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Pros:
- Amazing, Detailed Sound
- Lovely Tonewood Combination
- Incredibly expressive tone
Cons:
- Expensive
Jaco Pastorius is one of the greatest bass guitar players to have ever lived, walked and played music on this earth. His Jazz riffs and bass playing has influenced many a musician from around the world. Which is why the moment I heard this guitar was named after him, I decided to look so much closer at it, so I can find out how actually good it is. So here, let’s take a closer look and discuss the Fender Jaco Pastorius Jazz Electric Bass.
Body Quality
The design of the guitar screams that it needs to be enjoyed and loved. The guitar looks like it was designed to be loved by Jaco Pastorius, and it was. Made to look like the one bass Mr. Pastorius used to play, the bass guitar is vintage in the way it looks and more than modern in the way it sound. The sunburst design of the guitar is outstanding, making the instrument look even more vintage, even more handsome and even more fun to own and play.
The body of the guitar is built out of Alder, a tonewood that should be more than a little famous today, but which has not been as famous since the nineteen sixties and the nineteen seventies. The tonewood is famous for a whole lot of of things, with the mid and high tone emphasis being so great, so lovely, the instrument just sound better than most. The tonewood is extremely light, making for a comfortable musical instrument to play for long times at a time. The body is sturdy enough to last for a long time.
The neck of the guitar is made out of maple, which is both a traditional and a great choice for most guitar necks. The maple provides the instrument with a long lifespan thanks to its resistance to warping and most kinds of damage that would cause denting or scratching to the neck. The neck of the guitar is set through the body, so that the neck is stable, sturdy, and remains problem-free its whole life. The fretboard of the guitar is made out of high-quality Urethane Coated, Slab Cut hardwood. Note, that this is a fretless bass.
Hardware
The guitar comes with an American Vintage Jazz Bass bridge system. This system was designed specifically to keep bass guitar strings stable and provide a whole lot of action for the musician.
The nut of the guitar is made out of high-quality material. This allows the nut to stay in tact for the entirety of the guitar’s life (I think), while also providing a clean sound and some great action.
The tuning machine of the guitar is of amazing craftsmanship, providing a great look for the guitar. The tuning stability is exceptional as well.
Electronics
The guitar comes with two pickups located at the neck and the bridge of the instrument. The two vintage jazz bass single-coil pickups were specifically designed for the highest demanding musicians. The output of these pickups is acceptable, though the tonal integrity is what makes them so good. The tone picked up by the instrument is exceptional, with the lows and highs receiving the same attention. Great pickups overall.
The controls of the guitar are simple, with two individual volume control knobs and a single master tone control knob.
Fender Jaco Bass Sound
The sound of the guitar is exceptional. The tonal range available to the instrument is as wide as it gets for a four-string instrument. The tonal integrity of the instrument is lovely, with every single note feeling nuanced, detailed, and very well expressed. The guitar is exceptionally well fitted for jazz performances, with funk and detail being all present within the sound of the guitar. Great for performers looking for a guitar that can perform solos just as well as it can perform as part of a band.
Conclusion
This is one of the best four-string electric bass guitars you can lay your hands on. While on the expensive side, it provides the player with so many possibilities in terms of sound, it is definitely worth considering a purchase.
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What is the playing action like?
Is it just me, or did he not mention in the review that this is a fretless bass? Seems like info you would want to know. Hopefully if you are buying a Jaco bass, you would know that Jaco played fretless almost exclusively.
Thanks for the notice. We edited the post.
The electrinics are 2 pickup volums and master tone for bouth not master volume.
Thanks. It was a typo.