mr.noisy

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1459438291' post='3016596']



I changed the pickguard and knobs on mine. Just because!

I don't have pictures of it as it is now, just this one where I just placed the pickguard on it, unscrewed, and placed the cream knobs on top of the existing black ones... but it gives you an idea:


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Where did you get the pickguard from? Did it fot without any problem? I am looking to get one from ebay.

I stand by the Pentabuzz mentioned before. I am not a daily fretless player and currently don't own one, but last year at the LBGS I tried Pentabuzz and my life will never be the same. I dream about it ever since I took it to my hands. It was just totally incredible instrument, I never heard and never had in my hands anything that comes even close to it.

[quote name='RickyV' timestamp='1459426653' post='3016421']
Mmmmm. Have looked at these before but not gone for one. Now thinking I really need to! Probably go for the all black with the maple. What are the strings like tho? Are they a decent branded set or just stock J&D's which will need changing straight away?
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The strings for me sound quite nice, so I am not going to change them until they die. I might take a Gopro to my gig tonight and try to record some footage.
So, did anyone change the pickguard on their J&D?

They do sound great, and surf green isn't boring by any means, still looks great and I might get one as a backup. Pickups do sound great, very growly. It reminds me of a MIJ Geddy Lee jazz that I had a few years back. Even with the tone rolled all the way down they still got some of that growl there. Did you keep the pickguard stock on yours?

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1459405825' post='3016142']
I have serious GAS for one of these. The Sonic Blue screamed 'Buy Me' as soon as I saw it, but everyone else seemed to be going 'gaga' over the Surf Green ones. I also love the Black/Black/Maple. I will pull the trigger on one soon, but which one?
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One of the reasons I went for a sonic blue is the fact that everyone else is buying surf green. And I love it!

Haha, these are so cheap you could really grt one of each and it will still be cheaper than a mexican Fender. After a couple of days of extensive playing the only thing I found would need replacing soon are the tuners, they hold the tuning fine, but as I have noticed in other thread someone else had the same problem, these tuners have something like a waist that is causing the E and A string to be almost straight from the nut to the peg, but the nut slot is tight and strings do not vibrate or anything but I just think that there should be at least a little angle there, D an G is fine because of the string retainer. Other than that, I had my first rehearsal with it yesterday, and I got a gig today and tomorrow. I also want to change the pickguard for a tort one, but I am not sure if the ones on ebay would fit. Did anyone change one on theirs and can confirm that they have about the same fit as the ones sold cheap on ebay for Fenders?

I remember many years ago one of my first basses was a Squier PJ, and I didn't realise how good it was until I started to look for an upgrade. I went to a few shops in London and started checking out Fender Jazzes, and I was completely disappointed, because none of the basses I tried was any better than the Squier and I just couldn't justify spending so much money just for the badge. It took a long time, and I remember that I upgraded to a MIJ Geddy Lee, it was such a great bass, sounded and felt totally amazing. So, go and try some basses, and I'd recommend looking for a second hand Japanese Geddy's, as these usually go for similar price of new MIM Jazz or even cheaper.

Everyone will give you different advice, as you can see in the previous posts. I'd say, if you have a good budget, take a trip to a shop that stocks not only the mainstream basses, but other things as well. I guess that Bass Direct is a good place for that, and maybe The Gallery? Then try and pick up and try as many different basses as you can, take your time. You can get some really high end basses within your budget, especially if you go for a second hand bass, and if you will go that route, these should hold their value and you might re-sell them without losing anything.

I am not much of a technical guy to be honest so can't really say too much. I don't remember if the fingerboard was thin like in the sixties, but al i can say is that this bass never felt fragile, except the nitro finish, it was very thin and prone to chips and dings. Regarding the frets, again, i am not an expert but I heard some professional players like Lee Sklar saying that they use and prefer thinner frets because there is less string noise or buzz due to the thinner surface of the fret. I had flats on that Jazz fitted since I bought it and until I sold it, so I don't know if that was the case. I got small frets on my other custom bass though that is always strung with roundwounds and I got the action quite low and don't have a problem with buzzing etc, but again, I don't know if this is down to years of playing and my light touch and technique.

Yes, that Sonic Blue really pops out. They had fiesta red p bass too and fender 50s p bass in fiesta red and comparing these two the j&d fiesta red was more bright. They did not have surf green though. And I forgot to say that they put it in a gig bag too All that for £119 including 3 years warranty. Crazy

Not sure about 62 reissue but I had 64, and while I am not a massive expert on Fenders, I guess the American series are made as close to the original basses from that era as possible. Mine had clay coloured dots, reverse tuners, nitro finish, phillips style truss rod adjustment at the body side and even the neck was stamped at the heel with the date like it was in the old days. Plus vintage style case with all the bits and bobs, ashtrays with foam mute on the bridge tray, some old leaflets etc.

