Seeking Help with Jazz Bass Neck

[socknroll1]

Hello, I have an idea about some unique work I would like done to a neck. I am looking for suggestions on luthiers who may be able to do this work - please reply with their info. I know there are skilled luthiers here as well, but one of the moderators told me that it is a bit of a faux pas to actually bid services in the public forum, so if you are personally interested/capable for this work, please send me a direct message with your contact info and I will get back to you soon. Here's my idea:

Option A - add pearloid blocks and cream binding to a stock fretted rosewood Jazz Bass fingerboard on a maple/rosewood neck that I would supply. (late 60s/early 70s style - I can provide pictures). The fingerboard currently has dots and no binding.

Option B if A is impossible or extremely pricey - precisely line up inlay stickers from a kit (I would provide) and affix them permanently with some type of sealant. Then, file any sharp fret ends, and carefully create a "lookalike" cream binding with paint or other permanent material.

With either option, the bass body will need a small truss rod notch routed, and painted black inside (no need to match body paint). The notch would be the same size as the current and earlier American Fender Professional basses. I can provide pictures and rough measurements for reference.

I am prepared to pay shipping in the US both directions.

If none of this is possible, I can eventually find a Classic Series 70s Jazz Bass (looks like rosewood ended in 2016) to swap the neck, but I love my current neck, hence the ask.

 

[Beej]

Option A is possible, but what is your definition of "extremely pricey"? It will probably cost around the same or more than a new neck to do this work and also likely to change the feel and playability of your current neck (at least a little).

For recommendation as to whom to talk to about it on here, I'd recommend @Freekmagnet . He's built lot of stuff for satisfied TBers, does really nice detailed work and has the weight and expertise of @Bruce Johnson and his workshop in his corner.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

You could just have that neck custom made for scratch for the price of the squier neck + the modifications and it would be made of better materials. Dan Ransom of real guitars is someone I know who’d do the work.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Hello, I have an idea about some unique work I would like done to a neck. I am looking for suggestions on luthiers who may be able to do this work - please reply with their info. I know there are skilled luthiers here as well, but one of the moderators told me that it is a bit of a faux pas to actually bid services in the public forum, so if you are personally interested/capable for this work, please send me a direct message with your contact info and I will get back to you soon. Here's my idea:

Option A - add pearloid blocks and cream binding to a stock fretted rosewood Jazz Bass fingerboard on a maple/rosewood neck that I would supply. (late 60s/early 70s style - I can provide pictures). The fingerboard currently has dots and no binding.

Option B if A is impossible or extremely pricey - precisely line up inlay stickers from a kit (I would provide) and affix them permanently with some type of sealant. Then, file any sharp fret ends, and carefully create a "lookalike" cream binding with paint or other permanent material.

With either option, the bass body will need a small truss rod notch routed, and painted black inside (no need to match body paint). The notch would be the same size as the current and earlier American Fender Professional basses. I can provide pictures and rough measurements for reference.

I am prepared to pay shipping in the US both directions.

If none of this is possible, I can eventually find a Classic Series 70s Jazz Bass (looks like rosewood ended in 2016) to swap the neck, but I love my current neck, hence the ask.

I can answer for Jeremy (aka Freekmagnet). He's actually busy over in Unit 2 running a router as I write this.

Option A is certainly possible and not real difficult to do. But it's a lot of labor hours. I'd recommend pulling the frets to do the mods, then refretting it. Done with quality, it's probably a $600 job. I'm not quoting; that's just an estimate of what it would cost for your reference.

Jeremy isn't interested. He's not really into doing custom inlays. And I don't do that kind of work any more either.

But you may be able to find someone else who will.

The protocol here on Luthier's Corner is that you can ask technical questions, like "is this possible?". And we'll give you technical opinions. But you shouldn't be soliciting business in the threads. If you see someone's work that you like, you can PM them and ask if they are interested in doing a job for you. And keep it offline. That's okay.

 

[Freekmagnet]

Honestly, this looks like a job for Warmoth. If think you're in love with this neck, inflicting that much work on it might affect the way it feels in some way. Bruce is right - this is a pretty pricey job. I would charge near that for a whole new neck (no inlays or any of that nonsense). But Warmoth will build pretty much that exact neck for $547.

 

[socknroll1]

Thank you all. I haven't spent much time in this forum (can you tell?) so I will take the advice to see some people's work and inquire with them.

In regard to getting a new neck instead, I'm hesitant because I really want this bass to be a Fender. I love Fender. I've heard you can get a decal pretty easily, and yes I can see that the price will be about the same (more with shipping), but I would rest easier with my Fender neck if someone can do this work (option A or B). I recognize this may not be the most logical stance, but the whole idea probably isn't. What can I say, I've been playing 22 years and finally figured out what my dream bass is. I'm getting close. And I still have "option C" to swap the neck from another bass once I find one.

Thank you again, I mean it.