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Squier VM Jazz - love story & question of pickups


mcnach
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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1316768982' post='1382514']


Ha! Steven! The "uncle psychosis" name threw me out! :)

Sorry I can't make your gig, I got your email, I have a gig of my own that day. Let me know when the next one is, so I can go and cry some more looking at that bass :)
[/quote]

No worries. Its Sam by the way...you're getting my first and last names confused! :o

I actually bought a new bass recently---Yamaha TRB1005---so my next few gigs will be using that. The Vintage is still well loved though :)

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[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1316778151' post='1382692']

No worries. Its Sam by the way...you're getting my first and last names confused! :o

I actually bought a new bass recently---Yamaha TRB1005---so my next few gigs will be using that. The Vintage is still well loved though :)
[/quote]


Agh! Sorry about the name/surname confusion. :)

Congratulations on your new baby. My guitarist with the RHC has a 5-string Yamaha TRB something or another (if I muddle up names and surnames, imagine what I do to model numbers!), and it was pretty sweet. Hmmm, he was actually going to sell it not long ago.. it would be too funny if that's the bass you got! (kind of sunburst, I think).

Happy that you still enjoy the Vintage... although at times I wish you didn't like it so much :)

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I've got a Squier VM '77 jazz bass (which is the black version of the 3 VM jazz basses) and I totally agree with you about the pick ups. They are very polite and don't particularly produce the bright sound that I like and am used to. I'm going to be honest, I'm a huge Seymour Duncan fan and have their pick ups fitted in all my basses apart from my thunderbird (will be doing it at some point though) so I'm going to be going with the tried and tested Seymour Duncan SJB-3 quarter pounders or AJJ-1 Pro Active pick ups for my jazz when I've got the money.
I will give you one bit of advise, get some copper shielding tape and shield the pickup/control cavities. I did this and it got rid of the small amount of humming the bass produces.
Also, if you want to swap the neck off yours for a maple one with white binding and pearloid inlays, let me know. Mine's in perfect condition and only reason I want to swap it is because I want my jazz to look like the Geddy Lee bass :)

Stevie

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[quote name='StevieD_FenderP2009' timestamp='1316874689' post='1383951']
I've got a Squier VM '77 jazz bass (which is the black version of the 3 VM jazz basses) and I totally agree with you about the pick ups. They are very polite and don't particularly produce the bright sound that I like and am used to. I'm going to be honest, I'm a huge Seymour Duncan fan and have their pick ups fitted in all my basses apart from my thunderbird (will be doing it at some point though) so I'm going to be going with the tried and tested Seymour Duncan SJB-3 quarter pounders or AJJ-1 Pro Active pick ups for my jazz when I've got the money.
I will give you one bit of advise, get some copper shielding tape and shield the pickup/control cavities. I did this and it got rid of the small amount of humming the bass produces.
Also, if you want to swap the neck off yours for a maple one with white binding and pearloid inlays, let me know. Mine's in perfect condition and only reason I want to swap it is because I want my jazz to look like the Geddy Lee bass :)

Stevie
[/quote]


I love the look of the white inlays, but I *really* like the neck on this bass and I would not get rid off it.
But If I see another cheap enough VM Jazz I might be tempted to get it to do a swap... if that happens I'll get in touch :)

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1316957179' post='1384758']


I love the look of the white inlays, but I *really* like the neck on this bass and I would not get rid off it.
But If I see another cheap enough VM Jazz I might be tempted to get it to do a swap... if that happens I'll get in touch :)
[/quote]

That's fair enough dude. Just to clear up a rumour, are the black blocks on your VM painted on or are they actual plastic blocks 'cos I've heard that Squier only painted the black blocks on instead of using real blocks

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1317171722' post='1387707']
Not sure!

I just had a close look... they seem too "perfect" to be inlays. Looks very much like the "binding" which seems painted, and the blocks do look painted too, to me.
[/quote]

Hmmm Now Im not sure. Had another look and yes they do seem very good. There is no 'ridge' at all between the black inlay and maple but there is a grain effect running through the inlay which is 3 dimensional and there seems to be that slither of filler around the blocks. Comparing it to my Fender Kingman which has perloid in a Rosewood you can feel that tiny step. Without getting my penknife out I wouldnt bet my house on either.

A

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Tried one of these today.
Well I went in to buy a few tiny items and tried out the cort GB74 they had in. that was.... not fun to play, not resonant and with an awful preamp in it. Not a fan- which was a surprise as i was expecting to like it.

