Jackson Bass Guitar 4 String For Sale (2023 Update)

After the initial COVID lockdown I landed a gig where I had to have a 5 string bass. So like a red blooded American I took my cash down to the local GC store to buy a fender 5 string American jazz. There wasn't any. I looked for an Ibenez. There wasn't any. I looked for anything and we'll there wasn't any. As the date grew near for our first show, I happened in and they had this one. I was disappointed that this was all there was, but out of desperation, I bought it thinking I would trade it once something I wanted became available. It took me about two months and 10 gigs later when I realized I love this thing. 9 months in and I don't know how many dates later, I wouldn't want to live without it. It plays awesome after a quick and minor setup on the action. The tone is big on the bottom and the mids and highs are as shapable as you want. It is a dream to play and guess what, when I finally got to put my hands on the fender I wanted, I didn't want it anymore. This bass is very much like the high end Ibenez basses. Probably too much for Ibenez's liking actually. I run through a 800w mark bass head with a 2×10 cab and a 1×15 cab. It sounds incredible. The big thing for me is when I run through my amp using the direct out in bypass, it sounds amazing. It is like having a sans amp in the bass. The electrics are that good. I have gotten tons of compliments on the tone and questions about how I got it. I literally just plugged it in. Also I can play it all night and even though it is a five, I am less fatigued then when I play the four fender American jazz I already own. The string spacing and scale I believe is responsible for that. If you are serious about playing a 5 string, at any level, then this bass is one you should look at. I am not super crazy about the esthetics but I get a surprising amount of complements on it. So if that is your thing then rock on I guess. I am getting over the fact that I was a fender snob. Also I believe Jackso is made by fender sooo….Chris

My one only bass for the past 20 years has been a Ibanez SR405 (2001 year model). I feel like I've purchased a big upgrade with this Jackson X Series Spectra. In comparison to the Ibanez, the Jackson's neck is fatter, lower fret sizes are slightly wider and the string spacing is slightly wider. The playability is a lot smoother for my larger fingers/hands. The pickups and active EQ systems are powerful. Need to have some amp/di box control to contain the powerful output when in smaller venues. I use the passive pickup control when in smaller venues and small churches. I feel that what sets this apart from other basses I've tried is how great it sounds to play the d and g strings as well as going above the 12th fret. The stock strings (D'Addario) sound really pretty when playing the higher octaves. The Elixir strings I'm currently using give the B string a BIG SMOOTH THUMP. For those worried about setup out of the box, I live in high altitude. Setup post manufacturer is usually a must because of that. I have been able to get fairly low action without fret buzz after casually messing with adjustments.Zach

After the initial COVID lockdown I landed a gig where I had to have a 5 string bass. So like a red blooded American I took my cash down to the local GC store to buy a fender 5 string American jazz. There wasn't any. I looked for an Ibenez. There wasn't any. I looked for anything and we'll there wasn't any. As the date grew near for our first show, I happened in and they had this one. I was disappointed that this was all there was, but out of desperation, I bought it thinking I would trade it once something I wanted became available. It took me about two months and 10 gigs later when I realized I love this thing. 9 months in and I don't know how many dates later, I wouldn't want to live without it. It plays awesome after a quick and minor setup on the action. The tone is big on the bottom and the mids and highs are as shapable as you want. It is a dream to play and guess what, when I finally got to put my hands on the fender I wanted, I didn't want it anymore. This bass is very much like the high end Ibenez basses. Probably too much for Ibenez's liking actually. I run through a 800w mark bass head with a 2×10 cab and a 1×15 cab. It sounds incredible. The big thing for me is when I run through my amp using the direct out in bypass, it sounds amazing. It is like having a sans amp in the bass. The electrics are that good. I have gotten tons of compliments on the tone and questions about how I got it. I literally just plugged it in. Also I can play it all night and even though it is a five, I am less fatigued then when I play the four fender American jazz I already own. The string spacing and scale I believe is responsible for that. If you are serious about playing a 5 string, at any level, then this bass is one you should look at. I am not super crazy about the esthetics but I get a surprising amount of complements on it. So if that is your thing then rock on I guess. I am getting over the fact that I was a fender snob. Also I believe Jackso is made by fender sooo….Chris

My one only bass for the past 20 years has been a Ibanez SR405 (2001 year model). I feel like I've purchased a big upgrade with this Jackson X Series Spectra. In comparison to the Ibanez, the Jackson's neck is fatter, lower fret sizes are slightly wider and the string spacing is slightly wider. The playability is a lot smoother for my larger fingers/hands. The pickups and active EQ systems are powerful. Need to have some amp/di box control to contain the powerful output when in smaller venues. I use the passive pickup control when in smaller venues and small churches. I feel that what sets this apart from other basses I've tried is how great it sounds to play the d and g strings as well as going above the 12th fret. The stock strings (D'Addario) sound really pretty when playing the higher octaves. The Elixir strings I'm currently using give the B string a BIG SMOOTH THUMP. For those worried about setup out of the box, I live in high altitude. Setup post manufacturer is usually a must because of that. I have been able to get fairly low action without fret buzz after casually messing with adjustments.Zach

