Lo end PUNCH said:The custom shop is coming........
WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!
When is this expected to be opened up? What kind of options are they going to offer?
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The Bass Company
- Thread starter rontalsaurus
- Start date
When is this expected to be opened up? What kind of options are they going to offer?
I bought both the SS5 and the JJ5 from their batch of demos (Oct 05). They both had faulty preamps (scratchy blend pot) but Darrell was very responsive and rushed replacements out for both. One of the newer preamps has the same problem just not as drastic.
While I meant to get reviews up for both I ended up tweaking the JJ5 for the first couple months (It had to have felt violated
)
Here's my experience. Hopefully this will suffice for a cheap review as well:
The JJ5 pickups are slightly thinner sounding than your typical vintage jazz pup – but the real problem is they are not potted properly and once I brought it to a band environment, whenever I went up close to my amp to tweak it sent my amp into a high end feedback frenzy. I have since swapped out the pups for Fender Noiseless 5’s. Some claim they sound bland, but to me that’s the beauty of them; a nicely balanced vintage jazz signal, w/no hum, not too hot, to send on to a pre and/or amp.
Note - A slight mod was required to install:
The TBC pickup pairs are the same size. To install the Fenders, the neck pup cavity needed a very slight dremel grind to the cavity ears for proper fitting. The bridge pup needed the cover from the TBC neck pup to fit the cavity and I also had to drill out the pole piece holes on the cover (B,E,D,and G strings) just slightly to match the Fender pole pieces.
I then tried an Aguilar OB-1 w/passive tone and a Bartolini NTMB after I swapped out the pups but to my surprise, I liked the TBC pre better and have had it back in for the past 2-3 months. The TBC is not as Hi-Fi but I like it, it seems less colored than the other two and sounds very naturally balanced in this bass. Once in a while I’ll cut the treble slightly, or boost the bass slightly, but 90% of the time its set flat. I personally don’t see the great need for a passive active switch on these. I have never run a battery down while playing (assuming their switch will allow continuity) and these basses happen to sound passive when set flat anyway, which I like.
I have to mention that the necks on the TBC’s are where these basses really shine, IMO the necks alone are worth the money. They are extremely comfortable. They are 34 inch scale and the B‘s are clear (all the way up the neck) and taught on both of mine.
The SS5 soapbar pups are OK, compared to the JJ’s they are somewhat beefier, less aggressive with subdued high end. I haven’t taken the soaps out to see if they are potted or epoxied in their covers but I don’t have the same problem w/feedback. They look to be the same pups that might come in a Dean or Galveston bass? Scary! But, honestly the bass stock sounds better than I expected, hence buying the JJ5 shortly after. Although now, my modded JJ5 sounds better than the SS5. I haven’t done anything w/the SS5 although it sports flats now. It sounded really good w/rounds, too. The bridge pup soloed is a nice tone not harsh at all. It’s a keeper as well – just love these necks!! Curiosity had me wondering about swapping the pups but the replacement options are limited as the TBC pup routing for the soaps are 4.5 x 1.5 inches. EMG 45’s will work but I don’t personally care for them, found them to be harsh in the past (Spector). Bart has some, but they’re ~$100 ea. I’m content just using it as my mellow 5 for now and it works.
FWIW- I’ve since sold a Lakland JO5 and a 55-01. The JO5 was OK sound wise but the neck was not nearly as easy to play as the TBC. The 55-01 weighed a ton and had a glassy high end frequency that seemed to span across the entire spectrum that couldn't be tweaked out w/o losing the normal high end. The TBC JJ5 is now my main bass. It sounds great, is perfectly balanced strapped and weighs ~7.5 lbs! Ahhhh!! It's not the end-all bass but 5 mos later I'm still digging it!
I’ll try to take a pic of the JJ5 mod and post it up here. I’m curious to hear anyone else with a JJ model as to whether they have had the same problem w/the stock pups.
HTH
Before and after pics added. Damn, I had to severely squash my after pic to get it up here. It's not nearly as clear as the original. Be sure to maximize the pic window.
