Unbelievable! Jay Turser JTB-401

I just spent $130 on a Jay Turser JTB-401. It is a copy of the '54 Precision bass. This bass is amazing. It came out of the box TUNED! The fit and finish is perfect. The frets are smooth with no high or sharp frets. That little ugly pickup shoots thunder! They must have been listening because the knobs are now metal. The body is so light that it tends to neck dive. People have said that a Badass II bridge will alleviate this. I spent over a grand on a Rickenbacker 4003 which I adore but to spend $130 and be happy is something that I never thought would happen! I didn't think they could send an empty box from China for $130!! If you're looking for a great sounding bass with the Sting '54 Precision vibe, check out the Jay Turser JTB-401B. The only thing I would have liked if the neck was a little chunkier..it seems a little thin but it still plays like a dream! If anyone has any experience with any of the other Jay Turser guitars I would love to hear about it. They have a gorgeous Tele model with a humbucker up front.
http://i13.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/a5/3e/44f5_1.JPG

Cool. How does the headstock look?

^^ditto.....headstock pic needed

here's the link......
http://www.jayturser.com/jtb-401.php

thanx

It can get real Fendery looking! Refin in Surf Green Nitro and my usual headstock trim and tinted nitro neck....wallla!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/rhomco/My%20Sold%20Guitars/51P-BassSurfGreen002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/rhomco/My%20Sold%20Guitars/51P-BassSurfGreen003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/rhomco/My%20Sold%20Guitars/51P-BassSurfGreen004.jpg

http://jayturser.com/images/products/jtb-401.jpg

As far as knockoffs go, the headstock and logo are pretty nice.

good god those are awesome. Rob, that thing is really great! I'm floored!

Dang, a guy could get one of those for $160 shipped on eBay right now!

I just gotta keep reminding myself that I already own three basses and am happy!!!!

Cheers, Tim

I know that feeling

The only thing I would have liked if the neck was a little chunkier..it seems a little thin but it still plays like a dream! If anyone has any experience with any of the other Jay Turser guitars I would love to hear about it.

They have that bass at a local music store -- high on the wall, where it's a little less tempting to me. If I could try it out without asking for help, I might be in trouble, because it sure looks cool!

I got a Turser "335" at the same store a few years back. I really like it, even though it isn't very authentic; much lighter, and the neck is a lot thinner. Which makes me wonder, if my guitar neck is skinny, and your bass neck is thin, maybe that's a characteristic of all the Turser instruments...?

Don't take the pickguard off.
The cavities will probably look like they were chewed out by rabid beavers.
I was shocked by the one Jay Turdster I had apart.

Here's mine complete with the TDPRI Partscaster logo...

http://inlinethumb15.webshots.com/28814/2609519270086325068S600x600Q85.jpg

Prone to neck dive though...I bought a WIDE leather strap w/ Zeppelin Strap locks and have no problems...I love it but use it as back up b/c I bought a G&L JB-2.

I'm bumping this thread because I acquired one of these Turser JTB-401's recently.

I really am floored by the quality for the money. I wanted to ask if any other forum members had one or had any experience with one--I'd like to hear stories and see pics of any mods like the super-hot surf green job.

Also, I wondered if anyone could tell me if these are still in production? I can't find them for sale anywhere. Well, I find places that say they have them, but then it turns out they are back-ordered.

I even called the Turser company and was told they imagined they would be back in retail stores by mid-July but couldn't guarantee anything.

I hope they haven't been discontinued...I was hoping to get another as a backup. I am really astonished at the sound they have and the neck feels like it was custom-fit to my hand. Perfect for me.

I was planning on trying to get one in a few different colors...now I'm thinking they may just be gone, daddy, gone, which would be a pity.

I just lucked into mine on eBay from some shop that found a b-stock one in their storage facility. Snagged it for $95 and I can't see a flaw on it.

Anyways, love to hear from anyone else who has one of these.

Going to call my guitar broker (he's a Turser dealer as well as Hagstrom) and see if he can find one for me. Saw a video of ZZ Top playing on the Tonight Show with Dusty playing an old P bass. Really got my interest up in one.

I have a Turser Beatle bass that is pretty incredible - I just don't want certain expectations when I strap on a bass to sit in with a band. :shock:

My Turser tele is a nice ax too so I give the brand a pretty solid thumbs up.

I got one of these for recording and it is truly brilliant.

Squier by Fender Vintage Modified '70s Jazz Bass(Natural)

http://onceeternalmedia.com/bass0.jpg



http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Vintage-Modified-70s-Jazz-Bass?sku=519639

Going to call my guitar broker (he's a Turser dealer as well as Hagstrom) and see if he can find one for me.

I'd love to hear what you find out. I may try to put in another call to Turser (or the American distributing company for them) and see if these are going to be available again.

I have a Turser Beatle bass that is pretty incredible - I just don't want certain expectations when I strap on a bass to sit in with a band. :shock:

My Turser tele is a nice ax too so I give the brand a pretty solid thumbs up.

