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laquered (gloss!) maple fretboards why? J&D 1975 jazz bass.


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I'm gona buy one of these super cheap J&D 1975 vintage bass in the surf green for no other reason than i'm shallow and love the colour combo and they appear to get some good reviews.

The website spec' and this pic shows a laquered maple neck. Now i've owned a fair number of maple necked bass but never with laquer finish....is it simply to keep the neck clean?

"
th a classic look reminiscent of a 1970s 'JB' style model.

The J&D JB Vintage 1975 SFGR has an alder body in a very familiar offset double-cutaway body shape. The bolt-on maple neck is cut with a very comfortable rounded profile, and is topped by a bound maple fingerboard. The block inlays on the frets mimic the bass guitar styles of the 1970s.

In the electronics department, the JB Vintage 1975 has two 'J'-style pickups, one in the bridge position, the other in the middle position. Each pickup has its own Volume control, while they both share a Tone control.

The bass has a Surf Green finish, and the body is fitted with a three-ply black pickguard. The fingerboard has a gloss finish, while the hardware is made of chrome.

The main features of the J&D JB Vintage 1975 SFGR, Surf Green include:

1970s 'JB'-style bass guitar

Alder body

Bold-on maple neck

Bound maple fingerboard with gloss finish

2 x 'J'-style pickups

2 x Volume controls, 1 x Tone control

Chrome hardware

Surf Green finish with a 3-ply black pickguard"

Edited by iconic
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Sorry I don't know the answer to your question because I've never had a new bass with a maple board, but I don't see why it shouldn't be easy to clean.

But....... I am also thinking of buying one of these basses because they look cool and they are amazingly cheap!
Please let us know how you get along with it :)

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[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1389641333' post='2336492']...is it simply to keep the neck clean?...[/quote]

As far as I know, yes. I've a couple of guitars/basses, and they do indeed stay clean with a simple wipe-down. There's no downside as far as I'm concerned, but some folks don't seem to like the feel, or esteem that it somehow affects the sound. I've never been convinced of that, but the keeping it clean would, in any case, be a clincher for me. I wouldn't have maple without the varnish.

Edited by Dad3353
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[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1389642425' post='2336511']
I thank you - I'm interested in how it compares to Squier VM and CVs, in terms of sound, build and weight.

Meantime, I need to decide which colour to go for...
[/quote]

i've both vmj and cvj and i have fallen out of love with the classic vibe....lovely thing but i prefer the sound of the vmj...seems a bit more...i dont know a bit less smooth and more bite than the cvj...the cvj seems duller for no apparent reason....the cvj does cone with a fatter cap could be why or the pup spacing maybe?

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[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1389641333' post='2336492']
I'm gona buy one of these super cheap J&D 1975 vintage bass in the surf green for no other reason than i'm shallow and love the colour combo and they appear to get some good reviews.

The website spec' and this pic shows a laquered maple neck. Now i've owned a fair number of maple necked bass but never with laquer finish....is it simply to keep the neck clean?

[/quote]
I presume the sole reason it's lacquered is because J&D are making a copy of a 1975 Jazz Bass with a lacquered neck. :)

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[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1389643879' post='2336530']

I presume the sole reason it's lacquered is because J&D are making a copy of a 1975 Jazz Bass with a lacquered neck. :)
[/quote]

i learn sonething everyday i never knew 70's fender jazz's had laquered fretboards...good call.


ps....just measured the pup spacing on bith my cvj and vmj...both the same...60's spacing?

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My fretless P has a heavily laquered maple board... to save wear on the actual wood methinks.



My fretted 78 Ray also had a heavily laquered maple board. It had worn away in the usual places.

I don't recall ever seeing a raw maple board, guitar or bass.

Edited by bh2
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[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1389642999' post='2336516']
i've both vmj and cvj and i have fallen out of love with the classic vibe....lovely thing but i prefer the sound of the vmj...seems a bit more...i dont know a bit less smooth and more bite than the cvj...the cvj seems duller for no apparent reason....the cvj does cone with a fatter cap could be why or the pup spacing maybe?
[/quote]

I had the same experience - the CV is a great bass with a fantastic vintage style neck, but the sound lacked oomph for want of a better word and I sold it.
I've kept my fretless VMJ, which has a better sound for me, but none of my Jazz basses come close in tone or volume to my '63 Fender.
The closest I've found is a Farida JB-6 which is a fantastic bass for the money, made in China in the same factory that produces the Squier CVs and possibly the J&Ds?
Pick up spacing doesn't bother me because I only use the neck pick up with the tone rolled off, for a deep dub tone.

I must agree the surf green is a very pretty instrument :)

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[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1389645366' post='2336565']
I must lead a sheltered life, I have never seen a maple fingerboard that has not been lacquered. I've seen enough where the lacquer has worn off to know that maple gets pretty dirty if left unprotected.
[/quote]
I think a lot of modern maple necked basses have matt lacquered necks which gives them the appearance that they aren't lacquered as opposed to the shiny 60s and 70s lacquered necks.

Edited by BetaFunk
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[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1389645803' post='2336576']
I think a lot of modern maple necked basses have matt lacquered necks which gives them the appearance that they aren't lacquered as opposed to the shiny 60s and 70s lacquered necks.
[/quote]

Ah, that makes sense. All of my basses have rosewood fingerboards and gloss lacquered maple necks, though I do have a Squier Precision with a matt maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.

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[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1389642999' post='2336516']


i've both vmj and cvj and i have fallen out of love with the classic vibe....lovely thing but i prefer the sound of the vmj...seems a bit more...i dont know a bit less smooth and more bite than the cvj...the cvj seems duller for no apparent reason....the cvj does cone with a fatter cap could be why or the pup spacing maybe?
[/quote]

Same thing with the P's, I think it's partly due to the use of 500K pots in the VM rather than the usual 250K, not sure if the Jazzes are the same.

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[quote name='bh2' timestamp='1389645126' post='2336562']
I don't recall ever seeing a raw maple board, guitar or bass.
[/quote]
I doubt if there are any 'raw' maple boards but there are plenty that have a matt finish so they do look 'raw' when compared to the shiny lacquer on your bass.

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[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1389644832' post='2336557']
i learn sonething everyday i never knew 70's fender jazz's had laquered fretboards...
[/quote]

Good God man, you didn't know 70's Fender jazz's had laquered fretboards, you've never seen an 8 string bass - do you live in a cave? :lol:

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[quote name='bh2' timestamp='1389645126' post='2336562']
My fretless P has a heavily laquered maple board... to save wear on the actual wood methinks.



My fretted 78 Ray also had a heavily laquered maple board. It had worn away in the usual places.

I don't recall ever seeing a raw maple board, guitar or bass.
[/quote]

Sorry for not contributing to the thread but I just have to say what a magnificent looking precision!

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[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1389658533' post='2336767']


Good God man, you didn't know 70's Fender jazz's had laquered fretboards, you've never seen an 8 string bass - do you live in a cave? :lol:
[/quote]

nearly ...Norfolk!...only just got horseless carriages, electrickery and telling bones...now where did i leave that swede?

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My Vintage Stingray clone has a very raw maple neck and its a sod to keep clean. I can suggest wirewool will take the glossiness of the neck down a peg or two if you do it gently with a fine gauge?

Dont really like the green, but I do think they're good for the money, The nautral one looks good. .

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