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.