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Jaco Tribute Bass Build
- Thread starter bassgod76
- Start date
Really, all you would need was the body from a Select Jazz, and spray a bit of a burst on it..
Have a look at
http://www.public-peace.de/
In Stock and then have a look at the " Elwood Fretless " Basses . There´re some that look very much like the rebuild BOD. You can even custom order one for very little money. Great basses by the way.
http://www.public-peace.de/
In Stock and then have a look at the " Elwood Fretless " Basses . There´re some that look very much like the rebuild BOD. You can even custom order one for very little money. Great basses by the way.
I'm torn between modding a cheap Squire for looks or going the full monte and getting custom neck/body from warmouth...
Read the whole thread, sick bass! but then i got to the soundbites... not available anymore. Talk abut your anti-climax! lol. BG76, great work, and i'll be sure to sub to any other tribute threads you start!
- Jul 3, 2007
- 1,380
- 1,036
- Disclosures
- Author of "Soul Fingers." I'm the Duck Dunn expert.
So I came across this thread last week, and just finished it. Here are my thoughts:
1.) This build was awesome.
2.) I need a fretless for when I get calls for it, and figured something like this would be perfect. You've inspired me.
3.) This thread will likely never die, just remain dormant for a little while every now and then.
A few questions that should be able to be answered in here:
1.) Dan Atkinson's site is down. Does that mean he's not doing this any more? I'd love to start my own, but with a maple veneer on it, like KK did after the repairs. Just seems more unique to me.
2.) I occasionally get calls for work in South Florida (usually around Ft. Pierce or Jensen, but was actually cancelled on a job in Ft. Lauderdale that was scheduled for lat week. I'd love to meet up, talk shop, and try the axe out at some point!
3.) How's she holding up these days?
1.) This build was awesome.
2.) I need a fretless for when I get calls for it, and figured something like this would be perfect. You've inspired me.
3.) This thread will likely never die, just remain dormant for a little while every now and then.
A few questions that should be able to be answered in here:
1.) Dan Atkinson's site is down. Does that mean he's not doing this any more? I'd love to start my own, but with a maple veneer on it, like KK did after the repairs. Just seems more unique to me.
2.) I occasionally get calls for work in South Florida (usually around Ft. Pierce or Jensen, but was actually cancelled on a job in Ft. Lauderdale that was scheduled for lat week. I'd love to meet up, talk shop, and try the axe out at some point!
3.) How's she holding up these days?
Atkinson was a true gentleman. Not sure if he's doing it any longer.
MJt guitar does great finishing work. Down the road, I may consider doing a Herbie Flowers tribute, and use them.
Look me up when you're down.
I still have her, and while she doesn't work well in my current gig, I still practice and woodshed with her. The strings are broken in and mellow now, which mixes nicely with this bass.
thanks for asking!
Spent a good part of my morning reading this. Really amazing journey to get this thing going. I think if I was to do jazz basses I'd do John Paul Jones's '64 and Jaco's BOD.
I've got family in Jacksonville near Ron Kirn. Maybe I'll take a trip down that way just for building and instruments. I hear they've get the reproduction Acoustic 360s down there. Closer to Miami. I know its a bit of a drive but that was the legendary combination for a lot of the guys of that time. Glad to hear she's getting time even outside of the band. Fretless basses are so musical that sometimes its better to play them solo. Congratulations
I've got family in Jacksonville near Ron Kirn. Maybe I'll take a trip down that way just for building and instruments. I hear they've get the reproduction Acoustic 360s down there. Closer to Miami. I know its a bit of a drive but that was the legendary combination for a lot of the guys of that time. Glad to hear she's getting time even outside of the band. Fretless basses are so musical that sometimes its better to play them solo. Congratulations
Almost 4 years later...Just spent my whole afternoon reading thru this adventure! WOW!
Where is the update? How is it doing?
Where is the update? How is it doing?
I sold it a year ago to a dude in L.A., who looked like Jaco’s twin.
Honestly, if you were into a fretless Jazz, it played like a comfy pair of broken in sneakers. Just very comfortable.
This was my 3rd Jazz bass, and I had the same problem as my MIA STD and MIA Deluxe one’s; I could never get it to punch through the mix, like my Musicmans and P Basses.
I know it’s operator error, on my part.
