Fender Squier Jazz Bass

The Fender Squire Jazz bass I own I gather was the first in the UK. It has a serial number of 000027 on it I would never sell it. It is in three tone sunburst with a rosewood neck, reverse machine heads and plays like a dream. there is no fret buzz even with such a low action

This bass does the Jaco sound with the bridge pick up and has a really fat sound with just the neck pick up, great for slap. I play through a Trace elliott now, but used to blast it through a marshall Jubilee 600 watt head with2x15 cab

this bass was bought off a perfectionist who looked after it immaculately. There are no flaws in it.

If you can pick one of these up I would reccomend. The only bass that surpassed this bass (after owning a musicman stringray, a Gibson eb bass, and a Warwick bass) was a 1972 American Jazz bass i owned.
this is a truly killer bass. the modern ones dont cut the mustard.

never needed them

i paid peanuts for this 20 years ago!!

have been told its worth a ??1000 now

It is Squier jazz bass Standard, wine red.
Bought it new in 2007, but last numbers of serial is 98. Made in Indonesia, agathis boody. But this wood is very soft so all of 10 pickguard screws were striped out. Easily repaired with toothpicks.

Got it with no accesories but that is local store problem.

I change factory string with Fender 7250s. On stick says it's 7250s already on, but you see difference imidiately. Sound is good but pickups are very low budget no-name.
I will replace the pickups with Duncan Vintage.

BE CAREFUL: the pickups are both the same NECK dimensions. Fenders have bridge pickup 3mm longer.

Set up was fine, but I prefer do it my self.
Like I said before, all pickguard screws were striped out and you must be very careful with other screws (tuners)-easy to damage.

Where the neck join the body I found little piece of sandpaper. It must be kind of a joke, because I read about sandpaper in Squiers before.
Maybe they are only get rid of the garbage on that way?

Have it less than a year. It' very light, hardware seems to OK. Strap buttons are solid.

One year warranty, but I repaired everything by my self.

I choose this copy because of Fender name on it (but heard that the name is only thing it has from Fender) and because it's beautiful.

If you want to own a decent Fender copy you must buy new strings and pickups (imidiately). The price of all together (guitar, strings, pickups) is than over 300 Eur.

Like the original Fender and I live a decent mid-range life but I will not buy Fender bass for 700 eur.

Squier Standard Jazz Bass in Candy Apple Red finish, rosewood fretboard. Made in Indonesia, 2006 I guess.
Features all the "normal" things you would find in a Jazz Bass: two pickups, 3-ply pickguard, 3 knobs (1 tone and 2 volume), open tuners.
Body and neck shape are almost exactly the same as the Fender Jazz Bass, however this one is more 70's style as you will see in the chromed knobs and the headstock.

Being a "Standard" (next step above the cheaper, very entry-level Affinity series), I didn't expect anything spectacular. The stock pickups look and sound too "normal". The sound is somehow low but of course a good amplifier or a processing software would improve it a lot. They don't sound bad at all, but of course if compared with any Fender, you will notice the difference.
Anyway, unless you only want it to play and practice at home, the next step is to replace them with better pickups (I will put some Fenders there).

Set-up was not good and the guy at the store adjusted it for better action. I've been playing it for 6 months now but suddenly I noticed that the neck was bent and the strings had gone "high" (it is summertime here so at first I will blame the heat and take it to the shop for maintenance).
So at least at the beginning it was very easy to play; the neck is very comfortable as with the Fender Jazz and while the fretboard is not perfectly manufactured, it is smooth and I did not notice any problem with frets or dead notes. The nut is a cheap piece of plastic and I will replace it, too.

To me, Squiers are basically TOOLS to learn, practice and start playing around. This Standard Jazz Bass is very solid and well balanced on a strap. The finish is very good and personally I like the candy apple red colour a lot, much more than the Fender chrome red.
The strap buttons are solid and with the proper adjustment you can depend on it. However, replacing the stock pickups and improving accesories is highly recommendable.

I've been playing bass for less than a year, however it is more natural to me than guitar playing, probably because I am a drummer.
First I was planning to buy a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass but they did not have it, so it was the only Squier at the store. Anyway, I bought it and definitely do not regret this. I've been trying to sell it but in the end I always forget about this. I will upgrade it and keep it instead.

Standard jazzbass configuration, passive, made in Korea, Serialnumber CN 6090475. Nice purple/blue colour! Overall not bad, okay. I purchased the bass in 1998

Sounds great, crystal clear. Sound when picking or fingerstyle play is good defined. Not a very good sound when slapping. But this can be my technique and/or adjustment of the neck/pickups.

Set up was okay. I screwed it up myself after buying it, but the musicstore adjusted it back.

The bass withstand heavy duty. Only thing I had to do is changing strings now and then, refit one volume know and refit the input jack. I can use this on a gig without backup. So solid, you can kill a polarbear with it.

No repairs necesarry yet. Store where I purchased it was very helpfull.

I play about 14 years. I love the bass for it's sound and looks. I have to get it adjusted though. There's one thing I dislike: the weight.... After an hour of playing, my back feels soar like having a hernia. If it would be stolen, I don't know about replacement.... I think it will be again a jazz bass, for it's sound. I also own a so called legend bass. A very cheap bass I bought in 1992. Has one feature better then the Squier: light weighted!! But for the squier: no regrets at all that I purchased it.

Korean Jazz Bass. Owned for about nine years. Has served me well.
Standard features. Pickups are ok. Tuners stay in tune. Tone control doesn't do much. Neck feels fantastic, very playable. Has silver squire decal.

I've gigged it and used it for recording. As with other cheaper instruments it makes you work harder to acheive the sound you're after. You have to put the hours in, but the right sound is there if you learn where to look.
For the money I think it holds it's own. Until I played higher end (& much more expensive) basses I was always happy with the way it sounded.

This Bass is very playable, though I don't think anyone should use this review as a basis for purchasing one without playing it first. I beleive there are some pretty awful squires out there. I just struck lucky with the neck I think. No two trees are the same and all that.
The black body finish has been treated to a myriad of inspired (and not so inspired) creative whims, the most damaging of which was dripping molten solder on it an industrial effect. It is now very rough indeed, and possible unsellable! But I like it's battlescars.

