dazza14

Brilliant, thanks Conan. Youtube is massively variable, i watched one vid and after reading the description it said he uses a few pedals, so no 'real' tone at all. When my bass was setup the 'setup-per' told me there wasn't any play left in the screws to raise the neck pickup any more so i'm going to replace the screw with a longer one and start there. I think it'll make a difference, how much exactly remains to be seen/heard, but it'll be a slow ongoing thing i think. I've seen the Wilko pickups on e-bay for £48 so it's not a massive expense if i decide to get some replacements but i'll try the F-Jazz ones first before opening my wallet.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1370529838' post='2102274'] All basses vary slightly - even two from the same manufacturer made with the same materials, so I wouldn't be too surprised at variations. One point though, aren't the pickups in the VM series "Duncan Designed" rather than "proper" SDs? Still decent units, but not quite the same quality as the real thing. There may also be differences in the circuitry (potentiometers and capacitors for example) that might explain some of the differences you have noticed. String brands and ages can make a difference, yes - but not usually as much as pickup height. Lots to consider! [/quote] Yeah thats right 'Duncan Designed' the point i was making was they were totally different pickups, different brands and all that stuff. I'm now at a point where i can do four things, one is raise the pickups so they are closer to the strings (the neck pup seems about 1cm from the strings) or i can swap the pickups for the ones a mate of mine gave me - they were the stock pickups from his 1998 Fender Jazz - but the fact these were replaced with SD Bass-Lines tells me these pups ain't going to give me what i want. OR i can order some Wilkinson pups from The Bay OR, alternatively, and more expensively, get hold of some Wizard pickups and put these in. Wizards get nothing but good reviews and i would like my fave bass to remain that. Would like to hear some Wizards in action though, so i'll be trawling YouTube later... Whatever i decide to though, i'm going to raise the pups and change my strings back to roundwounds... don't get on with flats on my VM.

I'd guess yes, you can 'kinda' make out the word "Japan" on the h-stock.

Just seen this on my daily stroll through the bay; [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-American-Precision-Bass-grey-black-99p-start/261226667135?_trksid=p2047675.m2109&_trkparms=aid%3D555001%26algo%3DPW.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D29%26meid%3D8322897353922747887%26pid%3D100010%26prg%3D1013%26rk%3D4%26sd%3D251287326097%26#ht_597wt_1170"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-American-Precision-Bass-grey-black-99p-start/261226667135?_trksid=p2047675.m2109&_trkparms=aid%3D555001%26algo%3DPW.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D29%26meid%3D8322897353922747887%26pid%3D100010%26prg%3D1013%26rk%3D4%26sd%3D251287326097%26#ht_597wt_1170[/url] For some reason i don't think it's actually a Fender. I think it's the low horn, the shape looks too 'wide' in the way it fans out. Plus the scratchplate seems to not fit correctly... Any thoughts?

Yeah the Squier neck pickup is a little further away than the Vintage neck pickup but it was a huge difference, the sound from the fretless seemed to 'hang' in the room and surround everything. I think that will be my first port of call, raising the pups on the Squier. Both had flatwounds, nickel i think. Different brands though, Rotosound and an unknown.

Hi, on Tuesday at practice i used my newly-acquired Vintage 'Jaco' bass and the guitar just sang! This isn't terrible thing of course but what is weird is how it compares to my trusty Squier VM Jazz, the Jazz isn't anywhere near as powerful and i'm having to whack up the volume on my Rumble stack to compete with drums and 2x guitars. So, is it simply better pickups in the 'Jaco' or what? The Jaco has the stock Wilkinson pups while the VM has stock Seymour Duncan. Is it worth me putting the Wilko's into the Jazz to compare or are Seymour's traditionally less oomphy?? I've seen Wilko pups on e-bay for not a lot of money but someone i know has offered me some pups he removed from his 2002 Fender MIM Jazz to try, but he said they were 'BassLines' so, again, not actually stock MIM Fender... Advice needed....

I've been playing my VM jazz for years, really loving the sound and feel of it but at band practice on Tuesday i used my Vintage 'Jaco' fretless for the first time and my bass was so powerful, it matched the drums and was stomping all over the guitars! I'm thinking it must be better pickups, the Wilkinson stock pups compared to the VM Seymour Duncan, was astounding, i was getting better resonance and volume, now thinking of chucking some Wilko's (as i now call them) into the VM and seeing what difference they make. I know Vintage and Wilkinson make good stuff but i'm beginning to think they might well be the way forward and i'm looking at bridges and even P basses to add to my megre collection!

