my bass for play police, metallica, beatles, motley crue, sting and other pop and jazz music. I use Trace Elliot 715 Amps and ME 8 B Roland Boss Effect, and it produce Full Sound That's great and really perfect. I Can use for live performance or at Studio and it great sound both. I Love this, I'll never use another bass. But I have another, like Squier Precision, Fender Precision (USA).

I think this the great setting, cause i'll never change the set, or everthing at my bass, except my pickguard.

Everthing is good and perfect, trust me

I'll never dealt with them

The sound is great, the body and neck great, everything is great. I don't want to sell this bass, cause I afraid can't buy another one like this

Brand New Fender Jazz Bass
Hecho en Mexico

Standard Jazz bass configuration and pickups.
Very nice sunburst finish and satin maple neck with rosewood
fingerboard. White plastic pickguard which I will remove ala Jaco.

Tuners are pretty solid and dependable. To me, basses rarely go out of tune much anyway. It did not come with a case, so I bought a padded gig bag.

I think the body is made of poplar. It's light enough to gig all night long.

I have been using it direct into the studio board. The engineer and I think it has a good punchy sound with the tone up. I back off on the tone knob for a blues/jazz sound.

Live on stage, I play through our Carvin PA head direct without effects. Sounds great.

I always play bass with a pick. More Carol Kaye style.

Not one flaw to complain of. I bought it at the store and took it right to a gig. It felt and played great.

I only own one bass. It is solid and dependable.

I have never dealt with Fender customer service.

The salesman and I played this Mexican made Fender Jazz bass along side an American made Fender Jazz player. The American one was slighly heavier. That was the only difference. We could not tell them apart in sound, feel or looks. He actually prefered the Mexican pickups and so did I.

$290.00 versus $899.00 No mystery here.

It's not perfect, and let's face it a $300 Fender Jazz Bass won't sound anywhere near as good as a high-end Modulus etc. But this is pretty good for its price.

This bass is BY FAR the best in its price range. I tried a lot of basses, and even though I had a little bit of an anti-Fender feeling before I bought this, it smashed its competition.

This is the popular Mexican model. This bass looks just like the American model,and my opinion, sounds like one too (but let's face it, no bass is as good as an AMERICAN made bass). This bass has a lot of potential, but due to the annoying buzz (120 cycle hum) it could cause a major set back if this one is a keeper.

Don't get me wrong, I have been playing bass for 20 years and I never knew that a bass that is so cheap could sound so good. What I do to prevent the buzz is to not play both of the pickups wide open, I'll roll back both of the volume controls just a notch from the max. You might consider changing the pickups, if so they should be replaced with emg's or if you are traditional you might want to use duncans.

Again, a bass at this price should be expected to have half the features or sounds that this bass has. The only things to me that makes this bass different the American model is the wood(poplar)and the very loud buzz in the pickups. The action on this bass is very good, although I might recommend changin the bridge maybe to a badass II bridge. The finish is also very good for this price.

Depending on where you are, this bass will come through for you, just don't go in the studio with it. Certian types of lights, materials can cause the pickups to buzz.

If fender dose something with the pickups and bridge on this bass, it would be able to compete with a lot of the high-end basses on the market.

This bass is an American made 1978 Jazz bass. 20 frets, 4 strings, your basic Jazz Bass. Controls on this unit are the standard 2-volume(one per pickup), and 1 tone. The neck is one of those beautiful late 70's jazz necks that are incredibly thin. I'm lucky enough to have a bound fretboard on mine, as well as a maple fretboard. The neck finish is natural, with a gold-outlined/black-centered Fender decal, and the Body is jet black, with Tortoise shell pickguard and white casings for the pickups. The bridge is the standard fender bridge, not much to say other than it's not a lot of fun to adjust. Tuners are chromed elephant-ear style, and very stylish at that. I bought the instrument used from a guy in the "Bargain Finder" magazine, and managed to get a hard shell case included with the deal.

I play a lot of different styles of music Jazz, Blues, Rock, Funk, and whatever else I'm needed for. Using my practice amps and Peavy TKO, this thing sounds great. THere is a little bit of white noise on the pickups due to its passive nature, but I've reduced as much of this as possible by enhancing the shielding in the cavity. I've used this both on stage and in the studio, and it sounds just great. The pickups are both growly and ballsy- sounds a lot like the '76 Geddy Lee plays. I like the sound when things are clean, if it's misbehaving and hissing at me, that's what I really don't like.