After the initial COVID lockdown I landed a gig where I had to have a 5 string bass. So like a red blooded American I took my cash down to the local GC store to buy a fender 5 string American jazz. There wasn't any. I looked for an Ibenez. There wasn't any. I looked for anything and we'll there wasn't any. As the date grew near for our first show, I happened in and they had this one. I was disappointed that this was all there was, but out of desperation, I bought it thinking I would trade it once something I wanted became available. It took me about two months and 10 gigs later when I realized I love this thing. 9 months in and I don't know how many dates later, I wouldn't want to live without it. It plays awesome after a quick and minor setup on the action. The tone is big on the bottom and the mids and highs are as shapable as you want. It is a dream to play and guess what, when I finally got to put my hands on the fender I wanted, I didn't want it anymore. This bass is very much like the high end Ibenez basses. Probably too much for Ibenez's liking actually. I run through a 800w mark bass head with a 2×10 cab and a 1×15 cab. It sounds incredible. The big thing for me is when I run through my amp using the direct out in bypass, it sounds amazing. It is like having a sans amp in the bass. The electrics are that good. I have gotten tons of compliments on the tone and questions about how I got it. I literally just plugged it in. Also I can play it all night and even though it is a five, I am less fatigued then when I play the four fender American jazz I already own. The string spacing and scale I believe is responsible for that. If you are serious about playing a 5 string, at any level, then this bass is one you should look at. I am not super crazy about the esthetics but I get a surprising amount of complements on it. So if that is your thing then rock on I guess. I am getting over the fact that I was a fender snob. Also I believe Jackso is made by fender sooo….Chris

My one only bass for the past 20 years has been a Ibanez SR405 (2001 year model). I feel like I've purchased a big upgrade with this Jackson X Series Spectra. In comparison to the Ibanez, the Jackson's neck is fatter, lower fret sizes are slightly wider and the string spacing is slightly wider. The playability is a lot smoother for my larger fingers/hands. The pickups and active EQ systems are powerful. Need to have some amp/di box control to contain the powerful output when in smaller venues. I use the passive pickup control when in smaller venues and small churches. I feel that what sets this apart from other basses I've tried is how great it sounds to play the d and g strings as well as going above the 12th fret. The stock strings (D'Addario) sound really pretty when playing the higher octaves. The Elixir strings I'm currently using give the B string a BIG SMOOTH THUMP. For those worried about setup out of the box, I live in high altitude. Setup post manufacturer is usually a must because of that. I have been able to get fairly low action without fret buzz after casually messing with adjustments.Zach

I went from a new yamaha with active pickups to this jackson with passive pickups. I don't play much bass, so Literally I was looking for a cheap guitar to record with. It has a solid low end grunt but still maintains the mid bang "slap" as you might call it. No its not spotless, the wood is not colored along some of the seems and its not the prettiest style wise, but for someone who just wants an easy playing, solid sounding bass track, this is a great weapon.Jeremy

I give this bass 5 stars, not because it's comparable to a high end instrument, but because of the quality at this unbelievable price point. I was looking for a passive P-style bass that wouldn't break the bank; my expectations were that I would have to do some work to it (fret level, polish, sharp ends, etc.) However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that none of those issues existed when it arrived, and it was even actually in tune! I lowered the action to my preference, as should be done with every instrument. The neck is extremely comfortable and fast. The plastic nut is cut quite well, bridge is more than adequate, tuners are sufficient and hold tune even with heavy handed attack. The real surprise though, was the strong sustained growling punch of the pickup! This bass actually sounds quite good! I wouldn't hesitate to gig with it: and it's an excellent backup or first bass, that you won't soon outgrow. For reference – I have been playing guitar for 32 years, bass for 25 years and have a MIM Fender Jazz V, and several Ibanez basses (mid grade – professional grade, 4, 5, & 6 string variations). This Jackson isn't in the same class as my others, but that doesn't really mean anything, because it still delivers exceptional quality and value. It is very fun to play, and the tonality is quite useable and shapeable. Bottom line is – this bass is a huge bang for buck!Shasal

This was the first bass I bought myself and im very glad I did. I bought this bass around last December and have been in love ever since. I bought this bass mainly cause of the price tag but also because I was wanting a bass with humbuckers. The epiphone thunderbird had my eye but wasn't exactly in my budget at the time but then I came across this bass. Great price tag and a familiar (body) P bass shape. Fast forward to today and this bass still rocks. The body was put together nicely along with it's finish but you can tell where quality was sacrificed which was the neck. Not terrible or unplayable but you can tell it's a fairly cheap neck. Otherwise the tone, playability, and feel is amazing.Brandon F

I just got this bass and can't seem to put it down. I love all the features about it. The Neck-Thru body construct is a feature I've always wanted with a bass a slim neck for faster playability, loving this bass alreadyBloch Party

I am a working bassist and this bass first caught my eye it's a very cool looking instrument , then I plugged it in and with a little set to fit my playing I was sold , and frankly blown away at this little Ripper. Plays like Butter and has great tone , punch, sustain and independent volume control for each pick up instead of the standard pu mix control I really liked that feature you can really dial in your tone , and this bass is far from being a one trick pony , you could use this bass in most any situation just by simply dialing in the sound you you want for what ever style of music your playing. Can't say enough good things about this bass I'm just loving this bass.Boom Boom

This was my first Jackson product purchase. I was absolutely impressed with the quality of the instrument at this price point. I have purchased other higher priced guitars that weren't as nice as this. I can definitely recommend and will probably be looking to purchase others.busmech70

