Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass  

I purchased this Bass as Used, it was rated as excellent and it was exactly that.

Beautiful workmanship finished to the best possible to achieve.

I played it against my standard Fender Jazz Bass I've had for seven years

and it has an excellent full rich bottom sound.

A fine Japanese quality product.

This bass just looks and feels great. I've read reviews against the finish on the neck, but I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary other than the amazingly beautiful, glossy finish. Not to mention how thin the neck is! The pickups are great as with any jazz bass and and tuners add class to an already great looking machine.

There were no cut corners on this bass. I bought this one used and to be honest, I haven't found a mark YET. The plastic was still on the pick guard if that puts it into perspective for you.

At $990 with all expenses included (used price) this thing is great! I would have been happy to pay full retail for a new one but I'd suggest buying a used one on here and see how it goes. Saved me $120!

I would buy it again and again.

First off, don't let the picture on here side step an fool you like it did me at first. I kept looking at it thinking it was yellow/greenish looking and didn't like it. I realized or hoped it had to be a just a lousy picture. Well I took my chances and and glad I did because the "real deal" is gorgeous. What a great suprise. Very deep warm sunburst color and just beautiful. Not at all like you see on your moniter! The best looking bass I have ever had and that was the one thing I was so concerned about. The neck is equally beautiful with a nice grain in the maple, and a smooth gloss finish front and back... On to the feel and playability... It's just what you'd expect from something that Geddy Lee would put his signature on; PERFECT! Slim fast neck, very stiff and stable, and solid as a rock. The neck came perfecty adjusted and the action was right on. I lowered mine even more and still zero string buzz. I play it through an Ampeg and WOW does it sound awesome. I have an American Standard Precision bass that I love too, but I have to give this one a little heads up even over it. An 11 on a 10 scale I like it so much. It is truely a great bass even though is says Made in Japan on the back of the head stock by Geddy's signature. A thousand bucks sure isn't chump change. That's pricy for Japanese, so you know all the best stuff went into this bass. If this was USA made it would probably be double or triple that amount and the quality would not be any better. There is no room for any improvement, and that goes for the pickups and tuning heads as well! I truely believe this is the best Fender Jazz bass ever made.

Playability- I've heard some people complain about the heavy lacquer finish on both sides of the neck, but I love it. It's thin, fast and smooth, makes playing those tough Rush basslines a breeze. Not only is the neck fast, but the action out of the box was top-notch, although that may vary from order to order. The pickups are also perfectly placed for resting your thumb while playing. In addition, the sustain is fantastic. Compared to many other basses that I've played(Epiphone EB-0, Jazz and Precision Squires, Mexican Fender P., higher -end Ibanez basses that were about the same price, to name a few that I've spent lots of time with), this one has great sustain, there are no frets that spontaneously cut out in the middle of a held note.

Tone- The tone on this bass is just what I've been looking for. It can have sharp, stinging treble tone, or deep, smooth bass tone, or even your own combination of both. The standard set up is to have the bridge pick up raised slightly higher than the neck pick up to get a growling bass tone, but this can be adjusted to suit your preference. The only thing that is lacking is the fact that there is only one tone switch, I would prefer two, but its not that much of a draw-back. But with this baby you can get a perfect Geddy Lee sound even with a halfway-decent amp (refering to my ailing Ibenez 35w amp).

Looks- I purchased the 3 Tone Sunburst, it looks phenomenal and contrasts well with the maple neck and big block inlays. Even though the black and white is an icon, this bass is a stunner.

Misc.- The tuners are much tighter and more precise than Epiphone tuners for example. The strap buttons can hold a lot, but it one might want to look into strap locks just to be safe, I haven't personally had any issues, but ya never know.

