Unveiling ~ Part One: That '70s Jazz Bass

[96tbird]

BLACK PEARL!!!!!!!!!

 

[Malak the Mad]

Actually, I did have a black pearl guard on a Squier Affinity Jazz a couple o' years ago. It looked very nice on it and definitely breathed some life into the over all look. However, given the presence of the blocks, and my somewhat-minimalist esthetic, I think it would be too blingy or, as we said in art school, "too busy". At the very least, it'd draw too much attention away from the blocks, which, in this instance, is another reason I like the black guard over something patterned.

 

[headband]

I have one of these and am disappointed in it. I have a '69 jazz bound and blocked and was looking for something similar. I also have played many 70's jazz basses, and although the classic 70's jazz is well made, the neck feel isn't anything like any Fender I have played from the era. And the finish on the frets edges is nothing like what was done in the 70's. My classic 70's has binding that extends up to cover the fret edges, and to my knowledge, that wasn't done back then (and if I am wrong, please share so that I can learn), and it gives the neck a very different feel. And the neck is chunkier, too, but that is a minor issue. And the tone of this one is quite a bit different - doesn't have that deep low end I expect from a jazz. Now it sounds good in it's own right, but when you play it next to a good vintage jazz the difference is not subtle.
I'm really not knocking the instrument - in it's own right it is well made. I just was expecting something a little more like the original. If anyone wants to buy one, I will give a good deal on one.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Well everyone, this little love-fest has to come to an end.

Circumstances dictates I condense and/or sell off some stuff. As much as I want to keep this bass in it's entirety, I've decided to sell the body, but keep the neck. After all, it was the neck's vintage-inspired specs that attracted me to it in the first place. (Like I said previously, the blocks and binding are just the gravy on top) So, for the foreseeable future, "That '70s Neck" will remain with me, mounted proudly upon my Blacktop Jazz's body.

Thanks again for all the positive feedback, everybody! @headband, I'm sorry it didn't meet your expectations.

Soooooo…

…who's interested in an awesome Jazz bass body? (shameless plug ahoy!)

 

[Malak the Mad]

Just thought I'd pass on a little, bittersweet coda to the life of this most-excellent bass. The body may be living it up out in Europe, but the neck (probably the biggest selling-point of all, for me) lives on. It's now residing upon the body of my notably-different-yet-equally-excellent Blacktop Jazz bass. (yes, I had to sell it's neck…no way I was parting with that body!)

All that being said, I'm not closing this thread. I plan on keeping the pics and info as ever-present as possible. So, if anyone wants to use it to discuss these gems of the MIM lines, please feel free to do just that. In the meantime, here's the aforementioned neck's new home!

 

[KF2B]

Funny how you mated that neck with a black body... All I need to do is swap that cracked PG onto a white pearloid and play the s*it out of this bass

 

[Malak the Mad]

Funny how you mated that neck with a black body... All I need to do is swap that cracked PG onto a white pearloid and play the s*it out of this bass

Very cool! But it begs the question…if mine's been re-christened as a "'70s Blacktop Jazz", would that make yours a "JP-70"?

 

[KF2B]

Very cool! But it begs the question…if mine's been re-christened as a "'70s Blacktop Jazz", would that make yours a "JP-70"?

That would be a suiting name but this one´s got a name already: Gene - for obvious reasons...

 

[Thomas C3]

Sorry but if you want the authentic rounded voluptuous body of the original USA jazzes, you'll need to fork out the $1300-2100 to get a truly accurate reissue. Also, DR coated strings are garbage... it is not the fact it is made in Mexico, the specs are different from the originals... note the flat looking contour on the top of the bass... This is what you should strive for:

 

[Malak the Mad]

Sorry but if you want the authentic rounded voluptuous body of the original USA jazzes, you'll need to fork out the $1300-2100 to get a truly accurate reissue. Also, DR coated strings are garbage... it is not the fact it is made in Mexico, the specs are different from the originals... note the flat looking contour on the top of the bass... This is what you should strive for:

Oooooookaaaaayyyy…

So let me get this straight. You've just signed up for your TalkBass membership, right? Then you decided to kick off your inaugural post by insulting someone's choice of instrument and choice of strings? And to add insult to injury, you've made the indecorous decision to do it on someone's "New Bass Day" thread no less?!

One doesn't have to be a fortune teller to see you're in for a rancorous and tormented future here on the forum.

But to respond to your "review", let it be known that my bass was an exemplary musical instrument, regardless of the country of origin. It looked, sounded and, most importantly to me, felt great in my hands. Any sort of desperate clinging to period-correct minutia never once entered into my decision to buy it, save for the vintage-style fretboard radius.

