Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass (with Gig Bag)
Modeled after Geddy Lee's own '72 J Bazz, the Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass oozes vintage style and serious playability, thanks to the smooth C-shaped neck.
Overall User Ratings (based on 80 ratings)
Submitted August 5, 2007 by a customer from hotmail.com
"It's so good it's GEDDY good!"
I don't think i will EVER want another bass guitar!
Sound
Even with only three knobs, the bridge pickup, neck pickup, and the master tone, you can get hundreds of different tone sounds! I have it playing through a Zoom B2.1U bass pedal, and i turned off all the enhancements on the pedal because the bass sounds 100x better without one!
Features
It came with some sick gig bag! Sad thing is it only has 3 knobs, and no master volume knob...but the limitations with the 3 knobs are ENDLESS!
Ease of Use
This bass plays SO WELL! By far the best playing and smoothest bass out there! You don't get an ugly fret rattle sound when you do a slide up the bass.
Quality
This produce will literally last a lifetime under proper care. The electronics are near top end and are high quality.
Value
THE BEST BASS FOR THE PRICE!
Manufacturer Support
Not had to use it yet!
The Wow Factor
As soon as you play it, it's like some magical mystic bond that makes you say "I don't care how much it is, i WANT it!"(i said that)
Musical Background:
Hobbyist and in a band
Musical Style:
Funk, Classic rock
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Submitted February 18, 2008 by a customer from chemdry.com
"Totally worth it"
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this is the greatest bass ever made. if you are looking for a bass, without a doubt, buy it.
Sound
The sound on this bass was better than any other bass i had played. i am a huge fan of rush and wanted to match the tone of geddy lee. if i want, i can have a real mello tone or crank up the tone knob and have a ton of punch.
Features
no special features. i just wish it came with a hardshell case instead of a gig bag.
Ease of Use
if you know how to play the bass, then you should have no problem. i own a fender precision bass and i hate it. playing on the neck is like playing on a tree trunk. i love how thin the neck on this bass is.
Quality
I actually bought the blem version of this bass because it was cheaper. when it first arrived, i looked all over for any sign of a scratch or blemish. i couldn't find one. this bass was in great condition.
Value
considering that this is the best bass in the world, it has a pretty reasonable price. while shopping for a bass, i was deciding between this bass and a gibson thunderbird. this bass was less than half the price of the gibson and a million times better.
Manufacturer Support
don't know and hope i don't have to find out
The Wow Factor
the black inlays on the maple fretboard are hot. the black finish is great. i also love the shape of the jazz bass.
Musical Background:
Active Musician
Musical Style:
Rock, Jazz
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Submitted January 10, 2011 by a customer from rochester.rr.com
"Great buy for the serious learner or working professional."
I think I will play this bass until it or I give up. I wouldn't trade it. If I hit the lottery and could get a Lakland or Sadowsky, I'd keep this bass.
Sound
All sorts of punch- but you can quiet it down with very responsive tone controls. It is a little "noisy" not the pots, but the shielding.
Features
It's nothing exotic with taps and switches and all that stuff. I don't desire an active bas.
Ease of Use
Right off the shelf playability. Factory set up was very close. Sounds good through Fender 65W Sidekick, and 6X10 bottom powered by 1,000 watt Hartke head. All I've tried so far.
Quality
Fit and finish are great. Neck shines like a bottle. If I had a need for a new back up, I'd get another one of these, but maybe not in Black.
Value
You can't beat this for the dollar. I see them in good shape used around 500. What a great upgrade from a squire or another starter bass.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't needed
The Wow Factor
It is sexy- the Jazz Bass shape is just the prototype. And what a neck!
Musical Background:
Active in 5 piece outfit
Musical Style:
90's, some classic, Moderate rock
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Submitted January 28, 2006 by a customer from aim.com
"all in all.....a very nice bass"
very nice!
Sound
i like the bright sound of the geddy lee sig bass. it has a good tone, even with old strings, which i prefer to use. i like the expressive styles i can create with techniques that easily sound good with this guitar. i can obtain the sound i want nicely. it fits with the style i play and could ever want to play. it sounds good by itself, though its not often in alternative rock that a bass is the only one playing. it sounds great live, run through good speakers, and as a recording has a brighter, bell-like tone which i like. it is a great guitar, but in order to get the best, run it through a large amp, i use an Eden cabinet, and have good speakers. Play well.
