I'm curious as to Why? (If you don't mind me asking); I never owned one, but I've played one a few times and they sound Phenomenal! Doest the new Sadowsky pre sound that much better than the original? Really curious; Thanks.
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I have 5 Fender Jazz Basses all USA.
Adam Clayton signature is completely stock except the PG.
2 American Pro's that are completely stock except the PG's
American Standard which is completely stock except for the PG
American Custom shop which was designed very specific to my specifications.
They all get the same playing time. In the past I spent a lot of time modding (pickup changes, neck changes, bridge changes) but in the end I've found that the reason the Fender Jazz is such a classic is that for me, it's just about perfect the way it's built!
Adam Clayton signature is completely stock except the PG.
2 American Pro's that are completely stock except the PG's
American Standard which is completely stock except for the PG
American Custom shop which was designed very specific to my specifications.
They all get the same playing time. In the past I spent a lot of time modding (pickup changes, neck changes, bridge changes) but in the end I've found that the reason the Fender Jazz is such a classic is that for me, it's just about perfect the way it's built!
Nope. I have a CS 62 jazz and a 63 AVRI Precision. They guy who had the jazz before me put a spitfire pickguard on that I decided to keep but other than that, they are stock and I love them.
All my basses, Fender or not, get Hipshot D-Tuners. And my main bass has a Nordstrand NP4.
I'll mod any bass to suit my needs, but i usually shop and buy basses that don't need much modification.
I'll mod any bass to suit my needs, but i usually shop and buy basses that don't need much modification.
Sure have. After seeing what ash bodied 76 Precisions go for nowadays, I wish I hadn't started the modding process in 1982 
And I always said that as a result, I would leave stock any Fender I bought just so I don't kill future value. Actually sold a 79 Precision I bought because I couldn't deal with it without modding it and couldn't bring myself to do it. But my 95 P Lyte has EMG PJ's/BQC and my 09 AmStd P has Geezers and a bent plate bridge on it. Funny how amazingly crappy pickups can make you change your tune on modding. But I never do any mods to them that aren't 100% reversible.
And I always said that as a result, I would leave stock any Fender I bought just so I don't kill future value. Actually sold a 79 Precision I bought because I couldn't deal with it without modding it and couldn't bring myself to do it. But my 95 P Lyte has EMG PJ's/BQC and my 09 AmStd P has Geezers and a bent plate bridge on it. Funny how amazingly crappy pickups can make you change your tune on modding. But I never do any mods to them that aren't 100% reversible...."more moddable" than what, exactly?
More moddable than most of the basses available.
I replaced the pick ups on my MIM Fender Jazz bass with Aguilar Noise-cancelling pick ups because I couldn't use the volume pots to turn their respective pick ups up or down because of the hum which only went away when volumes were turned all the way up, and because fretting the E-string at the first fret yielded no discernible difference in tone from the 2nd fret ... pure mud.
Fenders (and their Squier nephews) are sort of like small-block Chevys or Harleys: There is a huge aftermarket of hot-rod pieces out there. And since they are mostly built to a price and a certain expectation of what's Fender and what's not, a lot of guys see room for improvement or personalization as it's just easy to do, as so many 'other' pickups, bridges, keys, etc., are available.
A lot of it can be a direct replacement, and some can require some relatively simple mods to get it done. Even a casual tour of the aftermarket pickup manufacturers will show all of them make replacement Precision or Jazz pickups, as Fenders are just everywhere.
A lot of it can be a direct replacement, and some can require some relatively simple mods to get it done. Even a casual tour of the aftermarket pickup manufacturers will show all of them make replacement Precision or Jazz pickups, as Fenders are just everywhere.
Yes, absolutely. On my MIM Precision, I:
- swapped the pickguard
- dropped in a vintage Fender splitcoil
- changed the tuning to BEAD
- installed the ashtrays for hipster points
- installed a passive bass cut circuit
- once had a passive diode overdrive, but kicked it out in favor of the above
I'm not sure I would do the same to an American Fender. Then again, I'd rather get a nice 6 or 7 string before buying yet another P (I already have two, one fretless).
- swapped the pickguard
- dropped in a vintage Fender splitcoil
- changed the tuning to BEAD
- installed the ashtrays for hipster points
- installed a passive bass cut circuit
- once had a passive diode overdrive, but kicked it out in favor of the above
I'm not sure I would do the same to an American Fender. Then again, I'd rather get a nice 6 or 7 string before buying yet another P (I already have two, one fretless).
Stock preamp didn't work for me. Bass and treble were only about adding or removing mudd, not about shaping tone. Maybe it's just my ignorance, but I played it in passive all the time. Also, I like balance more than two volumes.
On the other hand, I got used Sadowsky preamp and installed it by myself, so it was rather cheap upgrade.
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Fenders are the template for a mod-able bass; you can replace pretty much each and every part easily and reversibly, without needing artisan skills.
You can mix'n'match parts from a range of manufacturers and multiple price points and can even build a compatible bass from scratch with cheaper or more expensive parts if you like, either stock or tricked up if you like.
I think it's an advantage of the brand, rather than something to bash.
The only resultant things I don't like are counterfeit guitars & fake Fender logos.
On my 2010 Fender jazz mia std: balance instead of 2x vol
; Straplocs (Loxx)
; serial/parallel switch (pull switch on vol pot)
; to do; shim in neck pocket
; Maby make my own sadowsky preamp and try it out.
; Also put a string guide on the A string
Action is good but my sadels (E and G) are at their lowest point (touching the bottom of the bridge)
so i figure to put a shim in to get my sadels higher.
All these mods are reversible,so why not?
; Straplocs (Loxx)
; serial/parallel switch (pull switch on vol pot)
; to do; shim in neck pocket
; Maby make my own sadowsky preamp and try it out.
; Also put a string guide on the A string
Action is good but my sadels (E and G) are at their lowest point (touching the bottom of the bridge)
so i figure to put a shim in to get my sadels higher.
All these mods are reversible,so why not?
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I have a workhorse '63 strat that has been modified. All this has happened over many years. Replaced the worn out tuning machines, new nut, refret, the bridge saddles were badly rusted so they got replaced, the jack was replaced, cavity shielding, replaced the strap buttons with locking ones, replaced the three way switch and the knobs, the finish wore off on the back of the neck and top of the body so I refinished it with clear nitro, new case - the old one literally fell apart.
I stripped the finish off a Cort headless bass. It was a boneheaded thing to do but people at the time thought that instruments vibrated better without a finish.
On a 4003 I removed the bridge pickup cover, changed the knobs, installed a new nut, moded a cap in the electronics as per the vintage models. I intend on sacatter winding the pickups but never seem to get around to it.
On a '57 PBass, removed the rectangular finger rest, removed the ashtray pickup cover.
On a Hofner 500/1, changed the knobs, new tuners, removed the pick guard.
I change the strings on all my basses. TI flats whenever possible.
I stripped the finish off a Cort headless bass. It was a boneheaded thing to do but people at the time thought that instruments vibrated better without a finish.
On a 4003 I removed the bridge pickup cover, changed the knobs, installed a new nut, moded a cap in the electronics as per the vintage models. I intend on sacatter winding the pickups but never seem to get around to it.
On a '57 PBass, removed the rectangular finger rest, removed the ashtray pickup cover.
On a Hofner 500/1, changed the knobs, new tuners, removed the pick guard.
I change the strings on all my basses. TI flats whenever possible.
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