On the subject of DR strings; I will be the first to admit they sometimes produce strings that are a bit "lacking". I've encountered ones that have been great and others seemed to have been made on a Friday. However, it's not only moot, but it's completely irrelevant to my thread. If you had actually read the initial post, you would've read how I'd swapped them out for a set of D'Addario FlexSteels. (For the record, they deliver a great amount of growl, especially to a '70s-pickup-spaced Jazz! )

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Believe it or not, a black-mint-black pickguard would look good, too.

Noooo... tort for ever with 3TS line that

 

[Malak the Mad]

Noooo... tort for ever with 3TS line that

Sorry, Gianni, but until it looks like authentic tortoise shell, I, for one, am not interested in photo-tort.

To my eyes, it's like the difference between a mannequin's flesh tone "skin" and actual, living human flesh. The latter looks natural because of it's inherent translucency, while mannequin "skin" dives down into the uncanny valley because it's 100% opaque.

It was the same way with early CGI people. They looked unnatural because skin has a barely noticeable "visual depth" that they lacked. (If you don't believe me, press a flashlight right up against your hand and fingers.) Well, I feel the same way about Tort. If it has real visual depth and translucency, I dig it. If it's a photo-veneer, I instantly spot the lack of depth and it's an instant turn-off.

What kills me is Fender mass produces picks and acoustic guitar pickguards with that translucency, but they don't make them like that because any transparency would reveal the CNC hole and bathtub routing underneath.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Sorry, Gianni, but until it looks like authentic tortoise shell, I, for one, am not interested in photo-tort.

To my eyes, it's like the difference between a mannequin's flesh tone "skin" and actual, living human flesh. The latter looks natural because of it's inherent translucency, while mannequin "skin" dives down into the uncanny valley because it's 100% opaque.

It was the same way with early CGI people. They looked unnatural because skin has a barely noticeable "visual depth" that they lacked. (If you don't believe me, press a flashlight right up against your hand and fingers.) Well, I feel the same way about Tort. If it has real visual depth and translucency, I dig it. If it's a photo-veneer, I instantly spot the lack of depth and it's an instant turn-off.

What kills me is Fender mass produces picks and acoustic guitar pickguards with that translucency, but they don't make them like that because any transparency would reveal the CNC hole and bathtub routing underneath.

View attachment 1024923

Ah ah maybe you're right ...

 

[madjazzbass]

I just wish they did then with Maple boards and Ash bodies...If you going to call it a 70's bass then at least do that.

^This indeed^ I be All Over That

 

[madjazzbass]

Doesn't it depend on which part of the decade you're dealing with?

Hey guys, I just happened to come across this beauty - Fender LTD 70s Ash Jazz Bass | For Sale | Replay Guitar

 

[Malak the Mad]

^This indeed^ I be All Over That

Hey guys, I just happened to come across this beauty - Fender LTD 70s Ash Jazz Bass | For Sale | Replay Guitar

Cool! And it looks like they went the extra mile to insure the neck has the same specs as it's rosewood counterpart (thickness, radius, bullet-style truss rod nut, etc…).

Apparently, there are a couple of retailers selling them for a hundred dollars less than full price…

2017 Fender Limited Edition '70s Jazz Bass - Natural, Maple Fingerboard, 0140117321

Free UPS 2nd Day! DEMO Fender Limited '70s Jazz Bass Natural (754)

 

[DirkP]

Thanks guy!

The bound/blocked feature was some seriously nice gravy on top. I'm happy it came with a stock black pickguard. I know I may be in the minority, but I always preferred the black-on-sunburst look. One less thing for me to replace!

I have one of these and am disappointed in it. I have a '69 jazz bound and blocked and was looking for something similar. I also have played many 70's jazz basses, and although the classic 70's jazz is well made, the neck feel isn't anything like any Fender I have played from the era. And the finish on the frets edges is nothing like what was done in the 70's. My classic 70's has binding that extends up to cover the fret edges, and to my knowledge, that wasn't done back then (and if I am wrong, please share so that I can learn), and it gives the neck a very different feel. And the neck is chunkier, too, but that is a minor issue. And the tone of this one is quite a bit different - doesn't have that deep low end I expect from a jazz. Now it sounds good in it's own right, but when you play it next to a good vintage jazz the difference is not subtle.
I'm really not knocking the instrument - in it's own right it is well made. I just was expecting something a little more like the original. If anyone wants to buy one, I will give a good deal on one.

Never compared it to my '70s MIJ Fender, but this is how the binding on the fret ends looks on an all original '78 Jazz:

 

[Malak the Mad]

It's high time I blow the dust off my old "Unveiling" thread, gosh-darnit!