Highly recommend this bass to anyone and everyone. From experienced and beginners alike. Beautiful finish. Great feeling neck and is just the right weight. Pick one of these up. You won’t be sorry.Glenn

The Kelly Bird looks drop dead gorgeous and sounds absolutely thunderous. It's tone and tone shaping ability is amazing. Clean, gritty with some OD, or even some weird solo synth preset you never use on your effects- all sound like you handed the bass to a pro. It has enough punch to scare the dog but also enough top end to play high. The neck is just wonderful. Sanded from the factory without that sticky shellac on cheaper instruments. The fretboard perfectly laid out and the frets properly rounded. The fit and finish is top notch stage quality level. Stock strings are pretty good and it came to me almost perfectly in tune. I love this guitar. From a tonal standpoint it scores top marks. But whoever designed the body has never even held a guitar. The neck dive is just ridiculous. I've had basses that dived before like Warlocks and Mockingbirds, but the Kelly blows them all away in the sheer speed and violence this neck plummets to Earth. It's only saving grace is that it is light so having to hold the thing up with your fretting hand is possible, but ungainly. But for the pick player- it's a challenge. I've seen Megadeth live and Dave Ellefson's bass doesn't dive when he lets go of it. Mine dives like someone yelled 'Incoming! I ended up shoving tire wheel weights in the electronics box until the bass was half again as heavy– and it still dives, just more slowly now. You'd have to add enough weight that the thing is uncomfortable to completely eliminate the dive. Next I am going to hang weight off the rear strap lock. It's silly that I should have to do all this just to make it stay put. I expect neck dive on these body shapes, but the Kelly takes it to another level. Sitting down is no better. The body slides to the outside of your knee, putting the nut somewhere in the next time zone from your body. It is like playing a Steinberger bass, despite those being small you have a long reach to the nut. As a functional guitar body, the Kelly Bird is terrible. Standing or sitting- it's badly shaped and badly balanced. But man, does it look great. Because it sounds so good, I can't give it anything but high marks for actual playing. But only after I have had to resort to frankly silly fixes to try to make it more playable in the first place. Hands down wins the gold medal for neck dive. Still a great bass sound, still love to play it, still think it's the best sounding bass I've ever had. Just have to accept it's faults like any lady you fall in love with.thesollylama

Let me start by saying I own basses at the lowest end of the spectrum and the highest. I love basses regardless of their price point and play them all. Some I like more than others obviously, but that is based on acoustics of the woods, balance, playability of the neck and the quality of the pick ups- not price. This bass in particular has all of the above. Its sounds good not even plugged in, but once you do plug it in, theres a wide variety of tonal options through a powerful active system. The truss adjustment wheel at the neck heel is a great feature, only seen on my higher end basses. The neck profile is not to fat, not too thin and sanded finish is super smooth and fast. This bass is a great value for the package and excellent build quality for an import.azgillman

This is a great bass! I was looking to a get a dave ellefson Jackson, wanting a 5 string p/j active fender and here it is. Not always normal, the action out of the box was good. Maple neck is great, very smooth to get around. Active electronics are top notch, many styles easily can be had on this instrument. ive recorded, done live gigs and church and this instrument would fit any. Great price point.Sasquatch

This was my first Jackson product purchase. I was absolutely impressed with the quality of the instrument at this price point. I have purchased other higher priced guitars that weren't as nice as this. I can definitely recommend and will probably be looking to purchase others.busmech70

Highly recommend this bass to anyone and everyone. From experienced and beginners alike. Beautiful finish. Great feeling neck and is just the right weight. Pick one of these up. You won’t be sorry.Glenn

The Kelly Bird looks drop dead gorgeous and sounds absolutely thunderous. It's tone and tone shaping ability is amazing. Clean, gritty with some OD, or even some weird solo synth preset you never use on your effects- all sound like you handed the bass to a pro. It has enough punch to scare the dog but also enough top end to play high. The neck is just wonderful. Sanded from the factory without that sticky shellac on cheaper instruments. The fretboard perfectly laid out and the frets properly rounded. The fit and finish is top notch stage quality level. Stock strings are pretty good and it came to me almost perfectly in tune. I love this guitar. From a tonal standpoint it scores top marks. But whoever designed the body has never even held a guitar. The neck dive is just ridiculous. I've had basses that dived before like Warlocks and Mockingbirds, but the Kelly blows them all away in the sheer speed and violence this neck plummets to Earth. It's only saving grace is that it is light so having to hold the thing up with your fretting hand is possible, but ungainly. But for the pick player- it's a challenge. I've seen Megadeth live and Dave Ellefson's bass doesn't dive when he lets go of it. Mine dives like someone yelled 'Incoming! I ended up shoving tire wheel weights in the electronics box until the bass was half again as heavy– and it still dives, just more slowly now. You'd have to add enough weight that the thing is uncomfortable to completely eliminate the dive. Next I am going to hang weight off the rear strap lock. It's silly that I should have to do all this just to make it stay put. I expect neck dive on these body shapes, but the Kelly takes it to another level. Sitting down is no better. The body slides to the outside of your knee, putting the nut somewhere in the next time zone from your body. It is like playing a Steinberger bass, despite those being small you have a long reach to the nut. As a functional guitar body, the Kelly Bird is terrible. Standing or sitting- it's badly shaped and badly balanced. But man, does it look great. Because it sounds so good, I can't give it anything but high marks for actual playing. But only after I have had to resort to frankly silly fixes to try to make it more playable in the first place. Hands down wins the gold medal for neck dive. Still a great bass sound, still love to play it, still think it's the best sounding bass I've ever had. Just have to accept it's faults like any lady you fall in love with.thesollylama

