First Jazz bass..

fifth

Hey,

I'm used to playing mm stingray style basses, but am really interested in a jazz bass. Playing style is heavily funk and rock influenced, so would like some opinions or comments from jazz bass owners if possible!

cheers!

Doctor J

The Jazz bass is, in my opinion, one of the few true design classics, and not just in terms of instruments either. It's the one bass you can play any style of music on, there's a tone in there which will get you smoothly through any gig, any session. It invented the trebly growl, it's got a fat thump, it's perfect for funk and slapping, it's superb for rock and metal, it's the best, simple as that. It's also wonderfully comfortable and designed 40 years before people started talking about ergonomics. There's a reason the likes of Sadowsky, Hotwire, Lull, Bacchus, etc etc are making their money from making what are essentially pimped Jazz basses, because the original design was spot on in the first place.

Dord

Doctor J wrote:

The Jazz bass is, in my opinion, one of the few true design classics, and not just in terms of instruments either. It's the one bass you can play any style of music on, there's a tone in there which will get you smoothly through any gig, any session. It invented the trebly growl, it's got a fat thump, it's perfect for funk and slapping, it's superb for rock and metal, it's the best, simple as that. It's also wonderfully comfortable and designed 40 years before people started talking about ergonomics. There's a reason the likes of Sadowsky, Hotwire, Lull, Bacchus, etc etc are making their money from making what are essentially pimped Jazz basses, because the original design was spot on in the first place.

+1 I agree completely with this. The jazz bass can and is used for many styles. I plan to add one of them to my arsenal some day, although I would be inclined to go for a pimped Jazz but thats just me.

One thing about the Jazz is the infamous "sweet spot", you just can't get that on a one pickup bass. Where the pickups are placed on the Jazz also helps.

Go for it! a Stingray and a Jazz in your collection would give you a wide variety of sounds.

Frankiestylee

Check out an aerodyne maybe too... haven't really played a jazz bass, but I love my fender aerodyne. Has a precision pickup and a jazz pickup so you can find a lil sweet spot alroight. I dunno, just mentioning it as an idea... loads of people don't seem to know the basses exist.

fifth

Yeah the Aerodyne looks really nice actually. Thanks for comments, going to hopefully play with a few tomorrow and find one that suits!

red_ice

Frankiestylee wrote:

Check out an aerodyne maybe too... loads of people don't seem to know the basses exist.

woohoo! Mine arrives on wednesday! And lets keep it so that people dont know it exists!

It wasn't me!

The Jazz is indeed a classic and versatile machine. I intend to add a '75 Jazz to my collection at some point, as my staple four-string.

Frank Bullitt

You cant go wrong with a timeless classic.

Doctor J

It wasn't me! wrote:

The Jazz is indeed a classic and versatile machine. I intend to add a '75 Jazz to my collection at some point, as my staple four-string.

Don't bother, unless you're getting a reissue. The originals aren't up to much tbh. Get a good bass, rather than an old bass.

It wasn't me!

I did mean a reissue.

Doctor J

Forget the reissue too, unless Bacchus made it

fifth

Well,I got one. I'l post up a pic soon!

Royale with Cheese

Will be getting my first jazz bass soon, a US deluxe. Played one in town and loved it. My only other experience with Fenders had been playing a couple of Mexican p-basses. Hated them both.

Don't get the Aerodyne, I think it looks kind of stupid without the pick guard.

red_ice

Royale with Cheese wrote:

Don't get the Aerodyne, I think it looks kind of stupid without the pick guard.

you look stupid without the pick guard.

Dregon

red_ice wrote:

you look stupid without the pick guard.

Them's fightin' words!

Frankiestylee

Royale with Cheese wrote:

Will be getting my first jazz bass soon, a US deluxe. Played one in town and loved it. My only other experience with Fenders had been playing a couple of Mexican p-basses. Hated them both.

Don't get the Aerodyne, I think it looks kind of stupid without the pick guard.

What are ya talking about? Mine has a savage pickguard...infact people have commented on how excellent it looks.


Red Ice... Aerodyne High Five! Yus!

Dord

I think Royale with Cheese is talking about the Aerodyne thats available in Europe, black without a pickguard.

You have one of the Japan only ones Frankie, right?? the nice ones with the pickguard.


Still I'll take tickets for this fight, when is it?

Frankiestylee

Ah, I think the original ones were black alright... mines a "deluxe special", whatever that means, but yup, it's from Fender Japan, but I'm pretty sure all Aerodynes are Japs.

We could all play lil bass riffs during the fight... it'd be like a movie! Lets see who baggsies the rocky tune...

Zapp Brannigan

I used to be a humbucker man (MM et al.) but when I got my Warwick $$ I realised how sexy J pups sound!

Dord

Frankiestylee wrote:

Ah, I think the original ones were black alright... mines a "deluxe special", whatever that means, but yup, it's from Fender Japan, but I'm pretty sure all Aerodynes are Japs.

We could all play lil bass riffs during the fight... it'd be like a movie! Lets see who baggsies the rocky tune...

Ooh ooh I wanna play eye of the tiger

I thought the black ones were mexican?? maybe i'm wrong?

Parsley

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

I used to be a humbucker man (MM et al.) but when I got my Warwick $$ I realised how sexy J pups sound!

........ The $$ stands for double-humbucker!

Royale with Cheese

Yeah the only Aerodynes I've ever seen are the plain black ones with the high gloss finish and no pick guard. Don't like the look of them at all.

And yes I do look stupid without a pickguard which is why I wear mine at all times.

Doctor J

Parsley wrote:

........ The $$ stands for double-humbucker!

I was just about to say that

red_ice

Frankiestylee wrote:

Red Ice... Aerodyne High Five! Yus!

WOOO!!!

I like it with or without. You would want to be some sort of a tool to actaully need a pickguard if you play bass.

Never the less, its not like one cant be bought for a measly 20 quid or something, spend a penny!

My gf is on the way over from chester as we speak and she told me that the bass hasnt arrived so shes on the ferry bassless. lucky she has a return ticket she can use at anytime... if you know what i mean

Frankiestylee

Yeah but the aerodyne pickguard is quality... you'd want to be getting the proper one.
Ah good that she can pop over and return when she's got the damn bass. Sheesh.
I'm gonna have to put up pictures of my bass just to emphasise the greatness of the pickguard.

Dord

Jaysus if she was my gf I'd tell her not to come back without it

hahahaa I joke

Frankiestylee

joe robot wrote:

Jaysus if she was my gf I'd tell her not to come back without it

hahahaa I joke

It wasn't really a joke though was it? Damn straight!

red_ice

joe robot wrote:

Jaysus if she was my gf I'd tell her not to come back without it

hahahaa I joke

Thats what i was getting at Only i was serious!

Frankie, upload the **** outa them pics! I've seen the red version has a lovely black pickguard over the pickups and over the tone knobs it has a chrome guard, so the pickguard splits in half!

My gfs mom got me a savage dremel kit so i can finish off the finer details of my guitar that im building, rather than chizzling out the parts i can cut then chizzle :]

i wanna get a pickguard and cut out the band logo and see how it looks - TOIT!

Zapp Brannigan

Parsley wrote:

........ The $$ stands for double-humbucker!

Yeah. But, the humbuckers can be coil tapped. So I'm only using a single coil on each one, hence Jazz!

Dord

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

Yeah. But, the humbuckers can be coil tapped. So I'm only using a single coil on each one, hence Jazz!

Not really, its just a coil tapped humbucker. :rolleyes:

A jazz pickup is a totally different beast.