While I meant to get reviews up for both I ended up tweaking the JJ5 for the first couple months (It had to have felt violated
) Here's my experience. Hopefully this will suffice for a cheap review as well:
The JJ5 pickups are slightly thinner sounding than your typical vintage jazz pup – but the real problem is they are not potted properly and once I brought it to a band environment, whenever I went up close to my amp to tweak it sent my amp into a high end feedback frenzy. I have since swapped out the pups for Fender Noiseless 5’s. Some claim they sound bland, but to me that’s the beauty of them; a nicely balanced vintage jazz signal, w/no hum, not too hot, to send on to a pre and/or amp.
Note - A slight mod was required to install:
The TBC pickup pairs are the same size. To install the Fenders, the neck pup cavity needed a very slight dremel grind to the cavity ears for proper fitting. The bridge pup needed the cover from the TBC neck pup to fit the cavity and I also had to drill out the pole piece holes on the cover (B,E,D,and G strings) just slightly to match the Fender pole pieces.
I then tried an Aguilar OB-1 w/passive tone and a Bartolini NTMB after I swapped out the pups but to my surprise, I liked the TBC pre better and have had it back in for the past 2-3 months. The TBC is not as Hi-Fi but I like it, it seems less colored than the other two and sounds very naturally balanced in this bass. Once in a while I’ll cut the treble slightly, or boost the bass slightly, but 90% of the time its set flat. I personally don’t see the great need for a passive active switch on these. I have never run a battery down while playing (assuming their switch will allow continuity) and these basses happen to sound passive when set flat anyway, which I like.
I have to mention that the necks on the TBC’s are where these basses really shine, IMO the necks alone are worth the money. They are extremely comfortable. They are 34 inch scale and the B‘s are clear (all the way up the neck) and taught on both of mine.
The SS5 soapbar pups are OK, compared to the JJ’s they are somewhat beefier, less aggressive with subdued high end. I haven’t taken the soaps out to see if they are potted or epoxied in their covers but I don’t have the same problem w/feedback. They look to be the same pups that might come in a Dean or Galveston bass? Scary! But, honestly the bass stock sounds better than I expected, hence buying the JJ5 shortly after. Although now, my modded JJ5 sounds better than the SS5. I haven’t done anything w/the SS5 although it sports flats now. It sounded really good w/rounds, too. The bridge pup soloed is a nice tone not harsh at all. It’s a keeper as well – just love these necks!! Curiosity had me wondering about swapping the pups but the replacement options are limited as the TBC pup routing for the soaps are 4.5 x 1.5 inches. EMG 45’s will work but I don’t personally care for them, found them to be harsh in the past (Spector). Bart has some, but they’re ~$100 ea. I’m content just using it as my mellow 5 for now and it works.
FWIW- I’ve since sold a Lakland JO5 and a 55-01. The JO5 was OK sound wise but the neck was not nearly as easy to play as the TBC. The 55-01 weighed a ton and had a glassy high end frequency that seemed to span across the entire spectrum that couldn't be tweaked out w/o losing the normal high end. The TBC JJ5 is now my main bass. It sounds great, is perfectly balanced strapped and weighs ~7.5 lbs! Ahhhh!! It's not the end-all bass but 5 mos later I'm still digging it!
I’ll try to take a pic of the JJ5 mod and post it up here. I’m curious to hear anyone else with a JJ model as to whether they have had the same problem w/the stock pups.
HTH
Before and after pics added. Damn, I had to severely squash my after pic to get it up here. It's not nearly as clear as the original. Be sure to maximize the pic window.
Attachments
tim oconnor said:
Great review! Very honest and fair with the pros and cons. Looking forward to seeing pics of that JJ mod. Great job.
r
Anybody play the MM/MM or the MM/J models?
Impressions?
I'm getting near to pulling the trigger on a 4-banger, but I need some opinions to buy sight unseen.
Basically looking for a do-everything bass with a lot of versatility.
Impressions?
I'm getting near to pulling the trigger on a 4-banger, but I need some opinions to buy sight unseen.
Basically looking for a do-everything bass with a lot of versatility.
