The Jazz-Bass – Infinite Worlds of Sound

This is the story of an electric bass model from the 1960s that began conquering the stages and studios of the world more than six decades ago, delighting new audiences night after night, breaking down genre boundaries, and enabling new playing techniques.

Well, dear readers, there’s no denying it: The Jazz-Bass is probably the most influential bass model in the history of music on our planet. On its long journey from the drawing board of its ingenious inventor Leo Fender to stages and studios around the world, the Jazz-Bass has secured a firm place as the cornerstone of all modern music styles.

Join me on a journey into the origins of this popular bass model, its influence on the bass scene, and its evolution into modern reinterpretations such as the Super Jazz-Bass.

The Jazz-Bass is born

The Jazz-Bass was introduced by US manufacturer Fender in 1960 as the successor to the ground-breaking Fender Precision-Bass. That model had revolutionized bass playing in the 1950s by offering an amplified and fretted alternative to the unwieldy double bass, which was often too quiet.

Building on his experience with the Precision Bass, Leo Fender developed an electric bass model that offered players a slimmer and therefore more comfortable neck and a greater variety of sounds.

The asymmetrical offset body of the Jazz-Bass – similar to Fender’s Jazzmaster guitar – was not only visually striking, but also very ergonomical. Featuring a dual-pickup configuration, it was capable of three fundamentally different sounds: the rumbling sound of the neck pickup, the gnarly, bony sound of the bridge pickup, and, last but not least, a mix of both, which delivered a fat all-round sound with a classy-feeling “mid scoop”.

The Jazz-Bass simply had everything – no wonder it quickly became the favourite of many bass players of the time, something that hasn’t changed much to this day!

Legendary Jazz-Bass players

Over the decades, the Jazz-Bass has become the preferred instrument of numerous legendary bassists. Let’s look at some artists who wrote music history with the Jazz-Bass:

Jaco Pastorius

The undisputed king of the Fender Jazz-Bass. With his fretless instrument (the so-called “Bass Of Doom”) in particular, “Jaco” turned the bass world on its head, playing fast-paced bebop lines and pumping staccato funk grooves or using harmonics to weave chords and melodies into his bass playing. In doing so, he impressively demonstrated that an electric bass can be much more than just a rhythm machine. Whether as a solo artist or as a sideman for bands such as Weather Report or Joni Mitchell – Jaco Pastorius made the Jazz-Bass the main attraction!

Geddy Lee

The bassist from Rush is probably one of the reasons why so many rock fans play a Jazz-Bass these days. His incredibly powerful style shows that this bass model is by no means confined to delicate jazz, but also excels in hard progressive rock.

Larry Graham

With the technique he invented, Larry Graham not only started the slapping trend, but also caused a run on the Jazz-Bass in music shops. In bands such as Sly & The Family Stone or Graham Central Station, the master immortalized himself with tracks such as “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”, “Hair” or “Pow”.

Marcus Miller

With his extremely sophisticated slap technique and a 1977 Fender Jazz-Bass modified by Roger Sadowsky with retrofitted active electronics, Marcus Miller has made it hard not to think of him nowadays when we hear a slapped Jazz-Bass.

Tal Wilkenfeld:

The musical all-rounder shows that the Jazz-Bass lends itself not only to classical playing but also to modern genres and cross-genre explorations. Her playing is a fusion of tradition and innovation.

The Super Jazz-Bass

While the Jazz-Bass from Fender and other manufacturers (e.g. Harley Benton, Squier, etc.) will probably always remain a coveted classic, quite a few other companies have taken its design as inspiration to create their own versions of this bass model.

A “Super Jazz-Bass”, for example, is a further development of the classic Fender design with features that meet the requirements of modern players. Here are a few typical features:

•  Active electronics: With built-in onboard EQ, the sound can be adapted to any musical situation at the touch of a button with clean highs, growling mids, or powerful lows. From funky to fat to delicate – a Super Jazz-Bass can do it all!

•  Improved hardware: High-mass bridges and ultra-lightweight tuners ensure eternal sustain, a nimble response, and a good balance of the instrument in terms of weight distribution.

•  Exotic woods: While the Jazz-Bass was traditionally made with an alder or ash body, modern variants are available in a wide variety of woods. Want a Jazz-Bass with a mahogany body and ebony fingerboard? No problem for many boutique manufacturers! And if you’re a fan of a sophisticated wood look, there are beautiful body top instruments that have got you covered.

•  Extended range: A Jazz-Bass with five or even six strings? Why not, there are no limits to the imagination here.

Popular modern manufacturers

The following manufacturers have reinterpreted the Jazz-Bass and created true classics in the process:

Sadowsky:

Roger Sadowsky’s basses are known for their extremely precise workmanship and well-rounded sound while paying homage to the Fender original.

Fodera:

This New York-based company has taken “high-end” to a new level – without leaving the typical Fender growl behind!

Lakland:

Lakland combines classic designs with modern technology, particularly with its popular Skyline series. A real crowd favourite.

Mayones:

This Polish brand stands for quality workmanship, eye-catching looks, and plenty of sound options.

Sandberg:

German engineering at its best – Sandberg basses are manufactured with high precision and play fantastically well.

Sire:

This Korean company is simply a phenomenon, because it manages to utilize high-quality components such as active electronics, HiMass bridges, or in some cases even precious wood tops at prices that are simply unbelievable.

Quo Vadis, Jazz-Bass?

Whether from Fender or another manufacturer, the Jazz-Bass is and remains the “gold standard” for bass players and has established itself as a timeless all-rounder. From pop, rock, metal to soul, funk, and country – with a Jazz-Bass you can always hit the right note!

And thanks to the Super Jazz-Bass, the legacy is now being passed on in exciting ways: tradition meets high-tech. This means that the possibilities for us players continue to grow.

And who knows? Maybe someone with a Jazz-Bass is writing the next chapter in this impressive story right now and will soon join the big stars of the industry!

Jazz-Bass: Tell us your story!

Do you also play a Jazz-Bass or want to get one? Tell us your story in a comment!