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Fixing my school bass?

O

oniman7

Jun 1, 2010
2,490
10
Saint Augustine, Florida
#1
So, I recently got switched into my band instructor's planning period so that the student band captain could teach me theory that period. While I was in there, I noticed a tobacco burst jazz bass sitting in the corner. I asked somebody who's it was and they said "it's the school's. It's broken though.". I went to look at it closer. Fender shaped tobacco burst jazz bass with a pickup in the body and bridge positions. It had no strings. The brand name I didn't recognize.

So I asked somebody who plays bass about it and he said it was a New York brand (he explained it as Fender > Squier > New York) and that while the pickups had been left in, the electronics had been removed. I'm assuming this is just the wiring, the tone pots, and the wiring going to the output jack.

He also said the pickups were really bad, so I'd probably just have those replaced in one go as well as getting strings on it and setting it up. All of this I'd do on my own if possible, but I'd take it in otherwise. If it turns out really well, I'd like to either set it up in a different tuning or maybe defret it.

So, what do you think would be required to fix this? Are the electronics accessible to buy in store or order online? Also, I've never soldered or touched more than a belt sander. Is this a job I should easily be able to solder or should I just pay someone to do it?

I guess what I'm asking is if this is a good project to try, especially for a beginner. I'm working to finish another project (getting the headstock blank cut this weekend) but everything else comes pre-cut/routed/wired

P.S. good Jazz pickups around $100 or so?
 
#3
Honestly, if you're going to put money into strings, pickups, electronics, etc. you might as well just buy an Ibanez Soundgear or a used Squier. You'll have a better playing bass for the same money or less.

If you really want to fix THAT particular bass up then you're going to have to make a decision as to how much you want to invest. You could start by taking it to a guitar tech and asking them what it would take to make it playable. But if you're going to start into pickup upgrades and the like you might as well get a MIM Fender or some other entry level bass.

How's that for two cents?
 
#4
Dimarzio Ultra-Jazz, Model J, and EMG JHZ are both around $100 for a set. Fender noiseless J are just a few dollars more.

If I were you (with no soldering experience), I'd go with a set of Link Removed pickups, which come with all of the electronics you need (pots, wires, output jack, etc) and install without soldering.

Alternatively, if you are looking to put $100 into it, I would save a few extra dollars and buy the school an SX. At least there, you are starting from a known position. A brand new SX J would cost you as much or less than the EMG active J pickup set.
 
#5
Here's how I stand right now: I have a Jay Turser bass that I like, and I'm working on a Saga P-bass kit to add to it (Drop C Tuning). Also, any time I play with my band, I have access to my guitarist's Fretless Ibanez Soundgear (I love it). This isn't for the school -- the school bassist already has a nice one he uses.

I work off of my parents money mostly (plus whatever I can add) and they've bought me a new amp and a new classical guitar in the last six months. Buying a new bass is out of the question unless mine breaks.

However, as has been my parent's mentality (including with the car I'm going to get) they won't mind spending the same amount of money over time for me to fix something up so that I have something that works (hopefully well, depending on the job I do), something that has some sentimental value to me, and something that I understand inside and out after having fixed it. Plus, I live in a house with little or no power tools and we rent when we need something, so I have very little knowledge of working things and I need to build that.

I understand that I can find new basses cheaper, but that's not what I want. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Anyways, those EMG's look like they'd be nice. It slightly negates the effect of having to put it together on my own, but I still love the idea of taking this bass and fixing it up -- a flaw of mine, I suppose.

Since I'm on a streak of naive questions, how do I go about making sure the pick ups will fit the route in the body? I have no tools to re-route it and don't want to spend $50 to get that done.
 
#7
A picture would be helpful but, 3 250K pots $15, output jack $3, wire and .047 cap $5.
Before I would spend any money I would first make sure the truss rod works. Then I would check the pickups to see if they read any output. No output, replace. If they check out OK, try them, you might like them. With that knowledge I would proceed. I love to breath new life into neglected instruments, can you say frankenstein?
 
#8
The band director has to check with the school board to see if it's "legal" for me to have it, but otherwise, it's mine. It's been replaced and their are no plans to fix it.