Wow, Just got my Jackson Bass! Took it out of well packaged box & smiled! Fire glow was flawless & Heavy chrome abound! Nice neck-through, & all fit & finish is superb! I haven't set up as yet , but tuned her up & tried it out as is out of box & with a few minutes to figure control knobs was Smiling large again! Strings, for my likes (heavy thumper) were Tad low but with a slight neck tweak (including hex wrenches) & perhaps a small amount of Bridge string height adjustment , this machine will be ready to thump out any style you wish! Responsive 9V Pre-amp! This is no light weight , about what a good American Fender Jazz bass weighs & size! No case, but should fit in any long scale Fender Jazz/Precision style case. As another reviewer had mentioned, it is similar to a "Ricky" style bass but with style & tones as well, as a Fender Precision Plus bass! I'm actually a Fender man, especially Jazz or P bass & others & have several, but am really digging this Beauty per price point! I took a chance & very pleased I did! Check ya's one out!Jerry

I purchased this bass online and my local Guitar Center happened to have it in stock, so I was able to pick it up that same day. Can't complain there. What I could complain about are the finish issues on this specific bass – though it reminded me of a valuable lesson, which is to avoid purchasing an instrument you don't have time to fully inspect.. •The binding where the nut shelf meets the head looks like it was cut with a dull blade. Unnoticeable unless removing truss cover and does not affect playability. •The nut groove for the E string is rough. Looks like the string was melted into it and the excess plastic was left behind. I will correct this once I upgrade the strings in the near future. •The inlay on my 15th fret has a faded/incomplete corner. Cosmetic, but annoying. •The body has an imprint where the pickup cover rested (I removed mine). Only on the top side. Bottom is without dents. Cosmetic but annoying. Then, there is the set up – or lack thereof. It's really not a big deal for me, as I have no problems setting up my guitars and setting up a bass is really the same thing – but for someone who isn't comfortable setting up an instrument, it is very much worth mentioning. The first 2 frets on every string were completely muted/buzzed out. The neck needed quite a bit of relief. Also, the intonation was pretty far off. Now maybe they intentionally come out of the factory with the necks set to bow for shipping reasons? Either way, it's apparent that the employees at Guitar Center do not treat setting up an instrument as a standard. If yours has a good set up, it's likely that they just happened to want to play that instrument between customers. Doesn't leave the best taste in ones mouth, but this place is my only option where I live. The employees were nice enough on a personal level.. Other than those things, I really do love this bass. It feels great after properly setting it up, and has a great variety of tones thanks to the PJ pickup combo, blender knob and active pre-amp. The pre-amp sounds great. It really is a beautiful bass in my opinion and I am happy with my purchase.Paul

I first researched this bass and had tried a couple different basses. This bass is very well made with great features. Beautiful finish, very responsive. And the active EQ makes your tonal choice unlimited. I was expecting a heavy bass, but it wasn't. Jackson didn't disappoint, the quality and craftmanship is very good.Anthony

I went from a new yamaha with active pickups to this jackson with passive pickups. I don't play much bass, so Literally I was looking for a cheap guitar to record with. It has a solid low end grunt but still maintains the mid bang "slap" as you might call it. No its not spotless, the wood is not colored along some of the seems and its not the prettiest style wise, but for someone who just wants an easy playing, solid sounding bass track, this is a great weapon.Jeremy

I give this bass 5 stars, not because it's comparable to a high end instrument, but because of the quality at this unbelievable price point. I was looking for a passive P-style bass that wouldn't break the bank; my expectations were that I would have to do some work to it (fret level, polish, sharp ends, etc.) However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that none of those issues existed when it arrived, and it was even actually in tune! I lowered the action to my preference, as should be done with every instrument. The neck is extremely comfortable and fast. The plastic nut is cut quite well, bridge is more than adequate, tuners are sufficient and hold tune even with heavy handed attack. The real surprise though, was the strong sustained growling punch of the pickup! This bass actually sounds quite good! I wouldn't hesitate to gig with it: and it's an excellent backup or first bass, that you won't soon outgrow. For reference – I have been playing guitar for 32 years, bass for 25 years and have a MIM Fender Jazz V, and several Ibanez basses (mid grade – professional grade, 4, 5, & 6 string variations). This Jackson isn't in the same class as my others, but that doesn't really mean anything, because it still delivers exceptional quality and value. It is very fun to play, and the tonality is quite useable and shapeable. Bottom line is – this bass is a huge bang for buck!Shasal

This was the first bass I bought myself and im very glad I did. I bought this bass around last December and have been in love ever since. I bought this bass mainly cause of the price tag but also because I was wanting a bass with humbuckers. The epiphone thunderbird had my eye but wasn't exactly in my budget at the time but then I came across this bass. Great price tag and a familiar (body) P bass shape. Fast forward to today and this bass still rocks. The body was put together nicely along with it's finish but you can tell where quality was sacrificed which was the neck. Not terrible or unplayable but you can tell it's a fairly cheap neck. Otherwise the tone, playability, and feel is amazing.Brandon F

