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Ben Lindsey Hot Rod Jazz Build

#81
More pics to come. It shipped out today, so it won't be long until it's in my hands. I'll snap some more pics when I get it that will show the knobs and pickup covers installed, and hopefully I'll be able to get a couple good pics of the aging that was done to it. There wasn't much. I wanted to put most of the wear on myself from years of gigging, but I didn't want to have to worry about putting dings on a new bass, so there's just enough wear that I don't have to worry about it. :smug:
 
#83
Scott McArron said:
And here she is all strung up! We were just waiting on the knobs before shipping.
Cropped_StrungUp.jpg

StrungUp2.jpg


Let me know what you guys think!
Click to expand...

hmmm. i sincerely mean no offense, but i'm kinda surprised that it doesn't look like a 'period correct' jazz bass to me. from the pics, the body looks a bit thicker, the bridge pickup looks a little too close to the bridge (a bit closer than 70's spacing, hopefully it's just the angle of the photo), and the pickguard control plate doesn't fit the body correctly (it doesn't parallel the edge of the body). it's as if it's shifted down and to the right too much.

this is how i'm accustomed to the pickguard/control plate location:

VW66JB-01.jpg
 
#84
johnk_10 said:
hmmm. i sincerely mean no offense, but i'm kinda surprised that it doesn't look like a 'period correct' jazz bass to me. from the pics, the body looks a bit thicker, the bridge pickup looks a little too close to the bridge (a bit closer than 70's spacing, hopefully it's just the angle of the photo), and the pickguard control plate doesn't fit the body correctly (it doesn't parallel the edge of the body). it's as if it's shifted down and to the right too much.
Click to expand...

No offense taken! ;) I'm here to get everybody's opinions and critiques and get a discussion going.

I opted out of the "period-correctness" near the beginning of this project. Once I decided that the 7 1/4" fretboard wasn't for me, I became less attached to era-accuracy and more to getting the specs I wanted from my custom dream 4-bangin' jazz.

For instance, the fretboard has a 10" radius. The neck I believe has a different profile than a typical 70's jazz. Ben says it feels more like a modern jazz neck than a vintage one, which is fine with me.

I mentioned the pickup spacing too. As it turns out, the pickup spacing is period correct. What is off is the bridge. Ben installs the bridge a 1/2" closer to the pickups because it gives more room for intonation and, in his opinion, helps give the bass a little bigger tone. There are two sides to the fence of this debate, I'm sure, but I ain't worried about it. FWIW, the saddles are still in the correct place in relation to the pickups.

I'm not sure I can see what you're talking about in regards to the pick guard, though. I think it may be the angle of the photos and the light reflecting off of the body that implies a false contour. I won't know for sure until I get it in on Thursday or Friday. I'll post some pics at an angle similar to the one you posted so that we can do a side-by-side comparison.
 
#85
that's cool. as long as you're happy with it. ;)

BTW, it's not the pics, the pickguard/control plate is definitely mounted off-kilter. i'm surprised that he allowed that to happen, or found that to be acceptable.

as far as relocating the bridge further forward, i don't subscribe to it making is sound better, but to each his own.
if you look at the pic of the blonde one that i built, there's actually more room behind the bridge than on your's (and mine's in the original location), so it looks like he set the neck a little deeper into the body too (and i'm accounting for the additional fret), and i'll bet that's why the whole pickguard assembly is shifted downwards.
 
#86
johnk_10 said:
that's cool. as long as you're happy with it. ;)
Click to expand...

We'll find out when I get it in my hands! That's one of the reasons I've never had a bass custom made for me. You pay a premium for a new bass (not so much in this case) and don't even get the chance to play it first. Risky business!

johnk_10 said:
BTW, it's not the pics, the pickguard/control plate is definitely mounted off-kilter. i'm surprised that he allowed that to happen, or found that to be acceptable.
Click to expand...

You definitely have a better eye for this than I do. You build these things, I sure as heck don't! :smug: I can see what you might mean about the pick guard, though, but it's really hard for me to tell in these pics. I don't have quite as keen an eye, so I'll reserve judgement until I see it first hand.

johnk_10 said:
as far as relocating the bridge further forward, i don't subscribe to it making is sound better, but to each his own.
if you look at the pic of the blonde one that i built, there's actually more room behind the bridge than on your's (and mine's in the original location), so it looks like he set the neck a little deeper into the body too (and i'm accounting for the additional fret), and i'll bet that's why the whole pickguard assembly is shifted downwards.
Click to expand...

