Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV - Overview and Best Prices
- 4 Prices - New from $872.99 >
- From Jackson's 2021 Pro series
- Made in Indonesia
- 4 strings
- 34"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Flame Maple top
- Multi-Laminate: Flame Maple/Walnut/Maple/Walnut/Mahogany body
- 5-Piece Maple/Walnut/Maple/Walnut/Maple neck
- Caramelized Jatoba fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Nordstrand SB4-B (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Nordstrand SB4-N (Humbucker/Passive)
- 0 volume and 4 tone Dome knobs
- Jackson Single-String bridge
- Bass Pro Neck-Through neck
- 24 Jumbo frets
- Jackson Sealed Die-Cast tuners
- Weight between 7.875lbs (3.6kgs) and 8.625lbs (3.9kgs)
- Side-By-Side Comparison
Show Specs
| Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV | ||
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Jackson | |
| Year: | 2021 | |
| Configuration: | HH | |
| Strings: | 4 | |
| Made in: | Indonesia | |
| Series: | Pro | |
| Colors: | Blue | |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | |
| Body | ||
| Top: | Flame Maple | |
| Type: | Solid Body | |
| Body Material: | Multi-Laminate: Flame Maple/Walnut/Maple/Walnut/Mahogany | |
| Bridge: | Jackson Single-String | |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Neck-Through | |
| Tuners: | Jackson Sealed Die-Cast | |
| Fretboard: | Caramelized Jatoba | |
| Neck Material: | 5-Piece Maple/Walnut/Maple/Walnut/Maple | |
| Decoration: | Oval Dark Pearl | |
| Scale Size: | 34" | |
| Shape: | Bass Pro | |
| Frets: | 24 Jumbo | |
| Fretboard Radius: | 12" to 16" | |
| Nut: | Plastic | |
| Nut Width: | 38.1mm (1.5'') | |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Nordstrand SB4-B (Humbucker / Passive) | |
| Neck Pickup: | Nordstrand SB4-N (Humbucker / Passive) | |
| Switch: | 0 | |
| Knobs: | Dome | |
| Pickup Mods: | Multi-Voicing | |
| Volume Controls: | 0 | |
| Tone Controls: | 4 | |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | Yes | |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | |
Our Scores and Tone Evaluation
- Heavy Metal
- Hard Rock
- Jazz
- Blues
- Funk
- Country
Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Multi-Voicing Pickups
- Active/Passive Preamp
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Strap Lock
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Expensive Woods
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
Price Overview
Its average competitor's price is $550, which means that the Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV costs around 59% more than the competition. It might be due to it having additional features, but know that you can find cheaper similar alternatives. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 4 strings and Fixed bridge that are made in Indonesia.
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User Reviews & Feedback
Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!
Weight
VoteTuning stability
VoteNeck speed (thickness)
VoteNeck access to high frets
VoteNeck profile shape
VoteFret edges
VotePickups noise
VotePickups power
VoteOften Compared With
Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV's construction favors people with relatively small hands.
Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this bass—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.
Beginner Friendliness
The Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV meets 4 out of our 6 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's a good bass to start with as a complete beginner. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players to get used to.
New Player Friendliness
Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
Videos
How Lightweight is it?
We found that the Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV weighs between 7.875lbs (3.6kgs) and 8.625lbs (3.9kgs). This was recorded from some online retailers that publish the weight of the instruments they sell.
Playability
Scale Length
Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.
Here's the Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV's 34" scale length compared to other common sizes:
This is considered a long scale bass, and it's the most popular choice for several reasons. Even though it might be more difficult to play than short scale basses due to their increased string tension, their punchier low-end results in a clear and defined bass tone that can cut through in a mix, making them well-suited for genres like rock, metal, and funk.
Neck Profile
The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.
It has a C type neck. C-shaped necks like this have been the most popular for the last years. The reason is that they feel good in most hands. It's generally a thin neck that doesn't get in your way when playing fast, but that also has enough mass to give your hands a comfortable grip for chords if they aren't too big.
Thin necks like this make it easier to move your hand across the neck and it helps when playing fast solos, especially if you like to leave your thumb free while playing high on the fretboard. However, thinner necks are also weaker and will need adjustment more often than a thicker neck.
Fretboard Radius
When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.
The Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV has a compound fingerboard radius of 12" to 16".
A compound radius is the best you can get because you'll get the best of both worlds. It starts curved at the nut, but it flattens as you get closer to the body. This means that you'll get great comfortability for chords on the first few frets, but also a flatter fretboard for playing solos without problems on the higher frets.