After the initial COVID lockdown I landed a gig where I had to have a 5 string bass. So like a red blooded American I took my cash down to the local GC store to buy a fender 5 string American jazz. There wasn't any. I looked for an Ibenez. There wasn't any. I looked for anything and we'll there wasn't any. As the date grew near for our first show, I happened in and they had this one. I was disappointed that this was all there was, but out of desperation, I bought it thinking I would trade it once something I wanted became available. It took me about two months and 10 gigs later when I realized I love this thing. 9 months in and I don't know how many dates later, I wouldn't want to live without it. It plays awesome after a quick and minor setup on the action. The tone is big on the bottom and the mids and highs are as shapable as you want. It is a dream to play and guess what, when I finally got to put my hands on the fender I wanted, I didn't want it anymore. This bass is very much like the high end Ibenez basses. Probably too much for Ibenez's liking actually. I run through a 800w mark bass head with a 2×10 cab and a 1×15 cab. It sounds incredible. The big thing for me is when I run through my amp using the direct out in bypass, it sounds amazing. It is like having a sans amp in the bass. The electrics are that good. I have gotten tons of compliments on the tone and questions about how I got it. I literally just plugged it in. Also I can play it all night and even though it is a five, I am less fatigued then when I play the four fender American jazz I already own. The string spacing and scale I believe is responsible for that. If you are serious about playing a 5 string, at any level, then this bass is one you should look at. I am not super crazy about the esthetics but I get a surprising amount of complements on it. So if that is your thing then rock on I guess. I am getting over the fact that I was a fender snob. Also I believe Jackso is made by fender sooo….Chris

My one only bass for the past 20 years has been a Ibanez SR405 (2001 year model). I feel like I've purchased a big upgrade with this Jackson X Series Spectra. In comparison to the Ibanez, the Jackson's neck is fatter, lower fret sizes are slightly wider and the string spacing is slightly wider. The playability is a lot smoother for my larger fingers/hands. The pickups and active EQ systems are powerful. Need to have some amp/di box control to contain the powerful output when in smaller venues. I use the passive pickup control when in smaller venues and small churches. I feel that what sets this apart from other basses I've tried is how great it sounds to play the d and g strings as well as going above the 12th fret. The stock strings (D'Addario) sound really pretty when playing the higher octaves. The Elixir strings I'm currently using give the B string a BIG SMOOTH THUMP. For those worried about setup out of the box, I live in high altitude. Setup post manufacturer is usually a must because of that. I have been able to get fairly low action without fret buzz after casually messing with adjustments.Zach

I've had this guitar for about 10 months, and it's great! It's everything you'd come to expect from the ESP LTD line. But the big question is, "How's that bridge?" My motivation for buying this specific guitar was my unending frustration with the floating tremolo on my previous guitar. We started jumping back and forth between standard and dropped D in our set, and making that work with a FR was a nightmare. With that, I had set out on finding a non-FR or fixed bridge, since I rarely used the trem' anyway. I had always wanted an ESP and the idea of each saddle being independent of one another was compelling. It can take a little to get used to, though. Tuning is done at the bridge, and the tension on the strings is adjusted by the tuning pegs. Once the string has the right amount of tension, that saddle will be "activated" in what is referred to as "zone 2". Here, the springs will counter any additional tension applied to that string up to a given point. This means that you cannot do bends or change the pitch in any real or easy way. Some people may like this, but it feels very odd, and the people at Evertune know that most people don't play like this. So, to get the best of both worlds, you will need to apply enough tension on the saddle to bring it right up to the edge of zone 2 by turning the tuning pegs. What I found to be helpful here is to not just listen for the note to change, but to pull on the string and visually inspect movement in the saddle. Once this is set, it feels like a normal guitar with just a tad more tension on the strings. The guitar will come with 10-gauge strings. I gave that a shot for a while. Only recently did I switch them out for some 9s. I think it feels a lot better with a lighter gauge string, especially considering that tad bit of tension. A tip I learned regarding Dropped D was to tune the guitar down by default. Then tune up the low E, which puts that saddle into "zone 3". This is far easier than the reverse and stiJohn Q. GuitarPlayer

After the initial COVID lockdown I landed a gig where I had to have a 5 string bass. So like a red blooded American I took my cash down to the local GC store to buy a fender 5 string American jazz. There wasn't any. I looked for an Ibenez. There wasn't any. I looked for anything and we'll there wasn't any. As the date grew near for our first show, I happened in and they had this one. I was disappointed that this was all there was, but out of desperation, I bought it thinking I would trade it once something I wanted became available. It took me about two months and 10 gigs later when I realized I love this thing. 9 months in and I don't know how many dates later, I wouldn't want to live without it. It plays awesome after a quick and minor setup on the action. The tone is big on the bottom and the mids and highs are as shapable as you want. It is a dream to play and guess what, when I finally got to put my hands on the fender I wanted, I didn't want it anymore. This bass is very much like the high end Ibenez basses. Probably too much for Ibenez's liking actually. I run through a 800w mark bass head with a 2×10 cab and a 1×15 cab. It sounds incredible. The big thing for me is when I run through my amp using the direct out in bypass, it sounds amazing. It is like having a sans amp in the bass. The electrics are that good. I have gotten tons of compliments on the tone and questions about how I got it. I literally just plugged it in. Also I can play it all night and even though it is a five, I am less fatigued then when I play the four fender American jazz I already own. The string spacing and scale I believe is responsible for that. If you are serious about playing a 5 string, at any level, then this bass is one you should look at. I am not super crazy about the esthetics but I get a surprising amount of complements on it. So if that is your thing then rock on I guess. I am getting over the fact that I was a fender snob. Also I believe Jackso is made by fender sooo….Chris