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1369129614' post='2085072'] Cheers folks! No, no thats really good, thanks a lot. It never ceases to amaze me how generous bass players are with advice and assistance, a guitar-playing friend of mine used to go on a guitar forum and it was really catty and bitchy, i suppose it just shows how cool us bass players are eh?! I tend to play a lot of different styles, depending on song, so i switch from reggae to punk by tuning up the guitar tone knob and using my finger nail above the bridge p/up, this gives me a brighter, sharper sound without having to fiddle with my amp settings. I think people forget how the sound differs by where you place your 'playing' hand, for the reggae stuff i'm between the neck p/up and 20th fret using finger style with the tone off, gives me a rounder bassey sound. I'll fiddle with the amp settings later from scratch and see what i find. Thanks again. VM jazzes have great pickups, used to get very close to this sound with my old one. Main pointers are pickups set high, a brand new set of Roto Swing bass strings set low, and most importantly a really aggressive finger attack. I was running it through a fair bit of compression and a SansAmp SVT emulator(use this or something similar to add 'grit' and a hint of distortion. EQ wise I kept the amp settings flat and removed the extreme lows and highs so as not to interfere with the kick drum or cymbals. Hope this helps, let me know if I can be any more use! [/quote]

thats a great tone, really like that. I play a cheapo VM Squier jazz and it's surprisingly versatile with tones but i think i'll be looking to emulate this tone for one or two tracks. Any pointers in settings??

It's 100% absolutely certain that i'll be in touch IF i get the bass for the right money. I'm thinking it would be a three way switch (Jazz, Jazz/P, P) but i've no idea how these things really work and if actually it would be a five-way switch with different mixes of J/P. And THATS exactly the reason why i'll be in touch! Thanks KiOgon

Thats a darn fine point! I actually didn't think of defretting it. I read somewhere that defretted necks are better than fretless ones... um, i can't for the life of me remember why though... I saw a rather nice looking granite coloured bass on ebay with a black s/plate, thought it was really nice and i don't think it sold for very much. Adding the selector switch might be an issue but this website is choc-full of resources and helpful people when it comes to advice.

I've recently become hooked by my second hand Vintage 'Jaco' lined fretless bass, i'm playing it every chance i get and i'm loving the sounds and playability of the thing. BUT it's got me wondering how i can combine my new found love for fretless and long-time love for Squier basses... I watched a YouTube vid about Tony Franklin explaining his Fender sig bass and i likes it. A lot! I'm now toying with the idea of, when money is available, picking up a cheapo Squier P Special (i know you all know this but it's the one with the split precision pickups and a cheeky jazz bridge pickup) from The Bay, add a fretless neck and then hopefully, if the wiring isn't too difficult, add a selector switch - a la TF sig bass - and voila! a budget version of the Fender bass. I just like the idea that i could use this bass for more things than my current jazz style fretless. I currently play reggae, ska, country, rock and punk with my jazz and sometimes it lacks a little punch that i think a precision could give me. Plus also i like the thought of doing this. I'm a little surprised the Special doesn't come in a fretless version... Anyway, any tips on this? Has it been done? Is it a total headache to do? I can see the wiring as being the main sticking point, oh and getting a fretless neck that is good but doesn't end up costing a fortune!

[quote name='Ian Savage' timestamp='1368182756' post='2074123'] Vintage basses are superb [/quote] They are! I had a vintage white Pbass copy with maple neck, it was a lovely bass but the neck was like a banana and the truss rod was inneffective, i tried looking for a replacement neck but couldn't get one so i sold it on to a bassist in a Clash tribute band, i think it's probably in pieces in a Biffa bin somewhere, great bass though.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1368179021' post='2074068'] There was a Vintage Icon 'Jaco' on ebay this week at £75 that went unsold as it didn't get any bids. A absolute bargain for that sort of money. [/quote] Thats the one i got! It turned out i'd done dealings with the seller in the past, so a quick call, suggested a buy-it-now and KERBLAMMO! it's now mine!