So, I had that moment in my life again, I really might have a problem. It's about a month since I bought an Ibanez 6 string, and from last few days I started GASsing again. I wanted Jazz Bass. I was skinned. I needed something cheap. I know it would not be easy. I had quite a few Jazzes in my life, I had Fenders, Lakland, Sandberg, so you could call me a bit of a snob, always wanted to have the best gear. Now my budget is super tight and I started doing some research. First, I was very close to buy Harley Benton, so many great reviews, quite decent Wilkinson hardware, ash body, that's crazy for just a bit over £100. But I was a bit sceptical about it. I have had so many bad experiences with other brands, even those super expensive ones, that I really needed to try something. Not much on youtube. Then I came across J&D, almost the same thing, from different German music store. The difference is alder body, neck is finished in gloss and pickups are unbranded.
2 days ago I went to see a second hand Harley Benton in natural, because seller from gumtree was living very close to me, and it was really cheap. It sounded great, but was quite heavy and the bridge saddles were all the way down and action still was a bit high, and I didn't take it. Maybe it needed a truss rod adjustment, but I just didn't feel it. I am always a bit anxious about basses that have bridge saddles all the way down and still high action. I like mine quite low. Then I saw that J&D are actually in stock at DV247 and they got some in store. Yesterday I had a rehearsal very close to Romford and after that I took my guitarist and we went to that store. I just wanted to check it out.
First, I was quite surprised, the store was really big, and they had quite a few basses there, a lot of Fenders, some Squiers and even over £3000 Mayones stuff.
Then I saw them, they had few of these J&D's on display. I tried 3 Jazzes and 2 P basses, then started to compare it to Fenders. They even had Classic 70s Fender so I could compare it to 4 or even 5 times more expensive bass, and Fender was quite bad, reminded me why immediately sent back the one I bought few years back. Super heavy and huge string action with saddles all the way down. I tried some more MIM and US standard, some Squiers etc and I was completely blown away how this thing could feel and sound. Right on the display the setup was much better than other ones I tried and I have seen that there is still a room for adjustments. Pickups were really hot, quite bright, piano-like and growly, exactly how I imagine my perfect JB sound. Then the finish was almost flawless, there are some spots where I could point out some imperfections, like maybe couple rough fret edges, but these are noticeable only when I move my hand on purpose to check it, when I play, I don't feel it at all. Other than that, gloss finish on the neck is perfect, it really is. Sonic blue colour is a bit on the bright side, but again, finish is flawless, I remember when I received my £1100 Lakland that had a bit of imperfection in the body work on one of the horns, it wasn't sanded properly and it wasn't smooth but they painted over it... Same thing when I got US standard P Bass for about the same amount of money, it was such a great bass but same thing, I found a bit of rough spots in the body finish under the paint. This bass has none of them.
I really didn't need another bass, but I couldn't leave it, it just sounded too good, it was finished too good... But I must say that the finish vary between the basses, so I guess the best option is to try them yourself, for example on one of the other basses had a little gap in the neck pocket, had some more rough fret edges, but still sounded great. I tried P basses and I think it will definitely be coming my way when I get some spare cash.

The only thing that I had to do when i got home and started setting it up was correcting the pickup height. I did a little truss rod adjustment and put bridge saddles down to get a nice action, but pickups were so high that the string were almost laying on the magnets and I couldn't screw them any more, so I took the strings out and took the pickups out. There was a very dense foam underneath, I took it out and cut in half, put the pickups back and it was fine. Now the pickups are at correct height, action is really low without any buzzing anywhere on the neck and I just can't believe that the cheapest bass I have ever bought is one of the best I ever had, and I had a lot! And I got a couple of gigs this weekend and some more during the April, and I will be taking it with me.
I also like the logo on the headstock. I like nice things, and while I agree that it doesn't matter how something looks but how it sounds and feel, I think that at least J&D did a little design on their logo as opposed to HB just choosing a 'fenderish' font.

Some people say that these instruments are great basses 'for the money'. I'd say, these are just great basses, not only in their price range, but in general. I am not sure if I will ever upgrade it, I like it how it is!

Okay, I went to a music store yesterday, and walked out with a Jazz Bass, therefore Musicmaster stays with me, and Ibanez is now for sale / trade. I guess that my friends are a bit right saying that I have a problem regarding basses...

I have added another bass, I'd like to trade only one of them and as I said, I am looking for Precision or Jazz.

PM'd

Bump.
I had quite a few offers, but still not what I am looking for. I might also accept some cheaper J or P, like a Squier etc with some cash my way, as I am thinking about making a project bass.

[quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1458916184' post='3012101']
Lovely tulip tuners on this.
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Thank you, I like them too!

