Fender Part II: The Sounds & Players of the Jazz Bass

As the second bass Fender released after the Precision bass exploded onto the music scene, the now legendary Fender Jazz offered a totally different feel and sound that musicians flocked to. From the slender neck profile – the nut width measured at just 38.1mm in the 60s, a whopping 6mm smaller than the typical Precision of the time – to the offset-style body and pair of single coil pickups, there were plenty of reasons to explore what the Jazz had to offer.

As we’re already aware, the release went quite well. The Jazz bass now sits atop the mountain alongside its slightly older sibling as the most influential bass of all time, being featured on countless records and used worldwide across every genre imaginable. 

What bassists use Fender Jazz basses?

Many players have chosen a Fender Jazz as their bass of choice for studio and live use. The list is truly endless, owing to the wider range of tones attributed to the pickup arrangement when compared to the Precision’s more fundamental tone that has largely remained unchanged. 

From Jaco Pastorius to Larry Graham and the players we’ve focused on for this deep dive, the Jazz bass has been a central part of their legacy and personal sound. 

Geddy Lee: Rush’s YYZ (1981)

Geddy Lee is one of the premier ambassadors of the Fender Jazz bass, having used one almost exclusively since he picked a 1972 Jazz bass up from a pawn shop sometime in 1978. The most notable elements of Geddy’s technique is the extreme level of attack he employs and his right hand technique, playing the vast majority of the time with only his index finger. 

Analyzing YYZ musically would take longer than we have to break down, unfortunately, but we’ve tabbed out the classic riff during the (most commonly regarded as) verse. Fun fact: the intro section when played spells out the letters Y, Y, and Z in morse code. 

How to get the YYZ tone

Geddy Lee’s tone is unlike any other. It definitely takes a bit more finesse to achieve than others, but follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way:

  • Passive Fender Jazz bass
  • Rotosound Swing Bass 45-105 roundwound strings
  • Heavy attack with the plucking hand
  • Tone wide open
  • Boost the treble from an EQ source
  • High gain distortion or overdrive with a blend of the clean signal

Flea: Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Californication (1999)

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been driving funk-infused rock to our sound systems for over 40 years at this point, held together by the virtuosic guitars of John Frusciante and Flea’s hard-hitting and frenetic slap style. There have been a few lineup changes over the years – particularly in the guitar department – but Flea has been a mainstay since the inception of the band alongside singer Anthony Kiedis. 

Californication is the title track to their seventh studio album under the same name and is a distinctly melodic shift from much that came before. Flea shows he can play measured melodic etudes that serve as the core musical theme throughout, allowing Frusciante to augment this Am pentatonic progression with embellishment of his own.

How to get the Californication tone

It’s worth noting that this song is pretty unique in Flea’s output with RHCP. He usually opts for a huge amount of attack and a cutting treble and mid-focused tone, but has certainly pared things back for the purpose of this song. Nothing too wild required to get a solid Californication tone: 

  • Passive Fender Jazz bass
  • Roundwound strings
  • Tone wide open
  • Played with fingers

Marcus Miller: His Whole Career

We couldn’t discuss Fender Jazz basses without a hefty mention of the superstar bassist Marcus Miller. Not only does he have possibly our favourite signature Jazz bass they’ve made (sorry Flea!) but he’s been a pantheon of slap bass innovation for decades. Interestingly, Marcus plays an active Fender Jazz, which, while not a true rarity, is certainly not the typical specification of a Jazz bass. 

It’s simply not possible to distill Miller’s style in eight bars of music, but we’ve thrown in a live performance of Blast for you to enjoy below. He’s provided huge volumes of tuition and educational content over the years, so it is worth spending the time to explore what’s out there if you like his style.

The Bottom Line

The Fender Jazz bass is a true classic that deserves a spot in any bassist’s collection. With the wide range of neck profiles and pickup placements between the 60s and 70s spacing, there’s plenty to dig into and explore to find your perfect Jazz. 

The characteristic bright tone and versatility of the two single coil pickups offer a spectrum of creative tone-shaping, making them superb workhorse basses that can be brought to live performances and sessions across genres.

We’ve always got a beautiful range of vintage and fresh examples across USA, Mexico, and Japanese origins – get in touch and book an appointment to find the Jazz bass for you.