The previous owner set the bass up pretty well, I only had to make a few little adjustments to better suit slapping, but other than that I couldn't complain. The pickups were adjusted for a very good balance. The neck is beautiful Tiger-Stripe maple, and the binding allows for no-worry maneuvering around the neck. The only gripe I have with mine is that the original 3-screw Neckplate has been replaced (not as well as I would have liked) by a 4-screw neck plate. On further examination, I noticed the holes weren't drilled quite at 90 degrees at each corner, and the neck itself has been drilled into 4 more times. This doesn't alter the way it plays though, but I'd have liked to have had it fully original.

I've played live with this bass ever since I bought it in 1995, and the only thing I've had to do is tighten the strap buttons. The finish is quite durable, I polish it quite regularly to keep it in shape. I've taken this to a jazz festival in Cuba, and it did the trick perfectly. If I could take one bass with me into a month-long tour, it would have to be this one. I'd like to have my Gibson RD Std. as backup, but I have used it onstage without a backup available.

I've been playing this bass for 5 years, and it has never let me down. It's not perfect by any means, and it's not really a collectors item, but it's a good player. I would have liked to have known before I had bought it, why the neckplate wasn't the standard 3-bolt, but I found that out quick enough ;) I love the weight, the sound, and the look of this instrument. I really detest the odd bit of hum or static I get off of this, but I've minimised it's impact. Compared to my Gibson RD, this is slightly better, if only for its speed. I wish it had the original Neckplate, and maybe the original Thumbrest, but other than that I really love this instrument. If ever you find a 70's fender for a great price, snatch it up- you'll thank yourself for years to come.

Bought it used 1972. Dimarzio replacement pickups (original bridge pickup broke). sunburst finish.
Took off tailpiece guard (yechh), replaced it with pickup guard, for place to anchor heel of my hand.

Play folk-rock, with lots of acoustic guitars. Run thru a Ampeg B-15N(? solidstate one) portaflex, EQ: full Treble, full Bass (with boost), mid range backed off.
Can rumble low when needed, or sing high when appropriate. Use Thumb and two fingers, never pick. Use two pick ups for solid sound, neck pickup only for funky, hollow sound.
Can't hear it (psychological thing) when I play, but others in room say its great....

beat-to-sh** finish, but it looks cool because of it. Am ALWAYS fiddling with pickup heights, along with the pole pieces. NEVER satisfied. Think I'm auditorially disabled.
Took a while to get the neck and bridge pieces in harmony, but now the tuner says almost every note on the fretboard is in tune. (except for open E. So I tune to 3rd fret low G).

Tone control's gone south (but who cares). Why did an original pickup spontaneously blow up? Otherwise, been dropped, carried in a gig bag, no ill effect.

One mailed a question about black tape wound strings (in 1970's), they send a detailed letter with setup recommendations. MAY HAVE sent a free set, but can't swear to it. Otherwise, no contact.

Seemed great for 28 years. Wonder some times if I can do better with new technology, but such a hassle getting quality time in a music store without 15 teenages playing grunge licks all around me. I guess I'd have to lease it and play out with a new candidate to really know.
Haven't yet played any friends basses that sounded or felt better (a 1973 Jazz bass(!!!) came a close second)
Sometimes my ears get weird, and it sounds mushy, other times its locked right into a ringing, solid tone. I think my brain is dysfunctional. Anyway everybody else who hears it loves it.
OHYEAH- If you doing some quiet living room type practicing with acoustic guitars, get a Fender BXR-25. GREAT bottom and high definition at low volumes, and it doesn't weigh or cost a ton. Its got a line out, so you can take it on stage and go thru the PA if appropriate...
Cheers... Walt

Built in 1998 in Japan,20 frets, 2 volume (one for each pickup) tone control,black finish really nice!! great strings, neck is really sturdy, very solid,necks rosewood (not 100 percent sure)

It can play alomost anything u want!! it'll play greenday, manson, korn, jazz (hmmm wounder why its called a jazz bass???) seriously, it has the punch to play punk, and the low sound to play metal. even playing through a crummy practise amp it still sounds pretty good (even better on a real sized amp). If you want it to play loud it will, u want it to play soft it will, great volume control, it puts out a rich full sound. on stage it is beautiful solunds as good as any bass if not better.

When i got it out of the box, it was ready to go, it mint condition, pickups perfectly set, everything was perfect, i was litteraly able to take it from the box, plug it in and jam with a friend, no scratchs, the bridge was perfectly set, PERFECT

This bass has been droped numurous times on stage and was able to be picked up and kept on playing with no problems, u could run over this guitar and it will still play, the finish good, nothins worn off yet, strap buttons will take a punishment, very strong, perfectly positioned too!! Very dependible, dont need a back up, had it for 6 months havent had to adjust the neck yet. very solid. neck is very sturdy, could use the guitar as a hammer and it wouldnt budge. super strong,

i think its got a 3 year warenty, not sure, never needed support, so no clue

This is a great gtar, if anything happened to it i would snap, if someone stole it, i would buy the exact same guitar, i really like the gibson lespaul bass, but this is a better guitar! fender is a great company this is an awesome bass trust me

Fresh from factory 1998. Standard features of a Jazz Bass. Black, strat-body, 20 frets, rosewood frets, vintage knobs 4 tuning, white pickguard, 2 double-coil pickups, 2 volume controls knobs, 1 tone control knob, screw-on bridge, good strap-locks, and front-body input. Looks good, feels good.