Yeah, I've been pleased with the Tursers I've played (basses and guitars.)

While there are still some off-brand/cheapo companies that have very low quality, overall a person can get a HECK of a lot in an electric guitar or bass in the sub-$300 range.

When I started playing, the cheap stuff, 95% of the time, was truly cheap--cheap construction cheap build, cheap sound, QC? Forgetaboutit...

Nowadays it's so much better. Squier, Turser, SX/Agile, etc. offer really good instruments at a great price point. Some of this has to do , IMO, with CNC machines, but it also has to do with increased trade relations, people writing specs who really care and know about instruments, and the fact that with the internet, if some off-brand makes real junk, word will spread rapidly, so it behooves manufacturers and dealers to provide consistent quality and conduct business properly.

It's a really good time to get started on guitar or bass on the cheap, or even to buy your workhorse gear cheaply.

On my SX P-bass and my Turser JTB-401, I personally think the sound and playability are right on par with Fenders. I would say, though, that when you buy Fender you do tend to get more solid wiring and electronics and hardware. But I can swap out a bridge and nut and wiring harness (or even upgrade a pup if I felt the need--though I don't with my cheapies) and have a bass on par with an MIA Fender for less than half the $$$.

I got one of these for recording and it is truly brilliant.

Squier by Fender Vintage Modified '70s Jazz Bass(Natural)

http://onceeternalmedia.com/bass0.jpg



http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Vintage-Modified-70s-Jazz-Bass?sku=519639

I have played 3 of this exact bass and I found the sound to be incredible. I've owned '64 and '65 Fender Jazz basses (fretted and fretless) that didn't sound any better at all than this Squier model.

In fact, I came verrrrry close to picking up either the Squier VM J or the VM Telecaster Bass, but the one thing--the only thing--that turned me off was the necks. I was not at all fond of the unfinished look and feel. The looks aren't of much important to me (though with these models having maple fingerboards, I think they would look much sharper with a vintage-tint neck) but I really didn't like the feel of them.

I mean, this is purely subjective and not a comment on the (most often excellent) quality and value of recent Squiers, just my personal feeling, but to me the necks on these Squier models seemed mushy, almost like they were made of balsa wood or something. And, in fact, one of the VM J-basses I played had to be sent back by the music store because it quickly developed some neck bow and twist that their techs could not prevent or repair. I'm sure that's an exceptional situation however.

I bought one of these SX SPB-57 3/4 Short Scale (http://www.rondomusic.com/spb57lpbshort.html) basses from Rondo, and it's got a very nice hard tinted finish on the neck (and the body is well-finished, too).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/tarmadilo/DSCN1119.jpg

The electronics were a little on the cheap side, but I had a really good Peter Florance Voodoo P-Bass pickup sitting in my parts box, so that wasn't a problem!

Cheers, Tim

I really like it, even though it isn't very authentic; much lighter, and the neck is a lot thinner. Which makes me wonder, if my guitar neck is skinny, and your bass neck is thin, maybe that's a characteristic of all the Turser instruments...?

I don't know...the neck on my Turser JTB-401 is nice and chunky, just the way I like 'em. Not too wide top to bottom, but plenty of substance back-to-front profile. It feels like it was made for my hand.

I bought one of these SX SPB-57 3/4 Short Scale (http://www.rondomusic.com/spb57lpbshort.html) basses from Rondo, and it's got a very nice hard tinted finish on the neck (and the body is well-finished, too).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/tarmadilo/DSCN1119.jpg

The electronics were a little on the cheap side, but I had a really good Peter Florance Voodoo P-Bass pickup sitting in my parts box, so that wasn't a problem!

Cheers, Tim

Hey Tim, that is a beautiful looking bass. There is a poster on the TalkBass forum who has an SX-P-bass in Lake Placid Blue (full scale with rosewood fingerboard...I don't believe RondoMusic currently offers that model.

He slapped a new bridge on it and a reddish tortoiseshell pickguard and it is gorgeous. He has gigged it regularly for over 3 years as his #1 workhorse.

My SX is the 57 P (full scale) with maple board. I got it in classic black. It was setup great, has excellent fret finishing and the stock pup sounds great.

I do think the bridge and nut are a bit on the cheap side, so I may upgrade those, and a lot of people mod the SX basses by installing CTS wiring and pots with a different cap and (sometimes) a Switchcraft jack. I am thinking of doing the same, but I wouldn't be afraid to gig mine stock or use it for recordings.

I'd love to hear what you find out. I may try to put in another call to Turser (or the American distributing company for them) and see if these are going to be available again.


Didn't have any luck there but the site www.instrumentpro.com seems to stock them - in fact the only place I've found.

http://www.instrumentpro.com/P-JAYJTB401

Looks like $168.00 shipped? Not bad...

Having owned the Turdster and played this Squier...

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/7/0/1/553701.jpg

This Squier is SO worth the extra $125 or so...

