black & blond P makeover (etc)

[BassHappy]

I found this comprehensive information on Fiesta Red. As with most all Fender colours from original to re-creations/versions today, variations abound. Especially with Fiesta Red it seems. Examples range from dusty salmon pink to saturated rose red/orange. So I'll assume that this colour (like mine) is closer to the original used on the '56 T-bird than the faded salmon version. Although the most illustrative pic (below) in this article is of the 3 Strats side by side. Mine is probably closest to the Squier. I took this pic next to something definitively orange to clearly segregate the two and it brings out the rosey hue.

Invalid Link Removed

Original fiesta red (left), the refinished Strat in the middle is similar to hot rod red, the fiesta red Squier (right) is more towards an orange-red.

Hey JIO

The guy that I bought my Urge I Prototype from called it "Fiesta Red" but I am not so sure it is. Doesn't look like the right shade to me.

Looks like it might be pretty close to the same color as the Red Boner though.....

 

[wraub]

Hey JIO- just dropping by to say the black/blonde looks killer.
Also, I do not do red basses at all, but imo that red with crème covers and no guard looks pretty darn good.
I'll return to lurk mode, now.

 

[JIO]

Hey JIO

The guy that I bought my Urge I Prototype from called it "Fiesta Red" but I am not so sure it is. Doesn't look like the right shade to me.

View attachment 501286

Looks like it might be pretty close to the same color as the Red Boner though.....

Yes, it does look similar to my '93 A/S J (and not Fiesta Red) - same general time period. Lipstick Red and Torino Red were in that range but I'm not sure which one it was officially. In general, red is a very hard colour to photograph. I just took this w/sunlight streaming on it and could not get the picture once downloaded to match what I was seeing right in front of me. As in - no yellow in front of me for starters.

 

[JIO]

Hey JIO- just dropping by to say the black/blonde looks killer.
Also, I do not do red basses at all, but imo that red with crème covers and no guard looks pretty darn good.
I'll return to lurk mode, now.

Thanks - yes, the T2K has finally landed and won't be going through any more alterations. I hear you about red basses, I didn't think I would now own one, let alone two. The darker A/S red has grown on me, but this one will take time getting used to.

 

[BassHappy]

Yes, it does look similar to my '93 A/S J (and not Fiesta Red) - same general time period. Lipstick Red and Torino Red were in that range but I'm not sure which one it was officially. In general, red is a very hard colour to photograph. I just took this w/sunlight streaming on it and could not get the picture once downloaded to match what I was seeing right in front of me. As in - no yellow in front of me for starters.

So it is more than likely lipstick or torino.

I got to say, I had to take a deep breath and think twice before typing Red Boner!

 

[JIO]

So it is more than likely lipstick or torino.

I got to say, I had to take a deep breath and think twice before typing Red Boner!

If it weren't the fact that it's actually noted as such on the Fender Wikipedia page, I would be less likely to propagate the term.

 

[JIO]

So even these 1956 Ford examples vary - very odd. They all look great, and I like the pale salmon better on the car than the bass/guitars - but these are same year T-birds with 3 different shades of the same colour (?)

 

[JIO]

Hey JIO

The guy that I bought my Urge I Prototype from called it "Fiesta Red" but I am not so sure it is. Doesn't look like the right shade to me.

View attachment 501286

Looks like it might be pretty close to the same color as the Red Boner though.....

I just noticed it only has 2 J pu's, not the 2 J's +P it eventually came with. At the time I felt it was a Fender version of his Kubicki's w/32 scale, 24 frets and active electronics. I know you're a fan of these medium scale basses. Is that prototype active and is it a string-thru? I'd like to try the '99 34" scale version someday.

 

[BassHappy]

I just noticed it only has 2 J pu's, not the 2 J's +P it eventually came with. At the time I felt it was a Fender version of his Kubicki's w/32 scale, 24 frets and active electronics. I know you're a fan of these medium scale basses. Is that prototype active and is it a string-thru? I'd like to try the '99 34" scale version someday.

Yeah, John Page, who designed these with Stu as well, told me that mine was either an early early early MIM prototype or else it was an employee build. The EMG's are active but there is no premp and it is all factory. The knobs are standard Jazz with VVT and not stacked - and unlike any Stu Hamm medium scaler I - or anyone else I have ever ben able to find - have ever seen, the input jack is on the side of the body not on the top.

