geoham

Sounds quite weird indeed. The fact it's going away when you touch the strings etc would suggest an issue somewhere with earth wiring, but the fact you've replaced the pots would hopefully suggest otherwise, unless you made the same error twice. It's probably worth checking against a wiring diagram to be 100% certain, and possibly confirming a good solid bridge earth connection. Here's some things I'd try... Try in a different room. I had an issue once, where if my active Lakland was plugged into an amp which was plugged in to a socket in the same room as a powerline adapter, i'd get all sorts of weird noises. Only this bass in this exact scenario. I know folk have had similar experiences where problems only occur in certain rooms. If there's a pickup at fault, I'd expect it to just be one - unless you are exceptionally unlucky. So, does the hum occur with one or both pickups? I'd first test by just using the volume pots, then try removing the suspect pickup from the circuit entirely and running it in isolation to confirm. Check you don't have any pots, wiring etc touching the inside of the control cavity - it's probably got conductive paint on it as shielding. If you have a multimeter, measure the resistance between various earth points - like between the bridge and the back of a pot. It should be as close to zero as possible. Anything that gives a value significantly greater than just touching the two points together should be investigated. Also use a multimeter to check the DC resistance of the pickups, a quick Google suggests the following values for your pickups: Neck: 8.3K, Bridge: 7.8K. I wouldn't be worried about a small difference here, just anything significant like half or double the expected value. Good luck! George

Yeah, I’m a great believer in constructive feedback. There’s a QC card with four signatures on it. Genuinely, if one of those signatures was mine and the end user wasn’t happy I’d like to know. Realistically, I know these are factory workers and probably signing 100+ of those every day and may not care what some bloke in Scotland thinks!

That’s my thinking too. The bass arrived kind of in tune... more or less a semitone flat across the board. I bought it from PMT, but I don’t really hold it against them. It was on back order, and going by the packaging they received it and shipped it straight to me. Overall, I totally agree with the comments that you can’t expect a perfectly set up bass straight from the factory. But a loose truss rod with more than 2mm relief is pretty poor by most folk’s standards - particularly given the inconvenient truss rod access. I think I’ll drop Fender a wee email with my concerns and a photo of the QC inspection tag!

Made in Mexico. Now that I've set it up I'm quite happy. But it arrived virtually unplayable, unless you fancied some archery!

No, these are just the factory fitted strings.

Hi guys, What's your experience with the factory setup on brand new instruments, particularly the truss rod? Since December there's three new instruments came in to my house... a Harley Benton 6 string bass (that my wife got me for xmas, misunderstanding my suggestion of a cheap 6 string guitar!), a subsequent purchase of a cheap 6 string guitar - a Squier Strat, then a Fender Vintera 60s Jazz that arrived yesterday to replace my old Jazz that was stolen a couple of months ago. All three of these instruments had something in common - pretty much zero tension in the truss rod! All of them needed significant adjustment. To put it in perspective, Fender state a factory spec of 0.35mm relief between the top of the 8th fret and bottom of the string. I don't have a feeler gauge, but I was able to fit two 1mm picks in the gap on my new Vintera (obviously with the first and last frets depressed). Being a vintage style bass, it's adjusted at the heel and required removal of the neck (or at least loosening), so a proper pain to adjust. Not really what you want to be doing after waiting a couple of weeks for delivery. But, a little time spent means the bass now feels as good as it looks and sounds! Given the cost of the Fender compared to the HB and Squier, I suppose my expectations were a little higher. I know everyone has their preferences regarding setup, but surely a rough baseline setup should be done prior to shipping. Or is there some logic in shipping basses without tension in the truss rod? George

I LOVED the Young Person's Guide! Being a teenager learning to be a rockstar in Glasgow when it was originally broadcast, it really hit home! I remember using the Brill Building rehearsal rooms, where one of the scenes was filmed, and being told by the staff that the manager character was based on their boss, who also managed a very famous band at the time.

I had no idea that Guy played on this. Really enjoyed the video and looking forward to whatever else he treats us to!

Lovely looking bass, may do the job as a stop gap if nothing else, thanks.

Does look great value for money. Pity I can’t see one in my preferred colour. Reminds me of a support gig I did with the Pat McManus band, the man himself played Vintage guitars and sounded great.

Some very good points! I like vintage looks and tone on a Jazz - but don’t particularly care about it being truly accurate. Especially not at double the price...

This is basically exactly where my head is, though quite tempted by the Squier as I have enough in my gear fund to get it today! I try to fund gear purchases with the small amounts of money I earn from gigs, which Corona has killed for the foreseeable. Not always a enforced rule, but I like to tell myself it’s a self funding hobby. George

Thanks, this is useful. How would you describe the pickups? I’m after something smooth, not to harsh. I previously paid not far off the price of this bass for the CS60s pickups that I put in my now stolen Mex Jazz and really liked the tone of them. Given I’ve got a Helix to replace too, the cheaper option will let me get back to a even position a bit sooner. George

That is rather pretty!

