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Jaydee Basses


joe_geezer

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7 hours ago, GeeCee said:

No, well, yes you can, but not stably unless you put in a corner.  Same problem with the Alembic series bodies.  There is a screw in the tail of the Jaydee which goes in the hole that is used to hang the bass when spraying, but depending on angle of lean, it could be wood on wood.  Honestly, just buy a stand.  It will fit in some stands that support the bottom of the bass, see picture.   

IMG_8184.jpg

Stunning bass, love the wood, is that Cocobolo? How is the 23/24 fret access?

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2 hours ago, joe_geezer said:

haha I have a long weight still for the basses, it's only been about 16 months! I just wanted to know about this as it was at the back of my mind.

My Roadie Active has been imminent for a few weeks now. It was ordered in May 2021 I hoped in time for my 60th in November 2022. Oh well, patience is a virtue apparently. 😊

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19 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

My Roadie Active has been imminent for a few weeks now. It was ordered in May 2021 I hoped in time for my 60th in November 2022. Oh well, patience is a virtue apparently. 😊

Well, at least when you get it, you will be older and wiser! haha

 

I ordered mine in Nov 2021, so it will probably be a minimum of 8 months... i have an amazing Series 3 to keep me company until then so I don't mine waiting! 

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19 hours ago, joe_geezer said:

Stunning bass, love the wood, is that Cocobolo? How is the 23/24 fret access?

So, almost certainly cocobolo, but I did not buy it new, so not 100% sure.  It will be that or some other rosewood relative like Kingwood.  It was originally sold as a GA24 Video model as it has fairy lights (actually those are fiber optic markers, not LEDs like you get now).  It's more than 30 years old.

 

Access is very good, but you are speaking to someone who only plays sitting down these days (don't gig any more) and doesn't venture up the dusty end very often (no Jaco for me).  Also, Jaydees hang differently from your average Precision type instrument (2 fret shift where your hand falls, IMO). 

 

I always preferred the GA shape over the MK, but eventually settled on the Calibas shape as my favorite.  GA balances well in my opinion, but I think a lot depends on the type of strap you use and how high you want to wear it.  I am not a slapper so I don't wear it stapled to my shirt collar when standing.  I have seen some users add a second strap button on the lower bout for (presumably) better balance, so if you have ordered one you may want to try one to see what works best for you.  Also, think long and hard about the weight.  Exotic woods (usually) = more weight on what is not a light instrument to start with.

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1 hour ago, joe_geezer said:

wow , looking great! Is that  a Series 3 as it has the thru body wood stringers?

When I spoke to Andrew initially I asked what would potentially be the lightest weight twin pickup active version. He recommended a Series 3 Roadie Active as has been mentioned earlier, the exotic woods can add weight. I've gone for a faux laminate finish similar to below, so it's all mahogany with gold hardware which I think will look beautiful with the cherry. 

20211006_102646.thumb.jpg.b0ce87c81de0aedfddee7817109950b5.jpg

Edited by Sparky Mark
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1 hour ago, joe_geezer said:

wow , looking great! Is that  a Series 3 as it has the thru body wood stringers?

The series designation refers to the body size, it has nothing to do with the body laminates.  The largest size body is the S1.  The S2 has the same body length (along neck axis) as the S1 but is narrower across the body.  The S3 is a proportionally scaled down version of the S1 (both length and width).  There is also a rarely seen S4 which is smaller still (and usually short or medium scale).  The number of laminates is immaterial, but both MK and GA24 models have a laminated body.  Generally speaking, older models have neck and body laminates made of mahogany, walnut and maple.  Newer instruments have walnut and maple.  I am not talking about body wings or exotic wood facings, just the laminates that give the illusion of a neck through bass (they're all set neck).  There can be 3, 5, 7, 9+ laminates.  If you see a funk groove, it's almost certainly a S2, but owners have requested funk grooves on S3 and GA24 models, and some have requested no funk groove.  The imaginary line that the controls take (marked from PU selector thru EQ controls) is more or less parallel to the neck in S3 instruments and angled more towards the XLR in S1 and S2 (really need pictures but I am too lazy to pull some up).  There is also more wood after the string anchors in a S1 and S2 vs. a S3 because of the longer body.  So, a Roadie can be S1, S2, S3, or S4.  What is different is that the body is essentially all mahogany, with no laminates (actually a central maple stripe) and less thrills generally (no head and neck binding, painted headstock, no XLR, usually no laminated PU covers, etc.) but JD is a custom shop so there are always exceptions.  I have a GA24 shaped Roadie 2A with a bound neck and laminated PU covers.  The Roadie shown above has the illusion of laminates created by painting or staining the wood.