I drop my guitars frequently (I have never quite got the hang of standing guitars up against things without them falling over. Come to think, this bass' asymmetrical body shape does work against you here so it's not all my fault!).
My bass has withstood 9 years of abuse at my heavy hands and is still holding up well. The electrics are due a change though. The volume/ tone pots have come a bit loose and have always crackled.
The tuners are good - some of the 'flower shaped' tuners can come loose at the joint and start to rattle. These are still solid.

Purchased second hand

I don't think I could ever part with my Jazz Bass. I learned to play on it. It has influenced my playing style. I played my first gig with it. I've drunkenly fallen off a stage through a fire exit with it. I've even impressed the odd girl playing it ;)
Writing this review has been a bit of a revelation for me and brought back some fond memories. However, I think my attachment extends beyond sentiment.
For me this bass represents all that a good first instrument should be - playable, reliable, abusable, credible & affordable.
I could never buy another. I'm too old and would pick out the flaws. But young love is blind...

Squire Standard 4 string Jazz bass. Everthing on it works great except the strings, upgrade to Ernie Ball Slinkys. I might get a Badass Bridge in the future, but the standard bridge is fine. The antique burst is incredibly nice with a "coffee grind" pickguard. nothing come with it though, as far as cables or gig bags.

I play metal, and this bass rocks! I love the sound. I use a Peavy Max 115 on vintage and it sounds like a genuine fender.

The bass was set up pretty good, i would get the strings adjusted a little closer to the frets, but thats a preference. The finish and body is great looking, and the action is great too.

I play gigs with it and it's been fine to me. It is built like a fender.

havn't dealt with then because, its perfect for me.

I personally like the overall feel better than a fender, some may think im crazy but i love this bass. I started a few years ago with an epiphone eb-0 and i recommend to never get that bass unless you have short arms. I would say this and the olp musicman mm2 bass, are the best starter bass that you can get. I love this bass, i will still have it when im old and gray.

It's a Squier Jazz bass.

It sounds good as soon as you put on good strings. The pups aren't so great, but they work just fine. for the money, the sound is great.

This is where they save you money. Here goes: The truss rod was way too loose, the frets were poorly dressed, the intonation was wrong, the pups were too low, the jack was loose. The good news is that I know how to work on basses. The neck wouldn't go very straight, but I got it close enough, and I'm gonna rip off the frets in time, so I don't really care about them.

Now that I have set it up, it feels great, plenty sturdy. I glued in some Schaller strap locks, so they'll never come off. The pickguard warped, though, that's the only thing that I'm concerned about.

I like high end gear, but I also like to tinker with crap. That's why I bought this bass from a buddy of mine. It was way better than I expected. I'll gig with it if I ever need a 4 string. even at the new price of about 230 bucks, I'd be happy with the way this bass exceeded my expectations.

Bought new just a month ago (2006 Indonesian Standard) from Twelfth Fret in Toronto - Walnut Satin finish on an Agathis bodywood. I'd had my eye on this for a year now but the only store model had been sold as I went in to buy it! S/S pickups, (smoky?) black pickguard, 2 vol/1 tone, 4-saddle bent metal plate bridge, came fresh out the box with that new bass smell. The store threw in a gig bag, but I forgot the allen key and other goodies at the store (along with any remaining dignity)! Maybe they kept them.. Anyway, everything one would expect to get from a catalog-ordered instrument from Squier. My only beef would be the less-than-stellar intonation job out of the box.. yeesh - more on this later.

My style is just developing (spread across rock, latin, blues, funk, jazz), hence the cheaper bass. I've played $2500 basses that most naturally sound 'better', but keep in mind that 'better' is in the eye of the purchaser mainly :)

I've read here helpful reviews about the stock pickups and yes they sound nothing like Bartolini or Dimarzio, but then the price wouldn't be affordable for the likes of me. To me, they sound perfectly usable - tighter sound than a P, low end a bit loose but not unrecognizable, definitely keep your nails short with fingerstyle playing as the sound will annoy you! Surprisingly not 'brittle' sounding like the previous model I had played in-store. It is lighter than most Fender basses I've hefted so they must use brighter pickups to compensate for the darker body sound. I guess build quality is still a variable in the Squier Standards, albeit with less extremes.

Apologies for repetition: if you want a variety of sounds from this bass, you will get noise! Please expect this and consider it when looking at the stock pickups. Replacements are not that expensive and I am definitely going to throw in some Ultra Jazz's as I need the reduced noise floor for recording, and the variety of tones will be usable without the hiss. My rig is non-existant as I cannot afford a blingin' bass head with cab to knock down buildings with. My small home studio allows for a TubePre preamp into either my M-Audio 2496 card for recording, or alternately into my Hot Rod Deluxe for practicing (sounds nice through the tube amp - DI is always a bit sterile for my tastes).

With both pickups full on, you will get a nice growly tone that should do fine for stage, but in the studio you will probably want more versatility in sound at the cost of noise. Replacement pickups are everywhere and the static sound you get from rubbing the pickguard can be cured with a little shielding. Squier starts you off, ball's in your court to take the product somewhere special!

Action! A little low - I guess Squier wants you to feel like anything is possible by lowering the strings enough for you to widdle away your Jaco solos effortlessly. The E string buzzed ridiculous past the fifth fret upwards and in general, the strings had little rattlings scattered across the fretboard. Pickups were set so the bridge pickup was closer to the strings, I assume to get a louder, solo sound. The intonation was set so the bridge saddles were staggered evenly like a staircase, but this seemed more for looks as I cried at the first notes to come out of my bass. The strings wouldn't tune properly, headphone analysis revealed a bog monster howling away instead of my new bass. I sat down in front of my compy, looked up some intonation and action sites, and within minutes (with the aid of a universal allen key set), had achieved a state of order. There are no dead spots on the neck, no string rattles, the only thing that won't go away is a faint buzzing on the bridge somewheres.. the tuning pegs are actually doing their job! Live, no-one will notice you only paid Squier prices.

Again, one tiny fault. In the finish, small bubbles can be felt in a couple places around the body, but thankfully they are in hard to spot places so I can still show this puppy off to fellow dirt-poor musicians. You may not be so lucky if you order the bass blind from the catalog!

