Fender(ish) PJ with Jazz neck for £2k max - what would you go for?

[DF Shortscale]

If your budget was £2K max (preferably closer to £1.5K) with the following criteria, what would you go for?

 

• Fender(ish) looks and feel, traditional 4 string

• Passive

• PJ configuration

• Precision or v similar body, not offset / Jazz (too big and bulky for my short arse)

• Jazz neck, maple board, 38mm at nut

• Very high quality neck and fretwork, ridiculously low action achievable

• Adjustable string spacing (somewhere between 18/19mm would be good)

• Light-ish

• Relatively readily available, let’s say 1 month wait max

 

TLDR

What are my options for a high quality PJ with a J neck?

[chris_b]

I'd look in the Basschat classifieds for a good used Sadowsky, and other FSO's.

[DF Shortscale]

Hmm no suggestions other than the classifieds, is £2K not going to get me there? I’ve seen a few nice used Sandbergs that are close to my specs, maybe that’s an option..

[Beedster]

3 minutes ago, DF Shortscale said:

Hmm no suggestions other than the classifieds, is £2K not going to get me there? I’ve seen a few nice used Sandbergs that are close to my specs, maybe that’s an option..

I’d look at a premium Yamaha, head and shoulders above the rest in that price range 👍

[Beedster]

There’s a 4024 at Bass Bros, not my ideal finish but you’d be hard pressed to find a better bass at £1500

 

https://bassbros.co.uk/product/yamaha-bb2024/

[Beedster]

More pricey but better finish https://thebassgallery.com/products/yamaha-bb2024-1

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

To fit the specs given, I'd build my own using:

 

Swamp ash PJ body from guitarbuild.co.uk - order one with nice looking grain and get the control cavity extended. Wipe on some Danish oil for a natural finish.

Fender Precision to Jazz bass conversion neck - I was knocked sideways with how one of these necks has transformed a previously ignored bass into one of my favourites

Schaller 3D bridge

EMG GZR PJ Pickups

£10 aliexpress pickguard

Hipshot HB7 lollipop tuners

gotoh bass string tree & strap buttons

callaghan heavy knurl knobs

Fender F neckplate

Fender pickguard screws

Ernie Ball 2815 cobalt flatwound strings

self-adhesive copper anti-slug tape

 

The parts should come to under £1000. If you don't want to assemble it yourself, take the bits to a luthier (or possibly an experienced basschatter) to put together.

 

[DF Shortscale]

8 hours ago, Beedster said:

More pricey but better finish https://thebassgallery.com/products/yamaha-bb2024-1

That’s a nice bass, I definitely prefer that finish to the other one. I’m after a maple board ideally but I should definitely give the higher end Yamahas a try, I know they’re great basses. 

[kwmlondon]

9 hours ago, DF Shortscale said:

Hmm no suggestions other than the classifieds, is £2K not going to get me there? I’ve seen a few nice used Sandbergs that are close to my specs, maybe that’s an option..

I’d definitely be shortlisting Sandberg. Any G&L P-J basses fit the bill? 

[DF Shortscale]

1 hour ago, kwmlondon said:

I’d definitely be shortlisting Sandberg. Any G&L P-J basses fit the bill? 

Yes, they definitely do, the Fullerton Deluxe SB2 would be good, but only the newest version comes with a tone control, previous iterations came without that. Sunburst comes with rosewood, black comes with maple, I prefer the sunburst (I have 2 black P's already..) but I'd rather have a maple board on it. 

[Terry M.]

On 30/08/2025 at 11:52, DF Shortscale said:

If your budget was £2K max (preferably closer to £1.5K) with the following criteria, what would you go for?

 

• Fender(ish) looks and feel, traditional 4 string

• Passive

• PJ configuration

• Precision or v similar body, not offset / Jazz (too big and bulky for my short arse)

• Jazz neck, maple board, 38mm at nut

• Very high quality neck and fretwork, ridiculously low action achievable

• Adjustable string spacing (somewhere between 18/19mm would be good)

• Light-ish

• Relatively readily available, let’s say 1 month wait max

 

TLDR

What are my options for a high quality PJ with a J neck?

I would see what Alan Cringean at ACG Guitars could do for you first. That will probably violate your 1 month max wait criteria though so maybe not...

[Lozz196]

15 hours ago, DF Shortscale said:

Hmm no suggestions other than the classifieds, is £2K not going to get me there? I’ve seen a few nice used Sandbergs that are close to my specs, maybe that’s an option..

Having recently bought a Sandberg I’d happily recommend them, very good instruments, only thing is their necks are 39.5mm so slightly bigger than Jazz width.

[NancyJohnson]

I find it amazing when people list a ton of stuff that shouts, 'I really want a Fender, but it's not got to be a Fender.'

