Boner Bass Club

[Burwabit]

I just noticed the thread because I got my first boner today. I've been wanting a passive Jazz to compliment my collection, and this is definitely the one. Loving it so far. Can't wait to gig.

Did I mention I got a smoking deal on this used for GC online (thanks Toledo)? Not a ding on the headstock and only two minor ones on the body. Baby looks good for 20 years old (that's like 55 in wife years).

[Exploiter8]

You know the rules: no pic, no 55 year old wife that looks 20!

Um, nice boner, btw.

[ljazz]

Originally Posted by Burwabit

I just noticed the thread because I got my first boner today. I've been wanting a passive Jazz to compliment my collection, and this is definitely the one. Loving it so far. Can't wait to gig.

Did I mention I got a smoking deal on this used for GC online (thanks Toledo)? Not a ding on the headstock and only two minor ones on the body. Baby looks good for 20 years old (that's like 55 in wife years).

Very cool..... now, pull off the bridge, and throw on something that has a bit more normal string spacing so that you don't pull the E and G string off the fingerboard all night. As noted earlier, I threw a BAII on mine not long after buying it nearly 20 years ago. About 2 weeks ago, I threw on a Fender bent plate bridge.... one of the old ones with the barrel saddles. The BAII is just so darned heavey. I think the bridge swap knocked half a pound off the weight! Sonically, there is just no difference, and I think you can pick up that bridge for 25 bucks or so.

The SD Antiquities I threw in mine back in '94 are still in it, and they sound wonderful...... with the TBX turned up just past mid position, it sounds a modern as anything with a battery in it..... just below mid, and you're into vintage territory. Love this thing with SS Loriders!

Here is a shot of me playing it at a house party back when I first bought it......


Here is a more recent shot with my '08 MIA P.....

[Tupac]

Weird! The body kind of looks like a toy for some reason. Did they increase the scale length? Looks like the neck goes farther out.

[ljazz]

22 frets, with longer horns, but deeper cut aways. Normal, 34 inch scale length. Incredible build quality..... fit and finish were wonderful...... fretwork was excellent. Neck pocket is tighter than my '08 MIA P.

Only problem (major design flaw!) was the bridge has horrible spacing..... like 21 or 22mm is I remember correctly...... and horribly tame pups (like all AmStd Fenders, IMO).

[Burwabit]

Originally Posted by ljazz

Here is a more recent shot with my '08 MIA P.....
Attachment 291832

Nice tort guard. I'd like to find one of those. 8 hole guards seem pretty rare.

[ShoeManiac]

Originally Posted by ljazz

22 frets, with longer horns, but deeper cut aways. Normal, 34 inch scale length. Incredible build quality..... fit and finish were wonderful...... fretwork was excellent. Neck pocket is tighter than my '08 MIA P.

Only problem (major design flaw!) was the bridge has horrible spacing..... like 21 or 22mm is I remember correctly...... and horribly tame pups (like all AmStd Fenders, IMO).

Indeed. I had a 1991 American standard Jazz, and it was definitely a solidly built instrument. But when I got a couple of other Jazz basses it was very clear that the pickups on the boner Jazz bass were pretty bland. My AVRI 75 Jazz bass blew it away from a tone standpoint, and that's why I parted with mine.

[Fresh Eddie]

The first bass I ever bought brand new was a 1992 Boner Jazz. I remember I had ordered the Midnight Blue and paid most of my paycheck every week on layaway until it was paid off... I kept visiting the store to see if it came in, and the salesguy would say "We have a sunburst one in the basement," until finally one night I took a look at it and fell in love. Of course I didn't have enough money for a case, so I had to ride the bus home and pick up a bag and rode the bus back to pick it up.

It was a great bass, but yes, the bridge was too wide and the strings didn't align properly with the pole pieces and would pop off the neck if you were not careful. The neck moved an awful lot at first, too and finding the proper truss rod wrench was a problem (the one that shipped with it did not fit.) I remember mine had the flat peg Elite style tuners, and for some reason had the all black Japanese knobs on it (plastic with the big "F" on them like the Duff Bass.)

I sold it a bunch of years back...

P.S. Eventually the Blue one showed up and I saw it on the wall of the shop, but the sunburst one was nicer looking.... and usually I am not a sunburst guy at all!

[ljazz]

I bought the tort guard after owning it for a year or so. The shop I worked for at the time ordered the pick guard for me from Chandler.

The SD Antiquities and new bridge made all the difference. It's the best playing jazz bass I've ever played. I'm kinda anal about my neck relief and action, and measure my action regularly. I like a bit more relief than spec, and keep the neck there all year long...... I think this has kept the neck from warping...... today, I can get the action extremely low with no buzz. When I bought it I was on a vintage Jazz hunt that landed several "dogs"..... This bass, especially when I made the mods, cured the vintage gas. I've toyed with the idea of throwing in a preamp, but the TBX is pretty cool, and it definitely sounds vintage when you turn down below the detent on the tone knob.

