Jazz w/ Thick Neck Profile

[Jeff Scott]

I think the OP is barking up the wrong tree if he's thinking he;ll find a P/T thick neck on a J neck.

If you like big necks, try a Tele. The only problem is the square neck heel compared to the rounded J style. The scale length is the same as are the other dimensions at the heel. A standard P neck may offer a bit more girth. Hope this helps.

Don't ask me how I did it, but in the early '80s I put a 1973 Tele Bass neck on a 1972 Jazz Bass body that was a great combination for my needs at the time.

 

[BassDaddy77]

I wish I had something I could use to measure my '74 RI. Visually, there is almost no rear taper from heel to nut so it's almost at maximum thickness of the neck plank.

This sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. Perhaps the search has ended. I began this thread thinking that former mentions of the AV '74 Jazz over the years on TB had piqued my interest, and I think it's been confirmed.

I think the OP is barking up the wrong tree if he's thinking he;ll find a P/T thick neck on a J neck.

Don't ask me how I did it, but in the early '80s I put a 1973 Tele Bass neck on a 1972 Jazz Bass body that was a great combination for my needs at the time.

I definitely want to keep the 1.5 nut on a Jazz. I was just fishing for input on options for hefty/thick/fat/Deep "U"/chunky/baseball bat neck profiles to suit my interests. As always, the fabulous membership here on TB has far exceeded my expectations!

 

[bass.slinger]

The Fender website offers for sale a Mexican made Standard Jazz neck that is 0.820" / 0.870".

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Unfortunately when I made that list, I didn't hang onto the links for the sources - some of them were pdfs given in posts here on TB - so I can't double check to see if by "America Standard" I actually meant this MIM Standard. (My guess would be that yes I was confused between MIA and MIM Standards)

Thanks for the correction of the correction! I had no idea Fender made another bass with a thin 12th fret profile.

 

[StayLow]

Frets might matter too, once we start talking about small variances.

Never played a vintage instrument with fresh, original frets, but the ones I have played had frets 1 or 2/32" shorter than the typical "medium jumbo tall mocha latte" seen on many basses now.

In other words, maybe half the height... as much fretless as fretted. Possibly due to filing down over the years to smooth out the wear, and that being much easier than re-fret due to the neck binding.

Don't know, didn't ask, but feels great.

I wish I had something I could use to measure my '74 RI. Visually, there is almost no rear taper from heel to nut so it's almost at maximum thickness of the neck plank.

Actual '74 tapers from about 7/8" at nut to 1" at 12th. Also feels great.

 

[Dale Sevrey]

Trying to understand Fender's neck profile description has become frustrating for me. I'm looking for a Jazz with a thick/chunky/baseball bat style neck profile. I believe that would be what they call the "U" shape, right?

Aside from the vintage market, which recent models fit the bill? I had an American Vintage Hot Rod (AVHR) Jazz a couple years ago that had a terrific neck (allegedly a U shape according to Fender), but wasn't loving the PJ pickup configuration on that bass.


I've heard that I should be looking for a '74 American Vintage Jazz. Can anyone comment on how the current American Original Jazz neck (60s or 70s) compares to the former to '74 AV? Or is the '74 even the thickest of the bunch in the first place? Where does the even older AVRI '75 jazz fit in? And finally, would the Vintera or former Classic series Jazz necks fall into the "baseball bat" category?

Thanks!

I have been a Jazz Bass player since 1969 when I bought one new. It had the 1.5" nut and a "U " shaped neck which I thinned down a bit. The P basses at the time felt really clunky on all three that I owned, so the J was an improvement. I still have the 69 and the thinned neck warped so it was retired being replaced by two 2007 AM DLX J basses (one fretless).
The necks were wider and thicker thick put me off for a while, but once I was used to them I could play longer with less hand fatigue. It may be far easier to acclimate to a bass than trying to find profiles that are no longer available.

