Fender USA Geddy Lee Jazz Bass - Black Reviews

Everyone knows this bass so I won't go into a lot of detail except to note that if you have the MIJ or MIM don't be put off by the term "thick c" neck, it's not super thick but just beefy enough that I suspect I won't be having to make a lot of adjustment as I did on my older one.

The pickups truly sound exactly as I had hoped as well, they respond perfectly to how hard you play. If you want to play hard and sound like Geddy they will definitely do that but when playing with a lighter touch they are very versatile.

Inlays, binding, pickguard etc... make this a work of art that plays and sounds even better than it looks. Very please with my purchase and big shout out to Jordan and Sweetwater for taking care of me to make sure I was happy as always.

Definitely loving my new Fender USA Geddy Lee Jazz Bass!

So as a player of fender jazz and precision basses for over 25 years I've got to say this is a very articulated Jazz Bass. I've owned many, but I think mine have all had the 60's pickup spacing. These Geddy Lee USA made models have the 70's spacing which puts the bridge pickup back further and closer to the tone knob.
Anyways, that spacing in conjunction with whatever awesome pickup is in this bass, and the top load brudge( hi-mass) makes for the most "musical" sounding basses I've ever played. I wish they made a USA model with the black block inlays. Overall, you won't find a nicer, easier playing jazz bass. Colin was great in facilitating the purchase. A+ as always Colin.

This is probably one of the best and well-made bass guitars I've ever picked up and played really good job on this one really good job. This one can definitely last a lifetime and the sound is phenomenally smooth

I have been looking at the Fender Geddy Lee American jazz bass for a while and since I was in Chicago for work I decided to make another day trip to Sweetwater to check it out in person.. I talked to my sales engineer Mike Soper a couple days before making the trip and he reserved the particular bass I was interested in.. When I arrived at Sweetwater I was assisted by Patrick in the Bass section of the store and he was super helpful and brought the bass I was interested in out for me to check out and it didn't take long to say "I'll take it" this is an amazing bass with both quality workmanship and awesome sound. Sweetwater is #1 Thanks again! I'll be back.

This bass lives up to the hype. Finish of the instrument is impeccable and ready to go out of the box. I made the trek out to sweet water and they set aside 3 basses for me in a demo room and gave me all the time I needed. Compared 3 passive USA Jazz basses and the Geddy had twice the output, punch, clarity, and has sustain for days. The neck on this bass is perfect. I had a jazz deluxe, but the neck was almost too thin to the point where my hands cramped up. This neck is a bit thicker, but still fast. The binding and fret block detail is incredible. I've played a variety of basses both active and passive, but love the simplicity of a passive Fender. You almost won't believe this bass is passive next to other passive basses. The variety of tones you get from the pots is also incredible. I am not necessarily a Geddy Lee fanboy by any means, while I do appreciate his work, but this thing checks all the boxes in what I want in a bass. If you are looking for a top notch passive Jazz bass that packs a punch with Custom Shop like quality, look no further. Shout out to sales rep Brad for arranging everything for my visit!

I have owned several Basses in 40 plus years, including a 70's era Fender Jazz Bass. The USA Geddy in my opinion is an instrument that any basses would marvel. Being the perfectionist I am, I can truly attest that the build quality is PERFECT!
Thank you Fender and thank you Sweetwater!

A very good instrument. The build quality is very high. Meticulous attention to detail. It looks and feels inspiring.
It plays very well and sounds great. The high mass Bridge really makes the instrument. Makes for very stable tuning.
I was first attracted to high mass bridges in the 80s when most of the great fusion Bass players had those.
On this instrument the HiMass Bridge gives solid sustain and sounds great wether playing hard rock, prog rock or fusion.
This Bass does it all. The best 4 string Bass I ever played.

Normally I play electric guitar (17 years), but I recently had picked up bass guitar. I wanted to get something that was quality right off the bat, something fun to play and that was effortless.

The USA Geddy Lee is all of that and more. Ready to play right out of the case. I only needed to adjust intonation slightly and everything was a go.

The neck looks sultry as hell. From the pearl block inlays and binding to the cut of maple that it's made out of, to the hand oiled finish along the skunk stripe on the back of the neck, it really is quality craftsmanship.
The pots were silent. Mixing pickup volumes produces almost no added noise (a particular known characteristic of Jazz basses). This thing roars. And the Geddy Lee bridge is not something that needs to be replaced either, it's already amazing in its own right.