I guess I've always viewed this bass, as well as all the AmStd's, as a great platform for modding into something even better. Again, the fit and finish of this bass is impeccable. The fret work is beautiful..... every bit as nice as my '08 MIA P. I threw on a bent plate fender bridge on it a few weeks back (replacing a BAII that has been on there since '94 or so), and I swear the bass is a good half pound lighter. I need to borrow a scale from work for the weekend and get a good weight on it, but I'm guessing it's about 9.25 lbs. And the extended upper horn (the boner) makes the weight spread out across more of your shoulder and upper back..... on the strap this thing feels like a 8.5 pounder.

Other mods that I've made include vintage style knobs (hated the numbered F knobs), a hipshot detuner and a bone nut. I've kept all of the original parts in case I ever decide to sell it...... but even today, other J's don't seem to measure up for me, so I don't see myself selling it anytime soon.

[Burwabit]

I'll want to add a hipshot detuner also. Which model is a match on yours?

[ljazz]

Originally Posted by Burwabit

I'll want to add a hipshot detuner also. Which model is a match on yours?

I have the original tuner stuck in the hipshot package, and stored away, so I can't check right now. You should be able to find it on the hipshot web site though. The last time I checked (a few years ago) they were still making it.

Are you going to swap out the bridge on yours? Definitely go with the old fender style bent plate with threaded saddles. Don't bother with a BAII..... LOL, when I put it on I thought it was the greatest thing...... I hear absolutely no difference in that and the new bent plate one I recently installed. The weight savings is significant though.

[Burwabit]

Originally Posted by ljazz

...You should be able to find it on the hipshot web site though. ...

Are you going to swap out the bridge on yours...

Found it... it's the BT4 xtender. As far a bridge goes, I haven't really gigged mine yet but the stock one isn't bothering me. I haven't really noticed any string slipoff on the G. We'll see how it goes. For now, my mods will be xtender and tort guard.

[Mr. Sound]

Have owned a copy of this book for 14 years or so.
Could not work out why the shape of the two P basses looked weird.
"The" odd thing is, the text doesn't mention the Precision Bass Plus (or if it does, it doesn't mention the change in body shape)

[Definitely]

Originally Posted by Burwabit

I just noticed the thread because I got my first boner today. I've been wanting a passive Jazz to compliment my collection, and this is definitely the one. Loving it so far. Can't wait to gig.

Did I mention I got a smoking deal on this used for GC online (thanks Toledo)? Not a ding on the headstock and only two minor ones on the body. Baby looks good for 20 years old (that's like 55 in wife years).

Now that's a nice boner, good job!

[duckbutter]

Anyone know where to get a pick guard for the P Bass...I guess it would be a 4 hole. toggle, vol, tone, jack.

[Timgebutler]

Is this the official Boner club? Anyone handing out numbers?

Anyway here's my '89 with a new guard. Just replaced the original wide bridge today for a normal Fender bridge after reading 100's of comments on here. So simple as the 3 screw holes lined up with the smaller bridge. Just need to drill 2 more holes (if I decide to although sustain is great ATM with just 3 screws). Strings line up over the pups correctly and E and G don't get pulled off the fretboard. Happy as Larry.
Got to comment on the build and QC of this bass too. Awesome bass.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by danomite64

Colors the P-Bass Plus came in:

#06 Black
#21 Natural
#32 Brown Sunburst
#73 Midnight Blue
#75 Midnight Wine
#77 Frost Red
#80 Arctic White
#90 Blue Pearl Burst
#91 Black Pearl Burst.

... and #15 Lipstick Red like mine.

Also Vintage White (07), Mystic Black (19), Crimson Burst (28), Blue Burst (36), Antique Burst (37), and Electric Blue (87), all according to Wikipedia.

Interesting note about Lipstick Red from Xhefri's Guitars (http://xhefriguitars.com/page2.html):

"Another interesting Candy Color is Lipstick Red. This color is obtained the same way as CAR or Midnight Wine, but the Fender peintour (painter) put down Vintage White as the base coat instead of a metallic color. Then they used the transparent red color coat over that, followed by a the clear coats. The result is a very deep red that looks like it has water on top of it. Fender also had CAR Bursts Blue Bursts and Lipstick Red Burst—which the color coats showed the nice Ash grain through the tops and bottom of the guitar and became a solid color around the edges."

I love this instrument. It's everything I ever wanted in a bass.

[ljazz]

Originally Posted by Timgebutler

Is this the official Boner club? Anyone handing out numbers?

Anyway here's my '89 with a new guard. Just replaced the original wide bridge today for a normal Fender bridge after reading 100's of comments on here. So simple as the 3 screw holes lined up with the smaller bridge. Just need to drill 2 more holes (if I decide to although sustain is great ATM with just 3 screws). Strings line up over the pups correctly and E and G don't get pulled off the fretboard. Happy as Larry.
Got to comment on the build and QC of this bass too. Awesome bass.

The build quality of mine is probably even better than my '08 P. Too bad the design flaws had to be overcome with my own mods. Whoever decided on the bridge had their head insterted pretty far up the ole....... nevermind. Anyway, a great looking bass you have there.

[Burwabit]

Finally added a tort guard. I like it much better than the stock white guard, especially considering my burst P-bass has an off-white (mint) guard. I hadn't intended to own 2 burst four strings, but it worked out that way.

[Stewie26]

I have a 1992 P Bass Plus Deluxe that I bought new in 93.
I am not sure if it's a true boner bass. Maybe someone can clue me in. Thanks