I can't say much here as I haven't gigged with it yet. I can only give educated guesses. So here goes! A friend of mine has a Squier P-Bass that has lost its Vol and Tone dials within weeks of purchase (new) and I have heard all sorts of tales of strap buttons losing their threading in the wood and coming off. If you're gonna drive your bass hard and treat it like a butcher tenderizes meat, get more reliable strap thingies. Otherwise, the stock ones should last you long enough to spend that money on candies for smiling babies.

Hope I don't have to deal with them ever! I left the papers and such at the store so I have no idea how long the warranty is.

I am mainly a guitarist who has come upon the need for bass to stop putting off recording projects for myself and clients simply cuz my friends with basses are unreachable that weekend. I own a Fender MIM Tele (sounds quite nice!), an almost two decades old Squier Strat that I practiced wiring and shielding on, and an Ibanez Performance acoustic that is soon to hit the curb. What a selection!

Before reasoning myself into buying this bass, I had considered Ernie Ball Musicman, Godin Highway basses, and at one point almost settled for a Yamaha! *shudder* I didn't have too much cash to spend, but knew that I would only get some reliability and quality by shelling out near my maximum ($350-400). This bass was just the perfect fit for my situation. I even think about the sound of Musicman, and while cool and very distinctive, I prefer something a little more conventional. Also, I have it in mind to upgrade the bass as time passes - new bridge, pickups (preferably noise-reducing/cancelling) and possibly a new pickguard (although this is purely cosmetic). To be frank, I also settled for the Squier Standard as some more expensive Fender basses didn't come in quite the colours I wanted.

If this were stolen, I would curse my bad luck. It seems to be a very usable bass with that nice growly Jazz Bass tone at a price most starving artists can afford. I have no backup and I will protect this instrument with my life.

It may seem weird that I give a higher rating overall than the sum of the sections, but I have to say despite the faults from factory, most were correctable and made me get to know my instrument better. With any luck, a Badass bridge with Ultra Jazz p/u's and I'll be on easy street. Hope you found this novel a good read!

Indonesia 2001. Antique sunburst. Standard Jazz Bass body. Passive electronics. I Had to change the potentiometers, because they were not the best quality, it gave humming, but now I changed them the sound is still impressive low-end and very tight high pitches. My style of playing is more funk and rock, it suits those very well!

Stage bass for sure!!!

Read the upper frame...

Finish is very good no problems with anything whatsoever.

Solid standard bass. I have used it on gigs without backups.

1 year

I highly recommend this Bass for every rock-funk-a-holic!

Made in Indonesia ,year 2001.
Features :classic jazz bass configuration.
Body:agathis
neck:maple with rosewood fingerboard.

I use this bass for a rock & roll and blues coverband.I run it through an Ampeg B248 combo and it generates an impressive low end.It would suit also reggea and funk ,very versatile.I use no effects.
The sound is classic jazz bass but the pickups sound too harsh in my opinion so I changed the neck pick-up for an artec jazz style pick-up and the sound improved to a mellow jazz sound.The stock pick ups are not bad but sound too agressive for my taste.Attention this does not mean that the stock pick-ups are crap.

I bought this bass second hand and the set up was horrible.The guy who I bought it from said he didn't play it for 3 years and I believed him ,the bass was practically brand new.Even the plastic was still on the pick-guard and he didn't touch the bass the moment it left the shop.
So I did the set up my self as with every bass that comes in my hands.
Finish is very good ,one tuning peg rattled but I fixed it in 5 minutes.
I changed the bridge for a 90 ties american standard bridge wich adds more sustain.Good wood and neck that competes with the quality of a mexican Fender.

This bass is well built regarding the wood and routing.If you consider the hardware ,it is not bad but I suggest to replace the hardware, at least the bridge,the tuners are OK.The electronics are good except for the pick-ups-character(too new sounding).Truss rod is stable.
I would use it on a gig but I always carry a back up.

Warranty:not available if you bought second hand.

I play 20 years now and I currently own a Aria SB , Vantage vs600b,Washburn precision clone,Aria cardinal bass, fenix jazz bass .I've owned and played Lag The beast,Fender precision 73,Fender jazz USA,Peavy dyna bass ,Ibanez roadstar.My main amp Is an Ampeg B248 and I play also vintage Simms & Watts Bass amp. I bought this bass for modding.I figured the quality of the wood was good and I needed a jazz bass and I was not willing to pay an arm and a leg for an american or a japanese fender.
So for the price I've payed , this is a bargain.
I'm now looking for a squier precision special I would like to buy.
I recommend the Squier standard Jazz bass because it has decent hard-ware and pick-ups and it is well built and cheap.The overall quality is decent.I've seen much worse than this.

-Made in: unknown - might be Indonesia?
-20 frets
-2 volume, 1 master tone knobs
-S/S passive pickup configuration
-Jazz bass body
-Standard bridge
-Standard tuners

This thing is great. I am a guitarist (12+ years) that wanted to start dabbling in bass and wanted a inexpensive but quality bass. I got it :) I am running through a Pod XTLive (guitar version) and it sounds great. Only had it a short time but so far it can be really customized to different musical styles. I really like this bass!

Right out of the box it tuned up within seconds and is perfect. The intonation was spot on, right away! Always a nice thing to have. No flaws yet from what I see. No scratches, dings, etc. :) This is always a worry with ordering online, but I am very impressed with the one I got!

It feels like it will really stay together and take a pounding. Reading through other reviews, it seems to be the consensus. The truss rod may need a very small turn, but that's really it :)

So far had not had to call Fender/Squier for anything

This bass is exactly what I was looking for. Sturdy, well-built, nice action, great electronics. Really I have no complaints at all about this bass! If it was stolen, I would rain down the vengeance reserved only for the worst kind of people. And yes, I would buy it again :)

Unknown year and place of manufacture. 4 strings. 20 frets. Active (1st generation classic) EMG J-bass pickups, stock bridge and tuners, maple neck, rosewood fretboard. Custom Satin Lavender finish. D'Addario XL-160 strings (for those killer piano-like harmonics). 2 volume knobs, 1 Tone knob.