Hands down, this bass is some of the best workmanship and design from Fender in years. The components are top notch, everything feels quality, and on mine the fretwork is beautiful. The pearl inlays and white binding are definitely the most attractive features of this bass, and will without a doubt earn you tons of compliments at gigs. If you're debating between this bass and the MiM version, I strongly urge you to go for this one. You can't get something much better than this.

I received this item 2 weeks ago. The day it came in I Played it at the show I had that night and it was fantastic! I have found no issues with this bass at all. I also have a Fender Elite P Bass that is / was my main bass. Pretty sure this new one will take it's place. Great bass for a good price, it's a must have!

After years of playing a Rickenbacker and an Alembic I broke down and bought my first Jazz Bass. Well not just any Jazz Bass but the American made Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. Disappointment are you serious there is nothing about this bass that disappoints it’s got everything you could ask for wrapped up in one great playing instrument. The tone the neck the pick ups the bridge cmon what are you waiting for don’t wait as long as I did to finally strap on this Bass. It’s a winner and I was very happy with the service from Sweetwater. I still love my other guitars but this one definitely gets 5 Stars all the way !!!

Bought my first bass in 81 and I've purchased plenty since then. I think it's safe for me to say that this is by far the best bass that I've ever owned. The sound, playability and looks are second to none. You should get this bass right now before it sells out again, unless it's already sold out, then I recommend you do as I did an order one.

The quality is superb! Way better than Mexico one. My Mexico version is great. Stable neck and good sound. However this American bass just another level. Fast neck, high output and aggressive sounding. Love it. Thanks my sales Randy again.

In today's world, there are so many quality basses and guitars that standing out is hard. Not for this bass. I don't know what ju ju fender put in the coils, but this bass has some serious attitude. It plays like a dream, the neck is just right, and feels like you have being playing it for years out of the box. It is even tone wise across all strings, which is super impressive given that I requested it be set up with a BEAD tuning, and I have to note that my sales dude Alex made sure that it was set up and sent out exactly the way I request as far as set up and action. The B string is not floppy or bomb like, just solid and mean. BEAD you say?!? Hey, I play metal and need a bass that can be both melodic and soulful, or aggressive and growly. Something that will hold down the low end and still stand out in the mix. This is that bass. Will you play like Geddy? I don't know, but this bass will make you want to try, and you will have no problems being heard.

I have collected many basses over the years and most inspired by Geddy Lee (Ric, Steinberger, Wal, Jazz). This custom shop model is the best I've played. First, it's about the neck. It's fatter than the MIM Ged model and just feels so perfect wherever you are fretting. The pickups are so responsive and tweakable making any tone possible. Couple this axe with the TECH21 GED-2112 rack pre-amp or YYZ pedal and you're on your way to having a Geddy sound. Unfortunately, his talent and fingers aren't for sale.

I"m a P-Bass Guy mostly. I love my 58 Fender P bass, but there"s something about THIS Bass that just feels so right. The neck is amazing on this bass, I honestly would swap my necks out on a few of my P Basses with this neck if I could find the necks for sale anywhere. The bass sounds great and plays great and IMO is custom shop quality because the neck feels so good. I"ve had this for 2 years and it"s my favorite bass. I don"t care for other Jazz Basses... But THIS Jazz Bass has something special. I"ll be ordering a 2nd one just to have.

Where to start, the feel of this bass is absolutely amazing. Solid tone and the neck just glides upwards until you get to a special spot on the neck that has some special wear there to get a grip. Love the inlays, binding, neck isn't too small and has some beef to it and the bridge, you can feel the sustain resonating through.
Some have complained about the tuners turning opposite of what most are use to, but I love the old school tuner direction; my opinion it is more natural.
The pickups have a nice clean tone and can get a lil grinding when digging in on it. Just a great bass and I own several US Jazz, MIM Precisions, other brands, but already know this will be my go to bass.
I"ve been in the market for a 4 string Jazz for several weeks and played a slew of them, then I found this one to try out. You know that feeling when you pick one up and you just know, this was that feeling.