My one only bass for the past 20 years has been a Ibanez SR405 (2001 year model). I feel like I've purchased a big upgrade with this Jackson X Series Spectra. In comparison to the Ibanez, the Jackson's neck is fatter, lower fret sizes are slightly wider and the string spacing is slightly wider. The playability is a lot smoother for my larger fingers/hands. The pickups and active EQ systems are powerful. Need to have some amp/di box control to contain the powerful output when in smaller venues. I use the passive pickup control when in smaller venues and small churches. I feel that what sets this apart from other basses I've tried is how great it sounds to play the d and g strings as well as going above the 12th fret. The stock strings (D'Addario) sound really pretty when playing the higher octaves. The Elixir strings I'm currently using give the B string a BIG SMOOTH THUMP. For those worried about setup out of the box, I live in high altitude. Setup post manufacturer is usually a must because of that. I have been able to get fairly low action without fret buzz after casually messing with adjustments.Zach

I went from a new yamaha with active pickups to this jackson with passive pickups. I don't play much bass, so Literally I was looking for a cheap guitar to record with. It has a solid low end grunt but still maintains the mid bang "slap" as you might call it. No its not spotless, the wood is not colored along some of the seems and its not the prettiest style wise, but for someone who just wants an easy playing, solid sounding bass track, this is a great weapon.Jeremy

I give this bass 5 stars, not because it's comparable to a high end instrument, but because of the quality at this unbelievable price point. I was looking for a passive P-style bass that wouldn't break the bank; my expectations were that I would have to do some work to it (fret level, polish, sharp ends, etc.) However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that none of those issues existed when it arrived, and it was even actually in tune! I lowered the action to my preference, as should be done with every instrument. The neck is extremely comfortable and fast. The plastic nut is cut quite well, bridge is more than adequate, tuners are sufficient and hold tune even with heavy handed attack. The real surprise though, was the strong sustained growling punch of the pickup! This bass actually sounds quite good! I wouldn't hesitate to gig with it: and it's an excellent backup or first bass, that you won't soon outgrow. For reference – I have been playing guitar for 32 years, bass for 25 years and have a MIM Fender Jazz V, and several Ibanez basses (mid grade – professional grade, 4, 5, & 6 string variations). This Jackson isn't in the same class as my others, but that doesn't really mean anything, because it still delivers exceptional quality and value. It is very fun to play, and the tonality is quite useable and shapeable. Bottom line is – this bass is a huge bang for buck!Shasal

This was the first bass I bought myself and im very glad I did. I bought this bass around last December and have been in love ever since. I bought this bass mainly cause of the price tag but also because I was wanting a bass with humbuckers. The epiphone thunderbird had my eye but wasn't exactly in my budget at the time but then I came across this bass. Great price tag and a familiar (body) P bass shape. Fast forward to today and this bass still rocks. The body was put together nicely along with it's finish but you can tell where quality was sacrificed which was the neck. Not terrible or unplayable but you can tell it's a fairly cheap neck. Otherwise the tone, playability, and feel is amazing.Brandon F

After the initial COVID lockdown I landed a gig where I had to have a 5 string bass. So like a red blooded American I took my cash down to the local GC store to buy a fender 5 string American jazz. There wasn't any. I looked for an Ibenez. There wasn't any. I looked for anything and we'll there wasn't any. As the date grew near for our first show, I happened in and they had this one. I was disappointed that this was all there was, but out of desperation, I bought it thinking I would trade it once something I wanted became available. It took me about two months and 10 gigs later when I realized I love this thing. 9 months in and I don't know how many dates later, I wouldn't want to live without it. It plays awesome after a quick and minor setup on the action. The tone is big on the bottom and the mids and highs are as shapable as you want. It is a dream to play and guess what, when I finally got to put my hands on the fender I wanted, I didn't want it anymore. This bass is very much like the high end Ibenez basses. Probably too much for Ibenez's liking actually. I run through a 800w mark bass head with a 2×10 cab and a 1×15 cab. It sounds incredible. The big thing for me is when I run through my amp using the direct out in bypass, it sounds amazing. It is like having a sans amp in the bass. The electrics are that good. I have gotten tons of compliments on the tone and questions about how I got it. I literally just plugged it in. Also I can play it all night and even though it is a five, I am less fatigued then when I play the four fender American jazz I already own. The string spacing and scale I believe is responsible for that. If you are serious about playing a 5 string, at any level, then this bass is one you should look at. I am not super crazy about the esthetics but I get a surprising amount of complements on it. So if that is your thing then rock on I guess. I am getting over the fact that I was a fender snob. Also I believe Jackso is made by fender sooo….Chris

My one only bass for the past 20 years has been a Ibanez SR405 (2001 year model). I feel like I've purchased a big upgrade with this Jackson X Series Spectra. In comparison to the Ibanez, the Jackson's neck is fatter, lower fret sizes are slightly wider and the string spacing is slightly wider. The playability is a lot smoother for my larger fingers/hands. The pickups and active EQ systems are powerful. Need to have some amp/di box control to contain the powerful output when in smaller venues. I use the passive pickup control when in smaller venues and small churches. I feel that what sets this apart from other basses I've tried is how great it sounds to play the d and g strings as well as going above the 12th fret. The stock strings (D'Addario) sound really pretty when playing the higher octaves. The Elixir strings I'm currently using give the B string a BIG SMOOTH THUMP. For those worried about setup out of the box, I live in high altitude. Setup post manufacturer is usually a must because of that. I have been able to get fairly low action without fret buzz after casually messing with adjustments.Zach