This bass can put out any sound you want. I have played it through a Peavey TKO-65, reloaded with a Scorpion plus speaker since day one. My rig uses this amp to feed a 100 watt Traynor head that feeds into a Peavey 215 cab (also reloaded with Scorpions). A DOD D-I box sends my pre-amp out signal to the board. ALl my effects are Boss/Roland products. The bass will sing it's classic sound all the way through this mess without hesitation. It sounds as good with the EMG pickups as a Jazz Bass that costs 3 or 4 times more. I have used it to great effect in both live and studio situations and have never been let down. I've even used an E-Bow on this bass.

I usually play more like a guitarist (using a pick) than a bassist so the action was a little high for my taste when I bought it, but after a few string changes and a free set-up by Jack Schwartz (a free string change and set-up clinic was held by a local retailer, and Fender's Custom Shop sent out the big guns for the event! Wow!), I learned how to get a killer low action that still left room for some close to the neck finger style playing. After hundreds of gigs the original finish is long gone, as I have repainted it about 4 times to suit my own taste. Right now, it's a satin finish lavender, with stickers that say "Glow In The Dark" over the Squire logo and 12th fret marker, and has no pickguard. Eventually I'll just go buy a new Blue Agave finished bass. But will it hold up as good as this one? Time will tell...

I've played this bass as my primary instrument for over 15 years now. I hope if I ever have to replace it, that the next one will last this long, and give as much in return.

This bass was set-up by Jack Schwartz at a free seminar many years ago. He was incredibly helpful, since he asked everyone what style they played, and set up each guitar to order. He also didn't mind me being on the front row watching everything he did and asking a thousand questions. Other than that, I've had little contact with and zero problems with Fender.

I've been playing for almost 20 years. I've owned a G&L (great guitar, but not a Jazz Bass), a piece of crap Kramer, an American Standard Jazz fretless, and a homemade fretless with a Ric style flat neck and P-Bass body. This is the only bass to make the cut! I've recorded 2 albums with it and played tons of gigs with no backup, and she still sings like the day I bought it. The best budget-minded gear investment I've ever made. The only thing missing is a Hipshot D-Tuner, Infinite guitar sustainer, MIDI hex pickup and a whammy-bar! :)

As near as I can figure, this was made in '83-'84. It has an SQ serial #, and says Made In Japan on the headstock. It's black w/ a aged white pickguard and a nicely yellowed maple neck, which has a rosewood fingerboard, a smaller headstock, and no skunk stripe on the back.
20 frets, still in good shape. This is a sweet neck.
Body weight and tone seems like alder.

It was pretty gunked-up when I got it, but it cleaned up really well.
Plenty of nicks, scuffs, and scars, but it still looks great from about 5 feet away.
It's a Jazz bass, and is exactly what you'd expect.

This thing has tone to die for, buttery smooth to insistent growl. Punchy, deep, and loud. These pickups are really hot. I think they are the originals, and they sound just terrific.
Every bit the equal of any current standard Jazz bass, and right on par with several '60's and '70's Fenders I have played.
Just awesome. If you know that Jazz-bass sound, this bass nails it.
I have been running it straight, no effects, and it has everything a good Jazz bass should.
I am playing with a 3 piece rock band at the moment, but could easily see/hear playing this bass in a wide variety of settings.

Mostly N/A, as I got the bass used. However, the mfg. quality and materials seem first-rate, the pick-ups are well-voiced and sound like a Jazz bass. All parts are typical Fender design and build quality, and show some pitting/tarnishing, as you'd expect on a 20+ year old bass. The neck wood has a nice straight grain and a really comfy shape. The rosewood fingerboard is really dark, with a deep, rich, fluid grain.

It feels like a tank. Much heavier than my 1985 5 string Ibanez. I don't imagine it'll fall apart any time soon. I would not hesitate to play it live or in studio.

Fender has generally been good on other issues I have addresed to them. The warranty on this is long-dead, but it's all still fixable if need be.

I have been playing bass for over 10 years.
I own a five string fretted Ibanez Roadstar II and a 5 string fretless Ibanez Roadstar II, both from the mid-80's.
My main rig is a SWR Grand Prix preamp with a Peavey DPC750 power amp, through an Avatar SB112. I also have an Acoustic 370 head that runs through an EV 1x15 cab, and a Behringer head I use for rehearsals. I play rock, funk, and other.

This is the Jazz bass I have always wanted but couldn't afford, lots of vintage mojo and tone. I would look for another JV or SQ series Squire if something happened to this one.

I have a Japanese made Squire Jazz Bass, made in 1982 and is a replica of the 1962 Fender Jazz. It has all the standard features of a J.B., nothing fancy, just down to earth and fairly basic. But the sound is phenomenal, very gritty at one end of the scale and lovely and smooth at the other. It sounds very true to old Fender J.B.s.
When I bought it, it had been used at a music school in Bangkok and hadn't really been looked after, it has a few nasty chips out of the finish on the top and bottom edges, but otherwise, looks beautiful - three tone sunburst, very glossy and smooth with a slight fading due to its age. It has an ultra thin neck, which seems very stable - no warping or need to make any adjustments so far. I prefer a very low action as I play a lot of soloes in my musical project and I get no fret buzz at all, it is basically touch sensitive and very smooth.
As I bought it second hand, it came without any tools or even a gig bag, but I have enough stuff from my other basses and I bought a decent fight bag from Fender.

This bass has a phenomenal sound. It captures what I understand to be the classic J.B. tones of sixties models. It has a lot of variation between the pickups and also when combined, a smooth transition in volume and the tone control really works well.
I play a lot of melodic soloes with my musical project which can be described as New Age Jazz and Funk and it handles everything I expect of it. I can get a crisp, gutteral tone for the funk parts of my music and also a rich, bassy tone whenever it is required. I also have a sideline heavy rock band and it really cuts through with that. With the treble pick up on full and finger plucking near the bridge it has a very Jaco-type sound, while with the tone control turned up, it gives a nice Marcus Miller effect. I don't exactly play their styles of music, but I suppose if you did, it would be possible to emulate their impressive tones. Played with the treble turned to a quarter and the bass on full, it gives me enough punch to cut through very effectively. I also imagine it would work well in a reggae type band as it has a very full deep sound with the bass pick up on full, treble and tone control turned down. In this setting, the tone is not at all muddy, rich and thick with just a hint of bite, depending on how it is played.
I haven't used it live as I am concentrating on recording at the moment, but I would have no hesitation playing it on stage. I imagine it would get a lot of complements for the sound and appearance. It is very good with recording though and overall, I am very pleased with it.

