New Bass Project (Jazz Bass 75 like)

[GerManson]

the idea is to make some bass just like a fender american jazz bass 75.

custom shop pickups
alder body
maple neck
badass II bridge

i'll be posting pictures... of the whole process
well, actually just the ones i'll be able to post..
i am not the builder.




could any one help me with the neck pickup position??
i want to set it up like the geddy lee jazz bass.


***** ADDED PICTURES BELLOW *****

[Jaydin Nathan]

Are you going to have it with the 70's pickup spacing? (I'm not sure if the Geddy has this or not).

[GerManson]

Originally Posted by TheJaydin

Are you going to have it with the 70's pickup spacing? (I'm not sure if the Geddy has this or not).

Geddy has it, and yes i am thinking of using that 70s spacing, just dont know the exact measures

[JustOpenYourMind]

I can't help you with the exact measurments as I am at work but all jazz basses have their neck pickup at the same place, the ''60's'' or ''70's'' spacing is regarding the bridge pickup in relation with its distance from the bridge. Since your bridge pickup route is already made, seem's to me you have no choice.

[GerManson]

Originally Posted by JustOpenYourMind

I can't help you with the exact measurments as I am at work but all jazz basses have their neck pickup at the same place, the ''60's'' or ''70's'' spacing is regarding the bridge pickup in relation with its distance from the bridge. Since your bridge pickup route is already made, seem's to me you have no choice.

well!! i remmember reading about Geddy Lee Pickup not fitting standar jazz basses and that is why i thought the neck pickup was the one changing.

thx for the info!

[JustOpenYourMind]

What I remember reading about Geddy's bass is that one of his pickups was probably overwound or as he says it had ''messed up wiring''. It had nothing to do with it's position on the body.

The neck pickup on all jazzes are at the same distance from the 12th fret of the bass. I'm pretty sure that a search on talkbass or google will give you the information you need.

[GerManson]

yep, but try putting one geddy pickguard on a standard jazz and it wont fit.

[JustOpenYourMind]

Originally Posted by GerManson

yep, but try putting one geddy pickguard on a standard jazz and it wont fit.

Fender uses vintage 11 screw holes pattern pickguards on the geddy lee basses wich is why they don't fit on traditionnal 10 holes standtard pickguards,

[GerManson]

well! you just made my day, thank you a lot
i can now continue with the building of this bass.. too bad i cant have 70 pickup positioning

i am looking for a sound like a marcus miller jazz or a geddy lee one.

[Jared92]

suscribed. should be a good time.

[GerManson]

[jordan_frerichs]

Here is how i find the location.
1. go to musicians friend, and copy an image of the bass with the disired location
2. paste the image in the paints function. click the straight line function, and choose a color that will show up well (hot pink usually shows over any color)
3. put a vertical line, in line with the pole piece center, and the 12th fret. conect them roughly at the center line.
4. paste the image again, and cut out the line, and line up the 12 th fret line and coil center line with the frets and find as close as you can to a match. mark it (ex: 12th fret to neck coil = distance from fret a to fret b)
5. go to fretfind, type in the scale of the instrument, and add up the space between frets, is accurate to the decimal, and works with any scale (the benifet of jazz pups on a reduced scale, is that they are single coil. if it were a humbucker/p pup 1 coil would be off slightly.)

i have the measurements saved on my other computer. will get them to you when i have the chance to use it

[HarderTheyFlo]

Hey, i dont know if i can help you but i do have the bass you are building... kinda lol.
Well i have an 85 reissue of the 75 jazz bass and if there is anything you need, like spacing feel free to pm me.

But the bass i have doesnt have the bridge cover and has a thumbrest below the strings unlike in the fender pic.

[stuntbass77]

I own both the geddy and american standard jazz basses. Both are black with white pick guard. The measurement's on the geddy from 12th fret to the top of the bridge pickup is 14 9/16 and the american measures 14 1/16. What that ruffly comes out to is 1/2 inch difference; with the geddy's pickup being set 1/2 closer to the bridge. I prefer the tone from the 60's position even if it's on a mexican jazz bass. Remember back in the 70's most guy's were playing used 60's era jazz basses as they were cheaper back then. The geddy is also a pound or more heavier and this contributes to the sound as well. I have a fretless neck for the geddy I sometimes use and the tone is very much the same only difference is the mwah effect of the fretless neck. The american to me has more pronounced mid's that I prefer for cutting through the mix.

[GerManson]

Originally Posted by stuntbass77

I own both the geddy and american standard jazz basses. Both are black with white pick guard. The measurement's on the geddy from 12th fret to the top of the bridge pickup is 14 9/16 and the american measures 14 1/16. What that ruffly comes out to is 1/2 inch difference; with the geddy's pickup being set 1/2 closer to the bridge. I prefer the tone from the 60's position even if it's on a mexican jazz bass. Remember back in the 70's most guy's were playing used 60's era jazz basses as they were cheaper back then. The geddy is also a pound or more heavier and this contributes to the sound as well. I have a fretless neck for the geddy I sometimes use and the tone is very much the same only difference is the mwah effect of the fretless neck. The american to me has more pronounced mid's that I prefer for cutting through the mix.

useful information, too bad i didnt read it early

i bought a set of fender vintage tuning machines, but now i got a problem.. I cant find the damn bashings (ferrules) or whatever they are named, its hard for me to get em, i am not a USA resident, so i dont got many options around here.

i went to phoenix guitar center and man! i couldnt found anything!

not even the pickguard, or the pickup covers! building a custom bass using only fender parts is not that easy, as they are not as easy to find as i thought it would be.

I am still missing a lot of parts!!

[GerManson]

[GerManson]

more pictures from the project.. new pieces arrived today! YEAH!!

[bassnug47]

Blackberry Pearls are awesome!

[GerManson]

what do you think about the headstock "little work"?

[GerManson]