I went from a new yamaha with active pickups to this jackson with passive pickups. I don't play much bass, so Literally I was looking for a cheap guitar to record with. It has a solid low end grunt but still maintains the mid bang "slap" as you might call it. No its not spotless, the wood is not colored along some of the seems and its not the prettiest style wise, but for someone who just wants an easy playing, solid sounding bass track, this is a great weapon.Jeremy

I give this bass 5 stars, not because it's comparable to a high end instrument, but because of the quality at this unbelievable price point. I was looking for a passive P-style bass that wouldn't break the bank; my expectations were that I would have to do some work to it (fret level, polish, sharp ends, etc.) However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that none of those issues existed when it arrived, and it was even actually in tune! I lowered the action to my preference, as should be done with every instrument. The neck is extremely comfortable and fast. The plastic nut is cut quite well, bridge is more than adequate, tuners are sufficient and hold tune even with heavy handed attack. The real surprise though, was the strong sustained growling punch of the pickup! This bass actually sounds quite good! I wouldn't hesitate to gig with it: and it's an excellent backup or first bass, that you won't soon outgrow. For reference – I have been playing guitar for 32 years, bass for 25 years and have a MIM Fender Jazz V, and several Ibanez basses (mid grade – professional grade, 4, 5, & 6 string variations). This Jackson isn't in the same class as my others, but that doesn't really mean anything, because it still delivers exceptional quality and value. It is very fun to play, and the tonality is quite useable and shapeable. Bottom line is – this bass is a huge bang for buck!Shasal

This was the first bass I bought myself and im very glad I did. I bought this bass around last December and have been in love ever since. I bought this bass mainly cause of the price tag but also because I was wanting a bass with humbuckers. The epiphone thunderbird had my eye but wasn't exactly in my budget at the time but then I came across this bass. Great price tag and a familiar (body) P bass shape. Fast forward to today and this bass still rocks. The body was put together nicely along with it's finish but you can tell where quality was sacrificed which was the neck. Not terrible or unplayable but you can tell it's a fairly cheap neck. Otherwise the tone, playability, and feel is amazing.Brandon F

I just got this bass and can't seem to put it down. I love all the features about it. The Neck-Thru body construct is a feature I've always wanted with a bass a slim neck for faster playability, loving this bass alreadyBloch Party

I am a working bassist and this bass first caught my eye it's a very cool looking instrument , then I plugged it in and with a little set to fit my playing I was sold , and frankly blown away at this little Ripper. Plays like Butter and has great tone , punch, sustain and independent volume control for each pick up instead of the standard pu mix control I really liked that feature you can really dial in your tone , and this bass is far from being a one trick pony , you could use this bass in most any situation just by simply dialing in the sound you you want for what ever style of music your playing. Can't say enough good things about this bass I'm just loving this bass.Boom Boom

I went from a new yamaha with active pickups to this jackson with passive pickups. I don't play much bass, so Literally I was looking for a cheap guitar to record with. It has a solid low end grunt but still maintains the mid bang "slap" as you might call it. No its not spotless, the wood is not colored along some of the seems and its not the prettiest style wise, but for someone who just wants an easy playing, solid sounding bass track, this is a great weapon.Jeremy

I give this bass 5 stars, not because it's comparable to a high end instrument, but because of the quality at this unbelievable price point. I was looking for a passive P-style bass that wouldn't break the bank; my expectations were that I would have to do some work to it (fret level, polish, sharp ends, etc.) However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that none of those issues existed when it arrived, and it was even actually in tune! I lowered the action to my preference, as should be done with every instrument. The neck is extremely comfortable and fast. The plastic nut is cut quite well, bridge is more than adequate, tuners are sufficient and hold tune even with heavy handed attack. The real surprise though, was the strong sustained growling punch of the pickup! This bass actually sounds quite good! I wouldn't hesitate to gig with it: and it's an excellent backup or first bass, that you won't soon outgrow. For reference – I have been playing guitar for 32 years, bass for 25 years and have a MIM Fender Jazz V, and several Ibanez basses (mid grade – professional grade, 4, 5, & 6 string variations). This Jackson isn't in the same class as my others, but that doesn't really mean anything, because it still delivers exceptional quality and value. It is very fun to play, and the tonality is quite useable and shapeable. Bottom line is – this bass is a huge bang for buck!Shasal

This was the first bass I bought myself and im very glad I did. I bought this bass around last December and have been in love ever since. I bought this bass mainly cause of the price tag but also because I was wanting a bass with humbuckers. The epiphone thunderbird had my eye but wasn't exactly in my budget at the time but then I came across this bass. Great price tag and a familiar (body) P bass shape. Fast forward to today and this bass still rocks. The body was put together nicely along with it's finish but you can tell where quality was sacrificed which was the neck. Not terrible or unplayable but you can tell it's a fairly cheap neck. Otherwise the tone, playability, and feel is amazing.Brandon F