I’d spend the whole practice or gig trying to get it to do what I want.
I’m too simple minded for multi-pickup basses
This was my 3rd Jazz bass, and I had the same problem as my MIA STD and MIA Deluxe one’s; I could never get it to punch through the mix, like my Musicmans and P Basses.
I know it’s operator error, on my part.
I’d spend the whole practice or gig trying to get it to do what I want.
I’m too simple minded for multi-pickup basses
I've been through the entire thread, and know very little about Fretless Jazzes... But, I did own a 2013 Fender American Standard Jazz fretless, with the Custom Shop '60s pickups, and felt they were the best sounding, gritty, punchy, and clear Jazz pickup I've used (well OK limiting myself really to Fender and Squier only), and that includes CIJ, MIJ, and MIA Geddy Lee Jazzes. Any idea what it is that makes those pickups stand out from the rest? And I suppose a further question (without going back through the thread) is would the CS '60s pickups have been an accurate representation of what you were looking for with pickups for your build?
Rock on,
According to the DiMarzio site, their Antiquity II pickups were spec to Jaco, and they came in distressed condition, so it worked.
I’ve just never found a usable Jazz bass tone, for my use. I’m sure it’s just me.
Yeah, I had it for about 7 years, and rarely played it. I used the funds to purchase a Bergantino cab, so I justified it.
I’m just a fretted Pbass Kind of guy
Just to let you know, I enjoyed every single post of this thread. I would truly like to create myslef such an amazing tribute bass but it is much easier to simply keep a 62 reissue MIJ JB.Thanks a lot !
- Jul 3, 2007
- 1,380
- 1,036
- Disclosures
- Author of "Soul Fingers." I'm the Duck Dunn expert.
Since this has come back up, I'd like to point out follow up my own experience:
So I was at a point getting a lot of work down in Miami from Orlando, so I started hanging out with Kauffman when I had some time to kill. What a cool guy.
We talked about this tribute build, and he remembered and loved OP's idea. I brought my Squier VM fretless to have him set up, and talked to him about doing something very similar, and asked if he'd be interested in doing the neck upgrade. I got the feeling he really hates doing that job, and the first gen. Jaco Signature fingerboards weren't "right," so he did a lot of upgrades to those already $4500 basses, Will Lee's bass included.
His response was "why? You see this Squier you brought me? It's a great bass, especially at the $250 you paid for it. The ebonol fingerboard sounds just as good as my epoxy job, and you paid a fraction of the price. I'm a firm believer of getting as much as you can with as little money as possible. This bass will treat you well for years, and if it breaks or otherwise lost, just go out and buy another $250 Squier!"
This from Kevin Kauffman. Honestly, I'm glad he steered me away from it; I haven't done any gig in the last 5 years that would even allow me to have a fretless bass guitar on the stage. Even one of my gigs at Disney has the occasional chart that calls for fretless, and the MD always says "don't bother, just use your fretted bass." Makes me realize a very inexpensive fretless is the way to go; I have it if needed, but it just hangs on my wall most days.
Was I right, or what?
So I was at a point getting a lot of work down in Miami from Orlando, so I started hanging out with Kauffman when I had some time to kill. What a cool guy.
We talked about this tribute build, and he remembered and loved OP's idea. I brought my Squier VM fretless to have him set up, and talked to him about doing something very similar, and asked if he'd be interested in doing the neck upgrade. I got the feeling he really hates doing that job, and the first gen. Jaco Signature fingerboards weren't "right," so he did a lot of upgrades to those already $4500 basses, Will Lee's bass included.
His response was "why? You see this Squier you brought me? It's a great bass, especially at the $250 you paid for it. The ebonol fingerboard sounds just as good as my epoxy job, and you paid a fraction of the price. I'm a firm believer of getting as much as you can with as little money as possible. This bass will treat you well for years, and if it breaks or otherwise lost, just go out and buy another $250 Squier!"
This from Kevin Kauffman. Honestly, I'm glad he steered me away from it; I haven't done any gig in the last 5 years that would even allow me to have a fretless bass guitar on the stage. Even one of my gigs at Disney has the occasional chart that calls for fretless, and the MD always says "don't bother, just use your fretted bass." Makes me realize a very inexpensive fretless is the way to go; I have it if needed, but it just hangs on my wall most days.
Was I right, or what?