Features
all around a very nice bass
Quality
made very well.....at least it must be to sound like this
Value
this bass was definitely worth the price i paid
The Wow Factor
gimme it all baby......im waitin
Musical Background:
"alternative rock bands rule it all......and i keep the rythym"
Musical Style:
alternative rock
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Submitted May 20, 2012 by Ray Gowan in Lexington, SC
"St op searching..Just buy it already!"
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Much like me, my review will be short & sweet. Also like me this bass is in a word AWESOME!!!
Sound
I couldn't believe the sound from this bass. The 2 passive jazz pickups give you a tonal range that runs the gamut from deep & punchy to tight & twangy all with the turn of a knob. The sound is in a single word perfection!!
Features
I will start with the least useful if you would call it that. I kind of expected a bass with this price tag to come with a case instead of a gig bag. That being said, it is a pretty nice gig bag. I purchased a hard shell case separately so it wasn't really an issue anyway.
Most useful feature: The rest of the damn bass!!
Ease of Use
Well. It is a bass. It has 4 strings & 3 knobs. Pretty simple.
The action on this bass is very low which makes playing a breeze!
The tone all comes from 3 knobs. 2 master volume (1 for each pick up) and a master tone control. Couldn't be easier!
Quality
This is a made in Japan Fender, but don't let that fool you. This is no Squire with a Fender head stock. This is quality to match the American made just about $300 less on the price tag. Play both with your eyes closed & you will never know the difference.
Value
Worth every single penny!! I think the headline summed it all up. Buy this now!!
Manufacturer Support
Haven't had to deal with tech support on this purchase
The Wow Factor
I have the 3 tone sunburst & it is simply beautiful! Any of my friends that have seen & tried out this bass has been just as impressed as I have been.
Musical Background:
Been playing about 2 years. Mostly play at home, but join a band onstage every month or so
Musical Style:
Mostly rock & metal.
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Submitted July 8, 2009 by a customer from hotmail.com
"One of my favorite basses..."
Its an awesome bass, it looks nice, sound incredible. The only drawback is that its expensive.
Sound
Wow, when I heard this bass in Guitar Center, I was amazed. It sounded like a dream, only challenged by my 4001 and 4003 Rickenbackers. Its got godly bottom end with some nice high end crunch and the mids are awesome.
Features
I got mine with a black strap, and thats all I really need considering I have other fender cases and gig bags at my house, so the 900$ was worth every penny.
Ease of Use
The neck is simply like butter, and the pick ups sound really nice on the bass. It allows your to play really fast with the nice neck, I wish it had some more frets though.
Quality
An excellent bass, what can I say? Japanese Fender makes can do everything American makers can! Dont get me started on Mexican made.....
Value
Its slightly pricy, but its excellent and easily one of the best Fender has every made.
Manufacturer Support
Never needed it.
The Wow Factor
It looks amazing. I love the fret markers, different from just about every other kind of bass that I have seen from fender besides the Jaguar, it looks awesome.
Musical Background:
Active Musician, Recording and touring
Musical Style:
Progressive Rock, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Jazz, Heavy Metal
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Submitted May 15, 2012 by Danny Rodriguez in Rialto, CA
"Great instrument!!!"
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This a great bass guitar. I own 8 Fender Jazz bass guitars and 2 Fender P-Bass guitars. This is the only non-U.S. made but I'll tell this; There's no noticeable difference between the GLJ, American Standard, American Deluxe other than the Deluxe having an active preamp. I installed an Audere preamp in my GL bass and it sounds very nice, not that it didn't before. This is my main gigging axe and my other USA Jazz and Precision are usually my recording instruments. That's how good the GL jazz bass is!!! You will not be disappointed.
Musical Background:
I've been playing bass for 8 years now.
Musical Style:
Norteno
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Submitted January 1, 2006 by a customer from pdqnet.com
Geddy Lee Jazz Bass Customer Review
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
Love Geddy Lee...He is the best as is the bass
Sound
Snappy,...Fat good punch and cut...Nice growl..
