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Now I have done it.........

JMacBass65

JMacBass65

Jan 31, 2009
7,928
16,980
"Restonia" Virginia
#1
This is what happens when I'm not gigging enough, boredom sets in and I'll need to "do something". In the past, this usually meant buying new strings or something.

But since I have no intention of changing the TI flats on my jazz, I went looking for something else.

So I took a drill to my beloved '83 Fullerton era RI Jazz bass, and installed the felt mutes that had been in a bag in a drawer since I bought the bass in 1987.

:woot:

On some level I can't believe I just did it. While I have always been curious, I have managed to hold off for 31 years, and satisfy the occasional urge by playing with a bit of foam at the bridge.

But then tonight, after pondering it for a couple of days, I just said &$#% it, and installed them.

Played for about an hour, and concluded, as I had in the past, that the sound, while totally cool at times, only would work for about 10% of what I typically play.

It's a way cool sound though. It really stood out in two things I played tonight. I Want You Back, with a pick, tone wide open, and bridge pickup rolled back a bit. And a bunch of songs on the Fabulous Thunderbirds album "Girls Go Wild". This time, same setting, but finger style way up by the neck, getting a bit of a clack off the frets. Very cool sound.

But...I'm sure I'll be taking them off in short order, leaving me with four holes I didn't have before. Oh well. All the cool old Jazz basses have those holes, right?

:bag:

Boredom Is a bitch, I should find a new band.

image.jpeg
 
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#3
5StringBlues said:
Nice bass, Fullertons are the shiz.
Click to expand...

Thanks, they certainly are. Totally dumb luck I ended up with it. Buddy of mine was in a store buying something, and I went to the used section, picked it up and played it for a moment unplugged, and bought it on the spot. It was that nice. It's the second bass I ever owned, and at the time I just knew it was a Jazz, didn't know the background of the reissues, much less "Fullertons".

You'll note that I changed it to VVT. I only did that a couple of years ago even though I wanted to do it for decades. I was always paranoid about messing too much with it, didn't want to ruin a good thing. But I finally got the nerve to do it and I'm much happier with that configuration.

You might also notice the neck pickup looks different. It's a temporary replacement, as the original stopped working about a year and a half ago. I need still need to get it rewound, as this one is no where near as "smooth" sounding, for lack of a better description.
 
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#4
JMacBass65 said:
Thanks, they certainly are. Totally dumb luck I ended up with it. Buddy of mine was in a store buying something, and I went to the used section, picked it up and played it for a moment unplugged, and bought it on the spot. It was that nice. It's the second bass I ever owned, and at the time I just knew it was a Jazz, didn't know the background of the reissues, much less "Fullertons".

You'll note that I changed it to VVT. I only did that a couple of years ago even though I wanted to do it for decades. I was always paranoid about messing too much with it, didn't want to ruin a good thing. But I finally got the nerve to do it and I'm much happier with that configuration.

You might also notice the neck pickup looks different. It's a temporary replacement, as the original stopped working about a year and a half ago. I need still need to get it rewound, as this one is no where near as "smooth" sounding, for lack of a better description.
Click to expand...




My Fullerton, not knowing what a Fullerton is, story is this.


Fall of '84, there is, I guess what was a special order, purple stack knob Jazz for sale at a local store. It was, at the time, the best feeling bass I'd ever picked up , having only played for three years at the time.

I pass on it, as it's 800 dollars or so, and score a '79 for 400 weeks later. It's my second bass and I'm also playing a Gibson G3.

Fast forward to 1997 or so and my 79 Jazz is now fretless. The G3 neck joint keeps coming unglued and I'm forced to ditch it and go buy a new fretted.


I go to a different local shop and buy a 1983 fiesta red stack knob '62 reissue for 600 bucks , still not knowing what a Fullerton is. It is still my favorite.

I've never seen a purple Fullerton since then and wonder where that bass is, or if it even exists.


I was in a purple haze myself about '84 and it may been screen memory. :whistle: But I'm pretty sure it was purple. It may have even been refinished.





(/ramble)
 
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#5
Congrats on mustering the courage to do it, AND gettin it done :cool:.

I always hesitate to attempt any modifications on my instruments, simply because there's plenty I don't know. I actually took the plunge on my "CV 70's P" when I replaced the pickup in it, but I haven't done anything else to any of my instruments, out of fear lol. Next project is learning to correctly shield cavities...
 
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#6
Hi JMacBass65 :)

Funny story!

JMacBass65 said:
leaving me with four holes I didn't have before
Click to expand...

It could be worse! :smug:

Back in the 80s I played with a guitarist, who did a refinish on his guitar. (Christmas gift from his uncle)

He was bored :wacky: and he didn' t like that fugly "baby blue" colour.

So he sanded it down and and gave it a "Van Halen style" rattle can job.

Then he asked me to replace the pups.

When I looked up the serial number I found out that is was a pre CBS strat! :crying:

And the fugly "baby blue", had been "Daphne blue" :banghead:

JMacBass65 said:
Played for about an hour, and concluded, as I had in the past, that the sound, while totally cool at times, only would work for about 10% of what I typically play.
Click to expand...

Only? 10% is a lot! Back in 1987 it would have been hardly 0.10%? (as far as I remember) :D

In the 80s you could get fired for using felt mutes or for leaving the ashtrays on your bass. :laugh:

And of course playing flats was out of question too! :roflmao:

JMacBass65 said:
I'm sure I'll be taking them off
Click to expand...

