The bass is still in the store. I was considering buying it. I should head back in there tomorrow and snap a pic of it.
Also everything seems tight and good, also the other 3 strings line up perfectly. It has me bewildered more than anything
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Fender Blacktop Club
- Thread starter Stranger Danger
- Start date
-
- Tags
- club
The bass is still in the store. I was considering buying it. I should head back in there tomorrow and snap a pic of it.
Also everything seems tight and good, also the other 3 strings line up perfectly. It has me bewildered more than anything
Make sure you take that picture straight on, and provide a close up of the neck pocket as well. That said, it's a new bass and you're entitled to one that doesn't bug you. If it's always going to be on your mind, just ask the store to order another one for you.
If i get anything new it will be a mp jazz satin. The new blacktops are $500 here. The $350 price tag just looked nice so i could have a p bass in a jazz bass package. I have never been a fan of the p bass neck, but love the j
The Blacktops were one of the models during the Fender Summer Sale for $450. It's back up to the $499 street price.
Okay, so I bought the stock pickup set. http://www.ebay.com/itm/140982457239?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
If you can still see the images, you'll see that the coils of each pickup are connected by a yellow wire, and each coil has a lead (duh). One is red and the other is yellow. Three last questions:
1) Is there a difference between the pickups such that I should use a specific one in the neck and the other for the bridge?
2) Is there a difference in the coils such that I should use a specific one for the E/A strings and the other for the G/D?
3) Which of these leads is hot and which is ground, or does it matter?
If you can still see the images, you'll see that the coils of each pickup are connected by a yellow wire, and each coil has a lead (duh). One is red and the other is yellow. Three last questions:
1) Is there a difference between the pickups such that I should use a specific one in the neck and the other for the bridge?
2) Is there a difference in the coils such that I should use a specific one for the E/A strings and the other for the G/D?
3) Which of these leads is hot and which is ground, or does it matter?
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Hey guys, just thought I'd post this here but...I've been looking at these for a while and if anyone has one they no longer play much ill trade my jazz bass for one.
There is also a Thumb Rest recently installed and new DR Lo Riders.
There is also a Thumb Rest recently installed and new DR Lo Riders.
Here is a pic of the spacing i was talking aboutLink Removed it almost looks like the bridge is too far south
I got mine during the Fender summer sale for $400.00...AN OFFER I COULD NOT REFUSE!!! Being at the right place at the right time will certainly get you a good deal. Especially if you are not in a hurry (difficult to say when you are GASing though).
I kept looking at your photo and trying to fingure out why you thought the bridge was too far "south". I see now you mean when in playing position.
It's not a straight-on photo, but it looks like you have a misaligned neck or a misaligned bridge. I'd probably pass.
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
I just realized something- looking at various images of this bass, I'm beginning to see exactly what you're talking about. It looks to me like the pickup placement is spaced so that the D/G coils are in 70s Jazz bass position, and the E/A coils are positioned accordingly. Meaning the E/A coil is a fair bit closer to the neck than you'd find on a split-coil bass like the Precision. The overall string spacing is narrower above the Blacktop's pickup, but the polepieces have the the same spacing they'd have for a more conventional Precision placement. I don't know how much that affects the visual on the bass you're looking at, but I'm sure it plays a role. The bridge pickup still looks fine to me on most of the stock and owner photos.
What Fender should have done is bring the two halves of the neck pickup a few millimeters closer to the center line. Not close enough to cause the inner strings to be sensed by both coils, but just enough to center those outer polepieces.
Anyhow, it shouldn't affect the tone, but if you really, really hate the look, you can make the misalignment go away by purchasing a new pg with no pup rout and then having your tech rout the guard for proper alignment (there's plenty of room under the guard). That's probably what I'll do now that I've already paid for pups with exposed polepieces. If I'd seen this earlier, I'd have considered something with a closed cover.
It looks to me like the strings are shifted towards the G side over the neck, too. I wouldn't want to own that bass, as it would just annoy me.
Greetings All!
As promised, I'm updating the club's Master List. Here's the current roster
#1 StrangerDanger
#2 ShadowVampyre
#3 Fair Warning
#4 unclebass
#5 StephenDaRacket
#6 Johnnywad
#7 hillerup
#8 Auspex
#9 Paradog
#10 VoodooMagicBoas
#11 emdsd
#12 Mmoore2490
#13 Malak the Mad
#14 Rich McCoy
#15 Fernandino
#16 Plectrum72
#17 Aetheriac
#18 Tom-Phil
#19 TimboZ
#20 Rabidrasbora
#21 Karkfum
#22 TheOnlyJuan
#23 Jookbox
#24 Tbone76
#25 oysteivi
and I'm still waiting for pics from MP87, tony_bruce, ScottBlasko and emdsd.
RBrownBass; Keep us up to speed on your build project.
Strat_Hater; Let us know if you get yourself a Blacktop you like.
'Til then, be seeing you.
-Malak the Mad (y'know the guy who got suckered into taking responsibility for this barrel of monkeys!
)
As promised, I'm updating the club's Master List. Here's the current roster
#1 StrangerDanger
#2 ShadowVampyre
#3 Fair Warning
#4 unclebass
#5 StephenDaRacket
#6 Johnnywad
#7 hillerup
#8 Auspex
#9 Paradog
#10 VoodooMagicBoas
#11 emdsd
#12 Mmoore2490
#13 Malak the Mad
#14 Rich McCoy
#15 Fernandino
#16 Plectrum72
#17 Aetheriac
#18 Tom-Phil
#19 TimboZ
#20 Rabidrasbora
#21 Karkfum
#22 TheOnlyJuan
#23 Jookbox
#24 Tbone76
#25 oysteivi
and I'm still waiting for pics from MP87, tony_bruce, ScottBlasko and emdsd.
RBrownBass; Keep us up to speed on your build project.
Strat_Hater; Let us know if you get yourself a Blacktop you like.
'Til then, be seeing you.
-Malak the Mad (y'know the guy who got suckered into taking responsibility for this barrel of monkeys!
)
I thought I had posted a picture, my apologies! It not the best pic, but it is a more recent one.....
Coming up on our second anniversary together!
Coming up on our second anniversary together!
I finally got a decent picture of my Blacktop Jazz:
View attachment 333266
Picked up in October 2011 and has become my main player. Added the red pearl pick guard (1st time in 30 some years I bought something for an instrument that was purely cosmetic) and an Audere JZ preamp (V V T/B) that I picked up new/used here on TB. The preamp solved the volume issue and added some nice tonal variety.
Number please!
I thought I had posted a picture, my apologies! It not the best pic, but it is a more recent one.....
View attachment 367201
Coming up on our second anniversary together!
You're absolutely right! I had to do a little digging to find it, but there it is. That and you're already on the Master List as #11 DUUUUUUUUUHERP!!!
Anyway, nothing wrong with more pics, eh?
That bass is way out of alignment -
If it were me, I would never buy it. It's just a careless sloppy build
and there's no reason to settle for it. Find another bass that's
built right and aligned properly. That's my best advice.