The only thing that was strange and not about the bass itself is, the truss rod tool and allen wrenches that came with it doesn"t fit anything on the bass. The truss rod wrench is hex end, the truss rod in this bass is the cross type. Minor, but would like to of had the truss rod tool for this bass just to have it handy.

Pictures do not serve this bass any justice. The craftmanship is beyond exceptional. The fast neck and tones are brillant. I"ve owned this for 2 years and it never ceases to amaze me. I"ve never regretted purchasing this bass and encourge anyone to check one out. Always impressed with Sweetwater"s level of service. Thanks to my sales rep, Jonathan Casarow, for providing a comfortable experience with every purchase.

Just recently got my Geddy Lee Jazz Bass from Sweetwater. Service from Seetwater was great and the bass is awesome! The tones I can get are fantastic and the neck fits perfectly in my left hand and is faster than my P bass knockoff. Also, the bass comes it a strap! Its not listed but it is there. Combining this bass with my Peavey TNT 130 amp is great. Now if I could just learn to play like Geddy Lee lol.

I admit, when I discovered that the bass was strung backwards, it bothered me. I thought, well, maybe I'll have it re-done with different tuners that tune clockwise like they're supposed to. I was wrong. It doesn't take long at all to get used to it. Are you not going to rent a car if your travel to England because the steering wheel is on the "wrong" side? And then I did some digging, and it turns out, this is how bass tuners were first done, and it's the clock-wise ones we've grown accustomed to that are different. In short, the bass kicks a** in every conceivable way -- tone, playability, looks. And it's made to Geddy Lee's specs, so come on! I'll never sell this bass. Love it and play it all the time and tuning backwards is second nature now. No problem.

First off, I'm a guitar player and I have limited experience with playing different makes and models of bass guitars. However, 40 plus years of gigging and recording with quality guitars has taught me what to look for in an instrument. The Geddy Lee American Jazz Bass is top notch all around. Rock solid tuning stability, a fast neck with impecable fret work, a flawless finish, wonderfully voiced pickups, smooth and quiet electronics, and a gig worthy case have me feeling like I got quite a deal for its price. It stands out in a mix and has a wide variety of tones. Great bass.

This is my first jazz bass. I own an American standard pbass and this bass blows it out of the water! I have only owned it for a couple days but I haven't been able to put it down! Its very light, the neck is very fast and sleek and the tonal options are crazy. This is by far the best bass I've ever played. And the customer service I received was amazing. I have researched jazz basses for the last two months trying to decide which one I should purchase Alan Carter, you were great with answering all of my questions and returning every call and email in rapid timing. The customer service here at Sweetwater is in a league of Its own! If you are thinking of purchasing from Sweetwater I highly suggest you do so and be sure to ask for Alan Carter senior sales engineer! Thank you Alan, I will definitely be using Sweetwater for all my future purchases!

This is my 3rd Geddy Lee Jazz bass, the other 2 i have are MIM and when i played the U.S. version it is like night and day, the neck on this is a little more thick than the MIM basses but just as comfortable and easy to play with the satin finish on the back of the neck,the pickups are a lot more brighter with some scoop, definitely a keeper.. And, probably the only jazz bass you'll need.

Thank you to Michael Grebe for the outstanding service and Fender for the bass.You don't have to be a fan of Mr. Lee to appreciate the excellence of this bass,and his input to Fender.
The body is comfortable (on the light side). The neck feels great. The pickups are to die for. It's my understanding they're from Fender's custom shop. Less noise when you solo one up,high gain,quite bright.
The difference between this and it's Japanese or Mexican cousins is quite vast. This is an instrument you'll want to keep forever.

I absolutely love my new Geddy Lee Jazz! It is just gorgeous and it is so nice to play. The quality and craftsmanship are excellent. I played a Squire Precision Bass for years and really wanted a Jazz, so I figured I would go all the way and get a USA Geddy Lee Jazz since Geddy is one of my favorite Bassists.

Having been brought up in the 70's and having started playing bass in 1980. The typical block inlay, neck with binders on it, along with the bridge pickup moved farther back towards the bridge was what we had available on the used market. That was what I've been most used to over the years. The only difference now is, if you want the kind of features available in this model, they will most likely cost you quite a bit now.

