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Boner Bass Club

#661
JIO said:
I recently chambered (filled a section of the body with holes!) to lighten my '93 A/S J. Lost a bit of weight (it helps) and unless someone removes the pg - none the wiser. It's now at 9lbs/4oz - down from 9lbs/12oz. It just shows how much weight-loss is possible chambering under a J pg.

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Very interesting. Any noticeable change in sound (tone or sustain)?
 
#662
mngnt said:
Very interesting. Any noticeable change in sound (tone or sustain)?
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Not really - I've done more extensive chambering on other bodies that did influence the tone, but this example was aimed at lightening the weight as much as possible under the pg. For those interested in doing this, it shows how little weight is actually reduced. 8oz (1/2 a pound) less helps, but may not be worth the effort for some people. I never considered my A/S "collectors" grade but really like it and just wanted to make it lighter because it is heavier than I prefer. Also, I don't think extensive chambering has any effect on sustain one way or the other. The general rule-of-thumb is a heavy/dense body will sustain more, but otherwise sustain can be achieved with a dynamic bridge/body connection regardless of weight. I have an ash '51 RI P style bass at 10lbs/1oz with the larger pg and as it too is heavy (for me) I'm considering the 'holy' treatment. It will lighten the body more than the J, possibly in the neighborhood of 12-14oz, which so it could result in the bass weighing 9lbs/4oz optimally. (same as the A/S J)
 
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#666
Kersed said:
Thank you. Mine has them, but I thought it was weird that the Customshop stickers on the pickups looked so clean.
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Shortly after getting mine (used) the neck pu failed/stopped working. I replaced them with NJ4's and really like them.

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#669
Kersed said:
Picked it up locally for $600. It's in great shape. I couldn't be happier.
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Very nice :thumbsup: I had a '93 Jazz + in that Midnight Wine - it's a cool colour. $600 is a good price for one in such nice condition with an original HSC. Does it still have the TBX (stacked) tone pot? It's a nice feature that offers more tonal variety.
 
#670
JIO said:
Very nice :thumbsup: I had a '93 Jazz + in that Midnight Wine - it's a cool colour. $600 is a good price for one in such nice condition with an original HSC. Does it still have the TBX (stacked) tone pot? It's a nice feature that offers more tonal variety.
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Is the TBX where each knob would have another smaller one on top? I'm new to Jazz basses. If so then it does not. Unfortunately the case is not an original.
 
#671
Kersed said:
Is the TBX where each knob would have another smaller one on top? I'm new to Jazz basses. If so then it does not. Unfortunately the case is not an original.
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The TBX tone pot was introduced in the mid '80s on both Fender guitars and the '85 Performer bass. It's not a stacked "knob" - only a single knob, marked TONE. It is a stacked pot that is indexed/notched at the center of the knob; 1 thru 5 is the same as a standard Jazz tone pot, and 6-10 adds a slight 'edge' to the tone, a more "modern" tone. No battery and not dramatic, but there is a difference. It's still sold today (cheap) and can be added to any passive bass with a tone knob. Even if the case isn't original - it's a nice case that would cost at least $100 separately.

The other peculiar thing about these basses is the 3-screw bridge. It was introduced in the early 80's on the Fender Precision Deluxe bass and for whatever reason was carried over to the American Standard Jazz. ('89-'93) In general a P-bass neck is wider than a Jazz bass neck, so the spacing of that bridge puts the E & G string right on the edge of the finger-board. (unlike the spacing on a standard Jazz neck) Some players don't notice it, but anyone familiar with a standard Jazz spacing will feel the difference. (and not like it) The saddles are not threaded so the strings can't be adjusted side-to-side. I replaced mine with a Schaller 3D bridge which has adjustable roller saddles so I could dial in a more familiar Jazz bass spacing. Once I did that - no worries.

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#673
Kersed said:
Thank you so much for all of the information. I'm stoked to have a bass that feels so good in my hands.
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I agree - I also really like my '93 A/S J - I've owned it for about 8 years or so. It took a bit of tweaking but was well worth it. These are underrated "vintage" basses that many players don't like because they aren't the exact same as a standard J, but that is why you could buy a made in US Fender bass for a great price. Enjoy yours!
 
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#677
So I've decided to refinish my '93 American Standard J. It was in ok condition, but I'm having a '62 Burns of London Vista Sonic project bass finished in red and one red bass is enough. It is Lipstick Red and I'm going to aged Burgundy Mist Metallic with a mild relic. I'm doing the relic because the bass has been played for all of its 27 years and I want the body to look consistent with the dinged-up neck and worn hardware. It's a player and I don't want to fuss over it. I did some preliminary scraping at the neck pock edges and found this interesting layering. It appears there are as many as 7 layers; grey (primer), white, red, white, red white, red and clear-coat. - ! - I weighed it at 4lbs/8oz and can imaging once the paint is off I will lose a couple ounces. Not sure why all the layers.

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It is a heavy alder body which I lightened a while back. I've never had qualms about altering it - it's a good bass that sounds really good and is not precious - it's a player and one that I've tweaked to be better suited for me.
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#678
Used a heat gum and flat-blade with rounded-off corners to remove the thick red finish. The grey reminded me of stripping an '86 Kubicki Ex-Factor years ago. It too had a thick grey primer/leveler. As anticipated - it's now 4lbs/6oz - 2 ounces lighter.

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The last coat looks to have been a trans cherry red over a bright (Fiesta?) red.
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#679
Ok, one last pic and back to the regularly scheduled programing of this thread... body stripped, sanded and taped-off for spraying. The body is made up of 3 sections of alder in a mostly symmetrical arrangement - ready for finishing. I taped off the neck pocket floor to preserve the providence of the bass as it has a stamp there of the date it left the Fender factory.

Will drop out for a while and will return to post pics of the re-assembled '93 American Standard J in it's new Burgundy Mist Metallic finish on the other end. Happy sheltering in place - keep the flame lit :bassist:

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#680
My original TBX was replaced by a tech who probably didn't realize I'd prefer to keep it original. And unfortunately I don't have any gut shots of before the change.

I do like the sound now. It does record really well- probably just lace pickups. But I think I'd like to get one to test.

Anyone have a shot of the original TBX wiring? Also is the fender TBX pot sold today the same or similar capacitance?
 
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