Here is the production medium scale MIM Urge I:

And here is mine:

Not like it's a huge deal or anything - the most likely thing is that it was an employee build. Doesn't have the normal sparkle finish either and has the white pick guard.

So yeah, it is a bit on the unusual side and it is string through:

 

[JIO]

Yeah, John Page, who designed these with Stu as well, told me that mine was either an early early early MIM prototype or else it was an employee build. The EMG's are active but there is no premp and it is all factory. The knobs are standard Jazz with VVT and not stacked - and unlike any Stu Hamm medium scaler I - or anyone else I have ever ben able to find - have ever seen, the input jack is on the side of the body not on the top.

Here is the production medium scale MIM Urge I:

View attachment 501464

And here is mine:

View attachment 501465

Not like it's a huge deal or anything - the most likely thing is that it was an employee build. Doesn't have the normal sparkle finish either and has the white pick guard.

So yeah, it is a bit on the unusual side.

Oh, I didn't know there was a 2 J pu version. The production model actually looks like Fiesta Red, possibly a pearl version?

 

[SirMjac28]

Great stuff as always JIO I love your posts because I always get something good to look at and I learn something also.

 

[BassHappy]

Oh, I didn't know there was a 2 J pu version. The production model actually looks like Fiesta Red, possibly a pearl version?

Hey JIO

Yes, could be a Fiesta Red version - but many of the MIM finishes were REALLY super metallic and some colors seemed almost metalflake type sparkly.

One of the more interesting facts is that Stu gave US Prototype #1 to Larry Hartke for the Sam Ash bass lounge and Larry also obtained prototype #4, apparently from Fender. But the Fender Factory did a refinish on #1 and made it a lemon yellow, which was the only one to have that color. As far as I know both of these basses are still there:

I have a strange fascination for bits of the darker corners of Fender History, and this is definitely one of them!

Forgive the diversion - certainly didn't mean to hijack the thread.

 

[JIO]

Hey JIO

Yes, could be a Fiesta Red version - but many of the MIM finishes were REALLY super metallic and some colors seemed almost metalflake type sparkly.

One of the more interesting facts is that Stu gave US Prototype #1 to Larry Hartke for the Sam Ash bass lounge and Larry also obtained prototype #4, apparently from Fender. But the Fender Factory did a refinish on #1 and made it a lemon yellow, which was the only one to have that color. As far as I know both of these basses are still there:



Sorry, the pic is super pathetic and I have tried everything to get the larger version by clicking on it, but it won't enlarge for me.

Here is the link with Larry Harke's post - in case you want to try:

http://www.talkbass.com/threads/stu-hamm-urge-i-mia-basses-years-made.736947/

I have a strange fascination for bits of the darker corners of Fender History, and this is definitely one of them!

Forgive the diversion - certainly didn't mean to hijack the thread.

No, please feel free to get onto tangents! My motto is go with the flow, like a good conversation in speech or music! I start my own threads to wander through as many related topics and subjects as possible! It's the way life works best and as SirMjac28 was nice enough to say, you learn something also.

I also have interest in that transition period for Fender. I think there should be a lengthy book with nice photo's delving into the CBS era through the early nineties Fender history. Enough focus has already been on pre-CBS. It's time to continue the story.

Yah - I've seen the sorta plummy purple colour they used on them, and the bright yellow looks cool. It was the backwash of 80's into 90's when trends like 'neon' first surfaced. Bright punchy colors, checkerboard/stripes/polka-dots … and that was just the Vans (shoes!)

 

[BassHappy]

No, please feel free to get onto tangents! My motto is go with the flow, like a good conversation in speech or music! I start my own threads to wander through as many related topics and subjects as possible! It's the way life works best and as SirMjac28 was nice enough to say, you learn something also.

I also have interest in that transition period for Fender. I think there should be a lengthy book with nice photo's delving into the CBS era through the early nineties Fender history. Enough focus has already been on pre-CBS. It's time to continue the story.

Yah - I've seen the sorta plummy purple colour they used on them, and the bright yellow looks cool. It was the backwash of 80's into 90's when trends like 'neon' first surfaced. Bright punchy colors, checkerboard/stripes/polka-dots … and that was just the Vans (shoes!)