I just wish they did then with Maple boards and Ash bodies...If you going to call it a 70's bass then at least do that.

Funny you should say that, Tony, 'cuz that's almost what I have to submit for everyone's discussion and, hopefully, approval. But regardless of everyone's reactions, I will go on record to say this is probably the best feeling and sounding parts-bass Projekt I have ever assembled! It also helps that it is a reasonable weight (9lb.4oz.) incredibly easy on the eyes.

Late last year, I was inspired to recreate my kinda-sorta-long-since-gone Fender Classic '70s Jazz (I still have the neck in-reserve for another Projekt) by a body put up for sale fellow TB'er, @WillieB.

After curating all the right parts, I give you "That (Second) '70s Jazz Bass"!

Pics now for the TL-DR crowd, details further below…

Now, let's get down to brass tacks!

1. Fender MIM Classic '70s reissue Jazz body. (…not sure of the year)
2. 2018 Squier Vintage Modified '70s Jazz neck.
3. Fender Custom Shop '60s Jazz pickups. (…bought from @rushproject -Thanks again, Bro!)
4. Brass high-mass bass bridge. (…these things are amazing! Great sustain, threaded barrels and a 100% direct drop-in replacement for MIM Fender basses!)
5. Series/Parallel wiring harness.
6. .100-.045 gauge D'Addario XT coated strings.
7. *Hipshot licensed Ultralite tuners and Ultralite Drop-D tuner (*…soon to be installed)

Once I had all the parts together, I brought it to my local Guitar Center to have the wiring for the pickups and controls done. For the record, Mike and Scott do great work there! The CS '60s pickups are a hands-down winner…a winner made even better by the series/parallel wiring.

For this Projekt, I wanted a particular sound, call it the "Goldilocks Jazz Sound"…growly, but not too clangy…deep, but not too muddy. The trick was finding the right strings. I tried a number of different sets…Fender Nickels, Dean Markley SR2000's, D'Addario FlexSteels…until I threw on a set of .100-gauge Elixir Coated strings. They added the finishing touch I was looking for. However, it was a short-lived love affair.

For some reason, the intonation kept falling out of place. It's one thing if new strings keep falling out of tune as they keep stretching to their optimal tension, but this had never happened to me before. It wasn't until I was loosening the strings to adjust the intonation YET AGAIN! that I noticed the problem…the E and A-strings had a barely perceptible kink in them.

One possibility was something heavy had rested on the Elixir box. After all, they were NOS when I purchased them from a local, mom & pop music store. The strings could've been transferred from their remaining store when they closed their other location. But, as I'm writing this, I just remembered something about that store. They keep their string-rack high up above the checkout counter. It's quite possible they got kinked when they were pulled forward off the rack, getting bent over the metal frame in the process, rather than being pulled straight up and out. Regardless, I bought them so long ago, it doesn't really matter.

So, after all that testing, I finally found a set of strings that sounded perfect for me only to find they were damaged. Obviously, I thought about getting a new set of Elixirs, but I had just heard about D'Addario's new XT coated strings. I also had a Guitar Center coupon code I could apply to a set of my preferred gauge. I decided "Eh…what the hell. D'Addario makes nice strings. Let's give 'em a shot.", and I'm glad I did! The coating eats up the tooth-grating clang, all while maintaining great clarity. Goldilocks has been playing with my bass!

As a side-note…it's my suspicion D'Addario came up with the XT's to directly compete with Elixirs. Don't get me wrong. I've really liked the Elixirs I've used in the past…save for that damaged set, of course…but the D'Addario XT's have a very similar sound and feel, but for a notably lower price.

To summarize (I know…finally, right?! ), I'm still amazed at how good this bass sounds, balances and feels in my own, two hands. And it's my hope the Ultralite tuners and Drop-D tuner make it feel even better, as well as making it that much more versatile. (I'm learning a handful of songs where going into drop-D tuning is necessary)

Thanks for reading, Y'all! Constructive comments and criticism, as well as lively discussion, are always welcome!

 

[TonyP-]

It's high time I blow the dust off my old "Unveiling" thread, gosh-darnit!

Funny you should say that, Tony, 'cuz that's almost what I have to submit for everyone's discussion and, hopefully, approval. But regardless of everyone's reactions, I will go on record to say this is probably the best feeling and sounding parts-bass Projekt I have ever assembled! It also helps that it is a reasonable weight (9lb.4oz.) incredibly easy on the eyes.

Late last year, I was inspired to recreate my kinda-sorta-long-since-gone Fender Classic '70s Jazz (I still have the neck in-reserve for another Projekt) by a body put up for sale fellow TB'er, @WillieB.