Ok, so the original item listed here was old Musicmaster, and that was the price value that you can see, and please ingore it, because I got already a Jazz that I bought and no longer require the trade, but something needs to go, and I'll keep the Musicmaster and here is the Ibanez SR756 instead. Asking price £550 ONO, I would accept a Markbass 1 x 12 cab to match my Mini CMD combo + a little cash adjustment.

I only got it about a month ago, so except one little ding that happened in a tiny rehearsal space, it is pretty much as new. I thought I will get on with a 6 string, but I must admit that I am not that much of a player and I'll stick to 4 and 5 that I got. It's a bit of a shame because it's a great sounding bass for what it cost, and Nordstrand pickups sound really fat. I guess that most people are aware of Ibanez built quality and ergonomy. It has a nice, low action, and notes ring beautifully and evenly across the whole fingerboard.
Here are the specs-
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]SR6 5pc Jatoba/Bubinga neck[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]Bubinga top/Mahogany body[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]Rosewood fretboard w/Abalone oval inlay[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]Medium frets[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]Accu-cast B306 bridge[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]Nordstrand CND P/J pickups[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band eqw/Eq bypass switch (passive tone control on treble pot)[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]Black matte hardware[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]I am based in London NW2 area, you are more than welcome to pop in and try it out. I still have the box that it came in, so I guess I'd re-pack it if you would like to organise your own courier. If you live within reasonable distance from London I could even drop it off for a little Diesel contribution. [/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=open_sans, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3][/size][/font][/color]

I haven't tried it yet, but I will try it on next rehearsal or performance and let you know.

This is definitely not the EQ thing, I have played it through many different amps, as I am at music uni at the moment, and we perform every week on stage and play rehearsals in different rooms, I used different bass as well as other students with different basses after or before me playing at exact same settings would not have any problems. That's why I thing that the only things left are pickups or the pre-amp, but I think I have replaced the preamp before when I had some other problems, but for exactly the same model. Now it is narrowing down to the pick ups I guess. But I am not sure what could go wrong with them.

I have tried a lot of different brand of strings as well as stainless and nickel plated. So this is not the strings problem I guess. I'll bring the other side down too and see whats going to happen.

Hey guys, thank you very much for your response and suggestions. I have now few more things to check. The worst thing is that actually I can't really tell any difference unles I play with the band, when I play it at home everything sounds just fine, so I don't know if I would be able to swap the strings to check if D or G would sound right if put in the E or A position.
I don't have any precise ruler to check the measurement between pickup and strings but I guess it should be a bit more than 1/8" on the higher side and the B, E and A side is maxed down, can't put it any lower
I will try on the rehearsal if this problem still exist with only a single pickup

Ah, and preamp does not have any internal boost or cut dials, just a little cube http://noll-electronic.de/bass-electronics/tcm-3/

Hey guys,
I believe that I actually might started similar topic before, but for some reason I can't find it in my content and using search function, so here it is again.

I have a custom build bass, that is beautiful but it gives me some headache with the string volume, or maybe a presence or I don't know. Bass got Bartolini pickups, NOLL 3 band EQ and 16.5mm spacing. At first I had it strung E to C, and it sounded beautiful unless I had to play with a band, then D,G and C string would sound very weak. Currently I got in a common B to G tuning, I wanted to check if i was a string gauge problem, but it's still there and now D and G strings sound quite weak, and it is not only my perception but I had a feedback from other people that listened to me playing from audience perspective. I did some research, I asked some questions and I tried to work with EQ like some people suggest, I have tried pickup height and got it lower on the lower strings that sounds fine and a bit closer to the weaker sounding strings but these things did not sort out the problem. I have also had quite a few different sets of strings from different manufacturers so it is definitely not a bad set of strings problem too.

I guess that the only thing thats left is preamp or pickups. I was actually wondering if I don't have a wrong set of pickups for my bass, as it has 16.5 mm spacing. Pickups are Bartolini P25CBC dual coil soapbars. I was wondering that if those pickups have magnets similar to those like in jazz or other pickups with exposed poles, but just underneath the covers? If yes, maybe the strings are misaligned with those poles hidden under the cover? I tried to look there, but when I unscrewed the pickup and checked it out, I can't take the cover to have a look inside.
I am really running out of options, replacing the pickups isn't cheap so I wanted to ask first for some opinions and if anyone is running those pickups in a narrow spacing bass without any problems.

[attachment=212901:IMG_0706.JPG]

Ian bought my Nate Mendel P bass today. We had a solid communication throughout, he came along to try it out and decided to take it and paid the asking price without any hesitation.
I would recommend Ian as a honest and genuine member of Basschat, deal with confidence.
Thanks

Now selling!

Got the Musicmaster for cash, so I am trying to stick with one in, one out.