Playability compared to main competitors
Nut Width
The Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV has a nut width of 38.1mm (1.5''). This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 4-string bass. This is what most players find as a balanced width for both playing chords and single notes across different strings. If you have an "average" hand size, or you're not sure what nut width you'd like, this is a safe bet.
Frets
The Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV has 24 frets. A lot of people mistakenly believe that having more frets will always be better because it gives you a higher octave. This is certainly an advantage, but there's also a disadvantage to this.
Since the fretboard will be longer, the neck pickup will need to be placed closer to the bridge. And as you may know, the further away the neck pickup is from the bridge, the warmer it sounds. This means you'll have a brighter-sounding neck pickup when using a 24-fret bass, even if you use the same pickup on a 22-fret bass.
It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.
Fret Size
Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.
The Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV's frets are Jumbo size. This is a tall fret size that is becoming increasingly popular because it makes it easier to press down the strings cleanly. With this fret size, you won't feel the fretboard when playing, so if you press down too hard, you will get the notes out of pitch. However, this is something you can overcome by getting used to the taller size.
Playability Score
Tone
Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.
Wood
Walnut Body: It's a hard wood with a chocolate color that is often used to give an elegant finish. Since it's quite expensive and rare, it's mostly used for guitar tops.
Maple Neck: This is one of the most popular types of wood used in all kinds of guitars. It's heavy, strong and compact, which makes it great for necks. However, it's also used for fretboards, bodies and tops due to its light color, resistance and beautiful patterns. When it comes to tone, it highlights the mid and high frequencies.
Jatoba Fretboard: It's an exceptionally hard and dense wood that emphasizes the mid-lows, giving a fuller, more round sound than, for example, Mahogany. However, it also has a lot of clarity in the top end.
Pickups
This bass comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Nordstrand. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.
These are passive pickups, so you can expect a rounder sound and a moderade level of output.
Preamp
The preamp is an electronic circuit that serves as an intermediary between the bass's pickups and the amplifier. Its primary function is to boost and shape the bass's raw signal before it reaches the amplifier. This allows for greater control over the bass's tone, volume, and other sound characteristics. Preamps often include tone controls, equalization settings, and sometimes even onboard effects, enabling bassists to tailor their sound to their preferences and the musical context.
This bass has a Active/Passive preamp. This means it combines both passive and active electronics in one instrument. This versatile setup allows the player to switch between passive and active modes, providing a wide range of tonal options. In passive mode, the bass relies on traditional passive pickups and tone controls for a warm and organic sound. In active mode, the onboard preamp circuit is engaged, offering enhanced EQ shaping capabilities and sometimes a signal boost. This flexibility caters to a broader spectrum of musical styles and playing preferences, as it allows the bassist to switch between the classic, vintage tone of passive operation and the more versatile and finely tuned active mode, all within the same instrument.
The Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV's configuration is HH. With this pickup combination, you'll get warmer tones and more output than using single coils. Humbucker pickups cancel the noise that single-coil suffer from, which also results in a warmer tone. This pickup combination isn't only for high-gain music like Hard Rock or Heavy Metal. Their warmness is also popular for Jazz, Indie, R&B, Blues and more.
More with the same pickups
Versatility
It has a Multi-Voicing option. This means the pickups can change their output, tone, or sound. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.
What music genre is it good for?
As a 4 strings, Solid Body bass with HH configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Heavy Metal or similar. However, you can use almost any bass for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.
Sound Score
Build Quality
Country of Origin
Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.
The Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV is made in Indonesia. Many people prefer the quality of an Indonesian guitar over a Chinese. Respectable brands like Epiphone, Ibanez and Schecter are building in this country because of the great quality and lower price. Some people like to compare them to the ones built in Japan during the 80s, when Japanese guitar makers made a name for themselves.
Bridge
Jackson Single-String: The advantage of fixed bridges is that they don't require any kind of set-up. This makes it extremely easy when changing strings because you don't need to adjust anything besides tuning the guitar. Also, the fact that the bridge is directly attached to the body will help to increase sustain. The disadvantage is the lack of versatility since you can't create the same vibrato effects as with tremolo bridges.
Nut Material
Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your bass. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.
In this case, the Jackson Pro Series Spectra Bass SBFM IV has a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.
Neck Joint
The neck joint is the part where the neck of the bass meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.
This bass has a Neck-Through neck joint. Many people believe a neck-through build delivers the best sustain because some of the vibrations from the neck aren't lost like with other neck joints. However, no one has been able to prove this. What we know is that a neck-through build is usually the most comfortable when playing the upper frets because there's nothing on your way at the neck-body joint.
