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Nash P-Bass Necks

MascisMan

MascisMan

Supporting Member
Nov 21, 2003
5,123
8,130
47
Dallas, Tx
#1
Nash PB owners. How would you describe the profiles of your necks? Chunky? Thin? Somewhere in between?

Where would it fall in the Fender spectrum here:

neckshape-1024x690.png
 
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#3
I play a Nash 63 Jazz and I love the neck. From my memory their P-bass necks feel exactly like an old P-bass neck. Not thin for sure, but not too chunky. They are thick enough to remain stable without carbon fiber stiffening rods. I believe that part of what given them such an awesome tone. My best guess is #8. But I trust the last post more. Their basses are very accurate replicas of the original.
 
#5
Thanks for the replies guys. I guess my main concern is that I have small hands and would be buying the Nash without playing it first (online most likely).

I can get around pretty well on the current line of Fender Precision basses. Are they comparable in profile to the new ones?
 
#6
MascisMan said:
Thanks for the replies guys. I guess my main concern is that I have small hands and would be buying the Nash without playing it first (online most likely).

I can get around pretty well on the current line of Fender Precision basses. Are they comparable in profile to the new ones?
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I have small hands but I don't know which current Fender P's you have in mind.

As listed, the new Fender AO 60s P neck profile specs are similar to the neck on the Nash PB-63, except for the nut width. The nut on the Nash PB is 1.625" vs 1.73" on the Fender AO 60s P. The Fender Nate Mendel P neck and the American Performer P, have 1.615" and 1.625" nut widths respectively, also seem close to Nash's PB as far as profiles. They're all C shaped and the neck thicknesses at the 1st fret are all within a tiny fraction of an inch from each other.
 
#7
svlilioukalani said:
I play a Nash 63 Jazz and I love the neck. From my memory their P-bass necks feel exactly like an old P-bass neck. Not thin for sure, but not too chunky. They are thick enough to remain stable without carbon fiber stiffening rods. I believe that part of what given them such an awesome tone. My best guess is #8. But I trust the last post more. Their basses are very accurate replicas of the original.
Click to expand...
Actually, the newer NASH basses have carbon fiber stiffening rods according to
Bill Nash. I have a 12/2020 NASH PB-63 and I asked him before my purchase.
 
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#8
SJan3 said:
Actually, the newer NASH basses have carbon fiber stiffening rods according to
Bill Nash. I have a 12/2020 NASH PB-63 and I asked him before my purchase.
Click to expand...

I bought PB from a store new last spring but I don't know how long it was in the shop's inventory or when it was actually made at Nash. I've used a Warmoth neck with steel stiffening rods so I know how that feels. The neck on my Nash doesn't feel to me like it has stiffening rods but I don't know how necks with carbon rods feel vs steel or carbon vs no rods at all either. If had to guess I'd say it has no rods. Whatever it is, I like the neck I got.

Now I'm curious about the manufactured date and the neck. Perhaps I'll ask Nash.
 
#9
Grinderman said:
I bought PB from a store new last spring but I don't know how long it was in the shop's inventory or when it was actually made at Nash. I've used a Warmoth neck with steel stiffening rods so I know how that feels. The neck on my Nash doesn't feel to me like it has stiffening rods but I don't know how necks with carbon rods feel vs steel or carbon vs no rods at all either. If had to guess I'd say it has no rods. Whatever it is, I like the neck I got.

Now I'm curious about the manufactured date and the neck. Perhaps I'll ask Nash.
Click to expand...
Yes, ask him when he started with the rods.
I'd love to know!
 
#10
IMG_20210330_142901283.jpg
Grinderman said:
I bought PB from a store new last spring but I don't know how long it was in the shop's inventory or when it was actually made at Nash. I've used a Warmoth neck with steel stiffening rods so I know how that feels. The neck on my Nash doesn't feel to me like it has stiffening rods but I don't know how necks with carbon rods feel vs steel or carbon vs no rods at all either. If had to guess I'd say it has no rods. Whatever it is, I like the neck I got.

Now I'm curious about the manufactured date and the neck. Perhaps I'll ask Nash.
Click to expand...
Build date is in my neck pocket.
 
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#14
Grinderman said:
BTW, guess what...

Your Nash and my Nash are basically twin siblings. The serial number on my PB-63 is HBM-1025. Therefore, most likely mine was made in December 2012, too.

Does your neck feel to you like it has stiffening rods?

