92 MIM Jazz

[iamjethro]

I purchased a 92 MIM Jazz and like it so far. Plays ok, sounds good. The only issue I can think of at the time is that the volume pots crackle even after trying to clean it out a little. may need new ones at some point. They also don't really seem to be in play except from about 7 - 10. Under halfway seems they are almost completely off.

Anyone have one that they can give me input on what is good and bad to look out for on it?

 

[Mattster]

Bought one new in '91 and it's a nice bass (still have it), love the neck. Fret ends were a bit rough though. Didn't like the stock pups and replaced them with Duncans, a big improvement. Pups do seem to shut down somewhere between 25 and 50% on the volume control. Inferior pots on the Mexicans? Cheap enough to replace, although mine still has the originals.

 

[Eilif]

I've got a P from a very near year. Not much to watch out for. The stock pups are just ok, and most folks seem to upgrade them. Also, after 23 years, changing out the electronics is an accepted, but cheap-and-easy fix. After re-wiring my P several times and putting in a new pickup I'm finally switching out the electronics. Better quality pots and such aren't expensive, but if you don't want to do alot of work, GFS will sell you a very affordable pre-wired harness that is probably about on par with what it originally had installed. Invalid Link Removed Nothing special, but a solid affordable choice.

Aside from rather pedestrian hardware, the biggest bad is probably that alot of these early MIM instruments have fingerboards that are half the thickness or less of most guitars. My bass has a board so thin tha the marker dots half in the fingerboard half in the neck. This isn't necessarily a terrible thing and does make the neck thinner front-to-back, but it's worth noting.

Lastly, I always recommend that anyone with a jazz bass and a bit of DIY inclination install a series-parallel push/pull pot to increase the tonal options available to you.

 

[iamjethro]

Thanks. I am enjoying it right now. I might look at gutting it someday. Wiring and PUs.
Seems to stay in tune fine after I switched out to flatwounds. It is the only bass I have had since about 20 years ago other than a Fender acoustic. So, I have little to compare it to.

 

[Figjam]

I love the early MIMs.96 and prior or so. I have a 1993 standard jazz. Except I took the neck and put it on a squier P body and the jazz body is now paired with a fretless vintage modified squier jazz neck. So basically I have a fretless jazz and a P body/J neck hybrid. Both are great for what they do. The fretless set up is actually very impressive. The original body/neck work well together but I like the new setup. The P body is a bit weird; I think its an old chinese squier body as it has a made in china neckplate. Aftermarket pots/knobs makes me think the pickup might be something different too. Could be any combo of parts.

Anyway Ive gotten off topic. MIM stuff can be great and I find the older the better. I like the Schaller licensed tuners on them too. The fingerboards may be thin but I find them to be of much higher quality rosewood than what is currently used on MIMs. Dark, possibly Brazilian.

 

[iamjethro]

I figure it has to be at least on par quality wise with a lot of basses people used a long time ago to play and record with. If it sounded good when they used similar quality stuff, then it it is up to me to make this one sound good. Heart, Head and Hands.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Thanks. I am enjoying it right now. I might look at gutting it someday. Wiring and PUs.
Seems to stay in tune fine after I switched out to flatwounds. It is the only bass I have had since about 20 years ago other than a Fender acoustic. So, I have little to compare it to.

Before you do, take a ruler and measure the width of both pickups. There was a time when Fender MIM's used identically sized pickups as a cost-cutting measure. (e.g.: both pickups were neck-sized) It'd royally suck if you bought a set and ended up with a bridge pup that doesn't fit the route.