• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Boner Bass Club

#261
Here's a better pic of my '92 Precision Plus

DSC_0052.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: HHudson
#264
BurningSkies said:
They're around...
FenderAmericanJazz008.jpg


By the way, I refuse to call them 'boner basses'...to me that's a bit of a putdown. It'll always be a 'longhorn' in my mind.
Click to expand...

I hear you - maybe it's because the Dano already had that 'nickname' and "Boner" is short and easy to recall. I've just accepted it and by no means think any less of the bass. Silly phallic reference aside, it just seems to have stuck.

That is a cool blue-green/turquoise. Same era Plus Deluxes came that colour also. Is yours active? (EMG's) Thanks for posting!

CIMG3610_zps5c5f151b.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Marc DLarosa
#265
Nope, that's not mine.

Mine is currently a stock 92/3 longhorn Jazz bass in Midnight Blue. It was my main bass and gigged hard from 93-2001. At one point it has also had Lindy Fralin pickups ('63, he told me when he made them). I still have all the materials (catalog, tags, manual) that came with it. Its the only non-Dingwall bass I retain these days.
 
#266
BurningSkies said:
Nope, that's not mine.

Mine is currently a stock 92/3 longhorn Jazz bass in Midnight Blue. It was my main bass and gigged hard from 93-2001. At one point it has also had Lindy Fralin pickups ('63, he told me when he made them). I still have all the materials (catalog, tags, manual) that came with it. Its the only non-Dingwall bass I retain these days.
Click to expand...

Ok - cool. Could you post a pic of all your materials that came w/your Midnight Blue American Standard? (and the bass too!) Just curious.
 
#268
Remus_Redbone said:
I bought a new Am Standard Jazz in '95 that was actually a '94 production. It had the worst dead spot possible on the 4th fret (B) on the G string. It was about that time I developed the disease of being able to find the dead spot on every fretted instrument I picked up.

I took the '94 back to the store and the store actually agreed to replace the bass. They sent me home with a '95. If it's possible, it was worse than the '94. My disease was at it's peak, and the dead spot on every "C" note on the bass stood out like the fret was rubber.

Anyway, I took that bass back to the store and met with some major resistance to trade again. While arguing with the salesman, the Fender rep walked in. He saw right away the discussion was over an American Standard Jazz. He stepped right in to the discussion and told me if I would wait a couple weeks, he would have a '96 Jazz available. That's the year Fender put graphite bars in the neck on each side of the truss rod. The headstock was almost 1/8" thicker, the neck was slightly thicker in all dimensions and the bridge saddles were threaded.

Overall it was much much better than the previous two basses. Over the next few weeks, salesman eventually told me Fender realized they had gradually made the necks and headstocks so much thinner on Jazz basses, the typical mild dead spot had become a lot worse. Complaints like mine had become more and more frequent in the early 90's, to the point Fender made the decision to implement the major changes on the '96. I traded it for my first 5 string which I sold. Wish I had the 4 string back....
Click to expand...

Interesting insights related to the mid-later 90's (gen II) American Standard J bass. This was the downsized body/smaller headstock version. Your real-life experience in owning/playing these years of this instrument is really valuable for anyone considering buying one. It also clearly shows why designs change, as the case of installing graphite bars and beefing up the hs.
Any dead-spots on my 93 "boner" aren't any more noticeable than any other bass I own, but then I really don't want to start getting that fussy about "dead-spots". Ignorance in this case, is bliss. :smug:
 
#269
In the book "The Fender Bass - An Illustrated History Hal/Leonard 2001" there is a picture of the 3 screw bridge that was installed on the boner J. (page 79 & 105) It was introduced in 1983 and used until 1994. On page 74, it shows the 83 Jazz bass w/this bridge. This bass was a conglomerate of details from earlier models; a 20 fret, three-bolt/bullet truss bound and dotted neck, black classic knobs, a whit pg, and late 70's hs logo... and even in the pic the E&G strings are shown hanging on the edges. Doesn't explain why, but at least confirms when it was introduced.

More info from the book is a specs sheet on the boner having a body made of either alder or poplar. (I'm not certain how to tell which) The neck had a flatter radius than previous Fender basses and had medium jumbo frets.
 
#270
The current project/band I play with did some recording yesterday. The guitarist works for Avid and we've gradually developed a high-end set-up for rehearsing and recording over the last 6 months. I've been using my '93 American Standard Jazz w/recently installed NJ4's and as the drummer works for Sennheiser, I was listening through some very nice (HD 600) cans he had. It was the first time I put this bass under a microscope and it sounded awesome. (I'm buying a pair of these headphones!) I've taken the boner to jam-sessions and felt the bass sounded really good up to that point in a 'live' situation (especially after installing the Nordstrands), but it sounded just great in a strict studio-setting.

At the end of the day, it would be hard to say exactly what makes a bass sound good, whether it's the overall design, the wood, the pick-ups, the electronics, the strings or the age of the instrument - but I feel in this case it's "all of the above". Love the red boner. :bassist:
 
#274
What bridge would be a good replacement for my 89 jazz....I don't want 5 hole just same 3 hole incase I ever go back to original or sell it....I really don't want to drill 2 more holes at all....

Also, I don't remember the deal with these basses, were USA jazz standards built in Corona factory?
 
#275
sandwich5027 said:
What bridge would be a good replacement for my 89 jazz....I don't want 5 hole just same 3 hole incase I ever go back to original or sell it....I really don't want to drill 2 more holes at all....

Also, I don't remember the deal with these basses, were USA jazz standards built in Corona factory?
Click to expand...

Just put on one of the vintage style bent plates. You wouldn't even see the extra two holes if you went back. Totally worth doing. I just screwed them in...... no drilling.
 
#277
So this regular vintage bridge will do? Its only $38 bucks
attachment.php


what if I wanted a deluxe fender bridge? They actually use a 3 hole mount...would those 3 holes lineup with holes on my old bridge or no?
 

Attachments

  • 099-0804-100.jpg
    099-0804-100.jpg
    70.2 KB · Views: 81

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back