Questions about how to adjust a Fender JB '78

[Sixmax]

Hey all!

I own a '78 Fender JB (4-sting), but some things have to be adjusted, and I thought that maybe you guys know something about that :

1) My d-string is acting strange. It appears to be the same heigh as the other strings, but when I get to about 8-10th fret and up it seems to touch 2-3 more frets. I do not get this fuzzy sound, as I have experienced before with other basses when this problem occurs, but the tone seems to be more "dead" and I have to play harder to get a tone. Also the output from my amp is a bit lower. Any suggestions to this?

2) When playing and tuning I experience another problem. The bass is apparently out of tune "in octave". I don't know the english term for this, but if you play 10th fret on the a-string, and 12th fret on the g-string they are not in tune with each other. This problem occurs when I just tune the bass in a regular way, so for a while I have tuned in octaves, in the 6th fret. I have read that this could be solved by a neck adjustment, but I am sure that I would give it a go (think if something gets broke!) . Maybe I should visit a music store and let them solve the problem? Or is it easy to do?

3) When I bought the bass, I had to switch the button pickup, as it was almost dead. I bought a BassLine pickup, on the advice that it would fit the original pickup in sound. So far so good, but over time I have noticed that the original pickup has a much louder output. Is it possible to adjust the pickup high so that I get a better balance, or should I just get rid of that old (well-working) pickup and by a better match (or some new ones)?

4) Stings: I have played with different strings, especially the Rotosound Roundwound, and they have worked okay. But, as i have begun to play more with plectrums their sound does not fit in so well. I play an indie/rock/pop-like style with my band, and I want a more rock-alike sound. What could you suggest? If you want to, you can listen to my band (www.myspace.com/ladysmithdk) and get an idea on which kind of music we play.

Any suggestions are welcome, as I am a noob when it comes to adjusting, gear, stings etc

Thanks for you attention!

[Burlington]

I would take it to a shop honestly. They should be able to answer your pickup question too, and adjust its height.
As for strings, I would suggest DR LowBeams.

[snyderz]

Did you read the stickies in hardware/setup/repair forum? Lots of info on deadspots and intonation. If they don't make sense, take it to a tech.

[pacojas]

didn't your Mother tell you to never buy a '78 Fender??? you should always listen to Mother!!!

[Sixmax]

It was quite easy to adjust the things on the bridge. Now the bass is completely in tune, and string heigh is good! No need of a tech - thanks for the tip about the repair forum.

I now use Lo-Riders, what an amazing sound!

[queevil]

Originally Posted by pacojas

didn't your Mother tell you to never buy a '78 Fender??? you should always listen to Mother!!!

Is that sarcasm or are they really crappy? Or both? The reason I ask is that '78 is my birth year and I've always thought that it would be cool to have a J bass from that year. Thanks.

[RoboChrist]

You can fix the intonation yourself by moving the saddles back or forth. There are threads on this, do a search in repair.

[Sixmax]

Originally Posted by queevil

Is that sarcasm or are they really crappy? Or both? The reason I ask is that '78 is my birth year and I've always thought that it would be cool to have a J bass from that year. Thanks.

My opinion is that it depends. I have one from that year, and it is actually a great bass! Apparently, the quality of the Fender J-bass varies a lot in that decade, so there is no guarantee that you get a great bass just because of the building year. It is always necessary to try out the instrument and figure out if it fits your taste or not ...