How do I make sure the truss rod works and the pickups read output? Special tools? If the truss rod doesn't work (I've heard it's a very expensive repair) do I just salvage the parts and keep them or try and sell them off?

Also, that's where I was going with this project. I was originally going to refinish it and everything, but it's already a nice tobacco burst (my bass now is a pastel red, and the other will be a pastel purple) and I don't want to make this any more complicated than it needs to be.
 
#9
@oniman7...my parent sboth worked for the school system. Most expensive or semi expensive equipment has to be documented when it is destroyed (thrown in the trash) or sent back to the school district for disposal (sold yard sale style) or redistribution (given to another school).

If your instructor has to "throw it away", he could convieniently ask you to do it for him at the end of school one day.
 
#11
oniman7 said:
I couldn't skip the disposal part and just buy it from him?

I think he wants some reimbursement for the instrument (we're poorly funded) and I don't know if we could do that through an under-the-table transaction.
Click to expand...

I dunno, but usually no. Money is a strange animal when it comes to the public school system. Thats why school origanizations, like the cheerleaders, sell the sweatshirts and stuff. Some schools have a little store in them but, usuallythat store is run by some organization within the school.

A "donation" could be made before or after the fact, but not a "transaction". Not at the teacher level....probably not at the school principle level.

Private schools are different....I am sure their rules are different from school to school.

Let him cover his back end though....your talking about a bass worth less than $200 new. Save extra change and such over the next few weeks and order one off the net to mod.
 
#13
If I can get this for free (not sure yet) then might it be worth it? I calculated the total cost of the electronics and it came to $23, plus the cost of a soldering iron (or someone to do a soldering job for me) and the cost of strings. I would then have a $75 bass (or around $100 if I paid) that I would mod if I wanted to, versus a $200+ (SX, Squier) bass that I'd mod.

Or am I missing something?

P.S. I know I'm naive and pretty persistent, but I sometimes get really excited about potentially bad ideas until someone convinces me they're bad. And so far I'm not quite convinced.
 
#14
You will need a Digital Multimeter to check out the pickups/cap/pots. About $13? at your wallyworld auto dept. Truss rod adjustment varies. Some necks require Allen wrenchs, or metric/us socket, or flat blade screw driver. You will have to look at the bass and figure that out.
 
#15
I'm in Florida, and our shops must vary. Never heard of Wallyword auto dept. What equivalent stores might have it?

It's currently got not caps/pots or any type of wiring except the pickup (I've been told -- haven't checked what was meant by "removing the electronics"). How would I test the pickups?
 
#16
Wallyworld is tongue in cheek for Wal Mart. Any automotive or Radio shack have them too.
Set the multimeter in the 20K or 200k ohms, touch each of the probes to any exposed wire ends coming from the pickups and that will give you a reading unless a wire is broken inside. Some times there is just 2 soldered spots where the wires should go. Touch the probes to each and that should give you a reading too.
 
#17
Oh. That joke just went over my head.

So, if I want to go through with this, I should

1: Acquire the bass
2: Determine the truss rod type, if the truss rod works
3: Use multimeter to determine if pickups read any output
3b: If not, measure pickup cavity size and find pickups that match the cavity
4: Determine what electronics are missing, order online
4b: Figure out configuration/setting for the wires and such inside
5: Acquire soldering iron, solder electronics if necessary and capable. If not capable, pay someone to do it for me.
6: Buy strings, string it and set it up
7: Work on cosmetics (mostly missing covers and such)


Does that sound right?
 
#20
oniman7,
It's too bad you live so far up north. I'd solder up whatever you wanted for free. I'm no expert, but I'm decent with a soldering pen. I'm my band's guitar and amp tech (lol). I got a Squier P for $30 on Craigslist. Less than $300 later, and I have a kickass bass. Of course this included all new hardware. If you only need electronics and pups, then that isn't super pricey.
If you go with DiMarzios or other passive pickups, you can get a wiring kit on Ebay or bassparts resource.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=bass+wiring+kit&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Someone posted on here that EMG doesn't require soldering. I'm not sure why they would say that. It requires some soldering. Not as much, but some.

However, get the neck checked. All of this is useless if the neck is tweaked. Hell, if you just walk into your local luthier/guitar shop, you may be able to get it checked for free while you wait.

Good luck and post pics!
 

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