Your opinion

erochelle77 · #1 09-22-2007, 03:00 PM

Ok, I am getting ready to start my first rebuild. I just bought a vintage 60's Sekova J bass just for this reason. I think I have the plan all laid out, but I would like some one's opinion that has more knowledge than I. I'm going for the vintage vibe, so it should be simple.

Bridge : Schaller roller bridge. I want to keep the covers, so I need to know if this will fit under them. I also need to look at the screw pattern of the original again. I don't want to drill new holes if I don't have too.

Pups : Seymour Duncan Antiquity IIs

Wiring : basspartsresourse Vintage style wiring kit for Js

Tuners. Hipshot ultralights, or maybe just standard clovers.

The neck is going to need a little more work, so I haven't put much though to it's hardware.

Have I missed anything?

lowendgenerator · #2 09-22-2007, 04:43 PM

IMHO I would change the pickups and electronics. Tuners and bridge should only be replaced with vintage style hardware if you're going for that period correct style. It looks like a nice bass as is. Get some different knobs though lol.

erochelle77 · #3 09-22-2007, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendgenerator

IMHO I would change the pickups and electronics. Tuners and bridge should only be replaced with vintage style hardware if you're going for that period correct style. It looks like a nice bass as is. Get some different knobs though lol.

The tuners may be good, if so I'll keep them. The bridge, however, is complete garbage. I'm going to have to change it. I just want to make sure the cover will still fit.

And yeah, standard black Jbass knobs.

erochelle77 · #4 09-22-2007, 04:55 PM

If anyone has a stock J bridge just lying around after an upgrade, I'll take it off your hands

62bass · #5 09-22-2007, 06:38 PM

I have the Schaller roller bridge on my P bass. No, the cover won't fit. You will have to drill for new holes. I don't particularly care for the bridge. Compared to my other basses it's heavy, more finicky to adjust and setting the string spacing doesn't seem to be much of a benefit. I'd go with one of the Gotoh bridges myself or the Hipshot.

You can't go wrong with the Seymour Duncan pickups. That will be where your big, noticeable improvement in sound will be.

Probably upgrading the wiring and control pots won't hurt. I doubt you'll notice any improvement in sound. You should think about doing a good shielding job in the electronics cavity.

And do a really good setup and dress the frets and round over the fret ends to make it a bit more comfortable to play.

The ultralight tuners are a good idea to cut down on neck dive.

If you want that vintage vibe splurge on strings and get Thomastic Jazz Flats. Expensive but they'll last you years and years and still sound good.

erochelle77 · #6 09-23-2007, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62bass

I have the Schaller roller bridge on my P bass. No, the cover won't fit. You will have to drill for new holes. I don't particularly care for the bridge. Compared to my other basses it's heavy, more finicky to adjust and setting the string spacing doesn't seem to be much of a benefit. I'd go with one of the Gotoh bridges myself or the Hipshot.

You can't go wrong with the Seymour Duncan pickups. That will be where your big, noticeable improvement in sound will be.

Probably upgrading the wiring and control pots won't hurt. I doubt you'll notice any improvement in sound. You should think about doing a good shielding job in the electronics cavity.

And do a really good setup and dress the frets and round over the fret ends to make it a bit more comfortable to play.

The ultralight tuners are a good idea to cut down on neck dive.

If you want that vintage vibe splurge on strings and get Thomastic Jazz Flats. Expensive but they'll last you years and years and still sound good.

It's going to need a complete fret job, not just a dressing. I'm still not sure if I can save the fretboard. I want to keep the old neck, so I may have to look into having the whole fretboard replaced.

Also, I haven't measured it yet, but the neck seems to be P spaced, not J spaced.

erochelle77 · #7 09-25-2007, 09:31 PM

I tore into it today, and it is made of genuine plywood. I'm also 97% sure that the fretboard it plywood. It appears that the only piece of real wood on the thing is the neck itself.

Anyway, here are some better pictures.

The garbage bridge

Markings on the pots, and the controls

40 year old Japanese cardboard? These were being used as shims for the neck.

62bass · #8 09-26-2007, 09:28 AM

Well, that'll be a labour of love and you'll never get your money back with the upgrades. I guess it'll depend on what you want to spend. I'd say replace the bridge with a better made aftermarket Fender copy. Put in new pickups. You'll get lots of opinions here on what to replace them with. Try to save the existing frets unless they'r worn too far or are coming loose. Replace the tuning pegs. Put on the correct style knobs. Might as well buy a complete wiring harness with new pots while you're at it.

By scrounging and buying used you can keep the cost down although I doubt it'll have much value to anyone other than yourself.

Does that thing actually have any vintage value as it is?

erochelle77 · #9 09-26-2007, 09:37 AM

I doubt that it has any value, but I can't really find any info about them. I thought about using it as a learning tool, seeing as I want to get into building. Good opportunity to learn how to make, layout, fret, and replace a fingerboard.

I really love the burst on it, and I hate to just completely mess it up. If it wasn't for it needing new frets (yes, they are completely hopeless), I would leave it as it, just rewire, pup, and new bridge.