Sounds awesome. The only thing I prefer over it is a Gibson G-3. I play a lot of Green Day, and "longview" sounds wonderful on this puppy. I use a Zoom 506 pedal on it, but i usually don't even use it. I play it thru a Crate MX amp, and it has a good punch 2 it. The G can screech, tho, and the E twangs a bit off the frets past the 5th fret, but that's cuz I was 2 lazy 2 adjust the bridge. I love this bass. I'm usually a Fernandes fan, but this thing rocks.

I think the factory did a great job making it. The pickups were perfect, the neck is secure, the knobs stay put (altho can hurt sometimes), pickguard doesn't peel at all, and the strap-locks r very nicely placed. My only flaw w/it was the forementioned E string twang, but can b adjusted. The strings r perfect. I'm not sure what kind, probably just the Fender ones.

I'v played this live b4, and it can really impress a crowd. I don't need a back-up of any kind. As 4 sturdiness... I'v 4gotten about my roof being so low while lifting it 2 put on the strap and banged on the ceiling a lot, and it stays in tune and doesn't scratch at all. I'm more worried about the ceiling collapsing. The finish is nice and per-ty, and strap buttons r even padded. I could probably block gunfire w/this thing, it feels so solid. After that I could probably play some more, 2.

Don't know, but I hear Fender isn't very friendly. So far, tho, I haven't needed help w/it.

This was my first bass and I haven't needed anything else. I'm known 4 getting kicked out of guitar shops 4 playing everything w/out buying, so I know what I like 2 hear from my guitars. I haven't heard anything better except a Gibson G-3. If it were lost or stolen I'd have a nervous breakdown and kill myself. This is my most precious treasure. I just love this thing. I'd receommend this bass 2 anyone, especially those fools going out 2 get Ibanez basses just bcuz of their idols. If u like a twang, go 4 an Ibanez, but if u like a solid, punchy bass, pick it up. The pickguard could w/stand a bullet, and the body could b used as a shield. I'v never felt something so solid.

1997 Mexican made Jazz Bass. 21 Frets on a Rosewood Fretboard. 2 volumes, 1 tone. Pretty basic stuff...... Poplar body wood, maple neck. I've got a sunburst finish on mine....absolutely gorgeous. 34'' scale. It's a freaking Jazz Bass....you can't launch spacecraft with it or anything, but you can play it...gee, it IS a musical instrument! As far as features, this bass isn't chock full of anything in excess....aside from sounding pretty damn good for the price, feeling better then most basses I've played (and I mean most...I can't believe how uncomfortable other basses feel compared to this), and looking absolutely stunning (this baby just glows with glossy sunburst goodness....I love it!)....there is really nothing to scream about...just the usual time-tested Jazz Bass features. I give an 8 because if it ain't broke....don't fix it...and they haven't, thank God. (I've seen some ugly ass Jazz wanna-bees that are supposedly innovative when all they really are are just a waste of wood)

Now for the reason why you'd buy a Jazz....the sound....yup, it looks like a Jazz Bass, but guess what, it also sounds like one too....is that good? is that bad?? it's your call....I happen to love the growl of a Jazz though. The pickups aren't as good as the pickups on an American Standard Jazz, but they are damn good for the mula. No complaints when played clean.....could be higher output, but nothing I'd really change. I play through a Big Muff as well: sounds pretty damn good with a Muff too.....nice job Squier.

I really can't comment on how it was set up....I really could care less....all you have to do is adjust it to your liking anyway....I happen to be one of those "crazy" people who plays with a pick, so my action needs to be a bit high. The finish is gorgeous though....I catch myself just staring into this beauty....the brown sunburst is stunning......I have one complaint though...the bridge is kinda cheap....I am planning on changing the bridge...not sure to what though, but I do want to change it (not that the bridge is terrible, I'm just a psycho who wants a fat block of metal holding my strings...) the tuners are surprisingly good though...I've banged the hell out of them and nothing has happened to the tuners or even the tuning! I can't believe how bad I can thrash this thing without a string going out of tune at all....nice work....9 because I really don't care for the bridge too much....hey, how about a Stingray bridge??? didn't think so.....

