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Justifying a Jerry Jones Longhorn
- Thread starter Stinkoman20xx
- Start date
I have the Dano RI longhorn, JJ longhorn, JJ SC, JJ DC, and a couple of '63-ish Silvertone dolphin nose basses, one minty and the other a bit the worse for wear that I've recently put back into service.
I'm thinking of selling my JJs since I've pretty much settled on the Silvertones.
I'm thinking of selling my JJs since I've pretty much settled on the Silvertones.
^^This^^ Like the poet said; "That is all ye know on Earth, and all ye need to know"... I would like one too; but he made very, very few lefties, and the people who have them are extremely reluctant to let go of them. But, if I ever came across one for the going price for a righty, don't get in my way..
Nice quiver!
Love JJs. I have one of the Neptune "lawsuit" Longhorns in solid copper finish and it is a killer bass. Records like a Pbass the way it "sits in the track". I had a 60's Dano years ago but (as cool as it was) there's just no comparison in build or sound IMO--the JJ is on a whole different level.
I had my bass tech make one mod to mine - I didn't like the fact that on these Neptunes there wasn't the toggle/vol/tone configuration like on the others--I like a tone knob to roll down. So I had my guy install a push/pull knob in the volume control that when pulled activates a cap that rolls of some highs. Not sure of the exact details/spec of it--I'm an electronics dummy, but it works quite well. Made the bass even more versatile. I too use it all the time on many styles of music--dub/reggae, americana, rock, soul. I have Chromes on it right now and as I say, it's super versatile. Put rounds on it for some punk rock stuff a while back and it sounded incredible that way too. It's a true keeper in my book--I'd never let this bass go.
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Thanks! So happy I grabbed one of these before he stopped making them. Always wanted a black one like yours too---I often contemplate getting another if it becomes available.
The tone thingy works very well. To clarify, it is a fixed amount of high cut - it doesn't turn it into an adjustable tone knob, it still functions as a vol knob when pulled, just cuts some highs. I didn't want to mess with the bass too much and make it irreversibly "non-original" so we kept it simple. I don't know exactly what frequency/spec the high cut is set up at, I just told him I wanted it to be similar to a pbass tone knob rolled nearly all the way back. I can get a surprising number of tones out of this thing!
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Do you find there is enough depth to the sound as I note an earlier post said that the later Neptune basses were more mid range. I have been offered one and need to make sure the low end is good. Thanks.
That wasn't the question but thanks anyway. It's just nice to hear what owners of these basses think and the difference betwwen the two models. I owned a earlier model but sold it as it wouldn't cut through the mix live and the mid range tone probably would. I just don't want to get it without hearing the views of the owners themselves As I live in the UK and can't hear them for myself as they are like golddust here.If you think they are worth it, or you think they aren’t; either way you are right.
My Neptune sounds like every other JJ 'horn I've ever tried. It's the same pickups. Not sure why it would seem more mid-rangey to someone--I've never heard that before. As others mention, these basses have a very full, deep sound. It's surprising at first. Mine has done time in reggae bands and everybody loved it FWIW
. With the pickup selector and only the bridge pickup on, sure you can get into twangy baritone guitar territory (I use it that way in the studio sometimes). But both pickups on all the other settings--very full and deep, and lots of clarity and detail on top. As I mentioned, the only thing I was missing was a way to roll off highs, so I had that mod done I mention above.Thanks very much for that reply. Made up my mind to have it now. Also very interested in your tone mod. as I was wondering about this myself. I find it difficult to imagine why there is no tone knob and what I didn't want to do is devalue the bass by having any radical alterations done. I was wondering about a stacked control and I will get my guitar tech. to do much the same. Thanks again you have made an old man really happy !!!!!!!.My Neptune sounds like every other JJ 'horn I've ever tried. It's the same pickups. Not sure why it would seem more mid-rangey to someone--I've never heard that before. As others mention, these basses have a very full, deep sound. It's surprising at first. Mine has done time in reggae bands and everybody loved it FWIW
If you can find one at a price you're comfortable with ... do it . There's considerable demand and it's not like they're making any more of them , well at least until Fender buy the rights to the name and put out a Korean made copy .
I've only played one . I liked it .
I've only played one . I liked it .
Go get it! I think you're gonna love it. I'd rather have a stacked knob with an actual tone knob, but I went for a more simple/budget fix with the push-pull high cut I did. It works very well. Of course, the bass is fine w/o it too. It's not as if the highs are overbearing--not in the slightest. The bass actually has a rather full-range, balanced sound (which is surprising at first because if it's retro looks). I went for the mod because I was playing a lot of reggae with mine and thought it'd be cool. I could also just as easily rolled off highs down the line somewhere, but y'know...