Edited by GeeCee
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8 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

When I spoke to Andrew initially I asked what would potentially be the lightest weight twin pickup active version. He recommended a Series 3 Roadie Active as has been mentioned earlier, the exotic woods can add weight. I've gone for a faux laminate finish similar to below, so it's all mahogany with gold hardware which I think will look beautiful with the cherry. 

20211006_102646.thumb.jpg.b0ce87c81de0aedfddee7817109950b5.jpg

Well they have done an amazing job! it looks 100% authenticate. As for the weight, yea i totally agree with you and I specified for my Series 3s / GA24 to be as light as possible & my blue Series 3 is a lovely weight for me, about 4.5kg which is the same weight as my mij 70s jazz after putting on all the mods. The series 1 is not really my thing as i'm not trying to chase just the Mark King thang... even though he IS the worlds best bass player... i like to do my own thing haha

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6 minutes ago, GeeCee said:

The series designation refers to the body size, it has nothing to do with the body laminates.  The largest size body is the S1.  The S2 has the same body length (along neck axis) as the S1 but is narrower across the body.  The S3 is a proportionally scaled down version of the S1 (both length and width).  There is also a rarely seen S4 which is smaller still (and usually short or medium scale).  The number of laminates is immaterial, but both MK and GA24 models have a laminated body.  Generally speaking, older models have neck and body laminates made of mahogany, walnut and maple.  Newer instruments have walnut and maple.  I am not talking about body wings or exotic wood facings, just the laminates that give the illusion of a neck through bass (they're all set neck).  There can be 5+ laminates.  If you see a funk groove, it's almost certainly a S2, but owners have requested funk grooves on S3 and GA24 models, and some have requested no funk groove.  The imaginary line that the controls take (marked from PU selector thru EQ controls) is more or less parallel to the neck in S3 instruments and angled more towards the XLR in S1 and S2 (really need pictures but I am too lazy to pull some up).  There is also more wood after the string anchors in a S1 and S2 vs. a S3 because of the longer body.  So, a Roadie can be S1, S2, S3, or S4.  What is different is that the body is essentially all mahogany, with no laminates (actually a central maple stripe) and less thrills generally (no head and neck binding, painted headstock, no XLR, usually no laminated PU covers, etc.) but JD is a custom shop so there are always exceptions.  I have a GA24 shaped Roadie 2A with a bound neck and laminated PU covers.  The Roadie shown above has the illusion of laminates created by painting or staining the wood.

This is amazing information for Jaydee nerds... thank you!

 

Now i want a Series 4 short scale for a tenor bass!

Edited by joe_geezer
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47 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

When I spoke to Andrew initially I asked what would potentially be the lightest weight twin pickup active version. He recommended a Series 3 Roadie Active as has been mentioned earlier, the exotic woods can add weight. I've gone for a faux laminate finish similar to below, so it's all mahogany with gold hardware which I think will look beautiful with the cherry. 

20211006_102646.thumb.jpg.b0ce87c81de0aedfddee7817109950b5.jpg

 

So, if I remember correctly, this particular bass started life as a Roadie IIA fretless in cherry-red.  The faux stripes look has become quite popular recently, cheaper to refinish a worn Roadie IIA than order a new MK; reckon original style Roadies may become an endangered species soon.  Bit like pearl-pink MKs, there was a time when these were being refinished because pink was seen as a bit naff or less manly.

Edited by GeeCee
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2 minutes ago, GeeCee said:

 

So, if I remember correctly, this particular bass started life as a Roadie IIA fretless in cherry-red.  The faux stripes look has become quite popular recently, cheaper to refinish a worn Roadie IIA than order a new MK; reckon original style Roadies may become an endangered species soon.

No, mine is a new build.

Edited by Sparky Mark
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1 minute ago, GeeCee said:

Oh, maybe I misunderstood, but I was referring to the one you used as an example, not the one you're having built.

You could well be right. The one at Bass Bros is also a refurb with faux laminate finish. 

Edited by Sparky Mark
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31 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

You could well be right. The one at Bass Bros is also a refurb with faux laminate finish. 

It is a refurb.  I thought there was some pictures on the FB page of the other bass during the refurb, but I can't find them.

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1 hour ago, joe_geezer said:

This is amazing information for Jaydee nerds... thank you!

 

Now i want a Series 4 short scale for a tenor bass!

Here is a pic of S4 Roadie next to a S1 MK.  Look at the tail to see how much shorter it is.

 

Roadie II, S4 body_1c.JPG

Edited by GeeCee
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Just now, GeeCee said:

 

Different basses I think, look at the figuring on the upper bout in the above to the fretless.  There have been a number of Roadies redone in recent years.

Yes, you are correct. I'm more concerned about mine now. Lol.

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