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
hillerup
There are basses, and there are Thunderbirds!
I built the the Jazz from parts about 2 years ago and the neck with dots was all I could find at the time. The Precision I bought used and took the neck from a FSR Precision I put a fretless neck on. The Precision had been pretty butcher up when I got it, someone had replaced the neck pickup with a music man style and moved the neck pickup to the bridge position.
I just got one of the Jazz Blacktops yesterday. I love the dual P pickups and feel of the bass. I think my P needs a second pickup.
That's a shame.I'm guessing you tried adjusting the pickup height, ja? Also, do you still have the body? I'm not looking to buy it back, just curious, what with our shared history.
I tried pickup heights and i tried different pots. It may be that it didn't suit my fretless or just didn't suit my ears. The neck pup was great but i think (for me) when a P pup is so close to the bridge the differences in tone are quite large. I would like to have tried routing and making it a reverse P at the bridge but that's a bit beyond my skill set. I ended up buying a Squier VM Jazz, put the fretless neck on that and out its neck on the Blacktop. I think the block inlays looked really nice. I sold it to a local in Jindabyne before our move here to New Zealand before Christmas.
End of an era, I suppose. Sorry it didn't work out for you. 
That is something I can, and have on many occasions, testify to. It's not a bad positioning, just more aggressive and a little less thumpy. It may not seem like much, but when I moved my P/J Jazz's neck pickup from the Blacktop position to that of a Reggie Hamilton-sig Jazz, it made a considerable difference.
That is something I can, and have on many occasions, testify to. It's not a bad positioning, just more aggressive and a little less thumpy. It may not seem like much, but when I moved my P/J Jazz's neck pickup from the Blacktop position to that of a Reggie Hamilton-sig Jazz, it made a considerable difference.
End of an era, I suppose. Sorry it didn't work out for you.
That is something I can, and have on many occasions, testify to. It's not a bad positioning, just more aggressive and a little less thumpy. It may not seem like much, but when I moved my P/J Jazz's neck pickup from the Blacktop position to that of a Reggie Hamilton-sig Jazz, it made a considerable difference.
View attachment 2883662
That's cool, and being beneath the guard at least it's not reversible if it didn't work. The thing is (i think) at that position the D and G strings are about 10% closer to the bridge. On the Blacktop bridge pup the D and G are about 50% closer.
In saying that, i do believe that both pups on 100% sound great..... with the fretted board. I just think it didn't suit the fretless.
I bought an Epi Jack Casady half a year ago. Everyone said that I should try flats on it, so I gave them a shot. I didn't like them.
I only played the Casady at home because of the flats (I tried it with my band and didn't cut the mix). So, two days ago I decided to removed the flats and put some rounds on it. And I looked at my Jazz Blacktop and I thought "why not trying the flats with the Blacktop". It sounds amazing! I love it. Best idea ever. Do some of you guys put flats on your Blacktops?
I only played the Casady at home because of the flats (I tried it with my band and didn't cut the mix). So, two days ago I decided to removed the flats and put some rounds on it. And I looked at my Jazz Blacktop and I thought "why not trying the flats with the Blacktop". It sounds amazing! I love it. Best idea ever. Do some of you guys put flats on your Blacktops?
4ish year old Chromes for sometime, first EADG and then BEAD. When i replaced the pups with DiMarzio Model Ps I also switched it out to GHS Pressurewounds in BEAD.
Hey guys!
I have a question for those of you who have changed the pickups in the jazz bass model.Which pickups did you choose for the blacktop? And especially, which pickup for the neck?
I got a SPB3 pickups (just one) to change the pickups of a Pbass that I have. However, I thought I could change the bridge pickup in my blacktop and put that one on the P bass (it's a cheap Squier Affinity). I was considering buying a SPB4 (more mids) for the bridge and the SPB3 (more lows) for the neck.
I have a question for those of you who have changed the pickups in the jazz bass model.Which pickups did you choose for the blacktop? And especially, which pickup for the neck?
I got a SPB3 pickups (just one) to change the pickups of a Pbass that I have. However, I thought I could change the bridge pickup in my blacktop and put that one on the P bass (it's a cheap Squier Affinity). I was considering buying a SPB4 (more mids) for the bridge and the SPB3 (more lows) for the neck.
I feel I should let any interested parties know I'm putting my Blacktop Jazz up for sale. It's linked to my signature. Sure, it pains me to do so, since it was the first, brandy-brand-new bass I ever bought, not to mention it's uniquely beastly nature, but I have to be realistic. It's not getting nearly the play-time it deserves.
(Something this awesome should be heard live!
)
(Something this awesome should be heard live!
I actually just had a local guitar tech put two Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups in my Fender Blacktop Jazz along with installing a thumbrest. The SPB3 sounds pretty good in both the neck and bridge positions. I feel like it is a little “boomy” bass wise in the neck position but I think I can alleviate that by lowering the pickup a little more. Overall I would say they are a upgrade over the stock pickups. Just to note the tech said the Quarter Pounds fit into the bridge position well but he had to slightly Dremel out the pickguard and neck pickup slot to fit the SPB3 into it.
Last edited:
Both pickups came out of the bass with matching impedence, as did my other P/P bass. I don't think like in a J they wind one hotter. Maybe that's budget minded thinking, but both my examples are matched up.
I opted for DiMarzio Model Ps to try and chase sound of my other P/P bass. DiMarzio Customer Care suggested a Will Power and Model P but I preferred to keep them the same.
The bridge pickup is just set higher to make up for volume.
Hey folks, I'm a lurker for the most part but I did pick up a blacktop precision bass a few months ago. Has any one had buzzing on the d and g strings? The previous owner had it set up BEAD and I took it to my luthier who resolved most of those issues but the buzz has never really gone away. Do I need a new nut since there were thicker stings on there? Wear, etc?
In reading these formus i noticed some folks talking about the narrowness of the knob positions and can confirm, but that's so minor it doesn't bother me a bit.
It's still an amazing bass and I really get the sounds I want for recording, but that's a fairly controlled environment. Eventually I'd like to gig with it but that buzz is killing me if I play too terribly energetically.
In reading these formus i noticed some folks talking about the narrowness of the knob positions and can confirm, but that's so minor it doesn't bother me a bit.
It's still an amazing bass and I really get the sounds I want for recording, but that's a fairly controlled environment. Eventually I'd like to gig with it but that buzz is killing me if I play too terribly energetically.
Maybe I'm necroing an old thread, but wanted to brag a bit: I just picked up a blacktop jazz to round out the collection. It ships in a few days max, so I'm pretty much done with all my life goals now. Taking suggestions for the end of the world.
