Bass Emporium Newsletter - November 2007
The Bass Whisperer Reports:
Fender 1975 Reissue Jazz Bass
by Ed Friedland
Since it first arrived in 1961, the Fender Jazz Bass has set a high standard for tone, versatility and playability. Originally conceived as the deluxe model to the already popular Precision bass, the J's two pickup configuration offered greater tonal options, while the slimmer 1.5" nut gave the neck a sleeker feel. The '60s Jazz is a Holy Grail axe for many players, and prices for genuine instruments in decent condition are pushing well past the 10K mark. Luckily there are plenty of great reissue models on the market ranging from the Mexican-built Classic Series '60's Jazz all the way to the Ultra-Relic Custom Shop '64 Jazz. Although the '60s J-Bass did experience some design tweaks, the instrument remained largely unchanged until the 1970s.
THAT 70's JAZZ
The 1970s were a difficult time for Fender. Deep in the throes of the CBS regime's corporate approach to guitar building, quality control was inconsistent at best. But despite accountants meddling with the production line, Fender still managed to produce many gems during that time. Savvy collectors have always known this—way back before the price of most '70s Fenders went over the $1,000 mark, a Jazz bass from the mid-'70s commanded $1,200 and up for a clean specimen. These days, count on spending $3,000 or more.
It was 1970 when Fender introduced the natural finish on ash bodies, and while it's earthy-crunchy appeal was timely, it remains one of the most popular finishes. However, the most significant development to the Jazz happened when the bridge pickup was moved .4" closer to the bridge.
While some sources pinpoint 1970 or '71 for this change, other accounts place the move between '72-73. Jay Piccirillo, Senior Marketing Manager for Fender Bass Products tells us "The Fender folklore around the pickup position change goes in two directions. For one, there were cosmetic concerns—the idea was to have the pickup placed further under the bridge pickup cover. Also, there was an awareness at that time of the emergence of the slap bass style, and moving the pickup gave the instrument a more trebly, biting tone." Whether driven by cosmetics or tone, the .4" difference is a critical element in the sound of '70s funk masters like Larry Graham and the then teenage phenomenon Marcus Miller.
It was late 1974 when the three-bolt neck (migrating over from the Telecaster Bass), Micro-Tilt Adjust, and bullet truss rod adjuster (positioned on the headstock instead of the heel of the neck) were introduced, and by 1975 all of these features were standard.
While unfairly maligned as the cause of the loose neck/body joint that plagued many '70s Fenders, the three-bolt neck was an engineered necessity for the Micro-Tilt Adjust system to work. Fender's Manager of Consumer Relations, Bob Willocks comments: "Dislike for the three-bolt neck is in part due to Fender fans disdain for anything CBS related." He adds, "If you keep your neck bolts tight and don't lean on it, it will hold its position just fine." Also, keep this in mind: slop in the neck pocket is a product of the fit, not how many bolts are holding the parts together—considering Fender's quality control issues during that time, it's no wonder some people are leery of the three-bolt neck.
The Micro-Tilt feature is also under-appreciated by Fender-philes, no doubt due in part to its CBS pedigree. It is not uncommon for a production line bolt-on neck instrument to need a little shim at the heel of the neck pocket to create the optimal neck angle. Many companies install shims at the factory as part of their final setup. But placing a narrow shim at the base of the neck pocket creates a gap between the shim and the neck bolt. Over time, this can wreak havoc on the upper portion of the fingerboard—not to mention the loss of vibration transfer created by the gap. The Micro-Tilt uses a metal plate to support the neck while an allen screw pushes it into it's ideal position.
'70s RERUNS
In the early 1990's Fender Japan reissued a '70s Jazz bass, and later the '75 Jazz. This instrument was discontinued in the mid '90s, and Fender US introduced the current reincarnation of the '75 Jazz in 1999. Available only in natural finish with an ash body, the American Vintage Series '75 Reissue Jazz comes with either maple or rosewood fingerboards. The rosewood board sports white binding with pearl, rectangular position markers, while the maple option offers a black binding with black markers. For the vintage sticklers: While the pearl blocks and white binding were most common on maple fingerboards of the time, some black/black models were produced.
Built in Corona, CA, the American Vintage '75 Reissue Jazz is a great example of Fender's new golden era—quality control and consistency of materials are at an all-time high for the company. The review instrument has a maple fingerboard, though I had the opportunity to A/B it with an identical model with the rosewood board. The two basses were both excellent specimens, I chose the maple to review simply based on personal preference.
TOP TO BOTTOM
Because changes to Fender instruments happened over periods of time, and record keeping was not a concern, it's difficult to pinpoint an exact moment during 1975 where all the features on the '75 Reissue were present. It's better to look at this bass as more of an amalgam of classic '70s appointments. The shorter stemmed, open-gear tuners are '70s appropriate, and have "Fender" stamped into the base plate.
The 1.5" nut is mounted in a 20-fret, maple "C" shape neck with a gloss polyurethane finish, and rosewood "skunk stripe" down the back. Many Fender maple fingerboards were part of a one-piece neck and the truss rod was installed from the rear, with a strip of rosewood covering the installation channel. (Rosewood fingerboards are laid over the maple neck and have the truss rod channel routed under the fingerboard.) The "bullet" truss rod adjuster is way more convenient to access than the '60s placement down at the neck heel—you won't have to carve up your pickguard to get at the screw.