Features
The thin neck profile is the bomb...You won't find another neck this good on any FENDER JAZZ..The BADASS II Bridge helps with sustain and the Feel on the attack of the strings
Quality
Quality is done well...JAPAN doesn't make in crappy products
Value
BEST VALUE FOR THE MONEY HANDS DOWN...NO COMPARISON HERE
Manufacturer Support
Unknown..never needed anything
The Wow Factor
Classic...
Musical Background:
Professional
Musical Style:
Dance, Rock, Pop, Funk
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Submitted July 4, 2005 by a customer from eircom.net
"In a confusing line-up of Fender-logo'd Jazz Basses, this Jap stands out! Well worth a demo!"
Up there with the best- a really good-looking,easily playable and great sounding Jazz!
Sound
All the usual Jazz Bass sounds are there!
Features
A Leo Quan Badass II bridge enhances sustain. A striking slim and shallow maple neck make it very playable.
Quality
Superb,flawless finish (only available in black!)-not a glue line in sight. USA-made pickups and pots. Could very shallow neck present a problem in the future? In three years' use I've had no problem at all.
Value
Very good value for money- a high-quality Fender Jazz Bass at a reasonable price (no case,though!)
Manufacturer Support
Never had to deal with them.
The Wow Factor
Aesthetically pleasing! A different Jazz Bass, yet doesn't stray too far from the original...
Musical Background:
Part-time bassist
Musical Style:
Pop, rock, country, Irish trad and jazz
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Submitted January 20, 2008 by a customer from sbcglobal.net
"Badass Geddy Lee...got to love it!"
I'm sure I'll get another bass but I won't part with the Geddy. I'm keeping this beauty. If it were stolen I'd find another GL and then hunt down the thief so I'd have 2 of them. I really wanted a MIA jazz but I felt that the Geddy was better overall. So I guess that's my only dislike, it's not MIA.
Sound
I'm giving it a 10 but it does need different strings on it. The sound is great. I went looking for a MIA Fender Jazz but after playing the MIA and the Geddy, the Geddy sounded better and felt. better. I think it's hit and miss anymore with the MIA and Japanese basses. The 2 MIA just wasn't what they are cranked up to be and I didn't like the S switch at all. I play through an Ampeg BA-115 but played it through a Trace Elliott 4x10 stack and the bass rumbled, growled, and when favoring the neck pu it was warm.
Features
Three knobs and a jack input...that's all you need. I like the pickups and the Badass bridge is just that...badass. The only thing I'm going to do is change strings.
Ease of Use
I find it easy to get all the sounds I need just by dialing in the controls. I've had "active" basses but I'll take the passive jazz any day. The neck is thin and smooth...easy to move around on.
Quality
Just by looking at it the quality looks good. After playing it I'd say the "guts" of the bass are good too.
Value
It's seems to be a lot of bass for the money. The MIA goes for $200-$300 more but I preferred the GL over the MIA.
Manufacturer Support
I'll give a 10 but I haven't had to deal with them yet.
The Wow Factor
I like it a lot. The jazz bass has distinct features anyway but the GL with the maple fingerboard is NICE looking. The looks, sound, and playability are all great in my opinion.
Musical Background:
hobbyist, jam sessions, band...3 guitars, bass, drums
Musical Style:
classic rock, rock, some alt rock, country rock, country
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Submitted April 27, 2013 by shawn huff in tremonton, UT
"i love the 70!s neck"
I like gedy's stile and i to have a fender 4 sting jass bass and i dont play any ting else thank you leo fender rest in pece
Musical Background:
i play Gutar and jass bass ive ben plaing 20 years i like cliff burton mettallica he is my hero
Musical Style:
All the adove
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Submitted November 15, 2007 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Checked it out, bought an American Jazz instead."
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I liked the Geddy Lee Jazz - loved the looks, loved the feel. The biggest drawback for me was the truss rod adjustment method. The truss rod is adjusted using a Philips screwdriver (instead of a hex wrench) and can only be accessed by removing the pickguard and maybe even the whole neck. I didn't keep it long enough to find out if the wood underneath the pickguard was routed out for truss rod access without removing the neck.
I ended up buying the American Jazz at zZounds. Compared to the Geddy, the pots in the American Jazz series are smoother, the pickups are louder and have more presence, truss rod adjustments are instant, and the 2007 American Jazzes feature a series/parallel switch which adds an additional different (and important, IMO) sound to the classic Jazz bass sounds.
