blueman335
Mojo's Minions
What are some decent quality jazz basses in an affordable price range, new or used. I don't want to pay anything near MIA prices.
Affordable Jazz Bass
- Thread starter blueman335
- Start date
Johnny the Kid
Shaunofthedeadologist
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
Squire Vintage modified stuff. The 70's One can be had in either red, natural, or white, and with the maple fretboard, the natural looks the best to me. They used to have duncan designed pups in them, but I guess they went to a Fender Designed jazz bass pickup. My bassist uses one and they sit nicely in the mix, with a more pronounced mid range that works perfect now that my band is a three piece.
Squire Vintage modified stuff. The 70's One can be had in either red, natural, or white, and with the maple fretboard, the natural looks the best to me. They used to have duncan designed pups in them, but I guess they went to a Fender Designed jazz bass pickup. My bassist uses one and they sit nicely in the mix, with a more pronounced mid range that works perfect now that my band is a three piece.
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
+1 for the Squier VM Series.
Squier MIJ Silver Series
Yamaha RBX 2xx series
+1 for the Squier VM Series.
Squier MIJ Silver Series
Yamaha RBX 2xx series
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
I've seen Squire Jazz's online and in catalogs. Look nice. How do they compare quality-wise to MIM Fender Jazz's?
I've seen Squire Jazz's online and in catalogs. Look nice. How do they compare quality-wise to MIM Fender Jazz's?
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Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
The Squier VM instruments all seem to play well above their MSRP. Sure, there will be minor details that require attention. Nothing that you cannot sort out yourself. When playing instruments of this series, you have to keep reminding yourself of the price. Then, you grin.
Comparing Squier VM against Fender MIM is tricky. MIM quality has changed over the years. In my opinion, many of the early MIM efforts were clunkers.
The Squier Classic Vibe series tends to look prettier than the Vintage Modified series. The pickups are often by Tonerider. Playability is variable.
Ultimately, the thing to do is visit a shop and test numerous examples until you hit upon The One.
The Squier VM instruments all seem to play well above their MSRP. Sure, there will be minor details that require attention. Nothing that you cannot sort out yourself. When playing instruments of this series, you have to keep reminding yourself of the price. Then, you grin.
Comparing Squier VM against Fender MIM is tricky. MIM quality has changed over the years. In my opinion, many of the early MIM efforts were clunkers.
The Squier Classic Vibe series tends to look prettier than the Vintage Modified series. The pickups are often by Tonerider. Playability is variable.
Ultimately, the thing to do is visit a shop and test numerous examples until you hit upon The One.
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
Meanwhile, I am going to throw you a curve ball.
American quality at nowhere near American prices. The ol' Peavey Dyna Bass.
Meanwhile, I am going to throw you a curve ball.
American quality at nowhere near American prices. The ol' Peavey Dyna Bass.
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
You can't beat a used MIM Standard for bang for the buck...unless you want to go to another company. G&L's Tribute line JB-2 (or SB-2 if you want P/J pickups and a pick guard) would be my top suggestion if you aren't stuck on getting a "real" Fender.
You can't beat a used MIM Standard for bang for the buck...unless you want to go to another company. G&L's Tribute line JB-2 (or SB-2 if you want P/J pickups and a pick guard) would be my top suggestion if you aren't stuck on getting a "real" Fender.
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blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Johnny the Kid
Shaunofthedeadologist
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
They play really well. I guess necks on Jazz basses tend to be thin, but those necks in particular rock. The 5 string especially. I've noticed that with a 5 string Jazz around the twelfth fret, the neck is really wide, but the VM series necks are thin from top to bottom. And so smooth. Like I said the pickups have a nice mid range hump so if that's where you like to sit in the mix, it's a good choice, and the hardware is definitely MIM quality, just because they're built in Indo, you don't pay as much. All in all they keep together really well. If I hadn't found the Sterling Ray5 for $250 like I did, a VM Jazz would have been my first choice.
They play really well. I guess necks on Jazz basses tend to be thin, but those necks in particular rock. The 5 string especially. I've noticed that with a 5 string Jazz around the twelfth fret, the neck is really wide, but the VM series necks are thin from top to bottom. And so smooth. Like I said the pickups have a nice mid range hump so if that's where you like to sit in the mix, it's a good choice, and the hardware is definitely MIM quality, just because they're built in Indo, you don't pay as much. All in all they keep together really well. If I hadn't found the Sterling Ray5 for $250 like I did, a VM Jazz would have been my first choice.
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
OK. One of the best bangs for the buck out there are G&L Tributes. They're great deals new, and stupid deals on the used market. Try to look for older, MIC ones. They are slightly better in quality (IMO), and came with a free gig bag when they were new, unlike the newer Indonesian ones. Those older Tributes were made in China using wood, pickups, and hardware shipped over there by G&L U.S.A., then they were shipped back to G&L, and received final setup, nut, and fret work here in California. You really can't get a better [stock] guitar for the money IMHO.
