MIJ Fender P-Bass

[Count Bassie]

It’s faster to release the strings and pull out the neck in a P bass for me ... too many screw to unscrew otherwise

I believe that and have no issues with it regarding sensitive operations, or the like. It's a simple arrangement, built like a kid's toy, really! Just a more meaningful juxtapositioning of parts... as in it being a musical instrument.

 

[Count Bassie]

EDIT: Oh... as in remove. You don't gotta do that. File a groove in the pickguard, the body if you have to. You don't adjust a truss rod with the neck off the guitar.

I think I'd rather pull the neck than cut into the body. You can reassemble it and never know it was pulled. Also I don't think having the neck on or off makes any difference, you can't rightly tweak it under tension anyway.

Thanks for the info and good buzz though!

 

[Treadstone71]

No groove.

Huh. Well I gots nothin'. As you were.

 

[The Bass Clef]

Doing good, sold some nice old equipment I don't use anyone, still gigging.

On my '76 J, I just remove the pickguard, and there is enough room to make an adjustment (although it only needs it about once a decade).

Your Jazz is almost surely not a ‘76 if it still has the truss rod adjust at the heel. They started going to the headstock “bullet” truss rod in ‘74 and they were all bullets by about mid ‘75.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Your Jazz is almost surely not a ‘76 if it still has the truss rod adjust at the heel. They started going to the headstock “bullet” truss rod in ‘74 and they were all bullets by about mid ‘75.

Actually, it has a '73 P neck on it. I didn't want to list everything (it also has a detuner on the E string).

 

[flatwound62p]

You don't need to fully remove the neck to get at the trussrod. On my MIJ P bass I loosen off the strings then back off the neck screws just enough to tilt the neck back and get at the trussrod.

 

[Count Bassie]

You don't need to fully remove the neck to get at the trussrod. On my MIJ P bass I loosen off the strings then back off the neck screws just enough to tilt the neck back and get at the trussrod.

Seems 6 of one, 1/2 doz of the other, but fair enough.

 

[reddog]

I put a Badass II on my MIJ P... brought a little more punch to the stock pickup.

 

[FronTowardEnemy]

A little off topic but.......................

In regards to the truss rod neck heel adjustment; I use a standard magnetic bit screw driver with a smaller flat head bit, to adjust the truss rod on my heel access Fenders.

The cross in the truss nut always allows access to turn in either direction without damage, modding or removing anything from the bass.

 

[klejst]

MIJ Fender P...very nice! Congrats on the new rocker!

 

[Count Bassie]

MIJ Fender P...very nice! Congrats on the new rocker!

Thanks!

 

[Orpheus55]

I have an Olympic White MIJ from '86 and have adjusted the truss rod without removing the neck several times; just need a right angle wrench and perhaps remove the guard if it doesn't have enough space

 

[Count Bassie]

A little off topic but.......................

In regards to the truss rod neck heel adjustment; I use a standard magnetic bit screw driver with a smaller flat head bit, to adjust the truss rod on my heel access Fenders.

The cross in the truss nut always allows access to turn in either direction without damage, modding or removing anything from the bass.

There's valuable info, thanks!

 

[Paulabass]

Whoa, whoa there gents, why not just pull the pickguard off twice a year (or as necessary) to do truss adjustments? I bet there's a groove on the body for just that purpose.

Adjusting a butt end rod is easy, and after a few times, a no-brainer. To those who have not done it- Put a capo on the 2nd. fret. Loosen the strings. Back off the four screws a quarter of an inch. Push the neck out and back. That gives you access. Now experience will tell you how much to tweek. Start with shy of a quarter turn.
Even if you have to do it three times, it's still only 15 minutes out of your life.

 

[flatwound62p]

Adjusting a butt end rod is easy, and after a few times, a no-brainer. To those who have not done it- Put a capo on the 2nd. fret. Loosen the strings. Back off the four screws a quarter of an inch. Push the neck out and back. That gives you access. Now experience will tell you how much to tweek. Start with shy of a quarter turn.
Even if you have to do it three times, it's still only 15 minutes out of your life.

That's exactly how I do mine. The Japanese bodies don't have any cutout for trussrod access, so taking the guard off is no help.

 

[Count Bassie]

Beautiful bass....You said the PU's were a little weak, as on the negative side. Sometimes, well really a lot of times, louder tend to convince you its a better sound. If it records well (you have a home studio or access to a recording studio?) I am sure it will be great in a live situation. The bass looks great though. And its light... Nice picks. Good luck with it and have fun.

I've been playing it a lot lately, and I take back what I said about the pup! Bass is killer, just like it is.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

I think I'd rather pull the neck than cut into the body. You can reassemble it and never know it was pulled. Also I don't think having the neck on or off makes any difference, you can't rightly tweak it under tension anyway.

Thanks for the info and good buzz though!

Check the tightness of the neck pocket ... in my Am. Original Jazz Bass I had problem with the body and neck parallelism due to the neck inadvenrtently touching the side of the pocket when reinstalling it .. couple of strings were not manageable as the neck was slightly tilted but it took to me one hour to understand the nature of the problem

 

[Count Bassie]

Check the tightness of the neck pocket ... in my Am. Original Jazz Bass I had problem with the body and neck parallelism due to the neck inadvenrtently touching the side of the pocket when reinstalling it .. couple of strings were not manageable as the neck was slightly tilted but it took to me one hour to understand the nature of the problem

Seems to not be a problem here, the neck is well fitting and snug. But thanks for the lookout.

 

[Bassist30]

I've been playing it a lot lately, and I take back what I said about the pup! Bass is killer, just like it is.

Now you know. Sometimes (most of the times) the bass sounds great as it was originally made. I find that with amps too. You get all this eq etc than play the amp the way it was and it sounds best. Hot PU's to me does not mean better sound. Like bassist and PU makers have said about active PU's. Batteries are for flashlights.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Seems to not be a problem here, the neck is well fitting and snug. But thanks for the lookout.

The highlighted issue, in fact, can be a problem (it is not a problem per se but it requires proceeding cautiously when repositioning the neck into the pocket key) when the neck pocket footprint and the horizontal cross section of the neck at the heel match perfectly !