View attachment 4370184
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I think you mean 2020. I don't know how you could tell if it has the rods or not by feel. I also have 3 American Fenders with graphite rods and 2 MIM that don't. The graphite necks have proven to need less adjustment.
This claim that you can "feel" the difference is questionable.
But, yes our basses are twins and I almost bought your bass! I was torn but I decided on the Olympic white as I never had one before.
You bass is beautiful!
 
#16
SJan3 said:
I think you mean 2020. I don't know how you could tell if it has the rods or not by feel. I also have 3 American Fenders with graphite rods and 2 MIM that don't. The graphite necks have proven to need less adjustment.
This claim that you can "feel" the difference is questionable.
But, yes our basses are twins and I almost bought your bass! I was torn but I decided on the Olympic white as I never had one before.
You bass is beautiful!
Click to expand...


Thank you. Yours is a classic in Olympic white; gorgeous. Yeah, I meant 2020... 2012 was a typo.

About the rods, what it feels like to me is entirely questionable. I don't know if perceiving a difference from feel alone is possible.

When I say the Nash neck doesn't feel like it has stiffening rods I only have a Warmoth jazz neck to compare. That neck has steel rods and is noticeably the most heavy, solid and stiff bass neck I've ever used/had.

The Nash neck, in ways I can't quantify, feels more lively; more like an old fashioned neck that's just made of wood. It's also definitely lighter in weight vs the Warmoth neck. Overall, it's much more like the Fender AO 60s neck on my FSO parts Jazz than the Warmoth Jazz neck. On the other hand, the Nash neck I've got has also been very stable and without any dead spots.

Bottom line; whatever it is, however it's constructed, I like it.
 
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#17
Grinderman said:
Thank you. Yours is a classic in Olympic white; gorgeous. Yeah, I meant 2020... 2012 was a typo.

About the rods, what it feels like to me is entirely questionable. I don't know if perceiving a difference from feel alone is possible.

When I say the Nash neck doesn't feel like it has stiffening rods I only have a Warmoth jazz neck to compare. That neck has steel rods and is noticeably the most heavy, solid and stiff bass neck I've ever used/had.

The Nash neck, in ways I can't quantify, feels more lively; more like an old fashioned neck that's just made of wood. It's also definitely lighter in weight vs the Warmoth neck. Overall, it's much more like the Fender AO 60s neck on my FSO parts Jazz than the Warmoth Jazz neck. On the other hand, the Nash neck I've got has also been very stable and without any dead spots.

Bottom line; whatever it is, however it's constructed, I like it.
Click to expand...
I think best to just touch base with Bill Nash.
He's good about getting back to you and he can tell you what's in the neck and when he started using it. My NASH neck is also very stable so far. This bass stays in tune better than any bass I've ever owned and I've owned many over 51+ years playing..
 
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#18
SJan3 said:
I think best to just touch base with Bill Nash.
He's good about getting back to you and he can tell you what's in the neck and when he started using it. My NASH neck is also very stable so far. This bass stays in tune better than any bass I've ever owned and I've owned many over 51+ years playing..
Click to expand...

The other thing is there's bound to be some differences between carbon vs steel for stiffening rods, certainly the total weight at a minimum.

Side thought... Potentially carbon rods, depending on how sophisticated the R&D and applied fabrication/manufacturing processes, could probably be manipulated or tuned to perform or behave in specifically different ways than homogeneous steel rods can.

Not that I think that what is involved with these basses. That level of involved sophistication in carbon stiffening rods probably isn't likely in this industry and it could easily increase the cost of instruments significantly.
 
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#19
Grinderman said:
The other thing is there's bound to be some differences between carbon vs steel for stiffening rods, certainly the total weight at a minimum.

Side thought... Potentially carbon rods, depending on how sophisticated the R&D and applied fabrication/manufacturing processes, could probably be manipulated or tuned to perform or behave in specifically different ways than homogeneous steel rods can.

Not that I think that what is involved with these basses. That level of involved sophistication in carbon stiffening rods probably isn't likely in this industry and it could easily increase the cost of instruments significantly.
Click to expand...
Interesting thought! Ask Bill
 
#20
Putting this here for historical reference. I received an email from Matt's Music. They confirmed the neck specs from Nash:

Here is the PB neck spec below!
The JB is the same but 1.5 nut.
There are no other options, sorry!

Neck Wood Northwestern Hard Maple
Neck Reinforcement Graphite Rods
Neck Shape Medium “C” (.83-.92 +/-)
Truss Rod Single Adjust at Heel
Fret Size Dunlop 6105
Number of Frets 20
Fingerboard Radius 10
Nut Width: 1.625

Fender comparable would be any vintage style Fender neck. Some of the newer ones are a bit thinner.

Looks like the #26 neck above may be closest.
 

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