I've done the usual garage thing with this, have banged the tuners, body, and even headstock/neck and nothing has happened......aside from a few minor scratches on the body (my fault), nothing can touch this bass.....I want to see if an H-Bomb will do anything to this..... I give a 9 again for the bridge.....it's not terrible by any means, but it's just not as strong as I'd like....the bass itself is a tank though....especially the neck joint....I would expect it to loosen after all the hits the neck has taken, but it's rock solid....great stuff Squier.

never had to try, hopefully I will never have to....

Overall I'd buy this bass again and again and again....I love this thing.......the only Jazz Bass that I like better is an American Standard Jazz and that's just because of the sound.....the comfort is the same!! I'm thinking about changing the bridge and pickups though....not because I have to, but because I want to....hey, I'm not going to spend 6-700 bucks on an American Std Jazz when this baby is almost equal.....I recommend it to anyone: beginner to pro.....it's a great bass at a steal of a price......10 overall...I can't live without this baby.

"!960s reissue" Jazz - essentially a Fender of Japan reissue of a 1964-65 Jazz Bass - dot neck, no binding. Nothing fancy, just the classic elements. The one I bought used had Seymour Duncan Vintage pickups installed. Unusually for a FoJ bass, the finish is beautiful - a rich, deep sunburst. Standard tortoise pickguard looks cheesy - replace it with a vintage style Warmoth or other guard for the classic 1960s look.

I play classic rock and fusion-ish stuff. The sounds are incredible through my 1970 Hiwatt DR103 and Fender Bassman 2 x JBL 15 cabinet - everything from the Jaco growl (with the neck p/u backed off a quarter turn) to the glassy, Greg Lake sound when played with a pick. Only the classic Jazz sounds are there, but what killer sounds they are!

Bought used - a few character marks, but nothing missing or maladjusted. Plays almost telepathically - the best feeling Jazz Bass I've ever owned (of six in twenty-five years).

Built like a tank, just like all real Js and Ps.

I've played bass guitar for twenty-five years - I've owned Ricks, Warwicks and a handful of Jazzes - I always come back to the Fender Jazz Bass, and this is the best one I've ever played. Leo just plain got it right weith the J-bass. The Fender of Japan instruments can be variable in quality and feel, but the '60s reissue model appears to be consistently excellent. Just like a real '65 - particularly if you put in top-quality aftermarket vintage-style pickups (Duncans, Lindy Fralins, etc.) - but at a small fraction of the cost of an original. And, it's a real Fender.

incredibly built Japanese J-bass.Meat and potatoes

this is one of the best sounding jazz basses ive ever played or heard.It is identical in tone,feel,and neck stiffness to my friends awesome 64 Jazz!incredible,but true!Ive played and owned a LOT of basses and I know Jaco would have wanted this one.Im amazed.

I got the bass used and totally neglected,with a ridiculous setup and clods of dust.As soon as I picked it up and held it to my ear and plucked a string,I knew it had the shit... once I cleaned it up it was awesome.

super solid neck and body-built like me

ive been playing bass for 21 years,and this is the sound ive been looking for.ive played everything-really-and i cant find a thing wrong with it!No dead notes anywhere it has 64 jazz coming out of its ears...

There is not a hell of a lot of features on this bass. It has two volume knobs (one for each pick up) and a tone knob. It has passive electronics. I suspect it is made of ply wood and it ways a tone. It has a rose wood finger bord that constently allows the strings to rattle no matter how good your fingering is. The tuning knobs are crap and there falling apart.

This is the most gutless bass I have ever played. It has absolutly no punch even with the emg select pickups I put in at christmass. I can't find a tone worth using. I have noticed this with other fender basses I have played.

I had to get the neck adjust for more action a little while ago for my own playing prefrence. The strings rattle less on the fingerboard now but it is still a problem. I have been told by my bass teacher that it is not my fingering and that the bass is just not made right. If you do not use fat enough strings they rattle in the saddle a bit but not enought to matter. As I said befor the tunning keys are falling apart but it still stays in tune. If I have some spare money to blow I may replace them.

One time using this bass at a show I stepped on the patch cord and basically shattered the input. I play this bass without a backup because I have no choice. I was able to borrow another guys fender bass for the show. The rest of it seems to be pretty solid but I have new electronics in it so I can't really comment on that. If I had another bass I would not play this without a back up in fact this would probably be the backup.

I have never dealt with company. I have done most work on it my self. The warranty is only one year though. One year is pretty short compared to most companies (fender claims you don't need a longer warranty becuase they last forever, what a joke). It was one year and one day when all the stuff started to turn to crap.

I would never get suckered in to buying this piece of SH*T again. It was my first bass so I don't feel too bad but the day I have enough money I will buy a new bass and this will just be my kick around bass.