Fender Jazz Bass Special - Circa 1984-87

[Rocker47]

There is a loaded jazz special body on eBay but it now $200. Seems like a good deal. metallic raspberry

Haha! I read his description and he thinks it's an ugly colour too. I feel like I might be the only one that likes the colour? I mean I do have that one and it gets nothing but compliments. I hope I'm the abnormal one because I've never wanted to be the norm. I'm taking it as a positive!

 

[A-Step-Towards]

Haha! I read his description and he thinks it's an ugly colour too. I feel like I might be the only one that likes the colour? I mean I do have that one and it gets nothing but compliments. I hope I'm the abnormal one because I've never wanted to be the norm. I'm taking it as a positive!

I dig it , I had one years back. Right now I have 2 black and 1 white. I debated buying it and swapping necks from one of my black ones to it but I can't bring myself to pull them apart. Anyways I dig the color but that's coming from a
Guy that had a hot pink 1989 jazz special and I proudly played shows with it lol

 

[Rocker47]

I dig it , I had one years back. Right now I have 2 black and 1 white. I debated buying it and swapping necks from one of my black ones to it but I can't bring myself to pull them apart. Anyways I dig the color but that's coming from a
Guy that had a hot pink 1989 jazz special and I proudly played shows with it lol

Different is better the way I see it! I'd gladly play a hot pink bass! Who wouldn't?! To each their own I suppose. I have the burgundy and a white. I play tbirds as well, which aren't a standard with bass players and that is just fine with me!

 

[Jmilitsc]

Haha! I read his description and he thinks it's an ugly colour too. I feel like I might be the only one that likes the colour? I mean I do have that one and it gets nothing but compliments. I hope I'm the abnormal one because I've never wanted to be the norm. I'm taking it as a positive!

Heh, I have the same bass too! Bought new back in 86 or 87 after saving my busboy tips for a yr. I have always hated the pickups it came with (I think the shop must've installed them.... EMG Select? The logo wore off long ago).

I found this thread researching pup upgrades, glad I found it, fun times.

So I think I'm going to go with the Aguilars, but they don't seem to package the 60's wind as a PJ set. Maybe they'll do that for me, who knows, I sent them email the other day. The P60 is crazy good old school P sounding on the YouTube samples I found, so hopefully they will hook me up.

I was also chewing on adding a pickguard, maybe white/pearloid, but something tells me TB would yell at me for doing that .

Anyway, here's it is:

 

[Erich Bruning]

I played around with a black pick guard on my Pink JBS for a while. It looked cool with it, but in the end I took it off as I came to prefer it without. You have to cut and reshape the area around the control knobs to get one to fit. I'll see if I can find a pic of it.

Edit for pic:

 

[Jamvan]

Can I get a sound off on what pickups people have used instead of the stock ones? I'm contemplating swapping out the electronics in mine in an attempt to find something less mid-focused as compared to the OEM big pole pickups.

I've seen:

• EMG GZR's (I have a P in my other Precision)
• Seymour Duncan SPB-2 / STK-J2
  
• Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders
• ?

For those that have swapped out, did you keep the original wiring scheme or did you do a complete rip and replace? I have a spare 4 knob Aguilar ODP-3 preamp lying around that might work if a pull out the pickup selector switch but that might just be taking this bass too far away from it's heritage. Let me know.

~edit~ Added SD QP's

 

[Rocker47]

Can I get a sound off on what pickups people have used instead of the stock ones? I'm contemplating swapping out the electronics in mine in an attempt to find something less mid-focused as compared to the OEM big pole pickups.

I've seen:

• EMG GZR's (I have a P in my other Precision)
• Seymour Duncan SPB-2 / STK-J2
  
• ?

For those that have swapped out, did you keep the original wiring scheme or did you do a complete rip and replace? I have a spare 4 knob Aguilar ODP-3 preamp lying around that might work if a pull out the pickup selector switch but that might just be taking this bass too far away from it's heritage. Let me know.

I have the same bass as you an it is the only bass I've ever changed a pick up in. The only reason I changed them was that the jazz pick up was really weak sounding. When I started loooking I found a set of quarter pounders that I think sound great! I didn't change any wiring and left the knobs to do what they originally did. I put some chromes on it and never looked back. It's all a personal choice, but I haven't had any negative feedback regarding the tone. I use an 800RB, a pick, and a 115/210 two cab configuration. Sweet looking bass btw! Not many like the colour, but that's what makes me like it more!!!!
Cheers!

 

[Bass Growler]

I put an SPB-2 in the Duff model cause the Fender pickup just didn't cut it for me. I have to say that I always use that pickup alone. Never the J and never the combo. That's either too Jaco or too scooped.

 

[Jamvan]

View attachment 1012635

I have the same bass as you an it is the only bass I've ever changed a pick up in. The only reason I changed them was that the jazz pick up was really weak sounding. When I started loooking I found a set of quarter pounders that I think sound great! I didn't change any wiring and left the knobs to do what they originally did. I put some chromes on it and never looked back. It's all a personal choice, but I haven't had any negative feedback regarding the tone. I use an 800RB, a pick, and a 115/210 two cab configuration. Sweet looking bass btw! Not many like the colour, but that's what makes me like it more!!!!
Cheers!

