Advice on 1978 Jazz: Restore or continue to modify

[velvethammer4]

I've got a 1978 Fender Jazz that I purchased around 1991 for $400. I'm trying to decide whether to embark on a restoration project or continue to experiment with it. It's not my main bass any more (the Fender Jazz V FMT has replaced it for recording) but I'd love to use it more again.

• Original pots are gone, replaced and stupidly not saved.
• Original Pickup in neck, Bartonlini in Bridge but I saved the original bridge PU.
• Had early BadAss when I bought it, replaced with BadAss 2. Orig bridge gone.
• Neck is sanded on the back and has bonded sides
• Frets are orginal but have been shaved down a bit
• Black paint (possibly not original) and black pick guard.
• Bridge, pickup cover, and thumb rest all missing when I bought it.
• Original tuners

I don't have a photo to post but I can. It has character right now, belt buckle rash, a couple stickers I added, great yellowed aging on the headstock so I would risk ruining some of that if I restored it.

As far as continued modifications go, I've considered the usual, adding a hipshot D-tuner, replacing the electronics with better ones (still passive), dumping the Bartolini which worked well during the Primus years but these days is a little farty for my taste.

No matter what I do, I know that the electronics need help, and the neck needs to be shored up as it can be torqued if you tug it toward either horn.

Anyway, thoughts??

[thebrain]

I would go for restoring it, but leave the finish alone unless you can determine it's not original. Get a replacement bridge (maybe an old one off ebay/CL), and put the original bridge PU back in (have it rewound if need be). Re-fret it if it needs it, but maybe they can just be dressed.

[johnk_10]

i would put it back to stock as much as possible.
an AV RI bridge (w/ribbed saddles) would suffice but a '75 RI bridge (single notched steel saddles w/6-32 thread slot head screws) would be more accurate.

put in the stock pickups and you can find the original'78 pots on ebay.

[Tom7]

Originally Posted by velvethammer4

I've got a 1978 Fender Jazz that I purchased around 1991 for $400. I'm trying to decide whether to embark on a restoration project or continue to experiment with it. It's not my main bass any more (the Fender Jazz V FMT has replaced it for recording) but I'd love to use it more again.

• Original pots are gone, replaced and stupidly not saved.
• Original Pickup in neck, Bartonlini in Bridge but I saved the original bridge PU.
• Had early BadAss when I bought it, replaced with BadAss 2. Orig bridge gone.
• Neck is sanded on the back and has bonded sides
• Frets are orginal but have been shaved down a bit
• Black paint (possibly not original) and black pick guard.
• Bridge, pickup cover, and thumb rest all missing when I bought it.
• Original tuners

I don't have a photo to post but I can. It has character right now, belt buckle rash, a couple stickers I added, great yellowed aging on the headstock so I would risk ruining some of that if I restored it.

As far as continued modifications go, I've considered the usual, adding a hipshot D-tuner, replacing the electronics with better ones (still passive), dumping the Bartolini which worked well during the Primus years but these days is a little farty for my taste.

No matter what I do, I know that the electronics need help, and the neck needs to be shored up as it can be torqued if you tug it toward either horn.

Anyway, thoughts??

I'd love to see the photo.

I have a 1976 Fender Jazz bass, and here are my thoughts.

Further modifying this vintage bass buries it deeper into what I like to call "It's a floor wax and a desert topping!" syndrome.

Either make this bass a restored vintage instrument, or make it another frankenbass, but it really cannot be both.

The thing that makes having a vintage bass cool is the fact that it is vintage: a piece of music history. If it's not authentic and organically worn, then it's just old junk really, so saying what year it was made in isn't impressive.

It sounds like you have a go to playing bass, so you are set there. Meanwhile, it looks like you have TWO projects.

If you are itching for a modification project, cheap, beater, MIM Jazz basses can be had all over the world for a song (pun intended), especially in this economy. Get one of those and experiment.

But the project a 1978 Jazz bass should be involved in should be restoration.

Any old bass can be made into a frankenbass, but a 60s or 70s Fender Jazz bass is a classic that cannot be made anymore. It's a desert topping, not a floor wax.

[Lesfunk]

I say modify it as much as you want. It's your bass right?
If you want to sell it for maximum $$, make it stock. if you want to play it, The sky's the limit.
I wouldn't cut it up though

[butchblack]

I would take it to a good luthier to determine if it had been refinished. If it had it'll never be completely authentic and will never have the resale value of an original finish bass. The other problem is that it may be big bucks to bring it back to authentic condition. Do you want to spend that kind of $? Unlike a pre-CBS bass I'm not convinced it's worth the effort and $. I'd continue to modify it until you have a player that you like and use.

[johnboy65]

Go crazy on modding it. With a sanded neck and all the other stuff, you can make it into a real player. The whole "all original" thing is way overrated IMO. That being said i've got an orig '65 P (except frets and maybe pickguard) so maybe I'm part of the problem .

[Marton]

I would put the original pickups in it, install a D-tuner and leave it alone.

And no picture, no bass !

[savit260]

Mod 'till your hearts content. It would cost more to restore it correctly than it would be worth when done.

It's a player, so just use and enjoy it. It has little collector value, even restored to "as new" condition (Required IMO)

[fu22ba55]

I wouldn't mess with any of the routes or drill ANY extra holes...

As long as you can "one-day" restore it back to stock, then I say have at it. You can always pick up "correct" parts along the way and restore it bit by bit.

The neck shim to keep it from rockin' around in that pocket is no big whoop. (Mine is an old playing card I've only had to replace twice in 22 years.)

I kept my '79 this way for many years...




Then I sought out a "correct" pickguard and changed out the pole pieces, and I like the look much more.



I wish I could get rid of that godawful badass bridge (I HATE how it looks), but it really sounds soooooo much better than the stock brigde (which I still have.)

[Tom7]

Originally Posted by savit260

Mod 'till your hearts content. It would cost more to restore it correctly than it would be worth when done.

It's a player, so just use and enjoy it. It has little collector value, even restored to "as new" condition (Required IMO)

I get this and partly agree...

If the monetary value of your bass is your primary motivation, then he is right: even restored this bass may not have a high collectors' value.

In other words, money wouldn't be a good reason to restore the bass.

However, if your bass tempts you to tell people what year it is, then you have a bass that means something to you because of its age.

Does that make sense?

You value this bass BECAUSE it is a 1978 Fender Jazz.

So make it a 1978 Fender Jazz bass.

Why not?

You've got another bass for playing, a modern bass with its own vibe, so the 1978 can eventually become a player as well with its vintage vibe.

[king_biscuit]

You can get a 75RI Fender bridge here:

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/b...uinefender.htm