What makes a J a J?

[Killing Floor]

Interesting question.
Do you think a Ric is a J?
As much as we all swoon for what Leo did, Rickenbacker beat Fender to the punch by almost 20 years in many ways. So maybe it’s the other way around?

 

[DrThumpenstein]

Semantics aside, I'm pretty sure this is a Jazz bass, and even though it was released the same year as the Fender Jazz bass, wasn't it actually released a few months earlier?
Other than that, the Fender folk can argue all they like about which Fenders are Jazz basses and which ones are P basses, because I'm sure even they haven't been 100% consistent.

True. Fender says this is a Jazz bass. Says so right on the headstock.

I don’t call it a Jazz, though. I call it a PJ. Actually, I call it “Jules”, but I know some of y’all abhor that sort of thing

Both Fender and I call this a Jazz, although it’s known among my band as Daryl:

Technically, some posters on this thread wouldn’t agree, on account of the noiseless active pickups. But it feels like a J, looks like a J, plays like a J, and sounds like a J, so if it’s not a J, it’s the friggin’ Frank Caliendo of basses!

 

[MegaSwing]

The awkward lean.

 

[jd56hawk]

True. Fender says this is a Jazz bass. Says so right on the headstock.
View attachment 4860634
I don’t call it a Jazz, though. I call it a PJ. Actually, I call it “Jules”, but I know some of y’all abhor that sort of thing

Both Fender and I call this a Jazz, although it’s known among my band as Daryl:
View attachment 4860641
Technically, some posters on this thread wouldn’t agree, on account of the noiseless active pickups. But it feels like a J, looks like a J, plays like a J, and sounds like a J, so if it’s not a J, it’s the friggin’ Frank Caliendo of basses!

I know exactly what you mean.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

And check out that MonoNeon bass on another current thread — 2 dual coil buckers. Fender’s calling that one a Jazz.

 

[NeonVomit]

There is only one J bass

I apologise for nothing.