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Jamerson Pre-build questions??

bassgod76

bassgod76

Garbage bassist, but I love this goofy instrument
Mar 13, 2003
5,329
1,133
South Florida
#1
I'm quasi gearing up for a Jamerson tribute bass in the fall. I'm trying to do this right. With my Jaco tribute, I ran into some of those who mentioned inaccuracies in my attempt.

I want to get this right so any and all pointers would be appreciated.

For instance, the pickguard has me a bit baffled. Is the color like this?

pickguard1.jpg


or this?

Pickguard.jpg


As far as pickups go, I think I will use Duncan Antiquity II. Cool?

Antiquity.jpg


I will most likely order one of the Fender reissue necks from Stratosphere on Ebay. It's not that cheap, but they have nice necks.

I will also have Dan Atkinson relic the whole thing, and he will do my sunburst finish.

My question is what condtion should I relic it? I'm thinking like a slight relic. Nothing like my Jaco.

Lastly, I have a question about pickup covers. How much relicing do these get? I want it to look realistic, but I want one to get the impression that the bass was played for hours in a tiny Detroit studio.

Suggestions?
 
#4
that would be a cool project. another awesome one would be that bass (the players name escapes me) anyway, its been on the site before. but its a jazz and its really really "reliced" from use, its got a blue top coat and a red undercoat. anyway, it looks awesome.


for some reason i think it has something to do with flowers. :/
 
#5
That's Herbie Flowers you ding-dong! (with all due respect... :D )

Bassgod, in regards to the pics of the pickguards, I think they are more similar to each other than those photos lead one to believe. Here they both are with closer exposure levels:

nbyex1.jpg



25j8m8h.jpg
 
#6
Man I'm so unimpressed with re-issue pick guards. ...... They can put a couple guys o the moon and never go back but they can't make a real looking 60's Fender pickguard.
I'd go with a real light relic if at all. James played it his bass out of the case with the small Fender flats forever. Plus, I'm not sure really how much he gig outside of the studio with it. ..... He spent most of his nights playing jazz gigs on upright.
 
#7
Well, Rick Suchow's history notes him buying the funk machine in 61 in order to go on the road and he toured until 64, so in three years he might have done some damage and wear on the nitro finish. After that, he had another solid 7 years or so of regular studio work which would have definitely worn the nitro finish pretty well, so who knows what it looked like in the end.

I've picked through piles of pickguard blanks and have found some very original looking material over the years. I agree that I haven't seen any original style in a pre-cut pickguard for a long time. Bassgod, you might be better off checking out an original 61 and then trying to match it with blank material through one of the online vendors. Also, you've done your explosive ibanez, cutting out a new pickguard from a blank will be a breeze for you...
 
#8
I hear you on the pickguard. I saw a real 63 P the other day at Kaufman's shop. The pickguard was tort, and I have never seen anything like it. I can cut a pickguard out, but I'd have to practice getting that beveled edge. Well, if you have any other ideas, shoot them my way.
 
#14
Beej said:
Well, Rick Suchow's history notes him buying the funk machine in 61 in order to go on the road and he toured until 64, so in three years he might have done some damage and wear on the nitro finish. After that, he had another solid 7 years or so of regular studio work which would have definitely worn the nitro finish pretty well, so who knows what it looked like in the end.

I've picked through piles of pickguard blanks and have found some very original looking material over the years. I agree that I haven't seen any original style in a pre-cut pickguard for a long time. Bassgod, you might be better off checking out an original 61 and then trying to match it with blank material through one of the online vendors. Also, you've done your explosive ibanez, cutting out a new pickguard from a blank will be a breeze for you...
Click to expand...

You can't suspect 3-years on the road and 7-in the studio would do much damage to a Fender bass when the man wore a suit and most often sat down to play. ...... I'd think more dirt and sweat than finish wear.
I remember being impressed by a company called Eden's 60's style of pickguard posted on Ebay.
 
#15
Bassmickeyd said:
You can't suspect 3-years on the road and 7-in the studio would do much damage to a Fender bass when the man wore a suit and most often sat down to play. ...... I'd think more dirt and sweat than finish wear.
I remember being impressed by a company called Eden's 60's style of pickguard posted on Ebay.
Click to expand...
Well, my nitro les paul is completely worn on the back and sides of the neck, especially in the second position, and the lower body is worn right back to the wood where my arm hangs over it, underneath the scoop where it sits on my knee and a big section on the back from rubbing against my body. Its not chipped, cracked, crazed or dented in many places, but the smooth wear from moving on fabric is definitely evident. I've played it tons in the last 25 years, but I've only gigged it a few times and never toured with it, so who knows what his would have looked like. I just wouldn't guess it has little to no wear, he only owned one bass and played it thousands of times over two decades before his death...


Bassgod, are you going to give it huge relief and nearly unplayable action like reports of his original funk machine? :D
 
#20
James supposedly never adjusted his truss rod, and the action was very high due to the neck bow. Since James played an off the shelf stock '62 without any mods, you ought to be able to pull this one off without so many comments from the peanut gallery!;) Oh yes, but I can't wait to to see how you deal with carving and inking the legendary Funk Machine graffiti behind the neck!:D
 

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