. anyway then went and grabbed the VM jazz they had- it's the kinda bass I think I want to get next, ash/maple/jazz pups..... and.... it was nicer than the cort but.... again wasn't particularly resonant to play- how do you describe it.... you know when you play a bass unplugged and the tone just jumps out at you, both my JV and warwick do that, the 75 jazz i had did, as did the cimar, and the vision PJ I'm selling.... but this didn't.
maybe just that particular one?

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[quote name='Darkstrike' timestamp='1317237555' post='1388584']
Easily be superglued back in if it's real, or touched up with a black biro if not....
[/quote]

Lol - you sound so reasuring Darkstrike :o Makes me want to give it a go but unfortunately see below :)

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1317234509' post='1388538']

well, what are you waiting for? :)
[/quote]

Im waiting for my £170 Ray Mears Wood Lor Knife to arrive. Cant go diggin in with any old rusty blade you know :)

A

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Nah, she's not that jealous :)

Well, the pickups (Dimarzio Model J) arrived. The question is... where???

Ordered Friday from Thomann. Got an email and a txt the same day saying they had been shipped. Cool.
On Tuesday I check the tracking url and it provided info of the whereabouts of teh parcel at various times... The last one was dated Tuesday, noon, saying "successfuly delivered".

Well, I am sure they were successfully delivered, but it wasn't to me, that's for sure.
No card was left or anything.

I haven't had the chance to ask neighbours, as I've only been at home very late the past few days. I emailed Thomann to ask for more details, but no reply yet. I hope I find them by the weekend so I can install them.

Why do deliveries have to get so complicated? Is it really so hard to leave a card??? Hmf.

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Ah, Thomann's customer service delivered, once again.
It seems ParcelForce was teh company at my end, not DHL as in teh past (?) and the driver left it with my next door neighbour. They gave me his name. I just had not had the chance to ask him yet.
Ok, so all good... I'll be able to pick up the pickups :) tonight or tomorrow, and this weekend I have work to do on this Jazz :)

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1317291594' post='1389029']

Last time a girlfriend caught me spooning my bass, I had to sleep in the garden for weeks...
[/quote]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1317292035' post='1389037']
Nah, she's not that jealous :)

Well, the pickups (Dimarzio Model J) arrived. The question is... where???

Ordered Friday from Thomann. Got an email and a txt the same day saying they had been shipped. Cool.
On Tuesday I check the tracking url and it provided info of the whereabouts of teh parcel at various times... The last one was dated Tuesday, noon, saying "successfuly delivered".

Well, I am sure they were successfully delivered, but it wasn't to me, that's for sure.
No card was left or anything.

I haven't had the chance to ask neighbours, as I've only been at home very late the past few days. I emailed Thomann to ask for more details, but no reply yet. I hope I find them by the weekend so I can install them.

Why do deliveries have to get so complicated? Is it really so hard to leave a card??? Hmf.
[/quote]
Oh no, not good! :)

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1317305521' post='1389295']
Ah, Thomann's customer service delivered, once again.
It seems ParcelForce was teh company at my end, not DHL as in teh past (?) and the driver left it with my next door neighbour. They gave me his name. I just had not had the chance to ask him yet.
Ok, so all good... I'll be able to pick up the pickups :) tonight or tomorrow, and this weekend I have work to do on this Jazz :)
[/quote]

Can I ask, have you managed to fit these yet? Very interested to hear how you get on with them

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No, they are still on my table, sulking "you said you were going to make us produce sweet sounds on that Jazz of yours, humf!!!"

I might do it tomorrow. I would like to record the before/after samples (will leave the not very new strings on, for now) and when that happens I will post them here.

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1318103532' post='1398205']
I might do it tomorrow. I would like to record the before/after samples (will leave the not very new strings on, for now) and when that happens I will post them here.
[/quote]

That'll be dead handy - far more so with older strings, get a much better idea of what the pickups, as opposed to new strings, do for an instrument IMO.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 4 months later...

[quote name='mooz' timestamp='1339189289' post='1685273']
Yikes, what had happen there? :)
[/quote]

You should see my fingers but man it was one hell of a shredding fest :D

But seriously I machined the fingerboard off and its now sporting a rather nice rosewood fretless. Its my latest project :) but thanks for your concern mooz ;)

A

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