Squire jazz bass jv

Stjofön Big · August 10, 2009, 07:16:42 AM

Hi! After several years with Epiphone Rivoli, followed by more then 20 years with a '65 Precision, at times alternating with a T-bird, and from about ten years ago Epiphone Embassies, I thought I had found the love of my life in the Bach T-bird. Then one night, couple of weeks ago, I forgot to bring a bass to the rehearsal room. But there was a Squire Jazz Bass waiting in a corner, ready to be tested. Now, in the old, pre-Beatlic, days, the Jazz Bass never occured to me as a suitable bass for rock, blues or pop. It was, of course, only the name that kept me from it. The P-bass was what I had in mind for the long run. A cool bass!
Stupid, as I am, I've never touched a Jazz bass. Until the moment I'm talking about. Wow, pure harmony! Super slim neck, such economy, such ergonomy! I didn't even have to stretch my left arm the slightest to get to the G or F on the E string. (The E tone was even simplier, can you believe!!!) The ergonomy was most impressing. Last Thursday I decided not to bring any bass for rehearsal. I had to try the Squire again, to see if it really was as fantastic as I remembered it. It was.
Now, the sound does not impress me. Doesn't matter which way I turn the buttons, except for volume. So I checked with a collector. He told me to look out for a Squier Jazz JV, early 80's model, that should have real good PU's.
Is there anyone here, who is familiar with that bass? Or do you have any other ideas concerning Jazz basses? Is there any other good copies around?
Signature "One who's never played a JB before"

luve2fli · August 10, 2009, 07:37:07 AM

The Squier JV series were the first produced by Squier Japan back in the early 80's .... 1982-83 to be exact. Great basses all around and they had a good run of quality instruments up until the late 80's .... after that, Squier truly became the Fender budget brand. However, recently they've released their "Vibe" series basses (of which I have two - the 50's P and the 60's J) and these are the closest instruments they've built in the last 20 years to those original JV's. Given the fact that the early Squier's really aren't collector pieces (I've seen them go for $250 - $500 on Ebay .... maybe $600 for dead-mint condition), grab one of the new Vibe Jazz basses used. You won't be sorry.

....... Oh, as a bonus, the pickups are actually VERY good.

If you're looking for a Jazz copy, the options are endless - there's offshore stuff available for $200 but you can get up into the $3K range if you want a boutiqe "Jazz-on-steroids" from Sadowsky or Lull. Personally - my favourite Jazz copy is the Hamer Cruise bass from the 90's ...... the USA-made one with the 2TEK bridge. Now THAT'S how you copy a Jazz bass!

Stjofön Big · August 10, 2009, 07:48:49 AM

Thanks, Luv! I'll check into them right away!

OldManC · August 10, 2009, 08:48:12 PM

I saw this '84 Squier on eBay in 2004. I can't remember if it was a BIN or just at the end of a no bid auction, but I got it for something like $200. Its neck feels just as nice as the '62 reissue Jazz necks that Fender sold for a while, slab fingerboard and all. Those are my favorite Fender neck. I sold my Lakland DPLE Jazz once I got this. That's how much I like it.

Freuds_Cat · August 10, 2009, 10:18:40 PM

I have an 82 JV. Original pickups sucked. I have all the original hardware and eletrics but have replaced the bridge with a Badass 3 because I like the extra sustain and the pups with Active EMG's. Blasphemy to some but it sounds great to me compared to what it was.

Highlander · August 11, 2009, 12:14:09 AM

Hmm...

Not now... prioritise, Kenny boy...

Freuds_Cat · August 11, 2009, 12:23:00 AM

The body of mine is Sen Ash rather than the more traditional Swamp/Northern American Ash or Alder. Sen is very uniform grained wood looks and sounds great now.

Stjofön Big · August 11, 2009, 12:43:47 AM

Interesting! $200 must have been very resonable, though I've checked the Ebay of today, and it seems as the price has rised since you got yours, George. Now, Freud is not satisfied with the pickups, but what do you think about them, George?
It all sounds more and more interesting to me!

OldManC · August 11, 2009, 08:43:51 PM

As of now mine is stock. I got a great deal on some Fender CS Jazz pickups a while back and will do the switch one of these days, but not because I don't like what's in there now. It's very usable as is.

As an aside, I have to second the props on the EMGs. I put them in my '78 P in 1989 (P with a J at the bridge) and never looked back. I played the bass non stop for almost three years beforehand and found that the EMGs didn't substantially change the sound of the bass at all. It just made everything I liked about how it sounded sound even better.

Freuds_Cat · August 11, 2009, 11:10:09 PM

Pups on the 82 JV had the same problem as the pups in my 74 Jazz. Lots of boom in the E and A strings and aenemic (lack of bass) in the D and G. And conversely no tops from the E and A and over abundant tops in the D an G. This didn't change regardless of how the pup was adjusted. These days I would take the pups to local pup maker Mick Brierley and get him to sort out whatever the problem is because I'm sure they can sound good but were poorly manufactured. Back when I bought these basses I didnt have the same understanding of pups as I do now or the availability of experts in the field.

I find the Active EMG's to be very colourless pups. I mean this in a good way. They really give you a very even, balanced and transparent sound which I find acurately lets the natural sound of the wood come through.

Bart! · August 12, 2009, 03:19:11 AM

Everything you always wanted to know about the JV basses; http://www.21frets.com/

Freuds_Cat · August 12, 2009, 06:09:48 AM

Yeah good point Bart, I should have mentioned it. Larry and Paul do a fantastic job on that website and are very helpful, personable guys.

lowend1 · August 17, 2009, 01:41:09 PM

Don't feel that you HAVE to get a JV in order to score a great J-Bass - I have two Mexi models that are very nice, the Squier Classic Vibe model is sweet and the SX Jazz knockoffs are a spectacular value. I tend to prefer the 70s style moreso than the 60s because of the pickup positioning, growlier tone and block fret markers, but that's IMHO, naturally. Truth be told, though, my favorite setup is a P-Bass body with a Jazz neck and PJ pickup config.
Those 80s MIJ Squiers are killer though - I have the "SQ" series P-Bass and I love it.

Stjofön Big · October 02, 2009, 01:14:40 AM

Ohoy! Been thinking about them ol Jazz basses again. They won't leave me alone with my regular thoughts! Anyone got opinions concerning this one: http://www.bachmusik.com/en/p100987/bach-jb-01ror/
We know about the Bachbird, and how good that one is. But this one?

eb2 · October 02, 2009, 01:23:44 AM

I have no idea if the Bach Jazz is good or not worth a bucket of warm spit. But it looks decent.

I think the early 80s Squier basses are great. There were some that were sold in the US as Fender but made in Japan in that period, but they all seem to be great. The JV Jazz basses were pretty much a 62 RI bass, and a lot of the early ones had left-over Fullerton pickups and pots too. I have a Fender Japan DUFF bass, and the damn thing plays and sounds great. A few years ago you could have bough those black necked things for $200.