As I bought this bass only recently, I cannot comment on the factory set up. Someone had messed around with it and I had to do a set up myself. The action is very low and it plays very well, I certainly do not have to apply much pressure to the strings. Despite the low action, I get absolutely no fret buzz, due to the completely straight neck. The finish, although a bit chipped in places is very nice, but the machine heads are a bit tarnished given that it is over 20 years old.

Overall, this is a very good bass, seems solid enough and I imagine that it would work very well on stage. I use it a lot at home and treat it like my baby, so it is well looked after. When I bought it, it had a couple of very nasty chips in the finish on the top and bottom edges, but fortunately, these are out of view. Other than those, the finish is great, a beautiful, slightly faded three-tone sunburst. Strap buttons are standard and when I get out and use it live, I will consider replacing them with locks. As far as the truss rod and neck are concerned, I have had no problems so far with them and haven't had to make any adjustments. I would not consider using it without a back-up, it is always good to have a spare in case of broken strings or if different sounds are required. I use a newish Fender Jazz Bass, 2003 and an early nineties fretless active Jazz, both MIA, which have different tones to this Squier, so when I do play with my main project, I will have these with me as well. Although I have three J.B.s they all have individual character. I bought them after trying them out and I was satisfied that they give me the range of sound that I prefer.

I have never dealt with either Squier or Fender so I cannot comment on this. There is a Fender dealer here in Bangkok and I have heard a few dodgy things about them, but otherwise no comment.

I have been playing for almost 30 years and have owned many different basses, styles ranging from punk, heavy rock, jazz and blues. Currently, I own three J.B.s and one Cort bass, which I play through a Fender Champ at home. In my years of bass playing, I have owned Ibanez, Aria and other Fenders and this is easily one of my all time favourites. I record with some chorus and flange effects, but add other sounds after, as required. If it were stolen, I would be very upset, but would immediatly search everywhere for another Squire of this age and origin. I wouldn't bother with a new Squier as I reckon that they are in a completely different quality bracket. I compared it with several other basses and to my mind, for what I paid for it, I got a fantastic deal. It is a great bass overall, the neck is absolutely wonderful as is the sound and feel.
I guess I would prefer to have a Fender logo on the headstock, being a bit of a snob for such details, but in my opinion it is as good if not better than any older Jazz Basses I have tried or owned.
As with other reviewers of this particular model, I am totally in love with it and would never consider selling it. If you ever see one of the JV Japanese Squiers from the early to mid eighties, I would strongly recommend snapping it up straight away. I have only seen one other JV model here in Bangkok and that was a shop display and not for sale unfortunately.

Mexican four-string Squier Jazz, bought new in 1998. This is a pretty standard bass, not a lot of special features, however I added a thumbrest and a Hipshot D-tuner. Two stock single-coil pickups, Alder body wih sunburst finish, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, 20 frets, stock bridge, etc, you know the drill. Nothing special, but everything you need to play bass is here.

The sound out of this thing is amazing for a $400 Squier bass! Who would've thought? I've been playing for 8 years, this was my first bass, and now I'm playing professionally in a lot of rock, jazz combo, big band, funk, and fusion groups - this bass sounds great in all of them. I get some people saying "Dude, why are you only playing a Squier? Get a Fender!!" while others say "Man, that is the nicest sounding Squier I've ever heard."
It sounds exactly how a jazz bass should. Fat, trebly bridge, warm, bassy neck. And everything in between. Although, there's the noise. That's probably the only drawback. Unfortunately, it's not just the hum that comes from soloing one of the pickups, but even with both pickups full-on, there's still lots of hum. Which is a pain to say the least, because it tends to peeve off a lot of soundguys and myself. I've played through a variety of amps, including Peavey, Hartke, Eden, and Kustom, and this bass hums through all of them.

I honestly don't remember what the action was like when I bought the bass, I was 13 years old. I don't even think I knew what action was. But nowadays I play with a medium setup. As a budding bassist, I've been through all of the stages - extra high action for digging in and playing great rock, and extra low for lots of slap fun. And this bass let me do all of it. Frets are nicely dressed, bridge is ok, pickups are adjustable, everything is basically fine. However, after a few years or so of playing, I noticed a small crack in the headstock just under where the E-string tuner is. It's coming from the tuner, that's for sure, and for a while it was getting bigger, but now I think it's stopped cracking. I take good care of this bass, so it was probably a manufacturing defect. I eventually replaced that said tuner with a Hipshot D-Tuner, and there are no problems.
The finish on this thing is beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. I lucked in with a really nice grain underneath the sunburst finish. The pickguard is weird though; for a year or two in the 90's they made Squier basses with a 100% plastic pickguard - no chrome control plate. This is very unique, because even Jazz copies have that control plate.

This bass is solid. Aside from the aforementioned headstock crack, it's never let me down. I take as good care of it as I can, but it's been knocked from its stand onto the stage a couple of dozen times; it's been dropped while in its gig bag; it's been dropped almmost directly to the floor; and its been sat on. It hasn't even gone out of tune. The thick finish that's on it seems unbreakable as well.
Hardware is ok, I mean, it's stock hardware. If you luck into a good-sounding Squier like this, and plan on keeping it, get some better tuners (maybe Gotoh or something lightweight) and maybe a better bridge. Straplocks would help also.
"Would you use it on a gig without a backup?"
I always have. Never let me down.

This was my first bass, I've been playing professionally on it for years. The only drawbacks are the pickups, which can be excessively noisy. Get some noiseless pickups for it if you want, but that's about it. This is a very solid, well-contructed instrument.
I think I'm finally going to upgrade after all these years, to a Mexican deluxe Active Jazz, with Noiseless pickups and an active preamp.

I think this is made in China with the standard Jazz features. This one I have is a bit special, as it is one of the only one's I've seen in Candy Apple Red here!

This thing looks lovely!

I do the slap, jazz, pop thing, so I find this suitable and very punchy. I did try amerian made, mexico made, and also indonesian made. The thing is to play the big brother, then test several out until you find the "one". Pickups must be full open for it to sing, else you get noise among other sounds.

