Bass Gear Review

Reviewer	Havoc Bond
Manufacturer	Fender
Model	1997 - '75 Jazz Reissue (made in Japan)
Price	$US899 list (I payed $US650 from GC)

Neck Type	maple , 1 piece, bolt-on
Fingerboard	maple, fretted, block inserts
Body Type	maple, top, 1 piece, white pick guard
Finish	natural
Pickup(s)	passive, J, Fender
Controls	bass PU volume, trebel PU volume, tone

It's the only new Fender bass I have -ever- liked enough to play as a main instrument. Not quite as nice as my '69 original J-Bass, but this -is- a great bass for beginners and experienced players. I love the authentic Jazz fat growl sound, big sustain, smooth and easy action. Sounds it's best with slow-wound strings and a big beefy tube amp, my Ampeg V4BH and SWR Triad sound awesome with this axe. As with most J basses, drop the trebel PU down a bit to open up the sound. Heck, it even looks good in it's natural maple finish w/ white pick guard. Fender also have a USA made version listing at 3x the price. I A/B'ed the USA and Japan version and could find no difference in sound or action, so get the Japan version.

Construction	90%
Playability	80%
Appearance	100%
Sound	80%
Value	100%
Overall	85%