joe_geezer

Thank you for the feedback & glad it helped out & a bonus you're on the best forum for bass now!

I've had a few trb's mk1's over the years, there seems to be actually 3 versions of the mk 1: 1. satin / thin stain finish (gold logo on headstock) 2. natural polished finish (mother of pearl logo on headstock) 3. high gloss finish (mother of pearl logo on headstock) All the mk1 trbs are made in Japan, have ash bodies and rosewood fingerboards (probably brazilian) & quarter sawn maple necks with 6 bolts to connect the neck to the body. I would recommend version 1 then 2 then 3, then mk2, here's why: The satin version has the best tone imo & is slightly lighter than version 2. The tone is clearer, so they might have made revisions to the pickups and or electronics OR it might be that the thin stain allows the wood to effect the tone. The construction is as good if not better than any high end bass, hard to believe, right? I've owed NYC Sadowskys, Statii, Warwicks & The mk 1 is up there with them, if not surpassing them. Version 2 of the Mk 1 series has excellent construction, sounds great and balances perfectly. Its a little heavier, maybe just a 1 Ib, it's negligible, there is some extra laminates showing through on the headstock of some dark blue stained wood. The 4 string is only available in a natural high polish natural ash finish & the 5 & 6 string basses are available in a darker tan color high polish stain. Version 3 of the mk 1 series is the worst imo, its heavier than version 2 revision & the construction can be inconsistent. I have owned a 6 string which was very well made & a 4 string which had a larger gap in the neck body pocket and just didnt feel as high end as the previous 2 versions. The Yamaha mk 2 versions, made in Japan are all 35" scale & are similar to the mk1 revision 3 in build specs but they do not have the slap cutaways. Also the 4 & 6 strings versions all have soap bars pickups unlike the originals which have the single coil size pickups. They are only available in high gloss finishes - blue & a red sunburst. All later versions are not made in Japan & are of lesser quality & are probably mass produced in factories with less specialist builders. This just is my opinion but if you require a 35" scale then get the mk2 version otherwise try and get your hands on any version of the mk1, even the 3rd revision of the mk1 will be better than a mk2 or mass produced trb.

That makes sense & great you got the active option! I'd be very interested to hear the difference of a bolt on to a set neck Jaydee, perhaps it gets even more punchy

Awesome! So the Roadie's also take 16 months to complete like the Series 1,2,3's?

Congrats! Can we have some specs please?

I have just placed an order for another Jaydee, another Series 3 but this time in pearl mint green, maple stringers & saturn inlays... I might change the maple strings though to another darker wood because this blue bass that's coming looks so nice with the darker woods. So this thread should stay alive for at least another 16 months Inspired by this pic:

Yea i agree totally that the earlier Status basses like the Series 2000 sound great! As did the Empathy 5 string on the Guaranteed Live Video.

I loved the sound of Mark king's Status Empathy 5 string in the Guaranteed concert video, it had a nice low b sound and the tone was not plastic sounding at all. I wonder if it's the way it's recorded on some gigs, the direct sound of a status can be plastic sounding but through a trace rig it brings out a nice powerful gutsy sound.

Exactly! All my status basses have been on the heavy side, obviously no neck dive but i was surprised that graphite / woven carbon can be actually heavier than wood

Out of interest, which models are you interested in ordering?

What aspects do you require from Jaydee that another bass builder can't provide? Without sounding abrasive, if it's just having the Jaydee logo on the headstock then you could look into many other bass makers that im sure would satisfy your build requirements. Jaydee's (as you know), have a very distinctive look with which they have successfully carved out a niche market with, the set neck construction, distinctive headstock, wood pickup covers, the bright middle punchy preamps are all mainstays and to update them just to please a few niche customers would probably loose them a lot of business. If it's the set neck construction, then you might find it difficult to find another bass maker, i can only think of Larkin (Rip), Rickenbecker or Guild Pilot basses. As mentioned they offer an updated version of the line with the tear drop bridge shape, exotic wood tops & slightly angled body shape, which i think is more of a custom order. Also, still on the topic, i love the old status series 2 basses & was gutted that i missed out on the recent anniversary models , also they were quite expensive. Looking on their site, there's nothing that comes close to their classic designs, i really dont like the modern separate bridge style, newer body shapes, even the logo. Im sure they are still wonderful playing and sounding basses but just not my thing.

Another blue Jaydee

Amazing bass! Are the GA24's the same body size as series 3s?

Haha, all are welcome to have a slap on my jaydee!

As promised some updates that John kindly sent me this evening...

Could i disagree on not updating the design... I love how Jaydee and Wal have maintained their brand and designs , they have included new designs like the series 3. I really dislike all the new status basses and prefer the original series 2. Also, look at fender, alembic etc most bass guitar brand dont update their classic original designs - thank god!

Just spoke to John & will have some new pics on the assembly bench soon...

This is the bass in the spray booth a few months ago....

A jaydee actually can have quite a pronounced mid, obviously with the back pickup soloed but also when both pickups are on it still retains a lot of mids. If you listen to any of Level 42s live albums you can really hear when Mark is slapping the mids really coming through...

grunt is confusing, he probably meant "mid growl"

no need, just listen to "A PHYSICAL PRESENCE" album and theres your answer

Here's the latest update, the pic was kindly sent by John today, only about a month now to go! Also , now i can see the darker thru body woods I requested that I have seen on 1 or 2 other Jaydee's... very nice!

Ive often looked at that very bass and marvelled at it! Do the pickups any different from the standard wooden covered ones?

Great Story!