Factory setup is ok, action was a little on the high side. Pickups adjusted ok.
I do belive I have a case where just one fret is higher than the others, creating buzzing near that location. Will take it for a file down, and all will be good!

I think this will go just great live.
There was no case with this.
Finish is good, stap buttons are solid.
I can depend on this, and would not need a backup.

I have not needed to go back on this.

I've been playing for over 15 years with a Yamaha BBG5A, MusicMan Stingray, and this along with a Ibanez Soundwave 65. Mostly studio type work with my MIDI setup. If it were stolen, I would get another. Love: Tone and feel, Hate: one fret higher than the rest (QC). Compared to my other basses, it's good and has it's place....i'm loving it!
Maybe could use active setup (thinking of sadowski setup to mimic the marcus miller jazz).

Note: I accidentally posted this review with the Mexican Standard Jazz basses. I have copied the material into the appropriate category.

2004/2005 Standard Jazz Bass, agathis/alder wood body (looks liek a three piece body and I'm thinking alder is used in the center, agathis on left and right, but I am not sure), rosewood fingerboard, one-piece maple neck, 20 frets, neck and bridge jazz pickups, two volume / one tone control (with nice Jaco style metal knurled knobs), antique sunburst, tortise shell pickguard, clover-leaf tuners. Looks like a 62 Fender Jazz Bass

For the $200 I paid, it is incredible; even if I paid more, it is incredible. All I wanted was something that would give me the solo bridge jazz sound, and I got it with this bass. I recently tried a American Standard ($939 at Guitar Center) and a Geddy Lee Jazz ($599 at Guitar Center) and this one is so close to those that I just could not see spending more money (Yesm the American did sound better than both of the others, but not $739 worth of better). If I replace the pick-up with an American Standard or 60s reissue, I could have the best of both worlds. But here is what really sold me -- the sound played accoustically (no amp)--this bass resonates better than the American or Japanese Fenders I tired, at least to my subjective ears. Even the volume and tone controls are much better than the usually on/off pots you get with the Made in Mexico standards (which are, in my opinion, the worst of the Fender instruments). Yes, the sound is all there.

Just got it, but the finish is beautiful, although I wish they had a three-color sunburst in stock, as I like that better than the reddish/black antique burst. The action, which was set up by the pros at Elderly instruments before it went out on display, was pretty good, so I can't say what it was like out of the box. I tweaked the neck a bit and lowered the saddles and while I have a litle rattle, it does not show up when amplified and plays extremely great. Even can get a good slap sound out of it. The best news was that the frets seemed to be really well filed on the edges of the fingerboard, something I never see at this price point. Frets seem level, as well. The only problem is the finish is flaking away or was just not applied by the bridge pickup (small amount missing, no bid deal) and I am surprised that the neck pickup route is a big rectangle, not form-fitted to the pickup as with the bridge. I realize it is not exposed, but if you want to pull the pickguard off and play it like Jaco, it'll look a little weird. Overall, very happy with this -- even the tuners seem good, better than the ones on the Made in Mexico Jazz I used to own.

Seems really tough, but I cannot say on this as I have only had it a few days. From the solid feel I get, however, I assume it is excellent in this regard.

Have not had to deal with this, but buying through Elderly instruments in Lansing, MI is always a pleasure. These guys stand behind their products and I have no worries whatever with their warranty service.

Up until a few days ago, I never even considfered a Squire. I just would not be seen in public with that name on my bass. Now I have totally changed my mind. Now I'm thinking why pay for a Fender when you can get this quality with their supposedly lower end line -- this kind of fit and finish on a $200 bass -- unheard of. I bought this with the idea of getting the neck epoxy coated and switching out the bridge pickup, but I like it so much I may leave this one as it is and get another to fiddle with that way. At these prices, I could have a fretted and fretless Jazz bass for $400 plus the cost of the epoxy job. I have owned a couple of MIM Jazz basses and I have to say I have always been disappointed with them. They feel heavier than American and Japanese versions, and their boards just never feel right. I can always tell the difference. But here's the thing with the Squire -- I think it mimicks the real Jazz basses much better than the Mexcian versions, and I think the electronics are way better than the Mexican counterparts. In short, I am sold on these basses, and for those who think the only good Squires came out of Japan in the 80s, take a look at the ones they are making today. Great product, great price, great look, and great sound.

SQUIRE STANDARD JAZZ BASS. 2 JAZZ PICK UPS. VOLUME, VOLUME, TONE . MINE IS A 2003. BODY IM NOT SURE BUT NECK IS MAPLE WITH A VERY NICE ROSEWOOD BOARD. LOOKS ALMOST LIKE EBONY(I KNOW ITS NOT). PRETTY STRAIGHT AHEAD JAZZ BASS.

STOCK THE SOUND IS GOOD BUT ALOT OF THE COST CUTTING ON THESE IS IN THE PICKUPS. I REPLACED MINE WITH A SET OF VINTAGE DIMARZZIO ULTRA JAZZ PICK UPS. NOW IT SOUNDS AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER THEN MY AMERICAN JAZZ BASS. I PLAY THROUGH A VINTAGE YAMAHA B100 AND AN SWR 410 CAB. SOUNDS AWESOME.THE STOCK PICK UPS WERENT NOISY OR ANYTHING. JUST LACKED OUTPUT. JUST A NOTE TO ANYONE PLANNING ON REPLACING THERE PICKUPS. THESE ARE ROUTED FOR TWO NECK PICK UPS. THE NECK PICK UP IS STANDARD SIZE BUT THE BRIDGE PICK UP IS THE SAME SIZE . SO WHEN YOU GET PICK UPS YOU ACTUALLY NEED TWO NECK PICKUPS. EVEN THEN YOU GOT TO HIT THE MOUNTING HOLE OUTLINES WITH A DREMMEL.

MINE WAS SET UP VERY WELL. I LIKE MY ACTION JUST A TOUCH HIGH AND ACTUALLY HAD TO RAISE IT A BIT. PICKUPS WERE A LITTLE LOW. NO FLAWS TO SPEAK OF. VERY NICE OVERALL.

