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Fender Jazz Push Pull Knob?

Fletz

Fletz

Jan 16, 2009
4,658
3,007
New Jersey
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Hartke artist
#1
Hi Fender experts and other bass nuts -

I am suffering from a fretless jones and I saw an ad locally for a 2006 (based on a Z6... Serial no) Fender jazz fretless MIA and was interested. But the ad says 'has a push pull switch to play pickups in series or parallel.'. Assuming this on the knob but I'm not familiar with this feature. Was this offered on an American Standard Jazz? It's not active as I've seen a picture of the back and there is no battery compartment.

Also, is $800 w/case a good price?

Your knowledge is greatly appreciated.
 
#2
It's a commonly used modification, I remember many people doing it a few years ago. The bass doesn't have to be active for it to work.

Basically, by pulling the knob you get a volume boost and slightly different sound. The lower mids get thicker, it sounds less "thin" in general. AFAIK while in series mode you can't blend pickups: usually the neck pickup volume knob becomes master volume, and the bridge pup volume does nothing.

You get the stock jazz bass sound in parallel mode. If you decide not to use the series mode that's okay, as this mod adds no penalties in sound quality while playing in parallel. In parallel mode, it sounds exactly just like a standard jazz, the sound isn't modified in any way. Bottomline, that bass has one extra sound it can produce. You may use it, you don't have to.


By the way, you can't post any "what's it worth" threads unless you're a supporting member.
 
#4
Ok - supporting membership renewed. Is $800 a fair price? It's cosmetically in very good shape but I'm not sure if that modification drastically reduces the value. (book value - I've heard the 'what's it worth to you' argument). I promise I'm not selling it - just GASing for a fretless and this seemed like an intriguing deal.
 
#5
In '06 Fender had the S-1 switch which would place the pickups in series as described above. I would use mine as a substitute for a P Bass tone. The only drawback for me was it increased the volume a couple of dbs, so I had to compensate to keep the level matched. No real biggie though.
 
#8
JimB52 said:
The S-1 switch. It's really more like a push-push switch on the first vol. knob. Thickens up the tone and boosts volume a bit.
Click to expand...

Yes, the center of the first volume knob is a button on the factory MIA S1 setup, and it's factory unless this particular bass has had the button replaced with a push/pull.

I don't think the S1 model was offered in fretless however, so if originality is a concern the switch is the lesser problem.
 

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