Heavy 77 Jazz...New Body?

[Spirit of Ox]

Look into a strap that will take the load off. I have a wide neoprene strap that flexes and I can play my 12llb Ash P bass all night no problem.

 

[JKos]

I'd retire it but keep it in the family.

What's the point of a musical instrument that doesn't get played? It's not as if it is in mint, unmodded condition, either.

I was going to say leave the electronics untouched in the original body. But... Not even a point in doing that since they aren't original.

- John

 

[Tim Skaggs]

I did the exact thing on a '78 Jazz that weighed almost 14 lbs. It had a superb neck, so I transferred everything off the original to the new body. I played it like that a few years, then put it all back original & sold it. Wish I had the neck back.

By the way, it was a three bolt neck & I mounted the neck on the new body as a 3 bolt. Worked very well.

 

[bumperbass]

You have a reason to buy a new bass. Don't ruin the moment.

 

[Engle]

I don’t see the downside. Keep the original body and you can always swap it back.
IMO It’s better to have an instrument you want to play, than one that’s too heavy and you just look at.

 

[Pbassmanca]

So...I have a 77 Jazz that been in a family for years and was my older brothers.
Ive had the frets and fretboard re-done professionally, and it plays and sound great...only problem is it weighs like 13lbs. I was thinking of just getting a new body to put the neck on....of course I would get good passive electronics and pickups for it and keep everything so it could be switched back.
Has anyone done this...know where I can get a good quality finished body in the $300-ish range? Im thinking a 2-piece/classic Alder, tobacco burst or black?

If you love the neck and it feels so good, I agree with getting a new body to bring the weight down. There's all kinds of manufacturers of bodies for bass guitars that will fit a vintage Fender neck. I think Warmoth is a good choice because you can either custom order or you can pick a body of whatever species of wood you like with a specific weight so that you know what you're going to end up with in terms of the total weight of the bass guitar in the end. If the electronics are working well, I say keep the original electronics though, those 70s Jazz bass pickups sounded great!

 

[pickles]

Do not do this.

 

[retslock]

If you love the neck and it feels so good, I agree with getting a new body to bring the weight down. There's all kinds of manufacturers of bodies for bass guitars that will fit a vintage Fender neck. I think Warmoth is a good choice because you can either custom order or you can pick a body of whatever species of would you like with a specific weight so that you know what you're going to end up with in terms of the total weight of the bass guitar in the end. If the electronics are working well, I say keep the original electronics though, those 70s Jazz bass pickups sounded great!

It can work. I’ve done it with a different brand though. I had a neck that worked really well and had a new body custom built. It works very well and is one of my two main players. Perhaps a custom build is the option for you. It’s not without risk though.

 

[MJ_Sotti]

ummm, if you ever want to do anything with that body, look me up. I love heavy basses.

 

[faulknersj]

So...I have a 77 Jazz that been in a family for years and was my older brothers.
Ive had the frets and fretboard re-done professionally, and it plays and sound great...only problem is it weighs like 13lbs. I was thinking of just getting a new body to put the neck on....of course I would get good passive electronics and pickups for it and keep everything so it could be switched back.
Has anyone done this...know where I can get a good quality finished body in the $300-ish range? Im thinking a 2-piece/classic Alder, tobacco burst or black?

I have the neck from my 73’ Jazz on a newer MIA Fender body and it is one of the best sounding and playing Basses in my stable. Go for it man. You can always resell a body if you don’t like it.

 

[lukatch]

Basically all Fenders are parts basses. Get a period-correct light weight 70s body with a 3-bolt pocket off eBay - this might take some time to find but they do pop up - and transfer all the hardware. You will end up with a better sounding and playing bass. Mid-70's bodies have more generous forearm and belly cuts compared to late 70's, that's another plus. Again, remember - all Fenders are parts basses, it's not like they specially made every neck to match a specific body.

 

[Fun Size Nick]

Sounds good to me. If you don’t like the results, you can always put it back together like it was original. You’ve got nothing to lose by trying. I’ve considered doing the same to my ‘74 every now and again but a big, 4.5” padded levys strap made it unnecessary. Mine’s not as heavy as yours though!

 

[Chico Ruger]

Balance. What about balance?

Would a new, really light body create neck dive you would find as objectionable as the current overall weight?

 

[40Hz]

He has a neck he loves on a body he doesn't. Why shouldn't he try the neck on a new body? It's completely nondestructive and reversible.

- John

Exactly that. Does no harm to try.

Get a Warmouth body, drop the neck and everything else into it. If it doesn't work out, put everything back the way it was. Then sell the old bass and new body. There's a market to both.

Use the money to get something else.

 

[gelinas666]

Agree with some comments above.. I have a '78 Fender Jazz and the neck was a mess.. Truss rod kept popping out the fret marker on the first fret.. Replaced it with a titanium rod ,same issue. Replaced the neck with a "Warmoth" neck and now it is a player.. You can purchase a body for it,swap the electronics and pickups. Only problem might be the 3 bolt setup on your neck,you will need to address this with the new replacement body.. Then play it and enjoy,that's what it's for unless your just a collector..

 

[FirewalZ]

Thanks for all the replies...
Im not sure which way ill go, ill look at bodies, but may just keep it as is and look for something new altogether(I only have 1 P bass at the moment. My older brother had bought the bass in the mid 80's, he put Barts, a Schaller bridge, and had the 3-bolt converted to a 4 because the neck would shift(neck pocket gap). A couple years back I had the frets replaced with SS(you only want to pay for this once on a bonded/poly neck) and a satin finish applied on the fretboard rather than poly. So it's definitely a "players" bass, somewhat unique and one I will always keep.

 

[Kukulkan61]

Take a belt sander to the back of the body and knock it down about 1/2 an inch that should bring the weight down to about 9 lbs.

 

[Felken]

Just throw away the whole thing.

 

[JGbassman]

Leave the beautiful bass intact and just buy or build another one. If you can't handle the weight, just use it for home practice or recording.

Too many hacked up old beautiful basses out there as it is. (Hey it's just my opinion)

With basses and parts being so cheap these days, it just makes more sense to go with a cheap or custom build for live shows.

 

[nilorius]

sound/weight - take alder