I USE MINE FOR ALL MY PRACTICING AND GIGGING AND IT HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN. HARDWARE IS OK BUILT TO A BUDGET I REPLACED THE BRIDGE WITH AN OLDER ESP BRIDGE. A VERY GOOD ALTERNATIVE TO A BAD ASS BRIDGE. GOT MINE ON EBAY FOR 5.00 SEEMS VERY WELL BUILT. I NEVER GIG WITHOUT A BACKUP.

I OWN ABOUT 15 GUITARS AND BASSES HALF BEING FENDER AND KNOCK ON WOOD IVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH A SINGLE ONE. SO I CANT SAY.

I RATE IT A 9. FOR THE MONEY YOU JUST CANNOT GO WRONG. IVE GOT MANY OTHER BASSES, SOME COSTING SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THIS GETS PLAYED THE MOST. I JUST LOVE THE FEEL OF THE NECK. ID DEFINETLY REPLACE IT IF IT WERE STOLEN.

It was made in indonesia 2004, standard Jazz bass 2 volume master tone, medium jumo frets, passive pickups, alder/agathis body. Whats to say its standard stuff!

I play everything from 50's to 90's and just about every style blues, easy rock, heavy metal/death metal, punk etc...etc.. I got the bass just because of the versitility, you can get alot more tones out of two pickups. Its has a nice bright sound to it, my jazz bass has no noise even cranked (I got a good one).

CRAP to say the least, the action was to high for my liking, it needed to be set up, truss rod ajustment, and intontion was off ALOT.

the pickups were not adjusted properly (they were too low)

the tuning pegs are horrible, after a few uses they started to make grinding noises, so I just hit them with some white lithium grease and that solved the problem.

overall construction is good, nice wood, no finish flaws, I opened it up and electrical looked good (not sloppy).

yes it will stand up to live plying. hardware though you will probably have to replace some time in the future, the finish is good and looks like it will stand up, Ive dropped it a couple times, hit it going through a door way, hit the headstock HARD on a table by accident, but the paint hasn't chipped or anything. strap buttons are good, really solid.

Never had to contact them.

Overall I think its a great bass, good for almost any style of music, sounds great. My previous bass (still have it) is a 1960's Burns Vibra I would go so far as to saying the squier is better, but it is newer. I ve been playing long enough now, and I just needed a bass bascially a back up and instead of a back up I got a pretty decent bass for the money. this squier Jazz is mnore of a beginner bass, and I would strongly suggest that you go through everyone in the store becasue they have varying quality, I on the other hand got a pretty good.If it were lost or stolen I would not buy it again I would get something better like a real Fender not MIM (because those are garbage too).

2004 Indonesian made Squier Jazzbass. 20 frets 4 string. Standard Jazzbass passive pickups and control layout. Nice bodywood (satined ina walnut colour), could be alder, maple neck and rosewood fretboard.Everything is fine, except for the pots which I'll tell about later.

It sounds like a Jazzbass (compared it to several Fender JB's in the shop). I also tried the cheaper Affinity series, but this sounds quite a bit better. The pots on mine work but have a very limited range, it doesnt go on/off though, but the range where the pot actually works is like I said limited. I tried 5 of them and chose this one because the neck was definitly the best of the bunch. Pots are easily replaced, a neck is not ;-) Truth to be told, my example was the only one where the pots didnt work all that nice.

Out of the box the setup was horrid. The action was way too high and it had an enourmous amount of relief. I straightened out the neck using the supplied allen key, dropped the action (allen key supplied) and it is great now. I do prefer a low action (Im a guitarist, not a bassplayer) and it's very low now without rattling (too much ;-))
The pots are not the best, they work but have a limited working range so Im going to replace them. Other than that the hardware is great. It does stay in tune, so the pegs work.

Very solid built. Hardware is plain and simple like any Jazzbass, and it will stand the test of time.I set the neck once to take out the silly amount of relief the factory dialed in and havent touched it since. Would I do a gig with out without a backup, yeah sure, it is solid.

Dont know, I bought it at a musicshop in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and they have good service. Like said before, I had them open 5 boxes to choose mine :-)

I have been playing for years, mostly guitar. I needed a bass for recording. I use a '95 japanese Fender 60s Strat, a custombuilt Pierre Fillet Telecaster, a '04 Ibanez RG1570 and this Jazzbass.
I own quite a bit of amplification and recording equipment, too much to list. I record both ways, direct (DI or through a Behringer V-amp) and miked up cab.

If it was stolen or lost it would get replaced. It is a comfortable bass to play and it is very affordable.

I really like this Jazzbass. It looks extremely nice in a walnut finish and it plays sweetly after adjusting the neckrelief and action. I am not too bothered with the limited range pots but I will replace them, I mostly do recordings with it, so I have time to fiddle. If it was a stage bass, the pots would have beenb replaced already.

When buying I tried quite a few "budget" range basses and it came to choose between this one and an OLP Musicman. The last one played like a dream but the single bridge pickup doesnt suit my playing style. I am a guitarist and I do depend on using plectra a lot. The OLP sounded way too harsh for that. On top of that the Jazzbass is cheaper than the OLP, lucky me. Would I have been a finger-player I might have picked the OLP though. Very solid built, like this one, and the setup was great whereas on this JB I had to fix it.

But then again, what do you expect. Factories dont know what kind of setup people like :-) And any good musicstore will set it up to your liking. I do feel that Squier scares customers away be doing those silly hich action and big relief setups though. All 5 of the JB's I had them take out of the box had similar setups.

2004 squier jazz made in korea 20 frets standered jazz controls 2 volume (neck&bridge)and a tone passive stock squier jazz pickups standered fender tuners

i play punk slow acustic type songs metal and a little ska it puts out what i would expect bright punchy with pick a little twangy but alright

from factory the actions comfertable a little high but i got used to it in about in hour the pickups arnt lined up with the strings properly but dosnt affect the sound to much veary good finish no flaws or anything of that sort

the bass handles and feels veary well while playing live and in the practice space the hardware seems to be sterty enough to last a good number of years before needing replacment the strap buttons are solid but i got staplocks just in case its a dependable bass but i would still bring a back up on stage after all its still a squier

n/a

ive been playing about 8 years i own no other basses do to money troubles if i went back id probly save up the extra $200 to get a fender jazz

All Standard features. Made in Korea.