Tim:
How much does your 500SS weigh? I was delighted when mine came in at 8.4 lbs, but hearing that your 500JJ weighs only 7.5 lbs makes my shoulder jealous.
I've got flats on my 500SS right now just to try them. So far I think I prefer them to rounds but it's probably more of a feel thing.
- Rob
How much does your 500SS weigh? I was delighted when mine came in at 8.4 lbs, but hearing that your 500JJ weighs only 7.5 lbs makes my shoulder jealous.
I've got flats on my 500SS right now just to try them. So far I think I prefer them to rounds but it's probably more of a feel thing.
- Rob
So, I guess I'm due for an update on this thread.
Well, I ended up getting a JJ 4stringer with a "midnight blue" pickgaurd and pauferro fingerboard.
My intentions when getting this bass were that I've been lusting for a Jbass tone lately but wanted something with a little more character than a stock Fender jazz...but not very expensive. This seemed to fit the requirements. Having not played one, I went on faith and bought it sight-unseen off of ebay.
The instrument arrived double packaged and very well secured and had a perfect set-up right out of the box. Which, to be honest, was a lot more than I was expecting considering this was a holiday present from my fiance and sat around in her parents basement for a month before I opened it. A testament to good build quality that the instrument held up well under shipping and storage.
Construction/aesthetics: The body, as mentioned, is VERY lights and a bit smaller than a standard Fender Jazz shape. Mine came with a densely grained ash body that looked great. The "midnight blue" is, for all intents and purposes, "black" (and I was told this by one of their techs when I called them before ordering). I had agonized over which color pickguard to get and I can firmly say that I'm very happy with the black. It's striking, yet sophisticated and funky all in the same glance. Very cool.
The neck pocket is very tight and the craftsman ship all around is excellent. Frets are well dressed, very tidy control cavity...everything looks like it was built with very tight tolerances and demanding quality control. Very impressive for a bass at this price level. The neck, as mentioned in a different review, feels phenomenal. It has a very slick, natural feel (not lacquered), and is extremely comfortable to move around on. Having never owned a jazz bass, I'm not sure what the standard dimensions are, bit it's a littlemore narrow by the headstock than I'm used to. I know that jazz necks taper a bunch toward the headstock, and I don't think it will take long to get used to (actually, at this point I'm more or less accustomed to it), but I'm used to a wider neck by the nut. Still, the feel is beautiful, and the construction superb.
The hardware is proprietary and very nice. The tuners have a cool little curve to them that makes them conform to your fingers, nice little effect there. The bridge is big and heavy and easily adjustable (as well as allowing for string-through-body as wel as standard stringing). The one gripe I've had construction wise is a slightly scratchy pot. It's not too big of a deal, and it can easily be remedied with a call to the shop (they were VERY helpful when I called with some questions before buying)...and eventually I'll get around to it. I'd also like to mention the color of the hardware--I originally thought I was going to swap it out for black-anodized hardware instead of the stock (and the tech mentioned that they were thinking of offering anodized hardware eventually), but to be honest, their proprietary stuff seems great and I really dig the gun-metal gray color. Kudos to the design team for picking this stuff out!
Tone/playbility: So, now the important part (at leas as far as I'm concerned). Like I mentioned above, I originally wanted a J bass tone with a little more character than the standard Fender jazz. In certain ways, this bass delivers. It has a nice, clean J bass thump, but, overall, is a bit thin sounding compared to some other J basses I've tried. With the treble cut a little and the bass boosted, it starts thumping and punching a bit heavier, but I think it still lacks a little bit of beef in the low mids. Not that it's a bad tone, just lacks a little bit of oomph for my taste. To thicken it up I'll probably swap out the Jpups for something else. I can see where one of the reviewers had trouble swapping them out, though, as the routing for the stock pups is extremely well done and fits like a glove...not a bad thing!