 

I have no real solution for you here but the open options a plentiful.

 

 

[Misdee]

I've got a USA Lakland passive PJ with a Jazz Bass neck on it and it's a superb instrument in every way. Sounds great, plays great, feels great. The neck profile is sublime. If you trawl the internet you might find a used one within your budget. 

[Sean]

16 hours ago, Beedster said:

There’s a 4024 at Bass Bros, not my ideal finish but you’d be hard pressed to find a better bass at £1500

 

https://bassbros.co.uk/product/yamaha-bb2024/

What happened to that BB2024MX you had? 

[danbanbass]

Not affiliated with this but it’s on my watchlist, seems to tick most boxes.

 

1997 Fender USA PJ Precision Bass

 

https://ebay.us/m/VI4bK2

Edited 1 hour ago by danbanbass

[DF Shortscale]

4 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

I find it amazing when people list a ton of stuff that shouts, 'I really want a Fender, but it's not got to be a Fender.'

 

I have no real solution for you here but the open options a plentiful.

 

 

I would happily go for a Fender, in fact that would be my preferred choice, but I’d like USA / MIJ quality if at all possible. (No judgement on Mex / Squier etc, just my preference).

[jonno1981]

Sadowsky, sandberg or lakland for me. 
 

I’d get the sadowsky as I love the feel, electronics and build quality. 

[naxos10]

Have a look at the guitar Alan (ACG Guitars) posted on his Affiliates thread.

[NancyJohnson]

14 minutes ago, DF Shortscale said:

I would happily go for a Fender, in fact that would be my preferred choice, but I’d like USA / MIJ quality if at all possible. (No judgement on Mex / Squier etc, just my preference).

 

Ok...if it was me with your budget AND I was unable to find a Fender with the specifications you've set out, I'd find a US/MIJ P/J pickup'd Precision and source a Jazz bass neck.  

 

All the Fender stuff for 34" scale basses is pretty much interchangeable, even down to the screw-holes, so old neck off, new neck on.  Find a local guy to do a decent fret level and set up and you're ready to go.

 

In a blindfold test, I doubt many would be able to tell the difference between a Mexican, Japanese or US model, although this is speculative!

[Stub Mandrel]

If you aren't a cork-sniffer, you could do worse than a Sire P10dx for about £1,300.

[DF Shortscale]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

Ok...if it was me with your budget AND I was unable to find a Fender with the specifications you've set out, I'd find a US/MIJ P/J pickup'd Precision and source a Jazz bass neck.  

 

All the Fender stuff for 34" scale basses is pretty much interchangeable, even down to the screw-holes, so old neck off, new neck on.  Find a local guy to do a decent fret level and set up and you're ready to go.

 

In a blindfold test, I doubt many would be able to tell the difference between a Mexican, Japanese or US model, although this is speculative!

 

Yep, I agree with you and in fact I've done this already, I have a lovely modded USA P which currently has a Mex J neck on it which is great, but there's something about a higher-end 'purpose-built' instrument which maybe makes it a bit more solid and fine-tuneable. My experience with USA & Japanese Fenders, as well as the more boutique Fender-ish brands like Sandberg, Vincent, Atelier Z etc is that they come with immaculate fretwork and necks that are rock solid, which means you can set them up exactly how you want, and the setup stays where it is, no rattles, buzzes, you can have an unreasonably low action if that's what you like etc. 

 

I'm aware this is a first world problem and most Fender-shaped things can be fixed with a little fretwork and a proper set-up, but really we all love those higher-end Fenders and FSO's for a reason.. (or most of us do anyway)

[HeadlessBassist]

In this case, I'd be going used Mike Lull P&J.

[Terry M.]

13 hours ago, DF Shortscale said:

I would happily go for a Fender, in fact that would be my preferred choice, but I’d like USA / MIJ quality if at all possible. (No judgement on Mex / Squier etc, just my preference).

There is a perceived deficit between Mexican and US/MIJ that I feel is more historical. My 2021 Player Plus Jazz V tells me the gap doesn't really exist like it used to if at all-and I've owned several US made Fenders in the past 🙂

[kwmlondon]

24 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

There is a perceived deficit between Mexican and US/MIJ that I feel is more historical. My 2021 Player Plus Jazz V tells me the gap doesn't really exist like it used to if at all-and I've owned several US made Fenders in the past 🙂

I put a bitsa together a few years ago and bought a MIM roasted maple Jazz neck from Fender and it was sublime. Everyone who has played it has commented on how slick and comfy it is. The fretwork was top-notch and it looked gorgous too. Going by that I'd have no worries getting a MIM bass in the future, but the USA hardware is very nice - the tuners and bridge on the USA Pro range feels lovely in the hand.