This was my first Jackson product purchase. I was absolutely impressed with the quality of the instrument at this price point. I have purchased other higher priced guitars that weren't as nice as this. I can definitely recommend and will probably be looking to purchase others.busmech70

Highly recommend this bass to anyone and everyone. From experienced and beginners alike. Beautiful finish. Great feeling neck and is just the right weight. Pick one of these up. You won’t be sorry.Glenn

The Kelly Bird looks drop dead gorgeous and sounds absolutely thunderous. It's tone and tone shaping ability is amazing. Clean, gritty with some OD, or even some weird solo synth preset you never use on your effects- all sound like you handed the bass to a pro. It has enough punch to scare the dog but also enough top end to play high. The neck is just wonderful. Sanded from the factory without that sticky shellac on cheaper instruments. The fretboard perfectly laid out and the frets properly rounded. The fit and finish is top notch stage quality level. Stock strings are pretty good and it came to me almost perfectly in tune. I love this guitar. From a tonal standpoint it scores top marks. But whoever designed the body has never even held a guitar. The neck dive is just ridiculous. I've had basses that dived before like Warlocks and Mockingbirds, but the Kelly blows them all away in the sheer speed and violence this neck plummets to Earth. It's only saving grace is that it is light so having to hold the thing up with your fretting hand is possible, but ungainly. But for the pick player- it's a challenge. I've seen Megadeth live and Dave Ellefson's bass doesn't dive when he lets go of it. Mine dives like someone yelled 'Incoming! I ended up shoving tire wheel weights in the electronics box until the bass was half again as heavy– and it still dives, just more slowly now. You'd have to add enough weight that the thing is uncomfortable to completely eliminate the dive. Next I am going to hang weight off the rear strap lock. It's silly that I should have to do all this just to make it stay put. I expect neck dive on these body shapes, but the Kelly takes it to another level. Sitting down is no better. The body slides to the outside of your knee, putting the nut somewhere in the next time zone from your body. It is like playing a Steinberger bass, despite those being small you have a long reach to the nut. As a functional guitar body, the Kelly Bird is terrible. Standing or sitting- it's badly shaped and badly balanced. But man, does it look great. Because it sounds so good, I can't give it anything but high marks for actual playing. But only after I have had to resort to frankly silly fixes to try to make it more playable in the first place. Hands down wins the gold medal for neck dive. Still a great bass sound, still love to play it, still think it's the best sounding bass I've ever had. Just have to accept it's faults like any lady you fall in love with.thesollylama

Wow, Just got my Jackson Bass! Took it out of well packaged box & smiled! Fire glow was flawless & Heavy chrome abound! Nice neck-through, & all fit & finish is superb! I haven't set up as yet , but tuned her up & tried it out as is out of box & with a few minutes to figure control knobs was Smiling large again! Strings, for my likes (heavy thumper) were Tad low but with a slight neck tweak (including hex wrenches) & perhaps a small amount of Bridge string height adjustment , this machine will be ready to thump out any style you wish! Responsive 9V Pre-amp! This is no light weight , about what a good American Fender Jazz bass weighs & size! No case, but should fit in any long scale Fender Jazz/Precision style case. As another reviewer had mentioned, it is similar to a "Ricky" style bass but with style & tones as well, as a Fender Precision Plus bass! I'm actually a Fender man, especially Jazz or P bass & others & have several, but am really digging this Beauty per price point! I took a chance & very pleased I did! Check ya's one out!Jerry

I purchased this bass online and my local Guitar Center happened to have it in stock, so I was able to pick it up that same day. Can't complain there. What I could complain about are the finish issues on this specific bass – though it reminded me of a valuable lesson, which is to avoid purchasing an instrument you don't have time to fully inspect.. •The binding where the nut shelf meets the head looks like it was cut with a dull blade. Unnoticeable unless removing truss cover and does not affect playability. •The nut groove for the E string is rough. Looks like the string was melted into it and the excess plastic was left behind. I will correct this once I upgrade the strings in the near future. •The inlay on my 15th fret has a faded/incomplete corner. Cosmetic, but annoying. •The body has an imprint where the pickup cover rested (I removed mine). Only on the top side. Bottom is without dents. Cosmetic but annoying. Then, there is the set up – or lack thereof. It's really not a big deal for me, as I have no problems setting up my guitars and setting up a bass is really the same thing – but for someone who isn't comfortable setting up an instrument, it is very much worth mentioning. The first 2 frets on every string were completely muted/buzzed out. The neck needed quite a bit of relief. Also, the intonation was pretty far off. Now maybe they intentionally come out of the factory with the necks set to bow for shipping reasons? Either way, it's apparent that the employees at Guitar Center do not treat setting up an instrument as a standard. If yours has a good set up, it's likely that they just happened to want to play that instrument between customers. Doesn't leave the best taste in ones mouth, but this place is my only option where I live. The employees were nice enough on a personal level.. Other than those things, I really do love this bass. It feels great after properly setting it up, and has a great variety of tones thanks to the PJ pickup combo, blender knob and active pre-amp. The pre-amp sounds great. It really is a beautiful bass in my opinion and I am happy with my purchase.Paul

I first researched this bass and had tried a couple different basses. This bass is very well made with great features. Beautiful finish, very responsive. And the active EQ makes your tonal choice unlimited. I was expecting a heavy bass, but it wasn't. Jackson didn't disappoint, the quality and craftmanship is very good.Anthony