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Replacing a 1983 Fender Jazz Pickguard.

jamzcl

jamzcl

Jul 21, 2004
760
476
Des Moines, IA USA
#1
Been wanting a vintage-ish Fender for awhile and picked up this 1983 Jazz last week.

Not really a fan of the white one-piece, one-ply pickguard these came with. Would it be a sacrilege to swap it out for a traditional Jazz pickguard and control plate knowing I'll have to drill extra holes to make that happen? The thought of modding a 33 year old American Fender goes against most of my beliefs, but I just don't know if I can get used to the original one.

1983.jpg
 
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#2
It looks like the overall footprint is the same as the standard chrome plate/pg combo. If most of the existing screw holes line up you'll be fine. If there's a couple extra holes in the new pick guard/plate, i would take a small dremel cutoff wheel and cut the heads off the screws and glue them into the new pg/plate so you're not adding new holes. I think it could be undetectable when done.
 
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#5
It's a grey zone with drilling pickguard holes, but it's something that will be covered up if/when the bass is returned to the stock plastic. It looks like there would be 4 holes that would not line up at the transition area where the plate meets the guard. A few pickguard screw holes will not tank the value of this bass, not 30 years from now, not ever.

My thing with these late-era Fullerton Jazzes is not the lack of a chrome plate, but the white pickup covers and knobs. Just changing the covers to black and a set of proper Jazz knobs makes the bass look 'normal' to me. These are non invasive changes, too.

To keep it cool, just get a guard made with proper screw locations and a blank chrome plate where you drill in the properly aligned screw holes.
 
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#6
Thanks all :)

For some reason I'd like to leave the white pickup covers to distinguish the early '80's era but would probably swap out the white knobs too.

My estimate would be that I'd have to drill about 4 new holes to make the conversion. I guess either way they'll always be covered but the thought of taking a drill to a vintage bass may have me second-guessing.
 
#8
Just saw a cheap 10 hole tortoise pickguard on ebay for $4.99 (US) with free shipping in the US I suppose. I'd buy it for nothing else just to see what holes line up.

On your '83, from top to bottom from the right side of the neck pickup towards the neck, the holes appear to be in the correct places and if so, then you'll have to drill 3 extra holes for the pickguard and the control plate won't be a big deal..looks like might get away with drill just 2 holes for it assuming that the single hole on the pointy end lines up ok.

On a side note..I found it odd that the CBS bean counters, at the time, changed the Jazz Bass bridge from the tried and true standard bridge to 3 screws and the Precision kept the 5 screw bridge, heh

Personally, I'd go for it and do it. I look at it this way..it's yours and you have to live with it. '

fender-cat-1983-std-basses-back-cover-rr-150dri_zps13qxdzbx.jpg



Have fun..
 
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#9
radioripster said:
Just saw a cheap 10 hole tortoise pickguard on ebay for $4.99 (US) with free shipping in the US I suppose. I'd buy it for nothing else just to see what holes line up.
Click to expand...

I do have the pickguard from my 2010 American Standard to compare it to before I make the leap. Visually most of the holes look to match up with a couple to drill for the control plate. I'd probably back out if a couple holes were a half hole off or something and just end up leaving it the way it is.
 
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#11
I'm a chronic modder, but there are some basses I leave 'as was' - for me, my '93 Jazz Plus. Stock original other than (Dunlop) strap pegs. Personally I'd feel the same about your 1st gen "Standard Series" J (pg). The only thing I would change (if it is at all an issue) is the 3 screw bridge which has wide spacing - wider than a standard Jazz putting the E & G on the edges of the fretboard. The later 80's Gen 1 American Standard 22 fret J had the same bridge, which on my '93 AS was replaced w/a Schaller 3D. (fully adjustable spacing- mo' better) Some have no issue w/it but I play a few J's, all with standard spacing and it was an issue being wider for me. There, 2 cents deposited! ;)

IMG_6139_zpsk6urpgqs.jpg
 
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#12
You dont have to mess up the bass.....Take the pickguard off and get some construction paper. Do an exact trace of the guard w/ holes...then call WD and they would make you a new one without any problem....trust me it's worth it. Put the old PG away for the future...Beautiful bass (I put a blk/wht/blk on mine and LOVE it.)
 
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#13
JIO said:
The only thing I would change (if it is at all an issue) is the 3 screw bridge which has wide spacing - wider than a standard Jazz putting the E & G on the edges of the fretboard. The later 80's Gen 1 American Standard 22 fret J had the same bridge, which on my '93 AS was replaced w/a Schaller 3D. (fully adjustable spacing- mo' better) Some have no issue w/it but I play a few J's, all with standard spacing and it was an issue being wider for me. There, 2 cents deposited! ;)
Click to expand...

