Does this Fender Bass exist?

[J-Dub]

I currently play a Fender Geddy Lee Jazz bass and I love it. The pickups give me a great punchy, loud sound and the neck is super playable.

But...G.A.S. has crept from pedalboard, to my amp, and now to my bass. I like the sounds I get out of the geddy, but I really want more vintage fender warmth to my sound. So I came across the "60's Road Worn Jazz Bass". I've heard really good things, but I really want a string-thru-body setup so I can have better tension on the strings for drop tuning. I have discovered on my geddy that top-loaded bridges don't do too well when I tune to drop D and C# (as in they get floppy, even with really thick gauge strings), which has become very common with the music I've been doing.

And I don't have $2000 for a new bass. I might sell/trade my geddy lee for a new/used one.

So my question is:
Does this exist in one bass?

-Fender Jazz Bass
-Road Worn/Relic/Nitrocellulose/Vintage thin Finish for that "woody" tone
-String-thru-body/Back-loaded string setup
-~$1000, give or take, new/used

 

[ahc]

Buy a used Road Worn Jazz (I did and I love it), buy a string-thru-body replacement bridge of your choice (2008 or later AM STD maybe?), get a drill and some ferrules and you're done. Probably doable for under $850.

 

[GrapeApe]

String-thru doesn't increase string tension. It will give you a better break angle, though.

 

[J-Dub]

Buy a used Road Worn Jazz (I did and I love it), buy a string-thru-body replacement bridge of your choice (2008 or later AM STD maybe?), get a drill and some ferrules and you're done. Probably doable for under $850.

That seems like a good idea, hadn't considered that. I'm hesitant to do that myself though, maybe it wouldn't be too expensive to have done professionally.

 

[J-Dub]

String-thru doesn't increase string tension. It will give you a better break angle, though.

What exactly is the benefit (if there is one) of increasing the break angle? And what would be the best way to increase tension? I can't stand super floppy low notes.

 

[faulknersj]

+1 to ahc's post...my thoughts exactly!

 

[Bongolation]

So my question is:
Does this exist in one bass?

-Road Worn/Relic/Nitrocellulose/Vintage thin Finish for that "woody" tone

This exists in no solid-body electric bass.

It exists in the imaginations of a huge number of deluded players.

See? I'm helping! Your search is already easier!

You're welcome!

The only advantage to through-body stringing is that your Fender strings will actually fit, which is something.

 

[J-Dub]

Thanks guys, this really helps!

I just got done reading this: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/fender-highway-1-nitro-nitro-over-poly-443785/ and just came to the conclusion that Bongolation is already at.

So, this leads me to a new question:
How DO i get that "woody" tone as opposed to the "bright" tone 70's J's are so good at?
What makes the difference, if its not the finish?

 

[J-Dub]

or maybe thats worth another posting. but i'm sure every question i have has been asked 3049 times on talkbass, i just need to dig around more...

 

[Bongolation]

String-thru doesn't increase string tension.

Thank you for pointing this out. An amazing number of players don't understand the uncompromising fixed relationship between voiced length, tension and pitch.

It will give you a better break angle, though.

Beyond a certain point there is no real advantage to increasing the break angle. A properly installed and set up four-saddle toploader is perfectly fine.

 

[Bongolation]

How DO i get that "woody" tone [...]
What makes the difference, if its not the finish?

All other things being equal,

LOW MASS BRIDGE.

FLATS.

NECK PICKUP ONLY.

PLUCKING CLOSER TO THE NECK.

 

[J-Dub]

thanks! i actually just read a post by you on another forum addressing this same issue and it seems to make the most sense out what most people were saying.

so, i'm starting to lean toward the idea of getting an additional bass, instead of swapping...my G.A.S. is really acting up...

so now that i have a good bright sounding bass, and know the specs to get a woody sound, what are some specific basses that would get me that tone? i will say that i don't prefer active basses, so i'm open to all passive bass suggestions.

 

[Bongolation]

so now that i have a good bright sounding bass, and know the specs to get a woody sound, what are some specific basses that would get me that tone?

A Fender Precision. It defines woody thump.

All else is commentary.

 

[SamanthaCay]

Also worth noting here is the differences between 60's bridge pickup spacing verses 70's spacing.

The 60's basses had the bridge pickup about 1/4” closer to the neck.
Whether or not this makes that big of a difference I can't comment on as I don't have enough experience with jazz basses but in any case I thought it might be helpful to throw that out there.

 

[bluesdogblues]

All other things being equal,

LOW MASS BRIDGE.

FLATS.

NECK PICKUP ONLY.

PLUCKING CLOSER TO THE NECK.

A Fender Precision. It defines woody thump.

All else is commentary.

+1
True

 

[Showdown]

What exactly is the benefit (if there is one) of increasing the break angle? And what would be the best way to increase tension? I can't stand super floppy low notes.

You could buy higher tension strings. Heavier gauge will give you more tension, and some string designs/brands are higher tension than others even at the same gauge. Unfortunately, most brands don't tell you string tension, so it can be a trial and error proposition.

 

[BassGen]

What exactly is the benefit (if there is one) of increasing the break angle? And what would be the best way to increase tension? I can't stand super floppy low notes.

Isn't the only way to increase tension tightening the strings and therefore tuning higher?

 

[The Man 53]

Link Removed

That helped me a ton. Playing in drop C I am playing .130 .085 .070 .050 It seems I like the tension around 40. Low 30s and my ape hand I bend the strings some when I don't want to and it sounds like I don't have the intonation correct.
Basically the bigger string allows you to keep the tuning you want with more tension at the same note.

PS...using S.I.T. Nickel rock brights for 17.00/set and love them.