The preamp is very musical in each of the three bands and is very quiet. My biggest gripe about the instrument, however, is the way the 3 band EQ is voiced, specifically the treble control. When rolled up, the treble is ear-piercingly present. The amount of boost given to the ultra-highs seems a bit over-zealous. I personally dont like zing in my tone, I prefer a more old-school flavor. However, I do like to tweak the highs just a bit, especially when slapping. Id be happier if the treble were voiced with a peak in the band a little closer to the midrange than up in dog-whistle territory. Im not sure if Ill change the preamp eventually. I may, but first Ill probably swap out the pups.
Overall: I dont think you could get a better built, better sounding, more unique bass for the price. Certainly the most value Ive seen out of an instrument in this price range. My issues with the preamp and tone are common with my feelings about instruments in this price range. I typically feel that companies are better off making instruments in this price range with a higher-end passive circuit than a slightly cheapened active circuit. I cant say Ive enjoyed playing an active bass in this price range, ever. However, it does provide killer playability, rock-solid construction and a unique Jbass for under $500a great buy as far as Im concerned.
Well, I ended up getting a JJ 4stringer with a "midnight blue" pickgaurd and pauferro fingerboard.
My intentions when getting this bass were that I've been lusting for a Jbass tone lately but wanted something with a little more character than a stock Fender jazz...but not very expensive. This seemed to fit the requirements. Having not played one, I went on faith and bought it sight-unseen off of ebay.
The instrument arrived double packaged and very well secured and had a perfect set-up right out of the box. Which, to be honest, was a lot more than I was expecting considering this was a holiday present from my fiance and sat around in her parents basement for a month before I opened it. A testament to good build quality that the instrument held up well under shipping and storage.
Construction/aesthetics: The body, as mentioned, is VERY lights and a bit smaller than a standard Fender Jazz shape. Mine came with a densely grained ash body that looked great. The "midnight blue" is, for all intents and purposes, "black" (and I was told this by one of their techs when I called them before ordering). I had agonized over which color pickguard to get and I can firmly say that I'm very happy with the black. It's striking, yet sophisticated and funky all in the same glance. Very cool.
The neck pocket is very tight and the craftsman ship all around is excellent. Frets are well dressed, very tidy control cavity...everything looks like it was built with very tight tolerances and demanding quality control. Very impressive for a bass at this price level. The neck, as mentioned in a different review, feels phenomenal. It has a very slick, natural feel (not lacquered), and is extremely comfortable to move around on. Having never owned a jazz bass, I'm not sure what the standard dimensions are, bit it's a littlemore narrow by the headstock than I'm used to. I know that jazz necks taper a bunch toward the headstock, and I don't think it will take long to get used to (actually, at this point I'm more or less accustomed to it), but I'm used to a wider neck by the nut. Still, the feel is beautiful, and the construction superb.
The hardware is proprietary and very nice. The tuners have a cool little curve to them that makes them conform to your fingers, nice little effect there. The bridge is big and heavy and easily adjustable (as well as allowing for string-through-body as wel as standard stringing). The one gripe I've had construction wise is a slightly scratchy pot. It's not too big of a deal, and it can easily be remedied with a call to the shop (they were VERY helpful when I called with some questions before buying)...and eventually I'll get around to it. I'd also like to mention the color of the hardware--I originally thought I was going to swap it out for black-anodized hardware instead of the stock (and the tech mentioned that they were thinking of offering anodized hardware eventually), but to be honest, their proprietary stuff seems great and I really dig the gun-metal gray color. Kudos to the design team for picking this stuff out!
Tone/playbility: So, now the important part (at leas as far as I'm concerned). Like I mentioned above, I originally wanted a J bass tone with a little more character than the standard Fender jazz. In certain ways, this bass delivers. It has a nice, clean J bass thump, but, overall, is a bit thin sounding compared to some other J basses I've tried. With the treble cut a little and the bass boosted, it starts thumping and punching a bit heavier, but I think it still lacks a little bit of beef in the low mids. Not that it's a bad tone, just lacks a little bit of oomph for my taste. To thicken it up I'll probably swap out the Jpups for something else. I can see where one of the reviewers had trouble swapping them out, though, as the routing for the stock pups is extremely well done and fits like a glove...not a bad thing!