I was looking at those as possible contenders. The tone took a big jump forward for me when I installed a pair of Chromes as well. It gave it this nice, thumpy, punchy tone that worked much better than the nickel round wounds I'd been using on it. I have this weird love/hate relationship with the stock pickups though. I was playing the bass this morning (and last night) and it was just sounding so so mid focused (read; honky) that it was driving me up the wall. Hence, pondering replacing the pickups because, lets be honest, the bass is a dream to play.

However, since posting this, I seem to have found a sweet spot in the control settings that are bringing me much joy again and it will likely stay this way until it doesn't again. Some basses, I pick up and they always sound great. This one is quite moody it seems.

 

[MarkA]

I've never played one of these with the stock pickups -- only one I've ever played is my Power Jazz Bass Special and it came to me with EMGs and passive controls (vol/vol/tone/tone, 3-way selector switch). The EMGs stayed in it for more than twenty years. In the last few years, I've experimented a bit with passive pickups. Right now, I have a Wilde P/J set in there with 500 K pots. Love the sound, but I have some hum when I'm not touching the strings. The pickups are supposed to be very quiet, though (believe the J is hum cancelling), so it might very well be the wiring/installation. I'd describe the sound as clear, dynamic (doesn't squish if you hit it hard) with deep but not hyped bass response and clear highs. One the modern side, but not so much as the EMGs were.

As I said, I've never experienced the stock pickups or TBX circuit, but if someone is looking for a good, moderately priced set of pickups to try, the Wilde are worth a look.

I do love the feel and response of my bass.

Addendum: The bridge tone control (as long as I had to change pots, moving from the EMGs) is now a push/pull wired to put the neck/bridge in series when pulled out. I don't run it this way most of the time, but through certain rigs it's nice. There's an SWR/Ampeg rig at one jam where I play and the house player (friend and great bassist) plays an active instrument and EQs the amp in such a way that my bass sounds thin and ganky through it. I've gotten good at tweaking the settings in a few seconds for my bass and putting them back when I'm done, but putting the pickups in series brings the output up to hot(ish) active levels and brings the mids up and treble down in a way that works really well with that rig in that venue in that mix. Thickens things up, and I don't have to touch the amp. Through my rig, most of the time, it's too much, but I like having the option.

 

[A-Step-Towards]

Bought this over The summer from the original owner, its mint with original case and hang tags. JV serial number and only labeled pj bass. Paid $500 and sold the amp it came with for $60.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

That's interesting, I've never seen one labeled PJ? Does it have a preamp or is it passive?
On another note if anyone is interested in trading for a white pearl Power Jazz Bass Special, I have one I'd consider trading for one of the crazy colored ones. Mines all original with real player wear on the armrest. Legit RW. I love that raspberry one!

 

[A-Step-Towards]

Like most jazz specials it's passive, only the power jazz specials were active. I have had 2 of these pj labeled one. One I bought was red, red without metallic to the paint just a very hot rod red color and I couldn't dig that. If any of you noticed this does not have a 3 way switch for pickup selection but besides that and the logo it's the same as duffs jazz special. The dating on these is hard but with what I know I think these pj label basses came out in mid or late 1983 and ran into 1984 before receiving a switch and a name with the jazz special. Regardless this one isn't for sale, I actually leave it about 900 miles away at my dads house. I saw it near him on Craigslist and told him to go get it, it had been posted a hour and the guy got 25 calls roughly lol- merry Christmas guys

 

[Erich Bruning]

Interesting. Besides the missing toggle, that one seems to also have a standard bridge. If 1983, then maybe the precursor to the JBS?

Bought this over The summer from the original owner, its mint with original case and hang tags. JV serial number and only labeled pj bass. Paid $500 and sold the amp it came with for $60.

 

[brenner182]

I have a red power jazz bass special if anybody is looking for one

 

[Jmilitsc]

Update: I bought and installed the Aguilar PJ pickup set the other day after they confirmed the P is the 60's style pickup. Very glad I did, they sound fantastic - funny after all these years, I finally really enjoy how this bass sounds! It always played great, and I was thinking of parting with it, but now I'll keep it.

 

[Roach1983]

My 85' Jazz special refinished and upgraded ..Hipshot tuners, a NOS Kahler bridge from the 80s I picked up from whammy world ..and EMG-X pickups ..when I first got the bass the only thing original were pots and pickups so I decided to go all out with it ..

 

[wolfkeller]

Did they even make these lefty???? Sad, sad fn sad....For me.

 

[Roach1983]

View attachment 1034200 View attachment 1034203 My 85' Jazz special refinished and upgraded ..Hipshot tuners, a NOS Kahler bridge from the 80s I picked up from whammy world ..and EMG-X pickups ..when I first got the bass the only thing original were pots and pickups so I decided to go all out with it ..

Did they even make these lefty???? Sad, sad fn sad....For me.

im not positive , but I don't think they did.

 

[Roach1983]

View attachment 1034200 View attachment 1034203 My 85' Jazz special refinished and upgraded ..Hipshot tuners, a NOS Kahler bridge from the 80s I picked up from whammy world ..and EMG-X pickups ..when I first got the bass the only thing original were pots and pickups so I decided to go all out with it ..