I reckon if you oiled the Squier neck you could put some life into it... I just think it's very 'new' wood and needs to age.. that's maybe the cause of the warping etc. as it's not mature and hasn't dried out properly.

But I guess folk don't have 10 years to hang oround for it to get to that warm stage... so maybe some oil ?

Didn't have any luck there but the site www.instrumentpro.com seems to stock them - in fact the only place I've found.

http://www.instrumentpro.com/P-JAYJTB401

Looks like $168.00 shipped? Not bad...


Not bad, but if you call them up, they don't actually have this bass. Neither does Trader John's, which has ads for them on eBay.

Both of these places and a few others claim to have them for sale, but they don't.

They are backordered everywhere. Have been since much earlier this year.

The Turser Co. tells me they expect more, but aren't guaranteeing anything.

For quite some time, and for the foreseeable future, the JTB-401 is only available as old stock (if you are lucky enough to find one squirreled away somewhere) and used.

I think it's telling that you rarely see these up for sale used. They play and perform well and sound great. People hold onto them.

What perplexes me is why Fender does a Squier P-Bass reissue with a basswood body (for extra $$$) and you can get the Jay Turser with ash. To me, basswood just SUCKS as a body wood for bass OR guitar, so this is just a cosmetic money-grabber in my eyes.

I used to work for the company that distributed Jay Turser here in NY, and I am intimately familiar with their people and their quality. That factory builds LOTS of OEM gear for the industry. I'd buy the Turser over the Squier, and if I cared enough, reshape the Turser headstock and add a Fender decal (yeah, I know.....HERESY!!!), but that doesn't matter much. Just for the ash body and lower price tag alone, the JTB-401 would be my choice.

What perplexes me is why Fender does a Squier P-Bass reissue with a basswood body (for extra $$$) and you can get the Jay Turser with ash. To me, basswood just SUCKS as a body wood for bass OR guitar, so this is just a cosmetic money-grabber in my eyes.

Totally agree. Squier makes decent stuff, but their body wood is basswood and sometimes agathis. And again, I think the necks are poop.

Turser, as well as SX, uses alder and ash for their bodies, at half the price of the Squiers.

I used to work for the company that distributed Jay Turser here in NY, and I am intimately familiar with their people and their quality. That factory builds LOTS of OEM gear for the industry. I'd buy the Turser over the Squier[...]Just for the ash body and lower price tag alone, the JTB-401 would be my choice.

I've played the Squier CV 50's P-bass. Sure looks pretty, but that's only until you pick it up. Just personal opinion, but I really think the necks are crud...and from my perspective, the Turser single coil pup blows the Squier's away.

I will, though, give Squier points for using slightly better bridges and tuners.

IDK...Owning and gigging with the Turser (albiet a value for the $150) I would hands down shell out the extra bill for the Squier...IMHO...

I went with the Squier CV 50's P-bass. I wish I could have tried the Jay Turser but there weren't any around to try. No offense Muddslide but I think the neck on the Squier is awesome. The bass sounds and plays great, just the old style P_Bass thump I was looking for. I bought some flats for it but haven't but them on yet.
I've been playing it mostly though a P1-eXtreme (about 12 watts, single ended tube amp, 6L6GC ax84.com) in to a Eminience Legend 12". That amp is best suited for a Tele but the bass sounds great at low volume.
The Lake Placid Blue looks like the color used on Chevy's in the late 60's early 70's. It depends on how the light hits it. Excuse the poor photography.

http://home.comcast.net/~knsweat/SQ_Pbass/sq_pbass1.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~knsweat/SQ_Pbass/sq_pbass2.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~knsweat/SQ_Pbass/sq_pbass3.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~knsweat/SQ_Pbass/sq_pbass4.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~knsweat/SQ_Pbass/sq_pbass5.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~knsweat/SQ_Pbass/sq_pbass6.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~knsweat/SQ_Pbass/sq_pbass7.JPG

I went with the Squier CV 50's P-bass. I wish I could have tried the Jay Turser but there weren't any around to try. No offense Muddslide but I think the neck on the Squier is awesome.


Hey, no offense taken! I'm glad you got something you like and man--that's HOT! They really are pretty. I dig the LPB, but I do wish they had other color combos.

Also, it looks to me like your neck has some finish on it...am I right? If so, then it's different from the one I played.

The Squier 50's P I played had an identical neck to the Squier VM Telebass. The neck profile was okay, but it was completely satiny--almost unfinished feeling, and it just seemed cheap to me. Maybe I played one without the standard CV neck?

Anyway, I never meant to call into question Squier quality. I've played and owned lots of good Squiers. I was just personally put off by the necks on the VM Telebass and Jazz bass. However, both of those sounded killer.

I don't think the Turser 50's P-basses are gonna come back, so if I want a backup, looks like I'll go for a Squier myself I've become pretty addicted to the single coil P-pup tone. I'm gonna have to try out another one.

I also really like the looks of the CV split-coil P in sonic blue and the CV Jazz bass looks amazing.