After curating all the right parts, I give you "That (Second) '70s Jazz Bass"! View attachment 3768624

Pics now for the TL-DR crowd, details further below…

View attachment 3768625
View attachment 3768626
View attachment 3768627
View attachment 3768628

Now, let's get down to brass tacks!

1. Fender MIM Classic '70s reissue Jazz body. (…not sure of the year)
2. 2018 Squier Vintage Modified '70s Jazz neck.
3. Fender Custom Shop '60s Jazz pickups. (…bought from @rushproject -Thanks again, Bro!)
4. Brass high-mass bass bridge. (…these things are amazing! Great sustain, threaded barrels and a 100% direct drop-in replacement for MIM Fender basses!)
5. Series/Parallel wiring harness.
6. .100-.045 gauge D'Addario XT coated strings.
7. *Hipshot licensed Ultralite tuners and Ultralite Drop-D tuner (*…soon to be installed)

Once I had all the parts together, I brought it to my local Guitar Center to have the wiring for the pickups and controls done. For the record, Mike and Scott do great work there! The CS '60s pickups are a hands-down winner…a winner made even better by the series/parallel wiring.

For this Projekt, I wanted a particular sound, call it the "Goldilocks Jazz Sound"…growly, but not too clangy…deep, but not too muddy. The trick was finding the right strings. I tried a number of different sets…Fender Nickels, Dean Markley SR2000's, D'Addario FlexSteels…until I threw on a set of .100-gauge Elixir Coated strings. They added the finishing touch I was looking for. However, it was a short-lived love affair.

For some reason, the intonation kept falling out of place. It's one thing if new strings keep falling out of tune as they keep stretching to their optimal tension, but this had never happened to me before. It wasn't until I was loosening the strings to adjust the intonation YET AGAIN! that I noticed the problem…the E and A-strings had a barely perceptible kink in them.

One possibility was something heavy had rested on the Elixir box. After all, they were NOS when I purchased them from a local, mom & pop music store. The strings could've been transferred from their remaining store when they closed their other location. But, as I'm writing this, I just remembered something about that store. They keep their string-rack high up above the checkout counter. It's quite possible they got kinked when they were pulled forward off the rack, getting bent over the metal frame in the process, rather than being pulled straight up and out. Regardless, I bought them so long ago, it doesn't really matter.

So, after all that testing, I finally found a set of strings that sounded perfect for me only to find they were damaged. Obviously, I thought about getting a new set of Elixirs, but I had just heard about D'Addario's new XT coated strings. I also had a Guitar Center coupon code I could apply to a set of my preferred gauge. I decided "Eh…what the hell. D'Addario makes nice strings. Let's give 'em a shot.", and I'm glad I did! The coating eats up the tooth-grating clang, all while maintaining great clarity. Goldilocks has been playing with my bass!

As a side-note…it's my suspicion D'Addario came up with the XT's to directly compete with Elixirs. Don't get me wrong. I've really liked the Elixirs I've used in the past…save for that damaged set, of course…but the D'Addario XT's have a very similar sound and feel, but for a notably lower price.

To summarize (I know…finally, right?! ), I'm still amazed at how good this bass sounds, balances and feels in my own, two hands. And it's my hope the Ultralite tuners and Drop-D tuner make it feel even better, as well as making it that much more versatile. (I'm learning a handful of songs where going into drop-D tuning is necessary)

Thanks for reading, Y'all! Constructive comments and criticism, as well as lively discussion, are always welcome! View attachment 3768629

I’m stoked for you and actually a touch Envious.

I’m just about to part out a 70s parts bass now because I need (not want) to play a 5 %90 of the time.

Parts bass are some of the best because you are choosing what you want and it’s usally better then stock gear.

Cheers

 

[Malak the Mad]

I’m stoked for you and actually a touch Envious.

Thank you so very much, Tony! I'm touched when a pro-musician appreciates my work. It's that kind of feedback that keeps me going.

I’m just about to part out a 70s parts bass now because I need (not want) to play a 5 %90 of the time.

I'm guessing a Drop-D tuner won't help you avoid such a drastic act, ja?

Parts bass are some of the best because you are choosing what you want and it’s usally better then stock gear.

Exactly and I hope so! It's incredibly satisfying to create something that doesn't exist "in nature". Certainly, this beastie isn't too far removed from a stock Geddy Lee-sig Jazz, but on one hand, it's still different enough that it stands out on it's own. On the other hand, this one is special to me because of the work that went into making it what it is, even if the parts were relatively inexpensive.

What's really funny is when I initially started this thread, I wasn't all that thrilled with bound & blocked maple necks. Since then, I've assembled four others with one more in the works. Chalk it up to "evolving and expanding tastes", I guess.