CS Stack Knob Jazz?

[ClassicVibes]

Is Fender CS the be all and end all of 'Fender' style basses?

I'm looking at buying a stack knob Jazz and very quickly concluded that the real McCoy would be way, way too much.

I shifted my attention toward Fender CS stack knobs. Most are found for around £3k which is much more 'reasonable'. But - are Fender CS' the best stack knob replicas out there? Does another company make a better clone?

Advice and thoughts appreciated. 

[bubinga5]

Fender did a non CS 62 stack knob jazz bass. Its called the Fender AVRI 62. They go for a grand and under second hand. 

Edited February 19, 2020 by bubinga5

[Chiliwailer]

For me, typically with a £3-4k Fender CS (or similar, such as the Martin CS acoustic guitars that I’ve played recently) they aren’t twice as better as they are twice the price. But that’s not really the point for the many folk who own them and don’t mind the premium cost. 
I’ve had a fair few CS Fender basses - when they are good they are excellent, when poor they are pretty average, so worth waiting for an excellent one IMO - if you want the Fender affiliation. Otherwise there’s other makers out there who do a fine job, just in a different flavour. 

Edited February 19, 2020 by Chiliwailer

[DoubleOhStephan]

You could always buy a standard US jazz and pop a KioGon stacked knob Loom in it. I've put one in a MiM Jazz and it sounds ace (although, I should say it's been modded with a Precision pup, so isn't a traditional jazz) 

 

[AndyTravis]

I often debate a Stacked knob set up for mine, but I don’t want to mod it. A CS64.

Also has the pleasure of tweaking @sshorepunk’s similar (but not the same) CS64 last week which was also in the realm of “best Jazz I’ve played...”

Edited February 19, 2020 by AndyTravis

[afterimage]

I like the stack vol tone 

Flea jazz bass

[Reggaebass]

I’m a big fan of the stacked knob jazzes, I’ve had quite a few, my 62RI nitro finish aged really nice, and I changed my shell pink jazz to a concentric control plate, which really gets a lot of use.                  

   As @DoubleOhStephan mentioned, you could always fit the control plate to the jazz of your choice 🙂

[CamdenRob]

I had a stack knob Peterbuilt Jazz made a few years back. He’ll do any colour you like and the bodies / necks are allparts so Fender anyway really.

Think my build was about £1400.

It won’t say Fender on the headstock though if that’s an important factor.

Also not sure if he’s still going 😕

[Beedster]

As above, the stacked knob feature is nothing more than a circuit configuration. With Jazz Basses, circuits are so easy to change and so varied that I’ve always seen them as being like a bridge or PUPs, that is part of the Bass with which you experiment until you get it right, more than a defining feature of the instrument itself. For example I’ve tried active versus passive, series versus/and parallel, VVT versus VTP versus VT/VT etc. Best advice I can give us to find the Jazz you like best and install the circuit.

Edited February 19, 2020 by Beedster

[ClassicVibes]

13 hours ago, DoubleOhStephan said:

...and pop a KioGon stacked knob Loom in it. I've put one in a MiM Jazz and it sounds ace 

What is this KioGon stacked knob Loom? Can't find it anywhere online? 

[DoubleOhStephan]

19 minutes ago, ClassicVibes said:

What is this KioGon stacked knob Loom? Can't find it anywhere online? 

Ahh sorry, KioGon is BC member. His looms are somewhat legendary in these parts 😁

 

[uk_lefty]

13 hours ago, DoubleOhStephan said:

You could always buy a standard US jazz and pop a KioGon stacked knob Loom in it. I've put one in a MiM Jazz and it sounds ace (although, I should say it's been modded with a Precision pup, so isn't a traditional jazz) 

 

Probably my dream bass there. But right handed. 

[DoubleOhStephan]

2 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

Probably my dream bass there. But right handed. 

Gotta say, it's a bit lovely 😁

[Trueno]

12 minutes ago, DoubleOhStephan said:

Ahh sorry, KioGon is BC member. His looms are somewhat legendary in these parts 😁

 

I converted a MIM PJ Mustang to VVT arrangement via a stacked KiOgon loom and ditched the pickup selector. It made a HUGE difference.

[ClassicVibes]

14 hours ago, Chiliwailer said:

For me, typically with a £3-4k Fender CS (or similar, such as the Martin CS acoustic guitars that I’ve played recently) they aren’t twice as better as they are twice the price. But that’s not really the point for the many folk who own them and don’t mind the premium cost. 
I’ve had a fair few CS Fender basses - when they are good they are excellent, when poor they are pretty average, so worth waiting for an excellent one IMO - if you want the Fender affiliation. Otherwise there’s other makers out there who do a fine job, just in a different flavour. 

Who are the other makers? 

[Chiliwailer]

1 hour ago, ClassicVibes said:

Who are the other makers? 

Depends on your price range, and do you want it vintage correct? 

Assuming you want a SK Jazz that’s got the period correct kind of vibe then Limelight would do a well priced relic. Or Bravewood for a more expensive one. 
Im sure other BC’ers here will have good recommendations too. 

[ClassicVibes]

Has anyone had experience with Limelight or Bravewood?

[skidder652003]

Is KiOgan still making stuff?

[Reggaebass]

59 minutes ago, ClassicVibes said:

Has anyone had experience with Limelight or Bravewood?

If it’s any help, I enquired about a limelight , black 1960s jazz build with stack knobs, light relic ,and it came in at £1500 , posted with a case .

[wateroftyne]

1 hour ago, ClassicVibes said:

Has anyone had experience with Limelight or Bravewood?

BC has a search function.

[BlueMoon]

On 19/02/2020 at 21:43, CamdenRob said:

Also not sure if he’s still going 😕

I think so, but very low key. He is more focused on his core business of Ricks. On Facebook he has "The Rickenbacker Farm" site.

[ClassicVibes]

1 hour ago, wateroftyne said:

BC has a search function.

Where is that? Still quite new to the site. 

[wateroftyne]

2 minutes ago, ClassicVibes said:

Where is that? Still quite new to the site. 

It's the box at the top with 'Search' written in it. Or if you're on a  mobile, it's the spyglass icon at the top.

[Reggaebass]

2 hours ago, ClassicVibes said:

Has anyone had experience with Limelight or Bravewood?

There’s some really great limelight’s here, it’s one of my favourite threads 🙂

 

[CamdenRob]

3 hours ago, ClassicVibes said:

Has anyone had experience with Limelight or Bravewood?

My only experience with Limelight was that they couldn’t do me a normal finish, only varying levels of relic... Don’t know if that’s still the case, this was a few years back 🤔