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Fender Jazz project finished. w/pics!

SamTheButcher

SamTheButcher

Yis, actually.
Sep 25, 2004
382
55
Charlotte NC
#1
OK, to get caught up, months ago I started this thread in setup and repair http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=221967, new Warmoth jazz neck for a Fender body I purchased. Decided later to put the neck on my MIM Jazz. Finished the neck myself,(first time project) using nitrocellulous laquer and tint from Guitar Reranch.com. Swapped out the MIM pickups for Fender Custom shop '60's, new white pearloid pickguard, and I'm freaking out over how this thing plays and sounds.
I understand it doesn't exsist w/o pictures, so here ya go:

finishedjazz1.gif


finishedjazz2.gif


Warmoth makes an awesome neck, I'm able to get the action a good bit lower than with the stock neck, and the the Custom Shop pickups really suprised me, much fuller sounding than the MIM's, and much more responsive to changes in eq and balance.
And to you purists, forgive me for using a repo decal, I'm a sucker for the look of the '69-'75 bound and blocked jazz necks and headstocks, I'll never be able to afford an original (especially in a lefty), so your pardon please.

If I'm not playing it, I'm staring at it.
Couldn't be happier with it.
 
#2
Those Custom Shop pickups (I've got the noiseless which aren't for re-sale) are awesome indeed!

You did that neck and block inlays yourself? Can we get a close up of that? Damn, Fender pays good money at the Custom Shop I'm sure... you should send them a resume!
 
#4
RAT TAT TAT said:
no, the neck is from warmoth.com. he did the nitrocellulose laquer finish and tint.
Click to expand...

I'll have to check them out.. Warmoth.com, so they'll make the neck, fretboard and inlays like that, and put fender on it? doesn't sound legal (I'm sure it is, just doesn't sound).
 
#6
RAT TAT TAT said:
they dont put the fender decals on, nor do they put any decal in the traditiona fender spot on the headstock. they are just licenced to make bodys and necks exactly to fender specs. they have some cool other bodies too, not just bass either.
Click to expand...


Hmm... I'll have to check out the site... maybe I'll build a "SamJ Special Jazz"
 
#9
SamJ said:
I'll have to check them out.. Warmoth.com, so they'll make the neck, fretboard and inlays like that, and put fender on it? doesn't sound legal (I'm sure it is, just doesn't sound).
Click to expand...


You have 600+ posts on talkbass.com and you DON'T know about warmoth? :eek:
 
#13
SamTheButcher said:
finishedjazz1.gif


finishedjazz2.gif
Click to expand...

Tip of the day:

Don't do drugs and then attempt to make a bass. It'll turn out backwards:D

Just kidding man. But that looks sweet. I've never been a fan of solid 1 color finishes, but that color, with the PG, and the neck... it all falls together very nicely. I think it looks sweet. And you did a great job with the finish/decal on that neck. It looks comfortable, and the Logo looks just like Fender did it back it the 70s. Very nice job.

I think there should be a new rule. The bass doesn't exist without pictures AND sound clips. I wanna hear 'em:D :bassist:
 
#15
RAT TAT TAT said:
no, the neck is from warmoth.com. he did the nitrocellulose laquer finish and tint.
Click to expand...
Correct. The neck came with no finish on it, nor decal. I've never done any wood finishing before, but I've done a ton of model cars, planes etc., and that experience helped.
I used the nitro rattle cans from Reranch Link Removed 3 original coats of clear, followed by a few passes of neck amber tint (the more passes, the darker or more vintage the look), followed by more coats of clear. The tint was the hard part of the spraying process, getting a balanced color along the whole neck. Had to wet sand the color off once and start over. Then building up enough lacquer over the decal to get rid of the outline was the next issue

decal3.gif


A combination of carefully wet sanding the decal and more lacquer to bury it worked well. Then about 5 more coats of clear over the whole thing, probably could have went with less, but I wanted to avoid sand throughs later.
The toughest part was patience. Reranch has a finishing forum, and the common point or rule of using lacquer there is the wait or recommended cure time from the final coat to the wet sanding process. I waited about two months, some there recommend as much as a year for bodies.:eek: Then wet sanded, starting with automotive 800 grit, to 1000, 1200, 1500, then 2000. Finished off with a couple of auto polishing compounds from 3M, bought some tuners off ebay and put 'em on (harder than I thought it would be, one is slightly crooked). Lost my nerve when it came time to hook it up to the body, (I don't have a drill press) so I had a guitar tech in Charlotte attach the neck. He did a great job.
It's not perfect, I chipped a little finish off the front of the headstock when attaching the A tuner, but you can't see it unless you know where to look.

Thanks, those of you for the compliments, it was quite a learning experience, and alot of fun (when I wasn't screwing it up).:rolleyes: I wouldn't hesitate to do another sometime down the road.
 
#16
what beautiful hand workmanship you should be very proud of the quality of this instrument.. Do you know much about how to set it up, check intonation, etc?? if not, I'd advise having an experienced Luthier do it, so as to get the most sound out of that quality finished bass. Bravo!
 

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