NBD - Sandblasted Blue Jazz

[A-Step-Towards]

Needs a black jack

 

[Bufalo]

Needs a black jack

You know, kind of half-jokng and kind of half-serious about that: My OCD kicks in hard when I see that, and I'm tempted to do it. At the same time, my logical brain throws up its hands and says "yeah, but the cable hides that when you're playing." So they compromise and decide that I need to find a right-angle cable with black ends... G.A.S. PAINS!!!

 

[Malak the Mad]

So yeah, I was on board with this plan from the get go, and the results are bitchin. It's hard to tell in the image, but the contrast of the black hardware makes the blue seem to glow even more than it did. I got meself a black leather strap to go with it, of course. It's cool! School-girl-giggle

View attachment 601416

Mind if I make one more easy-peasey suggestion?

Yes? Well, too bad!

I did a similar "hardware blackout" on a parts-bass I put together last year. Ignoring the significantly different neck, the overall results turned out quite similar to your new beauty. In this case, I'd like to direct your attention to the pickguard.

I figured out a super-cheapo way to do tinting on the pinstripe edge of a Black/White/Black pickguard. In fact, I've done it twice before now. Check out the "Before & After" results I achieved on my Fender Blacktop Jazz;

In the first bass' case, all I used was a standard, dark blue Fine Point Sharpie Permanent Marker. There are some hoops to jump through to get it right, which I go into greater detail on it's build-thread. What I will say here is this; it only takes a few hours, an appropriate color Sharpie, a couple of paper towels and a little bit o' patience. I've discussed the possibility of using some Brush-On Super Glue to seal it and protect it from moisture runs with someone here on TB, but I can't vouch for those results yet.

One unexpected result, probably due to the particular mix of dyes to make the standard dark blue, is that the purple "scarab effect" you're seeing is no Photoshop effect. When the light hits it just right, it brings the purple dye into greater visibility.

Ultimately, I tried it out on the Blacktop as an experiment to avoid spending $30 or more on a Black/Red/Black guard. In the process, I ended up discovering a way to add a little visual "oomph" to a common and somewhat-plain piece of hardware. And in the unlikely event that you don't trust your hands with it, bear in mind that I'm just half-a-state away AND there's talk of a TalkBass get-together this summer somewhere in the Lehigh Valley.

(Hmmm…perhaps I should offer to do some custom jobs for the attendees? )

EDIT: Added the link to the get-together.

 

[Bufalo]

Yeah, if that Lehigh meet ever gets off the ground - seems like a bunch of people saying they'd go, no one saying they'd actually organize it!

I see our minds continue to take a similar track with regards to the blue/black thang. I'm on the fence, as I think a blue outline would indeed be pretty killer, but I'm a bit a fan of the white, just for its subtlety.

 

[Gorn]

I found this really upsetting video of a guitar player abusing these lovely basses:

 

[Bufalo]

I can assure you that mine will not be played in that fashion.

 

[CyberianKhatru]

It's beautiful! How do these basses differ from the American Standard jazz basses quality-wise?

 

[erigod23]

Love these basses! I would be so tempted if I didn't already have my P and J in Blizzard Pearl and Charcoal Frost (Yin and Yang).

 

[Bufalo]

It's beautiful! How do these basses differ from the American Standard jazz basses quality-wise?

These are built in the same factory, they're basically the last of the American Special series. So that in mind, the construction and assembly and the neck and body are top notch. What you find though, is that these use the standard bridge, standard tuners, standard pickups, where on the Am Std you get the high-mass / string through bridge, you get the licensed Hipshot Tuners and you get the Custom Shop 60's pickups. OK Fine, right?

To me, the pickups sound great, and I've replaced the bridge and the tuners and dang near all the other hardware in a full black-out / upgrade. I'm waiting for my black output jack to arrive, but then I'll post my updated pics with the fully finished bass.

I freakin' love this thing, by the way. If you find one for sale and are in the market for a midrange instrument, holycrap buy one.

 

[Joce]

I found this really upsetting video of a guitar player abusing these lovely basses:

Truly bizarre.

 

[((KamiKaZe))]

and then later he wants to sell those abused basses