Jackson JJ Bass

I believe that they made this bass for a few years from 1997 to 2000, I bought it new in 2003. The original list price was $1800 or $1500 (I have seen a few different original list prices), but I bought it for $600, which I thought was a bargain for a US made instrument with high end hardware and a hardshell case included. This is a double cutaway body shape similar to the JJ guitar (JJ = Jackson JR), made in USA Bass. It is a medium scale (32"), string thru body bass with a 21 fret neck and tuners in a 2 + 2 arrangement on the headstock. This bass has high end hardware, with Hipshot lightweight aluminum tuners and bridge, and a Seymout Duncan Basslines Humbucker pickup (MM style) with a 3 band active preamp, and even a black anodized aluminum control cover, better than the standard cheap plastic! The smaller scale and body, along with lightweight hardware makes for a very lightweight, comfortable bass. This bass also came with a hardshell case that isn't quite form fitting, they probably used the same case as for their 34" scale basses. And best of all, it came in a nice shiny black color!

The Medium scale was a blessing to us smaller bass players (I am only 5'4" tall), the sound is much deeper than the Fender short scale basses that I have been playing. The single pickup may be a turn-off to some, but the three band preamp allows for a large palette of tones that are available from this bass. I find that different styles of playing, from traditional fingerstyle, to using your thumb, to slapping and popping, to using a pick all will get a different response and tone from this bass. The string spacing is wide enough to slap, which isn't always the case in a shorter scale bass. I am using this with a GK MB 150S live, and it gives a tremendous bottom end. I primarily play fingerstyle with my Chicago style blues band.

This bass was setup very well, but I think that music store that I bought it from had doen some setup work on it, it sat there for over 2 years! Fit and Finish were excellent, no adjustment was needed!

This bass feels very solid and is a prfessional level of instruemnt. I look forward to using this instrument for many years. I have gigged without a backup when using this bass, and I will continue to do so (I like to pack light and not be burdened by equipment in a live setting). Since I have recently acquired this instrument, I will not give it a 10, but an 8, as I do not know what the future will hold.

N/A The Jackson/Charvel Company, who made this instrument, has been purchased by Fender, I have not yet found out what this means for any warranty that it may have.

I have six other basses in my collection, but I am now using this instrument as my main instrument. I like the fact that I found a smaller scale professional grade instrument. If this instrument, I would first kill whoever took it, and then find another one to replace it!!!!!