Build Quality:4.8 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.8 out of 5 stars
Electronics:4.9 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.9 out of 5 stars
Value:4.8 out of 5 stars
Average:4.8 out of 5 stars

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Fender Standard Jazz Electric Bass

Pros:

  • Surprisingly Affordable
  • Alder Body
  • Great Design

Cons:

  • Sound not for Everyone
  • Bulky Body

The world of the midway price electric bass guitars is full of instruments that all of us, especially me, can fall in love with. The reason for this is simple: you are getting some great quality instruments at a price that at times makes no sense for the guitar. I mean how little can a person pay for a bass guitar that sounds as great as the Fender Standard Jazz Electric Bass? Apparently so little you might as well call the guitar borderline cheap in price.

Body Quality

The body of this bass guitar under 1000 is designed in the tradition of many electric guitars that came before it, though not bass guitars, but simple electric guitars. The design borrows a whole lot from the very famous Stratocasters of our day and age, with a double cutaway, well-parted, handsome wings, and a more massive than usual bass guitars body. The result is a very handsome-looking instrument that is both comfortable and easy to play and use.

The body of the guitar is built out of alder, a tonewood that seems to have escaped the public eye for a little while, but still holds a special place in my heart. Used most famously in the Stratocaster and Fender guitar designs during the 60s, the alder has a whole slew of qualities that makes it the favorite of many musicians. It has a great resonance with the mid-tones, but is way more balanced than swamp ash, with very bright high tones and well-rounded bass tones. The tonewood is also known to be rather light, making it a fitting tonewood for massive-bodied instruments.

The neck of the guitar is made out of, you guessed it, maple. This more or less traditional choice in the world of guitar manufacturing has become as it is because of the simple reason that maple is incredibly sturdy and durable. Its resistance to warping, denting, and scratching makes it perfect for the purpose. The neck of the guitar is bolted onto the body in a high-quality manner, which results in the instrument having a stable neck that is well aligned with the body. The fretboard of the guitar is made out of maple.

Hardware

The guitar comes with a standard-style bass guitar bridge. This provides the instrument with a standard level of action and pretty average string stability.

The nut of the guitar is made out of a plastic material. This material tends to wear down quicker than natural materials but allows the guitar to have a nice, clean sound and some nice harmony.

The tuning machine of the guitar looks nice with the rest of the guitar’s design. The tuning stability is not the best, but definitely beats the cheaper guitars we have discussed up to this point.

Electronics

The guitar comes with two single-coil pickups located in the middle and the bridge of the instrument. The two standard J bass pickups do a decent job of providing some nice tone for the guitar, though they are slightly limited in the sound they produce. The tones they do produce are bright and well-nuanced. Though these pickups are also known for not having the longest lifespan, so be prepared to replace them eventually.

The bass guitar comes with a fairly simple control scheme that allows you individual pickup volume control and a master tone control.

Fender Standard Jazz Bass Sound

Some people find that the combination of Alder and the standard J bass pickups results in a rather flat tone without too much personality. I say that these people need to grow some taste buds that can identify the flavor of alder in their music. While alder is known to not produce tones as thick as mahogany or as bright as maple, it is known to have a characteristic tinge to it that many people find highly enjoyable. The sound is fitting for jazz especially but works well with rock and roll.

Conclusion

This guitar is not for everyone. It was built with people who have a taste for the vintage tone in their instruments and know-how to utilize the slight flatness of alder properly. One of the more affordable, but high-quality, guitars out there.

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