[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1367586278' post='2067259'] Yes it may well have been the same one. I hope another one appears soon for you, they are well worth it. [/quote] Got one this morning!!

I think i'll be keeping an eye on The Bay and the for sale forum for a Jaco bass, i've heard nothing but good things and i really liked my old Vintage bass.

[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1367571620' post='2066988'] I've just got my first fretless - a Vintage Jaco from a fellow BCer - and it is very impressive indeed. [/quote] That may well be the one i was looking at, but the old saying of 'you snooze, you lose' was true. I used to own a Vintage Pcopy and it was a really nice bass but i wouldn't replace my Jazz with it so it had to go (i like to keep a small group of guitars so they get used).

Just tried a Vintage V940FL bass at my local music shop and i was blown away by it! It's pretty heavy in the body, i think it's Bubinga, but i was amazed at the sounds i was able to get out of it. I've got my heart set on a saucy Squier or Vintage fretless - both in the Jaco style - because i play a Squier Jazz and the body shape will feel right at home but this was a lovely bass. My one gripe was the size of the bottom horn, it's really small so sits rather unsteadily on my thigh when i played it sitting down but it's now a contender for becomming my chosen fretless. Just need to try either a Squier or Vintage for comparison. I've been told these basses come up on The Bay for really good prices too...

My recommended shop is Kempster and Sons, Commercial Road, Swindon. The reason being they have a wide selection of basses, (Rickenbacker, Fender, Squier, Danelectro, Aria, Musicman, Stagg, Vintage, Gibson) all crammed into a small corner with a good selection of amps to try them out on. They also have a 3/4 double bass and Stagg electric upright too. Paul, who works in there is really friendly and is always happy to let you try them out. The one thing i would improve is their selection on strings, they don't stock too many but to be fair i buy them online anyway, maybe the shop can't compete with online prices... Anyway if you are ever near Swindon i highly recommend Kempsters and Sons.

I thought i'd start a new thread for our local music shops. You know, the ones that maybe don't have the best selection of basses, amps or whatever but you return again and again because you like trying the basses and chatting rubbish with them. I'm lucky in the way that i live in a town with three music shops, two of them very good for guitar selection, but can anyone name their favourite in their locality? Come on, throw your recommended shops forward and maybe tell everyone why you like it...

Any advances on this topic? I find myself in a near identical position, got a saucy Mighty Mite neck - 63mm heel - and i'm looking to fix it to either a Westfield or a Jim Deacon... Would love to know what you chose to do.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1367237449' post='2062911'] Before Xmas I bought [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/185477-fender-jazz-fsr-l380-posted-sold-yay/page__hl__mim%20%20jazz"]http://basschat.co.u...__mim%20%20jazz[/url] plus [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/193725-sold/page__hl__mighty+mite__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url] and put them together to make [url="http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/library/Basses%20CURRENT/Fender%20Jazz%20MIM%202011%20CURRENT?sort=3&page=1"]http://s1128.photobu...T?sort=3&page=1[/url] Events over the weekend have reminded me that I don't actually need this bass! Interested? [/quote] OH MY GOD, thats lush!! But, out of my budget, i was thinking a Squier VM or Vintage 'Jaco'... gutted i really like the Antigua finish.

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1367233878' post='2062813'] Would you like another Aria Pro II in a lovely wood finish? I have an SB-R60 that I'm thinking of offloading. Pics in the 'Matsumoku' thread here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/203333-matsumoku-basses/page__p__2051083__hl__matsumoku__fromsearch__1#entry2051083"]http://basschat.co.u..._1#entry2051083[/url] [/quote] Not my kind of thing Chaypup, thanks all the same though, i'm after a Jazz type i reckons...

For some reason i've got my mind fixed on getting a fretless! I had one years ago, a lovely natural wood finish Aria Pro II with a thin neck and more tonal options than i knew what to do with but i traded it in for a Fender Rumble amp but something has always drawn me back to them. I just missed out on a Vintage Jaco Tribute bass on the For Sale forum but since then i've been trawling the 'bay for a Jazz body so i can put a fretless neck onto it... sheer madness!!! I think what i'm after is a cheapo fretless so if i don't get on with it i can sell it on without much of a loss. Does anyone know of a decent fretless (lined or unlined) for sale anywhere? Note; I'm looking for a Jazz-type because i like the shape of the body and pup config.... plus it's what i currently play.