Modding a jazz.

[newbass1000]

Recently purchased my first fender, a Mexican jazz in Arctic white, maple neck and fingerboard plays beautifully and is without a doubt the bast bass I've ever owned.
A close friend of mine played it recently and reccomended I Put in some Seymour Duncan basslines and perhaps change the bridge,
Just looking for some opinions, I love the tone but I'm wondering what could be done to perhaps personalise and improve it on the cheap.
Looking to add a new Scratchplate too If anyone knows any cheap dealers?

[Ou7shined]

If it's the best bass you've ever owned why change it?

Does your friend know what sound you want, or is he just bombarding you with options. If he's suggesting SD Basslines, I'm presuming it's for the hotter pups. Do you think your bass sounds weak at all?
Is there a problem with the bridge? Is it misaligned or faulty or anything? Unless there is something wrong, a new bridge probably won't improve anything tonally and will be an unnecessary "upgrade".

Changing the p/g is a nice easy way to personalise a bass. Maybe some new knobs too.

But if you are happy with the sound and feel don't go mucking about with it just because someone says so.
You'd be far better off buying some nice strings and putting your cash toward a decent set-up by someone who knows what they are doing.

[Lozz196]

I`ll echo the previous post, soundwise, only mod something that you feel needs modding.

Scratchplate - well either black or tort will set the bass off nicely, in my opinion.

[newbass1000]

I was considering a decent set up, would I be better off going just to a music store, or someone independent?

[mcnach]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1353198' date='Aug 27 2011, 12:02 AM']If it's the best bass you've ever owned why change it?

Does your friend know what sound you want, or is he just bombarding you with options. If he's suggesting SD Basslines, I'm presuming it's for the hotter pups. Do you think your bass sounds weak at all?
Is there a problem with the bridge? Is it misaligned or faulty or anything? Unless there is something wrong, a new bridge probably won't improve anything tonally and will be an unnecessary "upgrade".

Changing the p/g is a nice easy way to personalise a bass. Maybe some new knobs too.

But if you are happy with the sound and feel don't go mucking about with it just because someone says so.
You'd be far better off buying some nice strings and putting your cash toward a decent set-up by someone who knows what they are doing.[/quote]


this man speaks wisely

+1

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='newbass1000' post='1353212' date='Aug 27 2011, 12:26 AM']I was considering a decent set up, would I be better off going just to a music store, or someone independent?[/quote]
In my experience your bog standard guitar shop will offer a less than perfect set-up performed by someone who most likely doesn't give two hoots if you walk away with a bass that's set-up to it's optimal best or not... but there's an ex guitar shop owner on here who gets livid with me for uttering such blasphemy. Never the less, my advice is to find out from the guys on here who the best independent bloke in your area is and go to him.
He will also be ale to advise you better than your friend has.

[newbass1000]

The only problem on it is a rather annoying buzz when I play open A.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='newbass1000' post='1353221' date='Aug 27 2011, 12:49 AM']The only problem on it is a rather annoying buzz when I play open A.[/quote]
Where is the buzz coming from?

There seems to be something spooky about 440hz that sets trussrods off rattling. Could it be this?

[newbass1000]

From the sounds of it somewhere near the nut

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='newbass1000' post='1353225' date='Aug 27 2011, 12:55 AM']From the sounds of it somewhere near the nut[/quote]
Yep it's your tr.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1353216' date='Aug 27 2011, 12:36 AM']In my experience your bog standard guitar shop will offer a less than perfect set-up performed by someone who most likely doesn't give two hoots if you walk away with a bass that's set-up to it's optimal best or not... but there's an ex guitar shop owner on here who gets livid with me for uttering such blasphemy. Never the less, my advice is to find out from the guys on here who the best independent bloke in your area is and go to him.
He will also be ale to advise you better than your friend has. [/quote]
+1 I've never found a shop I would trust to do it any better than I can, Failing that I know a man that can.

[paul_5]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1353202' date='Aug 27 2011, 12:11 AM']Scratchplate - well either black or tort will set the bass off nicely, in my opinion.[/quote]

In full agreement with Lozz here; I've got a bitsa P bass in the same colour with a tort scratchplate - it's the balls.

Modding a bass is a great way to learn about how everything works, and can be very beneficial, but if you already love the bass then what needs changing? Is it simply an experiment (in which case try it with a less-favoured bass) or do you have a sound in mind that this bass isn't currently providing?

[uncle psychosis]

My jazz has a push-push switch to add series/parallel. Well worth doing imo.

But you should only mod it because you want to, not because your mate says!

[hillbilly deluxe]

Independant ? north east ? give howard (bass doc) a pm.Highly reccomended.

[Soloshchenko]

Don't chamge the pickups if you like the sound, don't change the bridge unless the strings "move" (mine did on my Mexican so had to get a more secure Gotoh unit on there), just get a set up or look up online ways to do it yourself. Cost:zero

Edited August 27, 2011 by Soloshchenko

[Lozz196]

[quote name='newbass1000' post='1353212' date='Aug 27 2011, 12:26 AM']I was considering a decent set up, would I be better off going just to a music store, or someone independent?[/quote]

There`s a thread on here for recommended luthiers. Though as someone has already mentioned The Bass Doc, being a Basschatter, that sound like an excellent place to start. I had my bass set up properly, I loved the bass before, when it came back, I couldn`t believe how much better it played. It`s definately worth the money.

[mcnach]

[quote name='newbass1000' post='1353225' date='Aug 27 2011, 12:55 AM']From the sounds of it somewhere near the nut[/quote]



Does your A string leave the tuner at a high or low position? In other words: as the A string approaches the nut, does it bend sharply over the nut, or it's the angle rather shallow?
If the latter, the string can be rattling at the nut.
One solution is having a string tree that takes teh A string down. Or alternatively make sure you wind the string around the tuner post a few times, in a downwards direction, to make sure the string leaves from the bottom.

[Jakester]

If you like the sound, but sometimes find yourself craving 'more', I can highly recommend a J-retro preamp. It just enhances all the best bits of a Jazz but gives you more tonal options if you want them.

[aldude]

To add to the above, I used to have a Marcus Miller jazz, that had a great tone but was rather weedy at the bottom end. I replaced the pickups with a set of Bartolini 9J1 and that helped a lot. Plus they don't have exposed poles (the silver circles on the pickups), I play bass quite hard and sometimes the string touched the poles which resulted in an audible click through the amp. The Bart's solved that.

But beware of the mate (or anyone for that matter) who says "what you need to do is this and that" as these sorts of suggestions aren't often very useful. So, in conclusion, completely ignore what I said!!!

Edited August 28, 2011 by aldude