Hey JIO

If it wasn't for the fact that you are one of the busiest folks we all know - it would be a great book project for you to write! You already know as much, if not more, about this era that most anyone I know. Take a year off with an ace photographer - and scoot around the county - and the world for that matter - doing research on this fabulous Fender era. Too bad you don't know someone in the marketing department at Fender, maybe one of the honchos or department heads could secure a book deal for it, get an advance and fund the research that way. You never know. Every now and then you stumble onto someone at a company like Fender who is extraordinarily astute - and a history buff - and would totally get behind this kind of project.

I for one - would buy it!

 

[JIO]

I got the DiMarzio pu and the "creme" colour is slightly different (as I figured) but... not by much and with that killer tomato red between them, it will be ok for now. Question, it has 4 wires (red/wht/blk/green) compared to my Fralin 2 (wht/blk). Am I correct to connect/tape the red & white and the black is ground/green live?

 

[crucislancer]

Here's the instructions, hope this helps:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[JIO]

wow - thanks man! It's crazy isn't it? I mean, it would be nice if there were an industry standard for how pu wires are colour coded...

So blk/wht together, red=hot, green=ground.

Solder the red wire of each pickup to leg #2 of its respective volume pot. Solder the green wire of each pickup to the back of its respective volume pot. Solder the black and white wire of each pickup together. Put a piece of tape on this connection so that it does not touch any other part of the circuit. The wiring is now complete.

 

[JIO]

So where did I get that extra energy after a long day to get it playable? I'll shoot pics tomorrow, but all together and playing - I love it! It's hard to be totally objective, but it sounds great! Better than before? I can't say, but I hear a unique resonance, a more woody tone now. I don't recall that before. In fact, it's (for me) a holy grail of tone - woody sounding, but with deep bottom roundness and clear definition. At least with this bass. The Audere 9v pre, if you've never tried it is pretty nice. Huge bass response, great tone and power to spare. Master volume, neck pu- T/B, bridge pu- T/B and a 3 way (bass boost/bass/bass cut) mini switch.

And now to the looks dept; I'm staking my flag/claim on a fresh new look trend for Fender guitars/basses.

It's called the "Designers Series". And to launch this exciting new line of Fender basses, we start with tb tastemaker, designer and Gildaxe CEO and founder, Geo Kitta to find out what the Designer Series Fender Jazz Bass(™) looks like though his eyes only. (shameless Bond Girl plug) We chatted with him at a trendy corner cafe in the Mission/SF;

Media Dude> So Geo, where did you start?
Geo> I chose to start with the Jazz bass - it's the Jayne Mansfield of basses
MD> va-va-voom! Say no more, (nudge-nudge, a wink's as good as a nod to a blind man).., quite!., a-hem… so what then?
G> Well, I like clean (very clean) and so I thought.., Jazz bass, clean….
MD> I see some linkage!
G> Don't get ahead of me
MD> sorry…
G> So, through the mist - I'm seeing a bass for 5 decades
MD> ! ! ! ! !
G> It's born in 1960 - chrome, curves and horsepower!
MD> yes! yes! yes!
G> …but it's got that muscle-car bold-face headstock font from the 70's
MD> Nice, very nice - 60's, 70's…
G> yes.., and creme pu covers and... no pickguard! Very 80's/early 90's
MD> Woo-hoo! I can hear the drum machine now!
G> It's also rockin' that late 90's/2000's DIY vibe, you know - Audere pre, one Lindy Fralin pu, one DiMarzio pu, an Allparts ebony-board neck, modified lollypop tuners, vintage bridge...
MD> Uncanny! All in one bass!
G> Yes, and to bookend it, big, bold, bright Fiesta Red - born in 1960, dressed to kill and still popular to this day! Stylishly garish through the decades!
MD> Bravo, Bravisimo!
G> gotta go man, can you get the tab?

 

[JIO]

I have the DiMarzio at the bridge, as it was a bit deeper (in physical depth) and sits a bit higher as is usual for the bridge pu. That worked out well because the Fralin has been a bridge pu up till now, so now it's in the neck position. Variety is the spice of life! It weighs in at 9.6 lbs - no lightweight but light-er than it's ex-10lb weight. It feels good and as my '66 trib J is 10lbs, this feel light...er.

Morning's a good time for neutral light - inside shot

outside

 

[ICM]

Nice! A super-J mint guard would make that pop.
Edit: With a vintage bevel.