OK. One of the best bangs for the buck out there are G&L Tributes. They're great deals new, and stupid deals on the used market. Try to look for older, MIC ones. They are slightly better in quality (IMO), and came with a free gig bag when they were new, unlike the newer Indonesian ones. Those older Tributes were made in China using wood, pickups, and hardware shipped over there by G&L U.S.A., then they were shipped back to G&L, and received final setup, nut, and fret work here in California. You really can't get a better [stock] guitar for the money IMHO.
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uOpt
Something Cool
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
Really cheap but still usable are those MIJ Fernandez Jazz basses. They go for $250 used. They have ceramic bar pickups but even those are not terrible. I have one and the main problem I noticed is that the sound improves drastically with a AVRI bridge - which costs you $30 new on Amazon 2 day shipping.
A regular MIM standard isn't bad, and cheap around $350 but I don't like the finish. The Fernandez isn't great either but better neck finish wise. The body finish on the Fernandez is incredibly much thinner than MIM std.
Then there is Kramer focus, also in the $250 range, which went bazoo in the other direction. Only finest Schaller hardware but heavy as hell - except for the wood which is probably basswood
. Not a friend of high-mass bridges here. Not close to Fender style. But real finish on the neck. I'm thinking about keeping my Focus neck even if I sell the rest of the thing if I can mount lighter tuners. Regardless this is solid stuff if you want to save money and need something good quality.
Really cheap but still usable are those MIJ Fernandez Jazz basses. They go for $250 used. They have ceramic bar pickups but even those are not terrible. I have one and the main problem I noticed is that the sound improves drastically with a AVRI bridge - which costs you $30 new on Amazon 2 day shipping.
A regular MIM standard isn't bad, and cheap around $350 but I don't like the finish. The Fernandez isn't great either but better neck finish wise. The body finish on the Fernandez is incredibly much thinner than MIM std.
Then there is Kramer focus, also in the $250 range, which went bazoo in the other direction. Only finest Schaller hardware but heavy as hell - except for the wood which is probably basswood
Rich_S
HomeGrownToneBrewologist
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
I really like my son's CV P-Bass, and I assume the J-Bass is similar. I've found no reason to change the pickup, though I put in top-quality pots and jack when the original jack got wonky. It had a rattley tuner tuner, so I replaced those. Even after these upgrades, huge bang for the buck.
Based on several Teles, I recommend used MIM, too.
I really like my son's CV P-Bass, and I assume the J-Bass is similar. I've found no reason to change the pickup, though I put in top-quality pots and jack when the original jack got wonky. It had a rattley tuner tuner, so I replaced those. Even after these upgrades, huge bang for the buck.
Based on several Teles, I recommend used MIM, too.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
+2 Squire VM jazz basses. The one that I bought killed the MIM basses I tested in the store as far as playability goes. Sounded at least as good too . . .
+2 Squire VM jazz basses. The one that I bought killed the MIM basses I tested in the store as far as playability goes. Sounded at least as good too . . .
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
The text for the '70's VM jazz says it has a soft maple body, and the '77 an agathis/soft maple body. Are they actually made of the same wood? If they aren't, would there be any tonal difference between them?
The text for the '70's VM jazz says it has a soft maple body, and the '77 an agathis/soft maple body. Are they actually made of the same wood? If they aren't, would there be any tonal difference between them?
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Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
Both woods vary quite wildly in weight. If you are not dead set on block fingerboard inlays, there is a Sixties-style VM Jazz Bass made from basswood.
For me, the essential difference about a CBS-era Jazz Bass is the repositioned bridge pickup.
The only real way to decide is to try a whole bunch of these bass guitars in a music store.
Both woods vary quite wildly in weight. If you are not dead set on block fingerboard inlays, there is a Sixties-style VM Jazz Bass made from basswood.
For me, the essential difference about a CBS-era Jazz Bass is the repositioned bridge pickup.
The only real way to decide is to try a whole bunch of these bass guitars in a music store.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
I have no idea. The one that I got is the '70s VM though, and it's quite heavy (got to be around 10 lbs). Need a 4" strap to be comfortable playing it for more than 20-30 minutes. Sounds a plays great though!
I have no idea. The one that I got is the '70s VM though, and it's quite heavy (got to be around 10 lbs). Need a 4" strap to be comfortable playing it for more than 20-30 minutes. Sounds a plays great though!
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ToddStaples
New member
dr. ad
MonkeyDungologist
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
korean fender jazz 24.
i have a 24 V (5-string) and it is ridiculously effing awesome.
SD pickups/preamp/controls are standard, you cannot miss.
i play mine at least once a day, often several times a day, like a tall bassy wife. it's sexual.
as you may be able to tell, this bass really butters my raisintoast
korean fender jazz 24.
i have a 24 V (5-string) and it is ridiculously effing awesome.
SD pickups/preamp/controls are standard, you cannot miss.
i play mine at least once a day, often several times a day, like a tall bassy wife. it's sexual.
as you may be able to tell, this bass really butters my raisintoast
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F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Affordable Jazz Bass
Is that a thinly veiled reference to Marlon Brando?
Is that a thinly veiled reference to Marlon Brando?
