Hi!! I currently have a Squire Classic Vibes '60 Jazz Bass, and have begun to think here and there of what I’d want as I get better at the bass (I can tell the bass is already quite an addicting hobby ).
I love my Squire so far, but in particular I’ve been having trouble when it comes to playing high on the fret board (in the 12 and higher range), and have been researching here and there if there would be a bass that would be a little easier for me to play in the higher frets. I saw at my local Guitar Center today that they have the Jackson X Series Concert Bass on clearance for $380. It seems like the higher frets would be much easier to get around due to the construction of the neck on the Jackson.
I’m wondering if anyone else has had experience with Jackson basses and if they think it would be a good ‘upgrade,’ especially considering the price? Or, better to hold out as I may want something completely different 6 months - 1 year from now. I’m about 2 months into the course, on Module 12 right now.
Jackson and Squier are both Fender brands. I hate talking someone out of a new bass, but playing higher frets will come with practice and technique. The angles of the neck as you hold it will make a big difference.
Ibanez does make a fast neck though. So does Charvel, ESP, and a few other brands
My Squire has 20 frets with the bolt-on neck, whereas the Jackson has 24 frets with a neck-through (no stick-out bolt), so I was thinking that part of the Jackson may make it a little easier for me. But of course, know that it just takes time, patience, and practice with my Squire and I’ll get it.
Ibanez Soundgear is a hard one to beat. Really does a lot of things well and the used market is very thick with them. But of the 2 you were asking about I’d go with Jackson. The concert bass is a very cool one. They sound good and they don’t look as cookie cutter and plain as a fender.
From looking at the basses, you would have a slightly more comfortable transition from neck to body. You’d lose the “Fender block.”
However, at that point of the neck, you don’t really need to use your thumb behind the neck. The most important factor is how you hold the bass guitar, and how your strap sits if you use one. Do you rest the bass on your right or left leg? Inbetween? Does the strap hold it up even if you’re sitting? Do you angle the neck up, down, or is it parallel to the ground, á la Tim Commerford? Do you even care?
There are people who rest the thumb flat against the neck, or just under the G-string, or even float the thumb entirely. What helped me was to learn a nice pattern for playing scales - only then did it click that I have to practise playing there to learn where the frets are.
If you like the Jackson when it’s in your hands and you’ve played for a while (both sitting and standing up), then go for it. $380 is not a lot for a nice instrument.
Thank you!! I’ve been playing around with my thumb placement on my Fender to figure out what works better for me. I haven’t thought about maybe needing to adjust how I hold the bass overall (strap, etc) - will play around with that!
It’s true that Ibanez, Cort, PRS, G&L, and Squier instruments are all made in the same factory in Surabaya, Indonesia (while Yamahas are made in their own different one in Jakarta). But I wouldn’t say they are all the same
For example, I owned a Cort M600 (a PRS clone, made in the same factory as the SE line), and the PRS SE is a much better guitar.
On the other hand, Cor-Tek’s Made in Korea guitars are supposed to be quite good. And they make some of the PRS line there. So
).