 

[metron]

I have the 74 here so I thought I would grab a few pics. Please excuse the dirty basement carpet

You can see the slight taper at the back edge of the headstock by the shadow from flush at the heel so that's the rear taper

The reason I asked about the AO 70s is because I actually have considered getting a second one of these but they are difficult to find. The AO has most of what this one does. 9.5" radius is probably the biggest difference on paper anyway. That might give the impression of a little less thickness.

The '74 is a little new to me but let me know if you have any questions. There are a few cons worth mentioning - the fat neck is a little heavy so the balance is a bit off. It doesn't dive but it's not at attention either. The saddles wiggle in the wind and they go askew of you look at them askew. Otherwise great bass.

 

[BassDaddy77]

@metron Nice!

 

[ShawnG]

Another fan of the USA Geddy Lee neck. It is not like any other jazz neck I’ve tried. There’s just more “there” there. Feel is more “depth” behind the fretboard all down the length.
I love it. It is worth checking out as based on your notes above, it might be a good fit for what you are looking for.

Profile of USA Geddy Lee neck via Fender (from a post in the Geddy Lee Club thread)

 

[jamro217]

I think the OP is barking up the wrong tree if he's thinking he;ll find a P/T thick neck on a J neck.

Don't ask me how I did it, but in the early '80s I put a 1973 Tele Bass neck on a 1972 Jazz Bass body that was a great combination for my needs at the time.

If the holes line up and the corners of the heel don't cause the neck to jut out too far you're all set.

 

[Fun Size Nick]

I think the OP is barking up the wrong tree if he's thinking he;ll find a P/T thick neck on a J neck.

Hey, some of us just like that narrow nut/fat depth feel that you can get with a chunky J neck

 

[Jeff Scott]

Hey, some of us just like that narrow nut/fat depth feel that you can get with a chunky J neck

I used to like narrow width J-necks until I started getting older and my hands would cramp up. I was weened on a Jazz Bass; my first bass was a late '60s Jazz Bass that I got in 1971. And I have had a few others over the decades, a couple of 1972s, and a '03 AV '62 Jazz Bass, plus the G&L JB-2 I had for a while. Not to mention the '97 California Precision Special with a Jazz Neck, and the '97 CIJ Mustang bass with a J-neck (short-scale one, obviously). Back in those daze, I never gave much thought to neck depth, I just adapted to whatever it was.

To complete my 7ender inventory, there were the two 1973 Telecaster Basses I owned in the '70s-'80s. And, the '13 EBMM Stingray (Fender, the man).

 

[BassDaddy77]

Also, the American Standard 12th fret looks way too thin (from playing one they are definitely thicker than 0.87”). The only Fender jazz basses with neck profiles less than 0.9” at the twelfth fret are the CIJ Geddy Lee (maybe the MIM - never played one) and the American Special / Professional (including II).

I just found specs on the American Standard Jazz ('08-'16) neck:
Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple (Graphite reinforced)
Nut Material: Synthetic Bone
Position Inlays: Pearloid Dots
Neck Finish: Satin Urethane Finish on Back of Neck with Gloss Urethane Headstock Face
Truss Rod Nut: 1/8" American Series
Truss Rod: Posiflex
Tuner Mounting Config: 2-Guide pin
Where Used: American Standard Series and American Professional Series
MEASUREMENTS
Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm)
Scale Length: 34" (864 mm)
Nut Width: 1.5" (38.1 mm)
Number of Frets: 20
Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
Headstock Thickness: .620" (15.74 mm)
Neck Thickness: 1st Fret - .830" (21.08 mm), 12th Fret - .930" (23.62 mm)
Peg Hole Diameter: .687” (17.44 mm)
So, .830" at the 1st fret and .930" at the 12th fret. I might be sticking with my Am Std since it seems a tad beefier than many of the current offerings. That's unfortunate because it feels so thin in my hands. And I have very small hands, lol.