Quote:
Originally Posted by Souperman08  (I'm a bass noob, so forgive anything stupid that I should know, heh)
I currently play a modified SX P-bass. I love the sound, I love the feel, I just wish it had a jazz-style neck (with the width getting narrower at the headstock). After only finding necks which cost more than I paid for the bass, I find this http://www.rondomusic.com/product3922.html
So, here goes
1. Is the fretboard and/or the back of the neck have a finish? It almost looks like it does (especially the back), but they don't mention anything in the description about it.
2. If it isn't, would it be much of a process to put a finish on the neck? (I really like how finishes on a fretboard feel, but I can live without it).
3. Would a normal neck (as opposed to the blank one they took pictures of) have the correct holes to attach it to my P-bass body, or would I have to drill holes?
4. (Just for kicks and giggles) is there any other cheap options as far as jazz bass necks? |
Old style headstock? Cheapo price? Are you kidding? Go for it!
1. Yes it's finished! It's finished in "nuclear orange"! Most people hate that color (it's actually "colonial maple" supposedly to imitate the color of highly oxidized old maple wood) Most strip it off, but I don't because it's too much like work.
2. Doesn't apply. See 1.
3. No it doesn't come with holes. And that is GOOD because SX necks are "hand fitted" to the body. In case you don't know what that means, it means that some low budget worker used a hand-drill to put some wildly crooked holes for the screws that mount the neck.
Proper way to mount an SX neck is to first fit the new neck to the bass. What that means is to make sure neck end fits pocket and the neck is reasonably straight (means strings go straight down fretboard far enough in from both edges and all the rest. In other words everything is OK including distance from bridge to nut etc. once you are happy with that, then you clamp the neck in place where you are SURE you want it...
And you take your hand drill and with a tube to take up slack in the body in the body holes and a small long drill bit down the tube you use the body holes as a guide to continue them into the neck. Be sure to mark drill LENGTH so you don't drill out through the fretboard. Then body holes (at weird angles) will now match pilot holes for the neck screws.
Absolute best way to do all this is to use threaded inserts in the new neck. See "Chunger" thread for more details. It really makes the bass come to life! You may need some help from someone with woodworking skills to do all this!
4. Other cheap options? Are you kidding? you've just been handed the GIFT of the century and you want to moan about finding OTHER options? Sheesh.
5. depending on the tuners you other neck uses you may encounter some difficulty switching tuners from one neck to the other. The problem comes from pressing out the press-fit inserts that some tuning machines use. Again there is a reference here in some thread that shows how to do this easily and perfectly using ordinary mechanics sockets to do this.
6. And finally be aware that when you install a new neck you may have to shim it to get the angle to the bridge right. I got a fretless 5 string fretless neck from Rondo for my 5 string Ursa fretted and it had to be shimmed.
Be very careful. You are pushing the limits of the kind of jobs a noob can safely do here! Don't be afraid to ask someone skilled for advice and help!