This has the most average sound in the world, it does it's job, but is nothing special in my opinion, still, having owned a P-Bass special its sound is superior, yet it obviously gets beaten by the Fender model.

THe paint was very poor, i have had it for just over a month and it already has 2 large scrathes on the back, as well as one or two imperfections in the wood.

apart from the paint problems and slight imperfections in the body, the hardware is solid and im comfortable using it live.

never had to deal with them.

Overall, its not an amazing guitar, but it does what it says on the tin, it was cheap but more than out does its dues. Despite its flaws, and tbh if i cared enough about them i would buy a new one ( :) ), its a good solid guitar and suits my basic needs perfectly.

2003 indonesian made Squier Jazz Bass Standard Series
20 Freets
Solid Alder, not poplar
standard V/V/T config
Maple Neck Rosewood Fretboard
Vintage style Tuners
Came with two allen keys(Trus rod, saddles)

Not a ten, as it is a standard jazz bass, but what more do you want?

Lound enough to play unplugged(surpisingly) sounds goud pluged in. Has the classic j sound, yet a bit noisy when only one pickup on. better than a standard p bass. you can make it sound low or high when you want. nice but no wear near the sound of a american fender

Good set up but some buzzez, a twist of the supplied allen key took care of that(shock!) cant expect the factory to know what i like now can i?
Lovely slim j bass neck, beautiful sunbust finish(20 dolars more expensive)
there was a small indent in the freetboard like sometihng bumped it. it's hard to see and has no effect on playability.
looks like a million bucks!
frets nice and polished, nut good,

amazingly it was in tune right out of the box!

looks prety dourable, though i expect the paint wont last my wear and tear. strap buttons are solid, but i will get strap locks.
though it is a squier i think it will hold up. havnet had to adjust the trus rod, but as winter sets in i will have to. id have to use it in a gig with out a back up as i have no other bass! but you know even bass strings can break, or maby it will die suddenly as i walk onto the stage. you never know! OVer all it's good, but again it's no american fender deluxe

never tried to deal with them, but i hear they can be reasonable in help.

If it were lost or stolen i would upgrade to a MIM Jazz
IF your considering a bass buy this over a the p or p special as this sounds better. if your experienced buy sometihng of higher quality

Squier 2003 Sunburst Jazz Bass. Don't really know where it was made, never looked it up, maybe Japan, Korea? Standard number of frets. Two volume, one for each pickup, and one tone. standard j-bass config. Standard Squier pickups. Passive. Not sure on the woods. Rosewood fingerboard. The body style is a Jazz bass, obviously. The Bridge style is string-through-bridge. No included accessories. Did buy a gig bag for it. doesn't fit too well although.

Music style is everything from Jazz to Nirvana, basically everything but country. I'm using a little drive practice amp until i upgrade and have some money. It's noisy, even acoustically. I usually change my settings and tunings all the time. Maybe the neck pickups off, tone all the way up for a punchy sound. The dislikes i have is that the pickup, where i usually rest my thumb, has a tendancy to like have a small sliver of plastic on the edge stick out.

The action was already set up by the store, and was low and good. The pickups were set at an odd angle, only on the bridge pickup though. All else, nice. Every part on it was ship shape and i made sure it was before i bought it.

This bass will withstand live playing, i hit a wall with the headstock and took the paint off of the wall and nothing off of the bass, no marks, anything. So it probably will. The hardware will last, but I'm thinking of replacing it with some J-bass reissue pickups sometime anyway. The strap buttons are pretty solid, but my favorite strap has a tendancy to come off of the basses i use anyway, so i can't really judge. I can depend on it, but haven't had anything adjusted just yet. I would use it on a gig without a backup, since this is my only bass at the moment :)

Haven't dealt with them, but with the plethora of information i've found on fender sanctioned websites i'm sure they'll be helpful.

i've been playing for one year, starting with a karera bass which i still love for its weight and far-out metallic sound. If it was stolen, watch out. I'll paralyze a person for this back, since it was my first 'real' bass. I'll smack em with my other bass. It has a sharp neck. the edges are quite odd, so i'll probably replace it soon.

My Jazz is a 1982 JV series Squier (62 re-issue).

I played Fender Precisions for 17 years, and also owned a Japanese Fender Jazz for a few years. I found my bass in a local free ad's paper for #85! as soon as I saw the JV serial numberI knew I was onto a good one, so didn't haggle!

It was as it had left the factory, white with a tortie scratchplate, and rosewood fingerboard, but had very little output. I took it to bits and discovered it had been rewired incorrectly. After rewiring it, I took it to a gig, loved the sound and have used it as my main bass since.

Being a 1962 re-issue and two volume pots and one tone. the bass has reverse tuners, threaded bridge rollers.

For most styles of music it has THE sound, bright, punchy with plenty lows. Sounds great in the studio or live. For live work I use a Trace Elliot 300 watt 1x15 combo with a custom made 1x15 extension cabinet. I can get pretty much any sound I want with this set up, but for rock gigs, I still use a Precision for that wall of sound bass without the Jazzes subtlties.

10 out of 10

As mentioned, the electrics neede done, but other than that, new strings, and bang one great Jazz bass!

These basses were great when new, and only improve with age.

No problems, easily don a couple of hundred gigs since I got it and can't fault it.

Not applicable

As you may have guessed, I love this bass to bits. Since buying it I sold my Fender Precision 57 re-issue, It just wasn't getting used anymore. I've played Fenders of all vintages both J and P type, and this is up with the best of them. A vintage quality bass at a bargain price.
Not long after buying it , I tried it back to back with a brand new USA Jazz, costing around #1100, and the Squier was a far better bass on all counts, I'm very much a Fender man, but the new stuff ain't a patch on the old. Why spend all that money on a new bass when you could get an early 70's (four bolt, don't like the 3 bolt one's myself) bass for the same money?

Would I buy another? what do you think!

One word of caution on this note though, JV series Squiers are becoming harder to track down, I know of a few late 50's early 60's Fenders that are actually JV's re-badged. Be aware, check out Ed Romans site for info on this. It does happen, and shows how good these instruments are.

If you find one at the right price GO FOR IT!