I love the satin feel of the back of the neck, it has a broken in feel, the aged, yellowed MOP block inlays, and white marine pearloid pickguard are first class. As was said earlier, the pickups are available from Fender, only in this model, they're modified "Pure Vintage '74", type pickups, done to Geddy's specs. Let me tell you, the fret work is something very close to Fender Custom Shop. Something that's on this model that is also not specific to Fender's American Vintage 1974 Jazz bass, is the reverse cluson pre-CBS style tuners, which I personally like better than the Seventies tuners.

This is a purchase, that if you're a Jazz bass fan, and have always wanted that "just right", Seventies style Jazz, but couldn't all of the features that you'd like to have on it, without ruining the collector's value of a real one, is what you want.

Great bass. Highly recommended. The service is the best in the industry. Everyone needs to shop at Sweetwater!

I have an American Standard P and an American Standard Fretless J as well. I wanted a fretted J that would be significantly different tonally. The USA Geddy Lee fills that spot nicely. It has the 70's pickup spacing (bridge pickup 1/2" closer to bridge) as well as specially wound pickups, which have a good bit more growl than the Custom Shop 60's vintage used in the American Standard. Geddy Lee pickups are definitely hotter, so there's a little more hum noticeable when you're not playing. I don't consider this an issue. The tonal benefits are worth it. The Leo Quan style bridge also contributes to the tonal package. The neck is slightly thicker than the American Standard J. More like a P bass neck. The oiled neck finish is also a different feel than an American Standard. The purpose of the oiled neck on the Geddy Lee is to prevent stickiness under perspiration, but the American Standard neck never gets sticky and has a silkier feel to the finish than the Geddy Lee. The Geddy Lee neck feels more like no finish at all - reminiscent of the feel of a Music Man Stingray that I played. The neck is great overall and plenty quick. I like the thinner American Standard neck with the fretless but prefer the slightly thicker Geddy Lee neck for a fretted J. The build quality is phenomenal. The fret inlays and binding are beautifully done. Biggest plus with this instrument is the tone. Really stands out. Very alive. Articulate. Stock NPS strings are too tinny sounding to my ear. A set of DR Black Beauties (.045 -.105) are a perfect match. This bass is a joy to play and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a little more character to their tone and a little more custom look. As always, Mark Bruhn is the bomb!

Best sounding jazz bass I have ever played. I recommend getting it setup properly and replacing the strings, and boom you got a bass worth it weight in gold...

Yes, I'm a Geddy Lee fan. But I didn't pick this bass up because of that. I've owned quite a few higher-end basses and can tell you that the Fender US Geddy Lee Jazz Bass is probably the best one I've played. The feel and the sound are fantastic. The only thing I don't care for aesthetically is that the neck biding doesn't contrast enough with the maple but that's it. Do yourself a favor, spend the extra few hundred and buy one of these.

Superb instrument! Makes me actually want to play more! Action is very nice, and the satin neck makes for a more smooth feel. Fender wins again!

Bought it for recording and live playing. This bass is the best bass guitar that I've owned! Great value for the money. Now after 40 years of playing I now know what I've been missing in a fine instrument such as this one. Plays very well out of the box. The feel is beyond anything I've played before. I've owned many fender bass guitars before. This one is a keeper for life period! The beauty of it is beyond any pictures you see online... Breath taking!! If you have smaller hands and want great tone look no farther. This is one of the best USA fender jazz basses out there. In my personal opinion you will not be disappointed!

This bass has everything I look for in a rock jazz. Quality, performance, and awesome feel straight out of the case. My previous primary bass is a 2010 American Fender Precision Deluxe with a badass II bridge and a 2010 Jazz Deluxe neck. This Geddy Lee feels very close to that bass but with the tonal rewards of the Jazz pickups. Couldn't be happier!

Well I'm not bass player. But, I am a life long RUSH fan. I play guitar, or at least try. I collect/play American guitars. Which is why I didn't have the Geddy Bass before this; they were Japanese or Mexican.

First off, the neck is crazy easy to play, smooth and non sticky. The cream inlays are a much better look than the black on the original '72.

Second, I think it's easy to play based on my experience w a 6 string and playing finger style.

Third, the price and what you get for the $ is a great deal. And the case is how they all should be made.
I figure Geddy was behind all of this, because you get a lot for the $. Ever been to a Rush show, you always get your $ worth.