If you are looking at a Geddy and considering the later possibility of switching out the stock pickups and buying a hard case (Geddy comes with a gigbag), look at the American series closer and compare the prices on these possible extras. With the American model, you get better pickups, the S-1 switch, and a nice first-class hard molded case that fits the Jazz perfectly. Just food for thought. :)
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Submitted February 8, 2009 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Great product for the price..."
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I think that this bass will serve me well for many years to come and if I had to buy another bass guitar, I would purchase this one again.
Sound
Although I am a lifelong Rush fan, I feel that someone could put Alex, Geddy or Neil's name on a flaming piece of crap and the item would still garner rave reviews by virtue of being associated with rocks "Holy Trinity". With that being said, this bass has a nice, full sound and is very playable. As long as you have the proper finger placement, fret rattle is almost non-existent even when sliding and the sustain is perfect. I feel like I can really get after it when playing and the bass responds to every input.
Features
There isn't a master volume knob but the three knobs that it does have allow for almost infinite sound adjustment so it isn't an issue in my opinion. The neck is thin and feels great; it may be all in your head, but it seems like you can play faster just because of the thinness of the neck. I feel for the price it should have come with a case instead of a gig bag, but the bag is very high quality and in the end a case wouldn't set you back too much.
Ease of Use
Ease of use? It's a bass... you either know how to use one or do not. As far as basses go though, it is very solid.
Quality
The only negative thing that I can say about the bass is that the beautiful mirror like finish scratches over time, which is a bummer if you are OCD like me. But if you are an optimist by nature, I guess you could say that the small blemishes that will occur add character. If you are worried about a quality issue since it is a Japanese made Fender, don't; It is a very well made guitar with high end components and feels very solid in your hands.
Value
Overall, I feel that this is an excellent bass for the price. Looks great, solid design and plays well. I think that you would be hard pressed to find a better value on a bass guitar.
Manufacturer Support
I can't speak to Fender's support system because I haven't used it, but zZounds made every aspect of the sale as easy as can be. I highly recommend buying through them.
The Wow Factor
I would have to say the sex appeal of this guitar was the fact that Geddy has banged out so many bad ass riffs on it, although he now uses the Jaco Pastorious tribute model on the latest tour. To me, this bass has a 90's look. It reminds me of their Presto/Counterparts era work. The best part of the whole instrument though is the gorgeous maple fret board and its stellar finish.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Rock, Metal and Prog
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Submitted April 19, 2012 by Jerry H in MACEO, KY
"Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass"
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Started playing Sept. of 1965. Played em all
Sound
pops when you want it too and plays the boomers when ya need em ! IT WORKS !
Features
electronics work as they should, finish no flaws.. has all the upgrades i need to gig with .. $1000 bux and no case :/ ...GIG BAG and a 1000 bux Fender ? ..... Fender should be ashamed !
Ease of Use
set the knobs and play away.. no rocket science here ! :)
Quality
got no qualms here ..
Value
Worth every penny !
Manufacturer Support
Not yet ...Hope not ...
The Wow Factor
gets noticed for sure.....BROWN tri color with maple neck
Musical Background:
47 YEARS
Musical Style:
r+b
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Submitted April 29, 2009 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Why are they charging this much for a middle of the road piece of gear???????????????????"
It's a nice piece of gear. BUT IT'S OVER PRICED!!!!!!
Sound
Ya it sounds good. So what Lots of other basses sound good too.
Features
It's a simple instrument and as such it's drastically over priced.
Ease of Use
It's easy to get good sounds out of this bass but so damned what. Lot's of other basses sound good too and they are much more reasonablely priced.
Quality
Quality is good. Lot's of other good quality basses on the market at half the price.
Value
Lousy! This damned thing is way over priced!
Manufacturer Support
If you need to contact support it's either because the product was damaged in shipping or you are just too dumb to play bass.
The Wow Factor
I'll buy something cheaper that will sound every bit as good and play just as well for a fraction of the price
Musical Background:
Home studio
Musical Style:
Rock, folk
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Submitted September 13, 2005
"this reviews helped me to buy one, just helping you, too!"
Features
it doesn
Musical Background:
Active musician
Musical Style:
Rock, Alternative, blues, metal ...
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