Jerzy Drozd Club

[Vic]

Wow, that's gorgious!
Probably the most "classical" looking bass he had at the show (for a drozd at least), but it probably would have been my choice too... It's an absolute beauty, and with interesting new details indeed!

Black hardware would have been the only change to make it perfect for my personal taste, but I have to admit the gold hardware is nicely supported by the cavity cover, and even by the neck bolt retainers (or what are they called?). Talk about attention to detail...

I'm interested in more ideas on the tonal diffences with your basic, as the body and neck woods are significantly different. So far they seem not too different, maybe because both instruments are of such quality level that they allow you to sound like you?

Enjoy in good health!

And noskbz: thanks for the pics!

Thanks (again)!

Yeah, I think the tonal diffs are not gonna' be night/day... noticeable, yeah, but not huge. Fundamentally, they're mostly the same. Same body design, same electronics, same construction... just a slightly longer scale, and the different woods. Those should make a diff, and they do, but still mostly sound like a great Jerzy Excellency. If nothing else, this is just re-affirmation of what a great deal the Basic models are if you don't mind not having the window dressing (tho I will admit, that's kinda' part of the whole Jerzy thing for most Jerzy customers.)

It's a long shot with the availability on these things, but I would like to compare it to a more traditionally configured Excellency tho... just to see how it might also differ from that. I'd also expect only modest diffs there, but a fun thought anyway.

Interesting point on the hardware color. Truth be told, I might prefer that myself, and I may even ask Jerzy if I can swap it out. I don't mind the gold, but I actually do generally prefer black. Thing is, the "worst" is the tuning pegs and how badly they show prints and "wear to silver", but these have that texture on them, which kinda' solves at least the print problem. Maybe somewhat the other issue, too. I don't touch the bridge much, so it should be ok. Still... I may do it... not a priority... but I do agree with you.

Mainly tho, I just can't get over how huge the sound is for something you can barely feel on your shoulders.

 

[tombowlus]

Nice Vic. Reminds me quite a bit of the one I had. Beautiful top and beautiful board.

Your neck shot really shows the highly unusual neck profile of these basses... that full C type profile, but with the 'bottom of the C' completely flattened... almost like running a carpenter's plane along the bottom of the back of the neck. Kind of shocking the first time you play one, but I ended up digging that profile... very meaty and a bit chunky, but that flattening makes it easy to play. Very flat (I think over 20") neck radius.... very different feeling instrument.

That's one of the nicer one's I've seen. I kind of wish he would develop his own preamp, but the OB-3 sounds pretty nice in these.

Ken, it's worth noting that the neck on this particular bass (Vic's new one) is significantly thinner from front to back than your (and, for a time, my) old Drozd. In addition, it is closer to a shallow C shape, whereas your/my old bass felt more like a flattened D shape. I mention this because that neck shape (which just never felt comfortable to me) was the only reason I moved that bass of yours along. I played Vic's bass at the NAMM Show, and at least for my personal preferences, the neck shape on that bass was a transformative change (again, based only upon my own personal preferences).

If Vic hadn't bought that bass, I probably would have been working on a way to finagle it, myself. Though I have to say that I, too, would prefer black hardware.

One way or another, I definitely see a Drozd with that neck shape in my future!

 

[KJung]

Ken, it's worth noting that the neck on this particular bass (Vic's new one) is significantly thinner from front to back than your (and, for a time, my) old Drozd. In addition, it is closer to a shallow C shape, whereas your/my old bass felt more like a flattened D shape. I mention this because that neck shape (which just never felt comfortable to me) was the only reason I moved that bass of yours along. I played Vic's bass at the NAMM Show, and at least for my personal preferences, the neck shape on that bass was a transformative change (again, based only upon my own personal preferences).

If Vic hadn't bought that bass, I probably would have been working on a way to finagle it, myself. Though I have to say that I, too, would prefer black hardware.

One way or another, I definitely see a Drozd with that neck shape in my future!

Makes sense. You can see that very flattened profile on Vic's also, but the 'walls' do look more shallow than most of the Jerzy's I've played. I played 5 or 6 of them at Dan's place when I purchased mine, and the necks were all the same. Is Vic's a 'one off' or did Jerzy go with a bit of a less meaty neck?