The three-bolt neck joint, as earlier discussed is true-to-vintage, and with the Micro-Tilt, gives you easy adjustment for a perfect setup without taking off the neck. To raise the neck heel, loosen the neck bolts by a half-to-full turn. With the included allen wrench, tighten the set screw just a tad to push up against the internal plate—a little goes a long way down there. Re-tighten your neck bolts and check the neck angle. Piccirillo adds: "While at some point during the '70s, corners were cut in the manufacturing process that led to a less-than-effective implementation of the three-bolt/Micro-Tilt system, with the '75 Reissue, we made a point of getting it right." True enough, the fit of the neck pocket is tight and slop-free.
The grain of the ash body is beautifully displayed with the clear polyurethane finish, and—unlike many '70s Fenders, the AV '75 Reissue is no "boat anchor", it weighs in at a trim 8.5 lbs. During the '70s, Fender's "Thick-Skin" finish was meant to protect the wood, but it also contributed to a brighter tone. The natural finish has not been "antiqued" yellow like on the Marcus Miller signature Jazz, it looks more like Marcus' bass would have looked brand new. A three-ply black/white/black pickguard is another era-specific touch and two '75 Vintage Jazz Bass single coil pickups (in '70s position) with volume/volume/tone controls provide the classic J-Bass sound. The American Vintage '70s bridge has single groove saddles, adjusted with small slot-head screws, not the allen screws of the later years.
The instrument comes with a Deluxe Black Hardshell case with orange interior, and a full complement of "case candy", including a strap, cable, owner's manual, wrenches, thumb rest and pickup covers. They even include a foam strip that glues in to the bridge pickup cover for the authentic old school Fender tone. The front pickup cover and thumb rest both have screw holes ready in the pickguard, but you'll have to drill into the body to actually install them—as well as the bridge cover.
TEST DRIVE
The AV '75 Reissue feels immediately familiar, in all the best ways. The fit and finish are excellent, and the overall build quality stands up to boutique clones costing much more. With both pickups up full, the bass has a warm, punchy full-range tone, but with the audible edge associated with the brighter sounding '70s-era instruments. Rolling off the bridge pickup a tad delivers a dark, hollow chunk—not quite a P-Bass, but close. Favoring the rear pickup gives you the classic burpy sound that works great for fingerstyle funk, bebop lines and aggressive rock.
It's hard to find anything to complain about with this axe, even the standard bass-reviewer-nit-picking seems pointless. It's a well-built, light-weight Jazz bass with the specific tone of the '70s pickup position—a terrific remake of one of Fender's great moments in bass-dom. Combing the vintage market today might turn up an original, but cost aside—there is no guarantee it will be a gem. The new AV '75 Reissue Jazz has all the earmarks that make this vintage desirable, with the added benefit of much-improved quality control from the factory. With a selling price of $1,499, it can compete on any terms with Lakland and Sadowsky—but it's made in the US and says "Fender" on the headstock.
TONE TEST
I recorded the Fender American Vintage '75 Jazz Bass Reissue direct into Pro-Tools via a passive Radial Engineering Pro DI, with Evidence Audio Lyric HG cable. As the factory strings had seen some time on the sales rack, I swapped them out for a fresh set of nickel LaBella Slappers. The first 3 (and 1/2) examples were recorded flat with just minimal compression. The second half of the slap example (#4) has the classic "smiley face" eq added to show how the tone can be sculpted into a more modern slap sound.
Sample 1 - Both pickups on full, played fingerstyle: The 75 RI has the perfect tone for sitting in the mix—a full, round bottom end, good mid definition, with just a hint of ice along the edge.
Sample 2 - Bridge pickup solo: Rather than take the neck pickup out of the blend totally, I roll it off to roughly "8", leaving just a touch of it's influence. It has a tight tone—clear as a bell, but it still fills out the low end. It responds quickly to whatever right hand approach you take.
Sample 3 - Favoring the neck pickup, I roll off the bridge pickup to "8" and get a fat, woody sound that blooms. I rolled the tone control back to roughly "7" to round off the edge and create a warm fingerstyle tone that's perfect for blues, reggae, country, r&b, whatever!
Sample 4 - How can you not spank a '75 Jazz? The first half of the track has the bass eq'd completely flat. It's a little strident compared to the modern slap tone Marcus Miller dialed in with his '70s J, but this was the raw material he was working with. Around 00:15, I added eq to get closer to the modern tone you might get with a preamp. Okay, I ain't Marcus, but you can hear that this bass will give you the sound with the proper treatment.
BOTTOM LINE
The Fender American Vintage '75 Reissue Jazz Bass is a wonderful example of a legendary species. The overall construction, tone and vibe are right on the money. If you want true '70s Jazz Bass tone, look no further. If you're looking to create your own Marcus "monster bass", the '75 RI is the perfect platform—you're only a Badass II bridge and onboard pre-amp away from having a classic mid-'70s funk machine.
Ed Friedland is a renowned Bassist, Educator and Author. He has authored over 15 books and DVDs and has played with the likes of Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Robben Ford, Paul Horn, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Bud Shank, Lew Tabackin & Michal Urbaniak to name just a few. Ed is also currently teaching at Bass Emporium in Austin, Texas. Check out the Ed Friedland website for full information about him at http://www.edfriedland.com/.