The preamp is very musical in each of the three bands and is very quiet. My biggest gripe about the instrument, however, is the way the 3 band EQ is voiced, specifically the treble control. When rolled up, the treble is ear-piercingly present. The amount of boost given to the ultra-highs seems a bit over-zealous. I personally dont like zing in my tone, I prefer a more old-school flavor. However, I do like to tweak the highs just a bit, especially when slapping. Id be happier if the treble were voiced with a peak in the band a little closer to the midrange than up in dog-whistle territory. Im not sure if Ill change the preamp eventually. I may, but first Ill probably swap out the pups.
Overall: I dont think you could get a better built, better sounding, more unique bass for the price. Certainly the most value Ive seen out of an instrument in this price range. My issues with the preamp and tone are common with my feelings about instruments in this price range. I typically feel that companies are better off making instruments in this price range with a higher-end passive circuit than a slightly cheapened active circuit. I cant say Ive enjoyed playing an active bass in this price range, ever. However, it does provide killer playability, rock-solid construction and a unique Jbass for under $500a great buy as far as Im concerned.
RobbieCanuck said:
Rob-
Yeah, my JJ5 is about a lb lighter than my SS5. The JJ5 has a piano string effect to it and I'd bet that the lighter chambered body is a major factor. The SS5 does not have the same effect.
These basses have caught my attention. I sold my decent basses some years ago. Now that I'm playing again I think I need something better than what I have been playing lately. Of course this will require my selling a bunch of stuff...
I do have a question about the bodies. I like a lot of contouring in the belly/rib and the plucking forearm area. This is pretty important to me since I'm a girl and like to wear my bass pretty high. It is a bit hard to tell how much the TBC bodies are contoured from the pics especially since they don't have a high gloss finish.
I also don't know if any of the current pickup combos will work for me. Right now I'm really liking a PJ setup because I can get some articulate jazzy sounds but still do the booty bounce and the rock thump sort of sounds. I am primarily a fingerstyle player though I sometimes use a pick with my dano. I rarely use slap/pop type sounds, don't know those techniques - just pluck harder, use hammer-ons etc. to get a bit of that sound. I guess what I'm saying is that the MM pickup probably isn't for me - don't know if any of the current offerings are for me.
What do you guys think?
Peace,
S
I do have a question about the bodies. I like a lot of contouring in the belly/rib and the plucking forearm area. This is pretty important to me since I'm a girl and like to wear my bass pretty high. It is a bit hard to tell how much the TBC bodies are contoured from the pics especially since they don't have a high gloss finish.
I also don't know if any of the current pickup combos will work for me. Right now I'm really liking a PJ setup because I can get some articulate jazzy sounds but still do the booty bounce and the rock thump sort of sounds. I am primarily a fingerstyle player though I sometimes use a pick with my dano. I rarely use slap/pop type sounds, don't know those techniques - just pluck harder, use hammer-ons etc. to get a bit of that sound. I guess what I'm saying is that the MM pickup probably isn't for me - don't know if any of the current offerings are for me.
What do you guys think?Peace,
S
Suzie,
body's really not contoured on mine at all, can't speak for the other models. I assume any of the chambered models will be the same though.
I'd say go with the JJ or the soaps, the active electronics will help you get more tone than you would out of a passive jazz, so you can have that fat P-ish sound as well.
body's really not contoured on mine at all, can't speak for the other models. I assume any of the chambered models will be the same though.
I'd say go with the JJ or the soaps, the active electronics will help you get more tone than you would out of a passive jazz, so you can have that fat P-ish sound as well.
Good questions, Suzie!
The JJ and SS models have a slight offset waist contour, not quite as deep as a Fender Jazz, but comfortable enough. The the forearm area does not. I wear basses somewhat high too, and while they sit nicely, the forearm area has just a very slight contour with a lightly sanded cornered edge. I've somewhat adapted to it and have considered sanding it down although I was concerned of possibly exposing a chamber below. By the looks of the satin finish It would seem easy to refinish and match just the sanded area.
I'm normally not the extreme tweaker/modifier but after playing the neck I realized the potential in the bass and was determined to get all the other aspects of the JJ5 bass right. The forearm edge is the only outstanding issue. Stay tuned...