The bass seems very well constructed, despite being made in Japan. I'm not one of those patriotic types where the only good instrument is made in America, but I give a hand to the American-made basses for their excellent quality. But for the money this bass is top quality. The tuners are nice and tight, the knobs are all in place and dont shake around. The finish on all parts of the bass is even and there are no imperfections that I can see, even under utmost scrutiny. Even the gig bag is very durable, more pockets than I know what to do with! The only complaint is that for the price, it should come with a hardshell case, being the damage-aphobe that I am, I'm going to go out and buy the Fender Hardshell Jazz Bass Case because I don't want to take any chance with my bass.

The value was great, I managed to get a good deal which was the tipping point that made me simply have to get the bass. But even at regular price this bass is a great value because it is the same quality that we've all grown to love and expect from Fender, without the hefty "American-made" price tag. As stated above, I wish that the bass had come with a hardshell case as opposed to a gig bag, it wouldn't be too much of a loss on Fender's part but it would mean a great deal to the consumers. But dont take me wrong, this bag is like the Aston Martin of gig bags, its so padded that I almost want to sleep in it.

Bottom line, this bass is awesome, it has fantastic playability, a great look, high quality and its a pretty good value. Everything on this bass is solid, it ranks with the higher price range basses that we all wish for, while still staying moderately affordable. I would recomend this to anyone wishing to upgrade to a great bass or even expand on their collection of basses. Its also a must have for die-hard Rush fans who want an authentic Geddy Lee sound without dropping two grand on a Ric plus whatever else on amps.

I purchased the Sunburst with maple fretboard.  Looks beautiful with the inlays and classic Jazz Bass stylings.  I own an American Standard Jazz and Precision, a Lakland USA Joe Osborn Jazz, and numerous Music Man basses.  The Geddy Lee has a really nice extra thin neck profile, which is the primary reason I bought it.  There are two problems.  One is the heavy, heavy, heavy lacquer used on the entire neck, including the back.  It's absolutely crazy.  It creates terrible grab on the hand, prevents quick movement on the neck, and increases hand fatigue.  Why not use a light satin finish or gun oil/wax coating to make the neck feel natural and fast rather than like it's dipped in plastic?  This really hurts the playability of this bass despite the thinner neck profile.  Also, the gig bag it comes with is noticeably cheap and flimsy.  I mean, this isn't priced that much lower than the American Standard.  Why not include a high-quality gig bag or a hard case?  Or, start making them in the US and price them like the American Standard and include the new TSA case.  People will still buy them due to the neck profile, inlays, and Geddy Lee name.  But Fender has to do something about that lacquer on the neck.

The bass is very high quality for a non-US bass.  Fretwork was great without any popping ends or unlevel frets.  Neck pocket was tight.  No loose knobs or bent control shafts.  Set-up was good out of the box.  It is noticeably heavier than an American Standard Jazz bass.  The BadAss bridge is a nice addition, which I guess Geddy Lee uses.  It uses the older, slightly heavier Fender tuners (not the ones on the American Standard).  I would pay a bit more if the bass was made in the USA and came with a nice case.  As I said, the heavy lacquer on the back of the neck is the primary downside to this bass.  I really think Fender needs to take a lesson from Music Man or Lakland USA on this issue.

Good value, but almost as expensive as an American Standard.  The gig bag it comes with probably cost Fender $9.95 to manufacture.  Again, I'd pay a bit more for it to be made in the USA and for a nice case.  That being said, it would be hard to find a J Bass of this quality with the cool vibe of the block inlays, thinner neck, and Fender name in this price range.  I also appreciate that the Made in Japan inscription is on the back of the neck and not on front of the headstock.  Most people wouldn't know it's not a USA bass.  The headstock has the cool 70s font and, thankfully, the Geddy Lee signature is on the back, not the front.

The lacquer on the back of the neck just has to go.  It is the primary downside of this bass for me.  If you can get over that, or are willing to sand it down, then it's a great bass and looks super-sweet.  Be aware that you may want to invest in a nicer gig bag or hard case if you're going to be on the move a lot.  The Sunburst looks sweet and the thinner neck profile is comfortable.  However, if you're not bent on the Geddy Lee thing or the inlays or thinner neck, I'd spend a few more bucks and get the American Standard which is more of a lifetime purchase bass.