The Weigh-Up Fender Limited Edition Player II Jazz Bass (Gear Review)

The Fender Jazz Bass is unquestionably one of the most versatile instruments in the world. Capable of handling every musical genre, the iconic four-string built its legacy thanks to appearing on some of the most legendary soul, jazz, and funk records of all time, while also staying relevant due to modern heavyweights such as Gojira, Bring Me The Horizon, and Mastodon.

New for 2025, the Fender Limited Edition Player II Jazz Bass balances iconic looks with specs in mind for the current-day player. The Jazz Bass’ lightweight alder body makes this instrument capable of being wielded by anyone, regardless of their frame or age. Coming in an eye-popping sparkle 3-colour sunburst - also available in a metallic blue - the subtle and classic sparkle looks amazing, especially in the early morning sun. The neck is a real player's slab - the comfortable ‘C’ shaped maple neck and rosewood fretboard make it feel like a breeze to get around the Bass’ 34" scale. It can handle pace-y runs - and is forgiving for those with smaller mitts - but has plenty of meat on board to really grab a hold of and lock into the groove.

The multi-stage quality-control for our particular Jazz Bass was clearly apparent; there were no sharp edges or dead spots on the neck, with natural harmonics crisply ringing out, while the action was virtually perfect. It lives up to the stage-ready is the tagline here; the fact that it was in tune right out of the box - even without the gig-bag - the open-back tuners keep everything rock solid throughout the entire time we had our grubby paws on this killer bass.

The two on-board Jazz Bass pickups are supremely diverse; punk and hardcore players will easily be punching through the mix when combined with a thick Ampeg-style clean tone, while stoner and doom freaks should find no trouble conjuring big fuzzed-out tones. Dropping down the master tone knob is excellent for more subtle, restrained playing and genres; focusing solely neck pickup conjures up some seriously smooth tones perfect for the instrument's titular genre (jazz!). Check out our examples for the new Jazz Bass easily covering a mix of different sounds, from throw-back funk to more contemporary heaviness - needless to say, the Player Series pickups are impressive.

The Fender Limited Edition Player II Jazz Bass is a classic model built with the modern player in mind; whether it’s your first high-end instrument or an addition to a well-stocked arsenal. It is impossible to fault regardless of the application; the versatile sonic palate and iconic aesthetics make this an instrument that can handle any gig or session you could throw at it. In a time when ‘shrinkflation' is very much a fact of life, musicians are far from immune to the rising costs of, well, everything - it feels like getting bang-for-your-buck is as important as ever.

Sure, a Mexican-made instrument will never carry the same level of prestige as its American or Japanese counterpart, but the new Fender Limited Edition Player II Jazz Bass is a beautiful beast that sits at price point far below its lofty quality and prestige.

Reviewed by Andrew Kapper

Learn more about the Fender Limited Edition Player II Jazz Bass here

Features:

• ‍Alder body w/ Jazz Bass shape & gloss polyester finish
• Maple neck w/ Modern "C" profile, 34" scale length & satin urethane finish with gloss urethane headstock face
• Slab rosewood fretboard w/ 9.5" radius & white dot inlays
• 20 medium jumbo frets
• 1.5" synthetic bone nut
• Standard open-gear tuners
• 4-saddle standard bridge w/ nickel/chrome hardware
• Player Series Alnico 5 Single-Coil Jazz Bass pickups in middle and bridge positions
• Volume 1 (Middle Pickup), Volume 2 (Bridge Pickup), Master Tone controls
• 3-ply black/white/black pickguard, black plastic control knobs with white indicators
• 4-bolt neck plate with "F" logo for added stability
• Includes Fender USA 7250M Nickel Plated Steel (.045-.105) strings