Fender JB75/ Moon JJ4 opinions.?

[bubinga5]

I'm looking to buy a great Jazz Bass because Im about to sell my house and be mortgage free . Yay.!!.. I was looking for any opinions on these two. Ive owned a 1996 MIJ non export 75 and it was fantastic so I dig that maple/maple jazz bass sound. But I've never played a Moon JJ4 so I'm curious as to

 

1. what are the necks like on a Moon,.,I prefer a shallow C shape.

 

2. does a Moon JJ4 sound like a 70s jazz bass.

 

I'm aware Moon slanted the neck pickup to give a fuller sound on the E string and the early JJ4s have a bartolini pre amp and pickups.. Any experience and thoughts from someone who has owned both or just the Moon is much appreciated. I would be looking for a 90s JJ4. 

[Doctor J]

I would normally say go with the Moon, for sure, but that one appears to have a neck pocket gap you could fit a cheese sandwich into.

[jay-syncro]

I've owned several Moon jazz basses and they are my favourite FSO. My current one is a 70's style JB4 with an ebony fretboard and a dark burgandy nitro finish. It's immense and really nails that 70's Jazz tone. It does differ from a 70's Fender in a coupe of ways, it's lightweight and well built! 😁

 

It's looking a bit more Road worn these days, but it looked like this when new. 

 

[BlueMoon]

I’m biased and would recommend a Moon 😊. Early 90’s will likely have the Fender-style headstock and may be on the heavy side if ash bodied. The Moon Blackbird pre is simple and hi-fi quality, if that is your thing. It does 70s jazz sound in spades!

 

Either way, an enviable situation and choice.

[bubinga5]

On 23/05/2025 at 22:38, jay-syncro said:

I've owned several Moon jazz basses and they are my favourite FSO. My current one is a 70's style JB4 with an ebony fretboard and a dark burgandy nitro finish. It's immense and really nails that 70's Jazz tone. It does differ from a 70's Fender in a coupe of ways, it's lightweight and well built! 😁

 

It's looking a bit more Road worn these days, but it looked like this when new. 

 

Jay you notice any difference between the slanted neck pickup to the JJ. ?

[Jaybeevee]

I just landed a 1998 JB4A, which may not be what you are asking about, but I can add that, blimey it's killer.

@BlueMoon is indeed correct about the weight. mine is ash bodied and weights a tonne.. well 5.2kg but it´s weighty. Fortunately for me, I don´t mind a heavy bass. 

Mine has the Bartolini 9s pups and the NTCT Bart pre amp. It's made for slap (with its mid cut), but mids can be boosted from the board, and finger style, it's warm and fat. Quality in every aspect.
But the neck is also fat. It has a full C (jazz width) profile and feels like a slender bass ball bat. Very similar the BB in the picture in fact. Here again, lucky for me I like em fat, thin, wide or narrow..  
Maybe newer Moons have a sallower profile?

[bubinga5]

6 hours ago, Jaybeevee said:

I just landed a 1998 JB4A, which may not be what you are asking about, but I can add that, blimey it's killer.

@BlueMoon is indeed correct about the weight. mine is ash bodied and weights a tonne.. well 5.2kg but it´s weighty. Fortunately for me, I don´t mind a heavy bass. 

Mine has the Bartolini 9s pups and the NTCT Bart pre amp. It's made for slap (with its mid cut), but mids can be boosted from the board, and finger style, it's warm and fat. Quality in every aspect.
But the neck is also fat. It has a full C (jazz width) profile and feels like a slender bass ball bat. Very similar the BB in the picture in fact. Here again, lucky for me I like em fat, thin, wide or narrow..  
Maybe newer Moons have a sallower profile?

The bass ball fat neck concernes me. I had a BB PJ and I sold it for that very reason. I owned a USA Lakland JO and the neck was just wow. Slim but flat back to front. What an incredible instrument that was. Need to try a Moon me thinks J. Amazing how the shape of a piece of wood changes your feelings towards expressing yourself.

[Jaybeevee]

6 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

The bass ball fat neck concernes me. I had a BB PJ and I sold it for that very reason. I owned a USA Lakland JO and the neck was just wow. Slim but flat back to front. What an incredible instrument that was. Need to try a Moon me thinks J. Amazing how the shape of a piece of wood changes your feelings towards expressing yourself.

It really is amazing how these things go. i actually had a USA Lakland JO which had the best neck i ever played and sold it as i didn't 'love' it.. makes no sense, but it is what it is. The Moon is giving me a buzz in these early days of owning it. Not sure I got that from the Lakland.
I'll measure the depth of the neck at the 1st fret later. My 'Bat' description is really about the roundness and depth of the C profile. It's why the guy i got it from sold it! 

Maybe @jay-syncro can chime in. A newer JB4 might have a different profile altogether

[jay-syncro]

15 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

Jay you notice any difference between the slanted neck pickup to the JJ. ?

 

Not really mate. I usually anchor my thumb over the neck pickup and prefer it to be parallel for ergonomics. The slanted version does look good though! 

[jay-syncro]

1 hour ago, Jaybeevee said:

It really is amazing how these things go. i actually had a USA Lakland JO which had the best neck i ever played and sold it as i didn't 'love' it.. makes no sense, but it is what it is. The Moon is giving me a buzz in these early days of owning it. Not sure I got that from the Lakland.
I'll measure the depth of the neck at the 1st fret later. My 'Bat' description is really about the roundness and depth of the C profile. It's why the guy i got it from sold it! 

Maybe @jay-syncro can chime in. A newer JB4 might have a different profile altogether

 

That's interesting, my Moon has a typical slender jazz style neck. And it only weighs 8lbs! Pretty crazy considering the body is made of white ash. 

[umcoo]

I've got a mid 80's Moon loaded body which had a Warmoth ebony/Birdseye maple neck added to it. (No idea what happened to the original neck). 

 

It's made of walnut and has the original passive "Jaggy" pickups which (I think) were made by Schecter. Like other have said, the slanted pickup doesn't make any noticeable difference, but it does look cool. It sounds quite bassy and not trebly like an ash 70's jazz does. Not a bad sound, but definitely the bassist bass I have. 

 

Build quality is great though. You won't go far wrong with a Moon bass 

[mikebass456]

On 23/05/2025 at 22:35, Doctor J said:

I would normally say go with the Moon, for sure, but that one appears to have a neck pocket gap you could fit a cheese sandwich into.

That would leave you in a bit of a pickle .........

[LeftyJ]

22 hours ago, Jaybeevee said:

But the neck is also fat. It has a full C (jazz width) profile and feels like a slender bass ball bat. 

 

I have no experience playing any Moon basses, but to me you just summed up the neck of my 2003-ish Fender MIJ JB75-US! Narrow nut width, but a fairly deep almost U-shaped neck profile. Mine is heavy too, with a very substantial ash body. I love it, and have owned it since about 2008. 

 

Edited yesterday at 15:43 by LeftyJ

[Jaybeevee]

13 hours ago, Jaybeevee said:

It really is amazing how these things go. i actually had a USA Lakland JO which had the best neck i ever played and sold it as i didn't 'love' it.. makes no sense, but it is what it is. The Moon is giving me a buzz in these early days of owning it. Not sure I got that from the Lakland.
I'll measure the depth of the neck at the 1st fret later. My 'Bat' description is really about the roundness and depth of the C profile. It's why the guy i got it from sold it! 

Maybe @jay-syncro can chime in. A newer JB4 might have a different profile altogether

measured it at 21mm at the 1st fret. Not sure if these quick shots will give an idea of the profile.

 

Edited 20 hours ago by Jaybeevee