Hey, JIO - is that Schaller bridge a direct replacement without drilling new holes?
 
#14
jamzcl said:
Hey, JIO - is that Schaller bridge a direct replacement without drilling new holes?
Click to expand...

The Schaller has 3 holes on the bottom and 2 above for a solid anchor. (5 screws) I don't think any of them match a standard Fender 5 in a row plate. The Schaller is a good quality design so you'll have to decide if you want to drill extra holes. Besides, if switched back no-one will ever see the extra holes under the bridge-plate.

added: oh sorry - I forgot yours is a 3 hole also. The center one is the same, the others different. Start w/a screw in the center - level it and add the rest.
 
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#15
was wondering about a similar mod as OP. There is a gorgeous Sienna Burst on Reverb right now (albeit pretty spendy for an '83) but it has the ugly one-piece PG (and the three-hole bridge) rather than the control plate and separate PG. For you Fender gurus, it seems that Fender had both styles made in 1983 (one-piece PG & control plate/PG combo). Would I be wise just to hold out for an 83 Sienna that I don't need to mod? That particular color seems to come up so rarely and even more rarely in excellent shape. Sort of deciding A) to pull the trigger on the bass unplayed/unseen and B) to venture into mod-land should choice A come to fruition. Perhaps this is better posted in a TB Fender club thread?
 
#17
NoFiller said:
was wondering about a similar mod as OP. There is a gorgeous Sienna Burst on Reverb right now (albeit pretty spendy for an '83) but it has the ugly one-piece PG (and the three-hole bridge) rather than the control plate and separate PG. For you Fender gurus, it seems that Fender had both styles made in 1983 (one-piece PG & control plate/PG combo). Would I be wise just to hold out for an 83 Sienna that I don't need to mod? That particular color seems to come up so rarely and even more rarely in excellent shape. Sort of deciding A) to pull the trigger on the bass unplayed/unseen and B) to venture into mod-land should choice A come to fruition. Perhaps this is better posted in a TB Fender club thread?
Click to expand...

I'd buy the one on reverb. The early 80s fenders frequently had hold over 70s parts, and those won't be as nice (bulkier bodies, chunkier necks), and a sienna with a guard/control plate setup might well be one of those. An easy identifier is the bullet truss rod and S series s/n, indicating late 70s. By the time you get to 83, most of that has stopped, you have the newer bi flex truss rod, micro tilt neck adjustment, better tuners, all found on E series s/n basses. These will have slimmer, more drastically contoured bodies as well. These can be nearly as nice as the early Vintage ReIssue basses.
 
#18
NoFiller said:
was wondering about a similar mod as OP. There is a gorgeous Sienna Burst on Reverb right now (albeit pretty spendy for an '83) but it has the ugly one-piece PG (and the three-hole bridge) rather than the control plate and separate PG. For you Fender gurus, it seems that Fender had both styles made in 1983 (one-piece PG & control plate/PG combo). Would I be wise just to hold out for an 83 Sienna that I don't need to mod? That particular color seems to come up so rarely and even more rarely in excellent shape. Sort of deciding A) to pull the trigger on the bass unplayed/unseen and B) to venture into mod-land should choice A come to fruition. Perhaps this is better posted in a TB Fender club thread?
Click to expand...

Dude, just spotted that sienna burst jazz. I think that price is reasonable, if I were shopping I'd consider it. It's an E series like I described. I will say I am partial to these, as I had a P Elite II from 83 as my first bass. It was sienna with rosewood board, so there is sentimental value for me.

That said, the build quality, fit and finish on the 83s is excellent, just like the Elites and REIssues of the era (I own an 83 62 RI Jazz).

So yeah, I'd buy this instantly, get a good quality tort guard made that complimented the sienna finish (and didn't require extra holes, drop in a proper control plate/knob setup and get black covers for the pickups.

That's what I'd do.
 
#19
And to the OP, I'd get black covers for the pups, and have a "no drilling required" pickguard made, in anodized gold, as a direct replacement for the one piece guard on there, and I'd get p bass knobs. All as a play on the 50s PBass vibe.

I think that would be great looking w/ the black/maple, and be a cool conversation starter with bass dorks like me.
 
#20
Nice Jmac. Yeah I like that idea except def gotta keep those white pup covers. So 80s! Not sure if I can get any control plate to fit those holes with a smaller jazz pg. Same issue OP was having. To drill or not to drill. other option would be a custom control plate/pg setup which seems like it would be tricky and pricey unless the maker of both had the bass in-hand to dial in the dimensions correctly without drilling new holes.
 

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