fender tweaking plan - opinions sought.

pierce · #1 06-19-2006, 05:51 PM

i have two fenders that i am planning on "tweaking". i like the basses now, but there are some light issues with each that i want to address. plus i want to improve thier sound/playability.

2000 MIM Jazz (stock)

i hate the hum i get from it. i took off the pickguard off, and i have a thinsheet of basswood that im building a pickguard out of. i also like the smooth round sound, but sometimes i wish i could get some growl out of it.

plans:
* shield the cavities
* consider series/parallel wiring, diff pots, capacitors, etc.

optional:
* putting a sd basslines qp-jazz in the bridge position (or>)
* replacing both pups with nord nj4's, aero's, model j's, or sd hots

FrankenFender P-Bass
(bullet or tele neck, hipshot detuners, EMG pups)
the bridge goes out of wack sometimes. i think it is a fender knockoff.

plans:
* replace bridge with fender usa bridge
* consider series/parallel wiring, diff pots, capacitors, etc.

optional:
* putting a detuner on the g string (drop/rise to DADA tuning)

i mostly like the sound of these basses, and i am wanting to mainly fix the descrepancies. (hum on j, bridge on p). the other goal would be to increase the versatility of the basses. i do not want to radically redesign or heavily mod them, or spend a lot of money for that matter.

i like what i got, but i want to improve it. any opinions, advice, or links welcome.

(ps. where do i get a good fender bridge for a decent price)

Broseph · #2 06-19-2006, 06:33 PM

Not sure man. I'm kind of trying to "reinvent" my MIM Fender fretless. The thing just sounds dead to me. Replaced the bridge with a Bada$$ II which improved the feel a bit but the wood doesn't resonate at all. I was thinking of buying the cheapest piece of ash i could find from warmoth and transferring the neck, hardware and all the electronics to that. Also thinking of putting some new pickups in. Got some DiMarzio J series to replace the old ones. Had it for a while and never played it much after i realized i didn't like it much and would never be Jaco. It's about 6 years old now and really needs to be dealt with.

pierce · #3 06-20-2006, 09:24 AM

unfortunately, my playing is not yet at the point where i can tell the difference between the body woods. i realize these basses will never be a $2000+ basses, but i would like to correct the problems, and maximize there potential. in a cost effective manner of course.

oh, and to expand on the possible mim jazz pup upgrade... i am thinking that a modern sounding pup in the bridge position would give me a modern sound when i wanted.. b ut i could turn it off, and get the vintage sound of the neck pup. (or blends of both).

and if this didnt seem viable, and i could get a good price on them, i would try carey's nj4's.

pierce · #4 06-20-2006, 03:45 PM

btw, if anyone is looking to get rid of some jazz pups similar to above, fender P-bridge, a hipshot detuner (newer style), or a grounding kit..let me know.

Broseph · #5 06-20-2006, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pierce

unfortunately, my playing is not yet at the point where i can tell the difference between the body woods.

Don't have to be a master to know whether you like the wood or not. My first bass was an 96ish Washburn XB750 (i think) and the wood on that bass was incredible. It was just alder with a maple top but it was balanced, light and if i was in a loud area and wanted to tune it without a tuner and cord, i could just put my chin on the top horn and feel the vibrations as the 5th and 7th fret harmonics clashed with each other. Bottom line: it sounded as good acoustic as it did electric beacause the wood actually resonated. The fender on the other hand is a whole different animal. It doesn't resonate at all and it feels a little too heavy. I can imagine MIAs are much better quality but i couldn't afford an MIA at the time so i slummed it up a bit and got the cheaper mexican bass. Hopefully some better wood and some DiMarzio Model Js will fix this but till then she (not Stephanie) is staying in the closet.

Maybe the wood isn't that big of a deal but i honestly believe that it can potentially play a huge role in the bass's sound. The Washburn (the original Steph...burned in a fire on Xmas eve) was alder with a maple top and my new Yamaha TRB1005 is alder with a maple top. The J is alder as well, but i think it sounds like it does because of a combination of issues in the construction...hopefully. Hopefully i'll get off my lazy arse and do something with it soon. Good luck with yours.