S101 JFJ2 (J bass) Review

History:

Purchase: I stumbled upon this budget bass by accident. I had my Fender Jazz in the repair shop that I use here on Long Island. While there, the owner says to me, "you have to check out these basses, you won't beleive it." He was right. I paid $219 for it. The P style basses where going for $199.

What I Like About This Unit: The setup made me take notice right away. The playability is beautiful, with medium-low action and no fret buzz. The bass I got has a rosewood fingerboard, maple neck, hardwood (probably poplar or basswood) body and is black with a white, traditional J style pickguard, with chrome control cavity cover. It's very classic looking. While not great, the single coil JJ pickups don't sound half bad, certainly as good as the Mexican Made Fenders.

What I Do NOT Like About The S101 JFJ2 (J bass): This bass is made in China. As with most Asian-made budget basses, quality control is less than perfect.

JFJ2 (J bass) Quality: One of the bridge anchor screws was stripped (I used a shim to correct it) as was one of the pickguard cover screws. The control cavity had excess saw dust floating around (which I blew out). The neck joint is rock solid, but the tuners are kind of stiff.

Summary: For $219, this is a terrific value for a budget bass. Unless having "Fender Jazz Bass" on the headstock means that much to you, save yourself $150 from the price of a MIM Fender and check out this J bass. The website is www.ascguitars.com

Rating of this product: 4

This S101 Bass Guitars Review Submitted By: The Big Cheese

Date: 2003-02-28