Geddy Lee Jazz Bass Question

I don't own one, but as far as I know it has 70s pick up spacing and so does his bass. It is a 74.

 

Further question:

What is the difference between 60's and 70's spacing? I have heard/seen this talked about before, but I have no idea. Does anyone have measurements?

 

This might help


HERE is a thread on the subject


... This comes up all of the time

 

Geddy's original jazz bass was a 72'.

 

The GL has 70's spacing (bridge pickup closer to the bridge). I've played a GL and a '64 RI one after another, and the GL had a lot more zing to it - a sign of the 70's bridge P-up placement.

 

ohh that's right...I said 74 before...sorry. He bought it in 74, the bass is a 72.

 

Okay, I read through this thread, read through the link that Kenny Allyn posted, then I checked the Fender website. I looked at close up photos of the Geddy bass, the 60's J bass and the 70's J bass and it looks like the Geddy bass has 60's pickup position even though it's got the quintessential 70's jazz bass sound. Are my eyes deceiving me?

I've also heard that Fender uses '62 re issue pickups for the Geddy bass. Does anyone know if this is true?

Finally, I read in an interview that he found his original bass in a pawn shop for $200 (one of those great stories, he said) so did he or the previous owner shim the neck or was it made that way stock?

Just looking for clarification. With so many J bass models, it can be confusing..at least for me! Thanks in advance to anyone with any info.

 

bump

 

It's decieving you because they don't have the same bridge. The GL has a Badass II. It is bigger than regular Fender bridges.

 

Thanks for the reply, Grizzly700!

I realize that the GL Jazz has a Badass II bridge but the bridge pickup is in between the bridge pickup volume knob and the tone knob and as others have previously mentioned, the 70's pickup placement has the bridge pickup in line with the tone knob. Even with a Badass II bridge, is this still 70's placement?

Also, anyone know if the GL jazz has '62 reissue pickups or are they something else?

Again, thanks in advance to anyone with any information on this topic.

 

The previous owner did it as far as I know.

 

I read somewhere that he "re-necked" the bass. After so many years of playing the neck was shot... and he had fender make a "custom" neck for him. Geddy plays fast, and that neck is very fast (although not to my personal tastes).

If that is true, then I don't think the neck effects the tone in case... IMHO Geddy's tone comes from Geddy's fingers. Listen to "2112", then "Grace Under Pressure", then "Hold Your Fire". You will hear Ric's, Fenders Steinbergers, and Wals. Plus he is playing through a variety of amps (Trace Elliot, Sunn, etc) with a variety of different effects. Yet, he still sounds like Geddy!

Further proof: I play my Jbass and I sound like garbage, I play through my (new) Epi TBird... yep still sound like garbage... only I look cooler.

 

I saw an interview on which he talked about the neck. He took a signature bass neck and asked fender to sand it, so it is basically the same neck that the regular signature Geddy has.

 

Check this out: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=390872