Or just buy another bass that covers the 90%? :hyper::hyper::hyper:

JMacBass65 said:
Boredom Is a bitch, I should find a new band.
Click to expand...

That is always the best solution!!!! (maybe a soul band? :D)


greetings


Wise
 
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#7
Wisebass said:
So he sanded it down and and gave it a "Van Halen style" rattle can job.

Then he asked me to replace the pups.

When I looked up the serial number I found out that is was a pre CBS strat! :crying:

And the fugly "baby blue", had been "Daphne blue" :banghead:
Click to expand...

Oh man, that's $&@%'ed up.

I took some orange spray paint to a Gibson Grabber I once owned. Sprayed it right over the existing finish. It never did completely dry - it was always slightly soft, if you pressed hard enough with your finger, you'd leave an imprint of your fingerprint. At least I was still able to sell it for what I paid for it.


Wisebass said:
Or just buy another bass that covers the 90%? :hyper::hyper::hyper:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I wish. There was a time I could have pulled that off. I owned, in addition to my Fullerton, two Corona made RI Jazz Basses, one Fiesta Red, the other some sort of green (don't think it was Seafoam).

Could have done flats/mutes, flats/no mutes, and rounds.

That would have been awesome! Alas, cash flow dictated that I sell the Corona's long ago.

:(:(


Wisebass said:
That is always the best solution!!!! (maybe a soul band? :D)
Click to expand...

That'd be cool, no doubt.
 
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#8
My old Fullerton was drilled for the mutes to be installed, and like you I found their use very limited, way more muted thump on the attack. In fact I thought it sounded more like an upright bass than a P bass ever could.

However, mutes (foam or springs) tend to push the strings upwards when installed...and seeings you have noodly TI's, doesn't the strings get pushed up way out of intonation?
 
#9
JMacBass65 said:
This is what happens when I'm not gigging enough, boredom sets in and I'll need to "do something". In the past, this usually meant buying new strings or something.

But since I have no intention of changing the TI flats on my jazz, I went looking for something else.

So I took a drill to my beloved '83 Fullerton era RI Jazz bass, and installed the felt mutes that had been in a bag in a drawer since I bought the bass in 1987.

:woot:

On some level I can't believe I just did it. While I have always been curious, I have managed to hold off for 31 years, and satisfy the occasional urge by playing with a bit of foam at the bridge.

But then tonight, after pondering it for a couple of days, I just said &$#% it, and installed them.

Played for about an hour, and concluded, as I had in the past, that the sound, while totally cool at times, only would work for about 10% of what I typically play.

It's a way cool sound though. It really stood out in two things I played tonight. I Want You Back, with a pick, tone wide open, and bridge pickup rolled back a bit. And a bunch of songs on the Fabulous Thunderbirds album "Girls Go Wild". This time, same setting, but finger style way up by the neck, getting a bit of a clack off the frets. Very cool sound.

But...I'm sure I'll be taking them off in short order, leaving me with four holes I didn't have before. Oh well. All the cool old Jazz basses have those holes, right?

:bag:

Boredom Is a bitch, I should find a new band.

View attachment 3189470
Click to expand...




You can tell me what I'm missing........

Fender already had two holes for what I'm guessing was some type of cover. Why on Earth would someone not make that base for the mute fit the existing holes.

No one WANTS to drill holes in their intrumentifthey don't have to,.
 
#10
JMacBass65 said:
This is what happens when I'm not gigging enough, boredom sets in and I'll need to "do something". In the past, this usually meant buying new strings or something.

But since I have no intention of changing the TI flats on my jazz, I went looking for something else.

So I took a drill to my beloved '83 Fullerton era RI Jazz bass, and installed the felt mutes that had been in a bag in a drawer since I bought the bass in 1987.

:woot:

On some level I can't believe I just did it. While I have always been curious, I have managed to hold off for 31 years, and satisfy the occasional urge by playing with a bit of foam at the bridge.

But then tonight, after pondering it for a couple of days, I just said &$#% it, and installed them.

Played for about an hour, and concluded, as I had in the past, that the sound, while totally cool at times, only would work for about 10% of what I typically play.

It's a way cool sound though. It really stood out in two things I played tonight. I Want You Back, with a pick, tone wide open, and bridge pickup rolled back a bit. And a bunch of songs on the Fabulous Thunderbirds album "Girls Go Wild". This time, same setting, but finger style way up by the neck, getting a bit of a clack off the frets. Very cool sound.

But...I'm sure I'll be taking them off in short order, leaving me with four holes I didn't have before. Oh well. All the cool old Jazz basses have those holes, right?

:bag:

Boredom Is a bitch, I should find a new band.

View attachment 3189470
Click to expand...
Suggestions?
Leave the mutes installed and find another Jazz.:smug:
 
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#18
Ross W. Lovell said:
Not busting your stones. I hate drilling stuff into my instruments.
Click to expand...

No worries at all. I frankly can't beleive I took a drill to it myself. It's totlally NOT something I'd typically do. I didn't change the stack knobs for VVT for 20 years because I didn't want to "mess" with it.

Really not sure what came over me.

I was completely sober, BTW.
 
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#19
JMacBass65 said:
No worries at all. I frankly can't beleive I took a drill to it myself. It's totlally NOT something I'd typically do. I didn't change the stack knobs for VVT for 20 years because I didn't want to "mess" with it.

Really not sure what came over me.

I was completely sober, BTW.
Click to expand...





Are you handy?

Maybe you should do a parts bass build.

The mute, was it a Fender accessory or just generic?
 

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