Sound= Sounds like a bass. I don't play well enough for it to matter at this point.

All in all, I say its a great bass. Based mostly on looks and feel. American made & priced right. Sweeeeet!

Lastly, Geddy may be the coolest guy on Earth!

Just a fantastic bass all around. The craftsmanship, quality, playability and tone can't be beat. Another winner from Fender

Been thinking about a USA Fender Jazz for the studio for a while and couldn't decide on a model. Then, this bass was announced at the NAMM show and it was a no-brainer since I'm such a huge Rush fan. This bass did not disappoint. Great craftsmanship, this is one fine instrument. Great sound, great feel. Slapped a set of Rotosounds on it and it was good to go.

I've been playing bass for 30 years, have a collection of ten basses, but have never actually owned a Fender electric bass. I know...how can any bassist collect instruments without owning one of the original, most historically significant Fender models? I happen to be a huge Geddy Lee fan, so when this bass was back in stock, I pulled the trigger on it, and now proudly own a Fender Jazz Bass. I'll give you my review on the build quality, playability, and sound.

Build quality is high. First off, it's just a killer looking bass. The pearloid pick guard and block inlays combined with the gloss black... totally classic and simply gorgeous! Very solid components, flawless finish, tight neck joint. All screws were snug without being over torqued. Knobs were all smooth and consistent feeling, and they aligned well. The neck has a slightly sanded finish on it which gives it a "broken in" feel. It's a very solid feeling instrument. I would put the build quality on par with a Music Man special even though this bass is $ cheaper (and has more features like the mother of pearl block inlays, a bone bridge, a pearloid pick guard, and neck binding). I love the custom high mass bridge; I'm sure this contributes to the instrument's excellent sustain. My only gripe with the build quality is the neck binding is a "faux" binding. It's not a piece of wood wrapping the neck, it's just a painted on white stripe. This was disappointing as the description did not make this clear.

Playability is excellent. Neck shape is amazingly comfortable. It's described as a "thick C" shape. I prefer thinner necks, but I found it to not be as thick as expected. The fingerboard is great (I tend to like lacquered / urethane finishes on the fretboard-and this fretboard feels as smooth as my Ken Smith). The gloss fretboard and the neck allow one to slide their left hand effortlessly up and down the instrument. I like the narrower nut, and even with this, the strings were a comfortable distance away from the edge of the fretboard (sometimes an issue with a Music Man basses...the strings are right on the edge and one can pull the G-string off the fretboard if doing aggressive pull-offs). The pickups provide two comfortable anchor points for the right thumb, although I will say the bridge pickup feels a touch too close to the bridge to be a credible playing position. I know it's a jazz bass thing to have the bridge pickup super close to the bridge to pick up the snappy twang, but it's a little closer than what I'm used to. Regarding the body, this is a big bass. The Jazz and P-bass are known to be two of the larger electric basses out there. This bass has a wide, thick solid body and big ole headstock. As large as this instrument measures, it's actually not that heavy. Overall excellent playability and comfort for both the left and right hands, and the larger than average body is only slightly heavier than most of my other basses.

Now for the sound. Shortly stated, the sound is absolutely the highlight of this bass, and it kicks serious @#%! It's the typical, brighter Fender Jazz Bass sound with a boosted bottom end. The low end on this thing is killer...it really is! It is deep and solid and punches you in the chest without being muddy at all. Maybe it's the big jazz bass body, but I'm amazed at how good the lower register sounds on this bass. This is the only passive bass I own; I've tried a couple but generally found the low end to be wimpy and thin. I'm actually really in awe at how they got such a solid low-end signal out of a passive bass. I have basses with 18V preamps that can't generate the beefy low end that the Geddy Lee bass can. The high range is excellent also...aggressive and bright with plenty of Geddy twang, and a touch "impolite" (but easily dialed back if that's your preference). Overall, this bass has a sound that is as good, if not better than pretty much every other bass I own...and that's what it is all about. I think Fender should take these custom wound pickups and make them the standard for all new jazz basses...they sound incredible! Highest ratings on the sound quality.

