A Jazz Bass with a Golden Twist
Inspired by vintage-era catalog store instruments, Fender’s Gold Foil series seamlessly merges garage rock swagger, storied Fender flair, and effortless modern playability. This Gold Foil Jazz Bass is undoubtedly proof positive. First up, a Jazz Bass-standard alder body is loaded with a not-so-standard Gold Foil mini single-coil pickup. It’s a bold choice by Fender that pays off in spades, providing a driving, full 4-string tone that can easily be reigned back into rounded-over J Bass thump. On the opposite end, the Gold Foil Jazz Bass ups the elegance with a beautifully bound 9.5-inch radius ebony fingerboard on top of a sturdy ’60s “C”-shape maple neck. Lastly, a retro-inspired hardware combo of a 4-saddle bridge and vintage-style tuners finish off the Gold Foil Jazz Bass with classic vibe and high-performance playability.
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Gold Foil pickups straight out of a vintage catalog
Gold Foil pickups are a true underdog story in the history of the electric guitar and bass. Originally found on import and department store instruments in the 1950s and 1960s, many high-level players scorned these pickups not for their tone, but because of the budget instruments they were attached to. However, as the ’60s garage rock movement began to bloom, young players started to adopt Gold Foil-equipped instruments out of sheer necessity. As it turns out, the classic low-output spark of the Gold Foil served as the perfect foundation for the era's loud, energetic, and unrefined rock music, later influencing icons such as Ry Cooder to hot rod their Fender instruments with a Gold Foil pickup. More than a half-century after the fact, Gold Foil pickups now rightfully reside among the pantheon of timeless pickup designs.
Single-pickup swagger
Who needs two pickups, anyway? Fender’s Gold Foil Jazz Bass lives up to the bare-bones attitude of its garage-rock forebearers with but a single Gold Foil mini single-coil pickup, smack in the middle of the body. This results in a full, driving tone that Sweetwater bassists find to be far more flexible than one might expect — rolling down the tone or pickup up closer to the neck results in wonderfully articulate, rounded over-bass tones that go far beyond the raw confines of the garage.
A powerhouse of playability
While the rest of the bass sports a serious vintage vibe, the Gold Foil Jazz Bass’ neck detours from the budget instrument playbook with an ultra-high-performance feel. Starting with a piece of rock-solid maple carved into a chunky ’60s “C” profile, the Gold Foil Jazz Bass’ bound ebony fingerboard offer high-class refinement and a smooth, silky feel. Moreover, 20 medium-jumbo frets in a 9.5-inch radius afford you effortless modern playability up and down the fingerboard.
Fender Gold Foil Jazz Bass 4-string Bass Guitar Features:
- Inspired by the garage rock-standard mail-order guitars and basses of the vintage era
- Packed with a single ferrite bar magnet Gold Foil mini single-coil pickup for a full, driving tone with a surprisingly deep tonal range
- Classic alder body for a balanced tone with pronounced mids
- Maple neck carved into a robust ’60s “C” profile
- Elegant ebony fingerboard, with white binding for a beautiful contrast
- 20 medium-jumbo frets in a 9.5-inch radius provides decidedly modern playability
- Rock-solid 4-saddle vintage-style bridge with threaded steel saddles unlocks old-school thump and J-bass growl
- Vintage style tuners and a matched headstock for retro appeal
