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'76 Jazz

76jazzbass

76jazzbass

Jul 7, 2008
2,997
10,886
#1
I'm new to TB and recently took up bass more seriously. I've been playing guitar for just over 20 years and always noodled with the bass, but never more than a little here and there.
A friend of my brother heard I played and showed me this bass. WOW, I couldn't believe it... just wasting away in his closet for the last 10 years or so. He bought it new and gigged with it for few years and then put it in the closet. The strings were nasty and the bridge was pitted pretty bad (Badass II). The finish on the neck was worn away some on the bottom and back of the neck. Plus, more than a few nicks, cracks and dings. But I fell in love with it the second I held it. But, he wasn't selling it...
Needless to say I proceeded to hound my brother to keep asking him to sell it. This went on for a couple months... kinda almost turned into a joke between me and my brother.
Then, my b-day comes around in early June... and my brother shows up and hands me this....

0276jazz.jpg


0176jazz.jpg


:hyper:
Coolest b-day EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My brother is the man!

After a quick run to the music store, I put on new strings, and cleaned up the neck and frets. I had been playing my friends 70's Ibanez.. what a difference when I plugged the jazz into the amp.
It plays great, sounds great, I love the neck and I think it looks great. It has a little buzzing up on the neck, but pretty minor. The saddles need to be replaced and the pickups are not original, he said they were EMG's. I can't wait to get a little work done on it. I'm still can't believe it!!!!
I have a maple topped 50th Anniversary Strat... one of 2500. My personal 'greatest guitar ever'.... it's been getting jealous.
 
#5
Cool info on the DiMarzio's.... I didn't know that. I didn't think they looked like EMG's.

The saddles are pitted pretty bad and the little height adjustment screws look like you couldn't get an allen wrench in them. It still plays great though.
 
#7
BurningSkies said:
No stress. The BA isn't stock anyway, so you'll lose no value in replacing the bridge. That bass was used for more than 'a few gigs'.
Click to expand...

+1

Very cool score.
Clearly the seller was not the first owner. Got a pic of the back of the neck, body, heel, and headstock? :p
 
#8
I should have said a few 'years', but yes it does have some serious wear... love it. I'll have to take more pics. It plays fantastic, can't wait to have it setup. As for the worn finish on the neck... should I smooth the edges with some light sandpaper, or is it best to leave it? Thanks for all the info!



0376jazz.jpg
 
#9
j@zz_b@ss said:
I should have said a few 'years', but yes it does have some serious wear... love it. I'll have to take more pics. It plays fantastic, can't wait to have it setup. As for the worn finish on the neck... should I smooth the edges with some light sandpaper, or is it best to leave it? Thanks for all the info!
Click to expand...

I'd leave it. But if it bothers you, try using some '0000' steel wool instead of sand paper. '0000' steel wool is great for cleaning gunk and other things from the back of a neck. Easier on the wood than sand paper.... unless you had some really, really fine grit paper.
 
#13
Rather than spending the money to replace the bridge, or even just the saddles, why not remove the bridge and hit the screws with a few blasts of solvent to try to break up the rust? Your local auto parts or hardware store should have something appropriate. Just keep the spray off the finish, unless you REALLY like the 'relic' look.
 
#14
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Rather than spending the money to replace the bridge, or even just the saddles, why not remove the bridge and hit the screws with a few blasts of solvent to try to break up the rust? Your local auto parts or hardware store should have something appropriate. Just keep the spray off the finish, unless you REALLY like the 'relic' look.
Click to expand...

I'll have to try that, because I really don't want a shinny new bridge when everything else has a nice aging to it. You can't see it in the pic, but the height adjustment screws are so rusty, I don't think an allen wrench will go in them. Gonna take it off and try that thought, maybe its just 30 years of gunk in there. Also, maybe I could grab the screws from underneath and try to turn them loose.

Thanks to everyone for your input!
now if my brohter will get me an old Ampeg for x-mas:rolleyes:
 
#15
Whatever you do, don't put the allen wrench into the saddle screws and start cranking without using lubricant, because sooner or later you'll strip the heads and will be forced to replace the saddles. Take your time, apply pressure steadily but firmly, and only spray solvents in a well-ventilated area.
And if this wasn't obvious, take the bridge completely off the bass before you do anything.
 
#18
Nice score my man... I love the found it gathering dust in the closet stories... I was at my local music store the other day when I guy brought in a pre-CBS Strat he found in his grandma's attic mint sat it case for the last 25 years wanted to know the value... doh! Found this website the other day that has new and relic bass parts maybe it will be helpful in restoring your gift.... congrats!

http://www.grguitars.com/parts_5bass.htm
 
#19
j@zz_b@ss said:
I'm new to TB... and my brother shows up and hands me this....

0276jazz.jpg


0176jazz.jpg


:hyper:
Coolest b-day EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My brother is the man!

.
Click to expand...

Your brother is the man indeed. Great find!

BurningSkies said:
Those pickups are not EMG's they're in fact DiMarzio's and are THE classic 70's replacement pickup. In fact, they've become collectible in their own right.
Click to expand...

Cream-cover Model Js are collectible? Are you sure about this? Is there a way to tell the difference between old ones and new ones?

Georynn said:
or you could always get a new bridge, and relic them a little to match. little steel wool to take the "shine" off...

might work out nice...
Click to expand...

That would have been my first suggestion, but my guess is that the finish would show a "tanline" if he went back to a standard Fender bridge, which is smaller. Or maybe you were thinking he could get a new BAII and relic it a bit- that would work.

Were it my bass, I think I'd go back to the Fender bridge (I'd live with the tanline) and some single-coil pups.
 

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