Fender Japan JB75B-100US Jazz Bass Review

Hiya!

I have always been a big fan of Fender of Japan, and today we are looking at one of their 1975 re-issue Fender Jazz Basses, model JB75B-100US. This model was never intended to be exported into the United States, and my friend Bruce in Tokyo found it for me. This is a fairly recent example, though later ones have been hard to date, as the serial number prefixes do not seem to mean much anymore. I figure it is around 5 years old, for what it is worth.

A casual look might lead you to believer that this is a Geddy Lee artist model, as it is a black Jazz with a black blocked and bound neck, but it is not. It has a conventional bridge, no signature on the back of the headstock, and a normal profile neck. It also has US pickups that are a definite upgrade from the Geddy models I have owned and played.

I have been unable to find specifications on this model, but chances are good that the body is alder, though ash is a possibility as this thing is the heaviest bass I have ever owned. Really – it comes in at over 13 pounds!

The original black poly finish is almost perfect, and there are no signs of playwear. The bound neck and frets are also in great shape, and the frets are level and well finished on the edges. The neck pocket fit is tight, and this is one of the cases where the fit and finish of Fender Japan instruments is indeed better than the US-made ones. With its full-sized chrome tuners, this one has just the right look and it is a doppelganger for Geddy’s 72 Jazz that he picked up from a pawnshop in Kalamazoo, Michigan for $200.

It plays absolutely killer, and sounds incredible. It far outshines any of the Geddy Lee Artist Model basses I have seen and played. These are hard to come by, and I have never seen on in the states. If you are looking for a good Jazz Bass, it would be worth importing one of these. Just be sure that you ask how much it weighs first.

Mahalo!

Changes to the Fender Artist Series Marcus Miller and Geddy Lee Jazz Basses

Hiya!

It was a stroke of genius when Fender Musical Instruments Corporation decided in 1998 to use Fender Japan to produce its Marcus Miller and Geddy Lee artist series Jazz Basses. Their Japanese affiliate has consistently produced high-quality instruments for a fraction of the cost of their domestically built products. I have owned and reviewed both of these basses, and they are very good players and are pretty smart-looking too. But it seems that all good things eventually come to an end.

This past summer I was looking at one of the 3-tone sunburst Geddy Lee basses, and right on the heel of the neck where the serial number is, the serial had an MX prefix with a note that it was made in Mexico. Gasp! Then I checked a Marcus Miller bass and it said the same thing. Double gasp!

I don’t really have anything against the Mexican-built basses as they are also good instruments, but it was still quite a shock. But I should not be too surprised, as the margins on these guitars must be getting very low for Fender. When these models came out the exchange rate was around 130 Yen to the dollar, and now it is around 80 Yen to the dollar. That is a lot less Yen for each guitar that gets sold, and customers really screamed like spoiled little children when the prices were raised a few years ago, so there is not a lot of wiggle room for Fender in this situation.

There are some visible differences to the basses, most notably that the Marcus Miller battery compartment is now in a different location and the Geddy neck seems a little thicker, but they both still seem to play well.

But, the main reason I bring this up now Is that Guitar Center is clearing out their older stock of these basses for stupid cheap money. The one by my house had Japanese Geddy Lee Basses priced at $699 and $799, which is the best bargain I have ever seen on these. If you really want one that was built in Japan, now is the time to buy because they are not going to get any easier to find, and they certainly are not going to get any cheaper.

Mahalo!

Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass Review

Aloha!

Geddy Lee of Rush is a legend in the bass community, and he is a joy to watch during live shows as he is an incredible player. Over the years he has used basses from Rickenbacker, Steinberger, and Wal, but Fender is the only company that has honored him with a signature model.

The Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass was introduced in 1998 as a replica of the 1972 Fender Jazz Bass that he bought in a Kalamazoo, Michigan pawn shop. They have been a good-selling model and are still being made today.

These basses have an alder body finished in black poly, or in 3-tone sunburst (as of 2009). They are loaded up with a couple of passive vintage single-coil pickups, wired through the traditional volume/volume/tone controls.

The hardware is chrome, and includes large-plate vintage tuners and a Leo Quan Badass II bridge.

The neck is the most special part of the bass. It is poly-finished maple with black blocks and binding, as well as Geddy’s signature on the back of the headstock. The fretboard has a 9 ½-inch radius fretboard with 20 medium-jumbo frets set into it. The profile is completely different than other Jazz Basses I have played. It has the expected 1.5-inch wide bone nut, but it has a very thin C-shape to it.

These basses are all made by Fender in their Japanese workshops, and the craftsmanship is top-rate. The finish is glossy and even, and the fretwork and neck pocket fit have been great on every example I have seen.

I have owned 6 of these basses, and they all played and sounded great. I had each of them set up with Rotosound Swing Bass 66 Stainless Steel round-wound strings, just as Geddy uses on his.

But, I have had necks go bad on two of them, which required that they be sent back to Fender for replacement. I think this is because they have made the necks so thin that they became unstable. Admittedly this is a small sample, but 33% is not a very good failure rate.

The Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass has a list price of $1399.99, and a street price of $1000. This includes a deluxe gig bag and a nice warranty, Check out the new sunburst Geddys, they are breathtaking!

Mahalo!

Sadowsky Metro UV 70 Bass

Roger Sadowsky builds the best bolt-neck guitars on the planet in his New York City factory. Period. The only downside is that they cost a metric ton of cash. They can easily run $4000, and the lucky buyer gets to wait 6 months if they special order it.

Fortunately, for the gigging man (or woman), there is a more cost effective solution to getting their hands on a new Sadowsky.

Back in the early 2000s, Roger came up with the idea of having a line of basses built overseas (gasp!). No, not by shoeless starving kids in China, but by the best luthiers in Japan. These were originally called the Tokyo line of basses, but have since been renamed the Metro series. The idea was to use the same electronics and hardware, but cheaper bodies and necks and have lower labor costs.

The subject bass today is a Sadowsky Metro UV70. It is a doppelganger of Geddy Lee’s legendary 1970s Fender Jazz Bass. It has the look nailed with the black finish and the maple fretboard with black block inlays.

This is a fantastic bass. It sounds great, and plays like a dream. The construction is very good, and the neck and fretwork are perfect. It is better quality than anything Fender or their Custom Shop is producing today.

Sadowsky says that these use the same electronics as the New York City basses, so it has Sadowsky humcancelling coil pickups, and the much-copied Sadowsky pre-amplifier with Vintage Tone Control. But, I have had the opportunity to compare these basses to real NYC basses, and they do not sound quite the same. Maybe it is the wood they use for the bodies, but the Metro basses generally do not sound quite as sharp.

Another noticeable thing you do not get with the Metro series is the amazingly light weight of a New York City Sadowsky. Generally Metros will weigh a pound or two more. This one weighs in at 9 pounds, instead of the usually 8 pounds for a NYC Jazz Bass.

Perhaps I am coming off as a whiny turd. These are still great basses, but there are trade-offs in everything. If you are going to save $1500, you are going to have to give something up.

Metro basses come in the same Sadowsky semi-hard case that the New York City basses used to come in (they have since changed to a deluxe hard case for NYC basses).

The UV70 bass sells for $2775 new, and Sadowsky does not allow their dealers to discount these at all. I guess I do not understand what price-fixing is.

Anyway, if you do not need a fancy top, a left-handed bass or a fretless bass (none of the options are available) this is a viable alternative to a NYC Sadowsky. Buy one. I would.