My .02 as far as the pups/electronics:
I am strictly fingerstyle as well. I wasn't looking for the MM sound either (I'll bet those pups are very bright sounding). But from my experience, I would advise going with the Soaps if you want out of box versatility. Both pups soloed sound good. I was surprised how well the bridge pup soloed sounded with the pre set flat. IMO it has a very nice mild midrange bark and the treble is controlled, but still there. TBC was smart in their design w/the bridge pickup placement by installing it slightly further away from the bridge than most soapbar equipped basses which I believe keeps the bass from sounding harsh.
Keep in mind - TBC has a 7 day return policy.
The JJ and SS models have a slight offset waist contour, not quite as deep as a Fender Jazz, but comfortable enough. The the forearm area does not. I wear basses somewhat high too, and while they sit nicely, the forearm area has just a very slight contour with a lightly sanded cornered edge. I've somewhat adapted to it and have considered sanding it down although I was concerned of possibly exposing a chamber below
. By the looks of the satin finish It would seem easy to refinish and match just the sanded area.I'm normally not the extreme tweaker/modifier but after playing the neck I realized the potential in the bass and was determined to get all the other aspects of the JJ5 bass right. The forearm edge is the only outstanding issue. Stay tuned...
My .02 as far as the pups/electronics:
I am strictly fingerstyle as well. I wasn't looking for the MM sound either (I'll bet those pups are very bright sounding). But from my experience, I would advise going with the Soaps if you want out of box versatility. Both pups soloed sound good. I was surprised how well the bridge pup soloed sounded with the pre set flat. IMO it has a very nice mild midrange bark and the treble is controlled, but still there. TBC was smart in their design w/the bridge pickup placement by installing it slightly further away from the bridge than most soapbar equipped basses which I believe keeps the bass from sounding harsh.
Keep in mind - TBC has a 7 day return policy.
They'll probably say its Bstock instead of new.
Bstock is stuff that can have slight faults in it, or can be stuff such as floor demos and whatnot.
Bstock is stuff that can have slight faults in it, or can be stuff such as floor demos and whatnot.
Man, I am suffering from a serious GAS attack; must have been those pinto beans and cornbread I had for dinner! 
Anyways, I think I have my eye on this one. Thanks to everyone for this thread and the TB forum!
Anyways, I think I have my eye on this one. Thanks to everyone for this thread and the TB forum!
Just received a SS400 the other day.
My review is here:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233293
My review is here:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233293
If someone can add Megathread to the title, please do so, at 13 pages & counting, I think it qualifies for it.
+1David Studenick said:
I looked through the thread pretty good but I couldn't find anything much about the 400mj. I'd like one, as long as it's got a nice munchy 'Ray sort of tone. Did TBC nail the sweet spot? Do the electronics/pups compare to the real thing? Does it have a unique tone of its own? Do point me in the right direction if I've overlooked any relevant comments too.
thx
ahh i'm $50 away from owning one of these. would you say the JJ can get any j bass tone, like old school and modern too? the high end part kinda worries me, but i always seem to turn up the highs a bit so maybe it'll be to my advantage.
i can't decide between the "black" pickguard or the red one! theyre both so damn sexy!!!
i cant decide between j pups or soaps, i've heard so many great things about soaps but i've always wanted a j style bass
damnit i hate being such a negative person
i can't decide between the "black" pickguard or the red one! theyre both so damn sexy!!!
i cant decide between j pups or soaps, i've heard so many great things about soaps but i've always wanted a j style bass
damnit i hate being such a negative person
SBassman4x said:Red.
i was thinkin that too, but theyre both so nice i cant decide
oh yeah and about the custom shop and active/passive electronics, i was gonna order the bass as soon as the switch was available, i emailed darryl a while ago and he emailed me and said the switch will be a custom shop option, and they still have to find a location, and after they do that it'll take 90 days to get it running. he told me alot of customers are adding the switch themselves, and he could see why
so i figured screw it im not waitin any longer, i'll just get it active, and apparently it sounds passive too.
