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MGR/Phil Grimwade « Fender Jazz Bass 75 Reissue »
Published on 03/17/09 at 16:003TSB, maple/rosewood neck with pearl block markers, black scratchplate.
I have been playing bass for 20 years and play in a 4-piece rock band on the local circuit. Classic rock, prog, metal and some blues pretty much sums up my tastes.
This bass is made in Japan.
Bought off eBay in December 2007 for £305. A bit of a gamble as it had apparently been sitting around in a garage for a while and was the worse for it. A bit of a whim having seen RUSH live - considered the Geddy Lee model but this look so much nicer. I'm normally a Precision player but most of mine have Jazz necks and a couple have the J-pickup, so wanted this for variation.
As a good looking, retro bass, I think you'd be hard pushed to find anything nicer. The 70s stylings are authentic, it looks and feels right. I'm glad I opted for the sunburst/rosewood option over the Geddy Lee model - both are, in effect, Japanese 70s reissues, and if aesthetics are important, this wins hands down. Tonally, it is of course different to my P-basses, but I like the toppy feel of the bridge pickup which cuts through the bass rumble.
I have a real problem with the bridges that Fender continue to fit to most of their basses. I know this is a reissue, but, like all my others, it was immediately replaced with a BadAss II (that Geddy Lee thing again). Again, authenticity over practicality, the tuners have straight posts (I'm not a fan) and I have had my doubts about tuning stability - so they may have to go eventually. I'm not convinced the logo is correct for the period but I'm nit-picking really.
I immediately took this bass completely to pieces to overhaul. What was immediately apparent was the quality of every single part. It's a 2-piece body that weighs a ton but the resonance is amazing. I think it has USA pickups in the usual configuration and has a very high output for a passive bass. The bound neck is very slim with a gloss finish and pearl block markers, bullet truss rod and vintage tuners. The scratchplate (but not the body) is drilled for thumbrest and pickup cover. The neck is held on with a 3-screw plate with microtilt and the tuners are authentic to the period. It's as solid as you like and, although many parts were heavily corroded, the body hardly had a scratch on it thanks to the thick finish.
Having decided to get a Jazz, the options were £450+ for the Geddy Lee model or £305 for this one (plus £45 for a new bridge). Despite being in a sorry state when it arrived, the quality was obvious once the bass was stripped down and renovated.
It is what it is and, since my other basses are Precisions, I don't really have anything to compare it against for playability. However, it's loud, versatile and looks fantastic. I defy the purists to find reasons to favour the US models over this and it's streets ahead of any Mexican model I have ever seen. Fairly hard to come by, but worth the extra money for the build quality and finish.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
I have been playing bass for 20 years and play in a 4-piece rock band on the local circuit. Classic rock, prog, metal and some blues pretty much sums up my tastes.
This bass is made in Japan.
Bought off eBay in December 2007 for £305. A bit of a gamble as it had apparently been sitting around in a garage for a while and was the worse for it. A bit of a whim having seen RUSH live - considered the Geddy Lee model but this look so much nicer. I'm normally a Precision player but most of mine have Jazz necks and a couple have the J-pickup, so wanted this for variation.
As a good looking, retro bass, I think you'd be hard pushed to find anything nicer. The 70s stylings are authentic, it looks and feels right. I'm glad I opted for the sunburst/rosewood option over the Geddy Lee model - both are, in effect, Japanese 70s reissues, and if aesthetics are important, this wins hands down. Tonally, it is of course different to my P-basses, but I like the toppy feel of the bridge pickup which cuts through the bass rumble.
I have a real problem with the bridges that Fender continue to fit to most of their basses. I know this is a reissue, but, like all my others, it was immediately replaced with a BadAss II (that Geddy Lee thing again). Again, authenticity over practicality, the tuners have straight posts (I'm not a fan) and I have had my doubts about tuning stability - so they may have to go eventually. I'm not convinced the logo is correct for the period but I'm nit-picking really.
I immediately took this bass completely to pieces to overhaul. What was immediately apparent was the quality of every single part. It's a 2-piece body that weighs a ton but the resonance is amazing. I think it has USA pickups in the usual configuration and has a very high output for a passive bass. The bound neck is very slim with a gloss finish and pearl block markers, bullet truss rod and vintage tuners. The scratchplate (but not the body) is drilled for thumbrest and pickup cover. The neck is held on with a 3-screw plate with microtilt and the tuners are authentic to the period. It's as solid as you like and, although many parts were heavily corroded, the body hardly had a scratch on it thanks to the thick finish.
Having decided to get a Jazz, the options were £450+ for the Geddy Lee model or £305 for this one (plus £45 for a new bridge). Despite being in a sorry state when it arrived, the quality was obvious once the bass was stripped down and renovated.
It is what it is and, since my other basses are Precisions, I don't really have anything to compare it against for playability. However, it's loud, versatile and looks fantastic. I defy the purists to find reasons to favour the US models over this and it's streets ahead of any Mexican model I have ever seen. Fairly hard to come by, but worth the extra money for the build quality and finish.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com