Critiques? First, I already mentioned the painted-on binding. The other (more significant) thing is that the single coil pickups are noisy if you do anything other than have them at the same volume. If you want to emphasize the bridge pickup over the neck pickup or vice versa, you will get hum out of this bass. If you want to avoid the hum, you must keep the pickups balanced in volume. Therefore (for me) this bass is a sonic "one-trick pony." I suppose this is the price you pay to get the "edgier" sound of a single coil instead of the "smoother" sound of a humbucker. Fortunately, the balanced, hum-free sound it does generate is one of the best bass sounds I own, and the tradeoff is well worth it.

Overall summary, this is an incredible bass for the price; it has features and sound that one might expect to find on a bass costing significantly more. It is a well-built, solid bass, with high quality hardware. It is a wonderfully comfortable bass to play, with a fast neck and fretboard. It may be a little larger\heavier than other basses, but that's just how Fender builds both the P-Bass and Jazz Bass. This is not only the best sounding passive bass I've ever played, but it is one of the best sounding basses I've played period. If you are looking for a quality bass that has a little extra punch and "mojo" in its sound, I would highly recommend this bass.

I gave a previous review on this bass on March 14, 2016. I still give the bass itself a full 5 stars. It is a wonderful instrument and I have received many compliments on the tone I get from it since I started playing it. Read the previous review for all the details. In this review I have dropped the overall rating to 4.5. The reason for this is the case. Previously, Fender contracted with SKB for the cases used with American Standard, Deluxe, etc. basses. If you have one of these cases, you know how good they are. The contract with SKB ended a year or two ago. The new cases are not the same quality. They lack the reinforcing ribs on the sides and the raised skids on the ends. The latches are also not as rugged and can be opened just by being touched. I've had one pop open just while carrying it. Definitely would not trust this case to baggage handlers. I spoke to Fender about it. The Fender customer service guy concurred with my observations. He said that you can still buy the SKB case aftermarket and suggested I do that if I ever plan to fly with the bass. Sweetwater sells the case (Item ID: 1SKB-44PRO), which is specifically designed for J and P basses. I will likely make the investment. Hopefully the powers that be at Fender will rectify this situation. The cases they sell with their instruments should be of the best quality. The current cases are substandard.

I've been playing bass for over 4 decades now. I've played Rickenbackers, Fender Precisions, Hamers, Warwicks, and Ibanez. This is my first Jazz bass...and man am I glad I waited for this version!

I had previously tried out the MIJ Geddy Lee model. Nice bass, but the neck was just too thin for me (I lean more towards the "half of a baseball bat" kind of necks). The neck on the US version is thicker, but not overly massive. It's a shade narrower than my Precision, but not enought to through me off. And let's not overlook the fact that this instrument is just plain gorgeous to look at too.

I took it to rehearsal last week, and it sits just great in a 5 piece band. For me, one of the hardest things is when you've got a lot of keyboards in a band...finding a tone that cuts through but still sounds like a bass. With very little tweaking to my rig, I found my sonic space.

At the show the following weekend, I had planned to just play it during our Rush numbers. After I put it on, I would up playing 2/3rds of the night...I just felt very right. I should point out that the tuning was extremely stable on this bass (and I play hard with my fingers and a pick depending on the song).

This is the first passive bass I've had in a while, so there was a little work to do matching levels to my other basses. I use a Sansamp programmable bass driver...so it was simply a matter of making a channel for Jazz and that was the end of that.

In addition to selling me an amazing instrument, I've got to give a shout out to the shipping department at Sweetwater. I've ordered a fair number of guitars that were shipped to me...some packed better than others. This bass was double boxed and completely padded with bubble wrap. It was the best "packed" bass I've ever received. Trust me, it's a major drag to get a new instrument, open it up and find that a staple in the box has gouged the finish (true story). And finally, the set up from Sweetwater was excellent. I had to tweak it very little to make it comfortable for me.

I've never been that big a fan of Jazz basses until now. The little tweaks that Fender did to this instrument under the direction of Mr. Lee make for a special playing instrument.

I loved the bass, but the retro tuning pegs are uncomfortable and awkward. This is the only bass where the tuning pegs operated in a clockwise (toward you) manner to sharpen a note. This was very awkward and a
I just didn't like it. Fortunately, the Sweetwater experience is so good, and especially with my sales partner Evan, that the return was effortless. I love this company for a lot of reasons, but this is my latest.