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CS Stack Knob Jazz?


ClassicVibes

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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. 

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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 by Chiliwailer
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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 🙂

4DB1DB01-9E53-4A5B-9B8C-1F5415A7363F.jpeg

1588BD6B-3D06-4F8D-8090-508150700884.jpeg

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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 😕

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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 by Beedster
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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) 

 

IMG_20190314_162925.jpg

Probably my dream bass there. But right handed. 

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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.

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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? 

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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. 

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