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4stringfarley

4stringfarley

Nov 4, 2015
1,058
2,243
Cajun Country
#1
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Getting ready for everything to finish opening up around here, I went out and finally found a new group of people to play with. I've been going over songs to work on and realized my normal go to is just too heavy for extended periods standing. I packed up a disliked bass and headed down to the nearest big box retail store to see what was in stock. First thought was the MiM Mustang short scale. Nothing about that bass did it for me, not the sound or the feel. I was playing a gorgeous dark green and tort player series P Bass and kept glancing at at Jazz on the wall. I had gone through all the fenders on the wall at that time, decided to give it a go and was shocked at how much better it felt and played. Not to mention $350 less in price. Had them throw in a set of strings, got a check for the remainder of my trade in value, and came home with this gal.

70's vibe Jazz.
 
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#6
I have played a bunch of those at different stores and each of them was superb.
The tuners could be hit-or-miss... I have a 2014 VM that has great tuners, and then bought a 2016 VM neck and the tuners are ‘meh’ in feel, but still hold tune even while in a gig-bag.
I removed the OE pickups from the 2014 long ago and stuck them in a zip-lock bag. I actually pulled them out last week and installed them into the bass that has the 2016 VM neck - they actually sound really good. More bite, grind, and output than my Fender USA Marcus Miller pickups...
if you’re going to replace them with a brand-name set, I think an actual upgrade would be Hum-Cancelling pickups, but not necessarily another single coil.
 
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#7
eastcoasteddie said:
I have played a bunch of those at different stores and each of them was superb.
The tuners could be hit-or-miss... I have a 2014 VM that has great tuners, and then bought a 2016 VM neck and the tuners are ‘meh’ in feel, but still hold tune even while in a gig-bag.
I removed the OE pickups from the 2014 long ago and stuck them in a zip-lock bag. I actually pulled them out last week and installed them into the bass that has the 2016 VM neck - they actually sound really good. More bite, grind, and output than my Fender USA Marcus Miller pickups...
if you’re going to replace them with a brand-name set, I think an actual upgrade would be Hum-Cancelling pickups, but not necessarily another single coil.
Click to expand...
I've played some where the tuners where horribly loose. These are tight, but feel cheap. I'm thinking hip shots and bridge (bridge on this really isn't too bad).

Pick-up direction. I'm really thinking a set of over wound Lindy Fralins or DiMarzios.
 
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#8
4stringfarley said:
I've played some where the tuners where horribly loose. These are tight, but feel cheap. I'm thinking hip shots and bridge (bridge on this really isn't too bad).

Pick-up direction. I'm really thinking a set of over wound Lindy Fralins or DiMarzios.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the bridge is, in my opinion, a “need to” replacement. I like the Hipshot Kickass Style-2 for its drop in capability and versatility. I put one on my VM when it became my fretless (vis Warmoth neck)
12A17255-66D8-4115-83DD-851CDAA8061A.jpeg


then put one on my “mo-mo-mo-mo-monster Jazz” (which happens to sport the VM neck off the now-fretless)
BFAE5B77-3A65-4DF3-B467-F9FAE6B431DE.jpeg

530B5E25-0CB1-4545-94ED-3648A6F09189.jpeg
 
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#17
4stringfarley said:
View attachment 3857663 View attachment 3857664 Getting ready for everything to finish opening up around here, I went out and finally found a new group of people to play with. I've been going over songs to work on and realized my normal go to is just too heavy for extended periods standing. I packed up a disliked bass and headed down to the nearest big box retail store to see what was in stock. First thought was the MiM Mustang short scale. Nothing about that bass did it for me, not the sound or the feel. I was playing a gorgeous dark green and tort player series P Bass and kept glancing at at Jazz on the wall. I had gone through all the fenders on the wall at that time, decided to give it a go and was shocked at how much better it felt and played. Not to mention $350 less in price. Had them throw in a set of strings, got a check for the remainder of my trade in value, and came home with this gal.

70's vibe Jazz.
Click to expand...
Awesome bass!:thumbsup:
 
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#18
Good buy! A buddy of mine got one of these for something stupid like a hundred bucks with a TINY crack in the headstock and wanted me to fix it up. Fixed the crack and honestly could've probably left it alone and he would've been okay with it, I was very surprised by its playability. I did a half-unnecessary (he hasn't played long and wanted super-low action, I wouldn't have needed it) fret level/dress/polish, fixed exactly two fret ends that were too sharp for me but probably wouldn't have been for a normal person, shielded it, put EMGs, a Fender Hi-Mass bridge from another friend's Geddy Jazz, a black pearloid pickguard, a set of straplocks, and a set of Hipshot UltraLites on it, and it's just about as good a Jazz as I've played. Again, that thing was IMPRESSIVELY good just the way it was.

I have to ask, though, if it was light weight you were after, did it deliver? My friend's had to have weighed 10 pounds. Lower-priced usually equals less-consistent lumber selections, so they might vary wildly, I don't know.
 
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