I posted before about my old MIM Jazz Bass being stolen, and I'm in the market to replace it. I've pretty much decided I want something with vintage voiced pickups, preferably in a fairly pale shade of blue and a red tortoiseshell scratchplate (to look reasonably similar to my missing one, which I loved the look of!). It looks like Fender do three tick could potentially tick all the right boxes. American Original (About £1600) Vintera (About £800) Squier Classic Vibe (About £330) There are some differences in materials / parts used on these, but I'm interested in what this translates to in the real world? Has anyone tried any of them side by side? I can afford any of them, I just need to wait a little longer. Right now I feel the Vintera is probably the right one... however , if the US built one was substantially better I'd prefer to just wait an extra couple of months and get that. With the same token, I could be tempted to pull the trigger on Squier straight away with some encouragement! Regarding usage - it'll be strung with flats and doing 20 or so pub gigs a year with a few weddings/functions. It'll sharing duties with my Lakland 55-01, with the Jazz covering the vintage side of the set and the Lakland the more modern stuff. I'd love to just try all three myself, but I'd probably struggle to find somewhere with them all, never mind the virus situation! George

Appreciate the suggestions guys!

It is indeed a nice thing. Mine was a 2002 Mex, Agave Blue with a rosewood board. Over the years I changed the pickups to Fender CS60s, the bridge to a Gotoh, fitted straplocks and a tortoiseshell scratchplate. I may pop in Guitar Guitar, or perhaps somewhere in London when I'm down for work in a couple of weeks and try out some. Seems so much choice now and much of it very good value.

Thanks, that's basically what I've found too. As pretty a bass as it is, I don't think it's for me. My missing Jazz has a high-mass bridge (Gotoh) and vintage voiced pickups (Fender CS 60s) and is strung with flats. I'd like to get something fairly close without having to do any additional upgrades... and ideally without splashing out on a Fender US Professional! My 'modern' needs are covered by my Lakland 5501. Happy to listen to any recommendations, it's a crowded market!

After my beloved Fender Jazz was stolen last week, I'm currently without a 4 string fretted bass. I've not entirely given up hope of getting it back, but I am not full of optimism.... I do quite like the look of the new Guy Pratt signature model and a huge fan of Guy's - I remember watching the Floyd Venice show recorded from BBC when I was a kid, even before I knew who Roger Waters was! Has anybody tried one yet? How does it stack up against something like a Mexican Fender or Lakland Skyline? http://www.basscentre.com/british-bass-masters/bbm-betsy.html Cheers, George

That’d be great, thanks. It’s well shared in Glasgow area, but not in these areas.

In the boot, below a parcel shelf and dark windows. Not visible from the outside at all. I don’t think the gear was specifically targeted. My two theories... Someone randomly trying car doors to find an unlocked one, and taking anything of value. I’m in a terraced house and the the car is just a few steps from the street. One of the workmen I’ve had in in the past couple of weeks managed to clone my car key (if that’s even possible), planned on taking the car and couldn’t because it was blocked in, so settled for the contents instead. The bass means a lot to me, been through a ton of gigs, recordings and even a TV appearance. I bought it by saving up my tips when I was a barman 18 years ago. Genuinely irreplaceable to me, but to the used market it just an old Mexican jazz with a few upgrades. The Helix is probably worth more money, but of zero sentimental value at all, a replacement will be identical. George

I've shared this on a few Facebook groups, as have my contacts - so hopefully makes enough prospective buyers aware of it. It was at home, parked on my driveway with the boot facing away from the street. I've either been stupid left it unlocked after unloading shopping, or my key has been cloned somehow. I've had several workmen in recently, and my wife's car had blocked the driveway, so they couldn't have taken that if they did manage to clone the key. Thanks for sharing. George

I stupidly left some gear in my car and it looks like it’s been stolen. Please keep your eyes open and share on social media. Any information, please contact me or the police. A reward can be provided for the safe return. Fender Jazz Bass. Blue with red tortoise shell scratchplate and a Gotoh bridge. In a Fender gig bag. Serial number MZ2177370. Line 6 Helix LT. Still has screen protector on. In a Gator gig bag. Serial number 21HLT2V6845000222. Behringer P1 IEM amp KZ IEMs (blue) 2 x instrument cables 1 x power cable (kettle lead) I'm playing the bass in this picture, though it now has normal black plastic knobs. Facebook post (please share)

That's rather interesting!