I actually dug that flattened 'D' (I always get my 'C' and 'D' mixed up!).

 

[Vic]

Makes sense. You can see that very flattened profile on Vic's also, but the 'walls' do look more shallow than most of the Jerzy's I've played. I played 5 or 6 of them at Dan's place when I purchased mine, and the necks were all the same. Is Vic's a 'one off' or did Jerzy go with a bit of a less meaty neck?

I actually dug that flattened 'D' (I always get my 'C' and 'D' mixed up!).

A few things...

C vs D... just remember the D has the flat back.

Tom, I'd communicated to you I thought this was actually a shallow C profile, but after spending more time with it and comparing it to other true shallow C's, it's still a D, but as you noted, a lot shallower and more comfy to play than his traditional profile.

All the ones I've also checked out that Dan had (a few... at a guitar show he attended in Indy, which is where I got my Basic) had the more traditional thicker D profile. Unlike Tom, and I think yourself, I do actually like that profile, but, I do also like the thinner one even more.

Ken, this one was a "show bass", and as such does have some "custom options" on it, but I wouldn't call it a one-off, because even though it's not a pure "standard" Excellency, anybody could order the same thing any time. At least as of the show, Jerzy told me this was a new neck profile "option", so it's still not his standard profile. But that's why he made sure to have one with this new profile option at the show... so folks could feel it in person... and I also know it's not an upcharge option, which is nice.

 

[Vic]

That's one of the nicer one's I've seen. I kind of wish he would develop his own preamp, but the OB-3 sounds pretty nice in these.

It should be noted that he did specifically voice his pickups to work optimally with the OBP-3, so he may have still kind of accomplished the same goal... a "matched set" between the pickups and preamp.

I must say these are a FAR cry from other basses with OBP-3's in them... the EQ controls are a LOT more usable.

 

[Schlyder]

can someone make a diagram of the differences in the neck profiles..
I thought the C profile was shallower. I will have to add that to my list of things I need to finalize with Jerzy. He's home now, so my bass will be back on the production line.

 

[Vic]

can someone make a diagram of the differences in the neck profiles..
I thought the C profile was shallower. I will have to add that to my list of things I need to finalize with Jerzy. He's home now, so my bass will be back on the production line.

Shape and depth are two different things. There are both shallow and deep versions of both the C and D profiles. The differentiating characteristic between the C and D profiles is simply that the D profile has a "flat" back.

 

[KJung]

Shape and depth are two different things. There are both shallow and deep versions of both the C and D profiles. The differentiating characteristic between the C and D profiles is simply that the D profile has a "flat" back.

I could be wrong here, but it still looks like your neck has that rather unusual 'planing' of the back of the neck, just like the more standard Jerzy neck. I don't consider the standard Jerzy neck a 'standard D'... never felt another neck like it. The back of that neck was literally planed completely flat...almost felt like a thumb ramp.

By your picture (which I might be fooled by... ), it looks like he took more of a 'C' profile and then really flattened the back of that, resulting in the curve/walls of the side of the neck to be more gently sloping, versus the much more 'up and down' and steep 'wall' profile of the one I had.

I really like that 'thumb ramp' type feel he does on the back of the neck, and have never felt another quite like it. If he kept that general, unique design on yours, but just took some of the chunk out of it by starting with the 'C' profile, that should be killer-diller!

 

[Vic]

I could be wrong here, but it still looks like your neck has that rather unusual 'planing' of the back of the neck, just like the more standard Jerzy neck. I don't consider the standard Jerzy neck a 'standard D'... never felt another neck like it. The back of that neck was literally planed completely flat...almost felt like a thumb ramp.

By your picture (which I might be fooled by... ), it looks like he took more of a 'C' profile and then really flattened the back of that, resulting in the curve/walls of the side of the neck to be more gently sloping, versus the much more 'up and down' and steep 'wall' profile of the one I had.

I really like that 'thumb ramp' type feel he does on the back of the neck, and have never felt another quite like it. If he kept that general, unique design on yours, but just took some of the chunk out of it by starting with the 'C' profile, that should be killer-diller!