If the neck pocket is deeper (excluding the 21st fret portion), I could certainly see how that would affect the pick guard location.

When I try to take in certain visual measurements on the bass, it looks to me to be the same as the pic you posted above and the same as my 75 RI. For instance, where the upper body meets the neck is right in between the 15th and 16th frets. And the 20th fret just about lines up to the most concave portion of the lower half of the pick guard, if you get what I'm trying to describe. Both of these things seem to be the same when comparing this bass, the white one you posted, and my 75 RI. But again, it's hard for me to tell in these angled pics.
 
#90
Got the bass in today. Don't have the chance to play it. Just enough to get it unboxed. Well, you guys were right. The pick guard and control plate are not aligned properly. I'm pretty disappointed in that. :hmm: I'm going to try to not let it ruin my day. I'm hosting a party right now and it really took my spirits away to see this. :(
 
#91
Scott McArron said:
Got the bass in today. Don't have the chance to play it. Just enough to get it unboxed. Well, you guys were right. The pick guard and control plate are not aligned properly. I'm pretty disappointed in that. :hmm: I'm going to try to not let it ruin my day. I'm hosting a party right now and it really took my spirits away to see this. :(
Click to expand...

don't worry about it. enjoy hosting your party. it's nothing that can't be addressed later, and that a few 'spirits' can't fix (right now).
 
#93
it all really depends on the routing of the control plate area. if there's enough room to move it to it's correct location (or at least get it closer), then a new pickguard could be made for it. worst case, you could fill /drill new mounting holes and touch up the finish (as long as it's nitro since nitro will melt into the existing finish) and repolish the areas.
 
#94
Scott McArron said:
Got the bass in today. Don't have the chance to play it. Just enough to get it unboxed. Well, you guys were right. The pick guard and control plate are not aligned properly. I'm pretty disappointed in that. :hmm: I'm going to try to not let it ruin my day. I'm hosting a party right now and it really took my spirits away to see this. :(
Click to expand...

Scott--I didn't notice the alignment changes until others mentioned it. From the pictures it looks like the neck pocket is a bit deeper (to accommodate the extra fret?) and the guard and plate have been moved down towards the bottom of the bass about half that depth to get to a workable position. Definitely not something you should try to fix; too many pieces and variables involved for anyone without experience or tools; if it's wrong or bothers you, you really should send the bass back to Ben. If it bothered me, I would. Not sure why he made the choices he did for your build, but I am quite certain he'll make sure you end up with the bass you want.
 
#100
It's been hard to get my initial impressions yet. Although Ben set it up before shipping it out, the neck on the bass was back-bowed slightly from shipping and I've been working to get it set up and playable.

The body was cut out from a 1970's Fender template, so it should be correct, control cavity, neck pocket, and all. The neck pocket looks deeper, but the last fret is actually just an extension of the fretboard from the end of the neck and not the actual neck.

Another thing I wasn't expecting is the binding. I don't know why, but the binding is off white, which was one of the complaints about my '75 ri. My 75 ri is the only one of that model that I've seen (out of well over a 100 pictures) that has the off-white binding. That was one of my main complaints about it and one of the reasons why I wanted a different bass. I asked for "white binding" and blocks and it came with the off white binding.

The fretboard is nice and flat with a 10" radius and is almost effortless to play. Maybe it's because it's so flat that gives the edges, well, an edge. My 75 ri feels like a pair of old jeans, just super comfortable, but I wanted more of a slightly flatter profile fretboard for a lower action and slightly more modern feel. Maybe it's a give and take. The neck on Ben's bass has that slightly modern feel with the lower action, but at the expense of some comfort on the fretting hand due to the immediate edge of the fretboard.

I'm not sure about the tone yet. The strings on it are not my normal strings. I usually use NPS strings by either Fender or Sadowsky. And I'm not familiar with the tonal characteristics of Lollar pickups. First, I'm going to change the strings out to see if it makes a difference. Then I might swap out the Lollars for the Nordies I've got here. We'll see.
 

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