I hear what you're saying, but I think it's simply an artifact of how thin he made the neck. Otherwise, it be a much harder "roll" to the edges of the fingerboard. I guess you could still say that might make it a bit more of a hybrid profile... a flattened C like you said, but I still consider it to be a D profile since it still seems fairly flat back there, but I'll take another close look at it tonight and see how it compares to the Basic, which I'm sure is his traditional profile. He may have done exactly what you said. We'll see.

 

[KJung]

I hear what you're saying, but I think it's simply an artifact of how thin he made the neck. Otherwise, it be a much harder "roll" to the edges of the fingerboard. I guess you could still say that might make it a bit more of a hybrid profile, but I still consider it to be a D profile since it still seems fairly flat back there, but I'll take another close look at it tonight and see how it compares to the Basic, which I'm sure is his traditional profile.

Regardless, it is a beauty!

 

[Vic]

Regardless, it is a beauty!

Thanks... and for the record, I edited my post a bit... I'm starting to think you may be onto something on that profile. I'm gonna' take another look tonight. I do definitely like it better (as does Tom).

 

[tombowlus]

I guess you could still say that might make it a bit more of a hybrid profile... a flattened C

That was my take on it, but it's really just semantics. For me, it is a game-changer, though, as I really had issues getting along with his standard neck profile. I am thrilled to see this new profile as an option!

 

[Vic]

That was my take on it, but it's really just semantics. For me, it is a game-changer, though, as I really had issues getting along with his standard neck profile. I am thrilled to see this new profile as an option!

I think it might be more than that. At least IMHO, for it to be a D, it really has to be very flat for some part of the back, and it really has to kinda' roll hard into the board (more perpendicular to the board at its edge... as opposed to, for example, Pete's shallow C).

No big deal, I'm just being a typical TB detail nerd, but I'm interested to look into it anyway.

 

[tombowlus]

I think it might be more than that. At least IMHO, for it to be a D, it really has to be very flat for some part of the back, and it really has to kinda' roll hard into the board (more perpendicular to the board at its edge... as opposed to, for example, Pete's shallow C).

No big deal, I'm just being a typical TB detail nerd, but I'm interested to look into it anyway.

Yeah, I'm definitely pegging you with the nerd card on this one.

For me, it's thinner front to back, and the roll-off at the edges of the neck are not as steep. So call it what you will. I just know that I really, really like the new shallower profile.

 

[Vic]

Yeah, I'm definitely pegging you with the nerd card on this one.

Guilty as charged. Sorry.

For me, it's thinner front to back, and the roll-off at the edges of the neck are not as steep. So call it what you will. I just know that I really, really like the new shallower profile.

+1

 

[Debased]

Speaking of nerdy, these pics might help those with no hands-on experience to visualize the original asymmetrical flattened-'D' (IMO) Drozd neck profile. Keep in mind that this is a much wider six-string from '06 NAMM. Hopefully, the rubber bands, which are in the same place in both pics, help to convey the profile--think of an airplane wing in cross-section--which is otherwise difficult to capture in a photo.

Player POV.

 

[Vic]

...these pics might help those with no hands-on experience to visualize the original asymmetrical flattened-'D' (IMO) Drozd neck profile. Keep in mind that this is a much wider six-string from '06 NAMM. Hopefully, the rubber bands, which are in the same place in both pics, help to convey the profile--think of an airplane wing in cross-section--which is otherwise difficult to capture in a photo.

What a cool idea! But yeah, still nerdy. You and I just need to figure out who buys the first beer someday.

 

[Debased]

The first one's on me.

 

[Freddy-G.]

That's a great idea! As you can see, the back of the neck is NOT absolutely flat. It too has some curvature.

I just put a rubber band on my JD's neck, and it's shaped just like yours. You really can see the shape better with the rubber band.

 

[Freddy-G.]

Vic, I'm very interested in seeing a photo of your new JD's neck with a rubber band around it. I'd like to get a better idea of what the shape really looks like. Would you be so kind? I imagine most of the JD owners on this thread would like to see it too.