Jaydee Basses - My new build....

[joe_geezer]

Hi guys, I have a second Jaydee on order... will confirm the model but it will be fully binded & sea foam green pearl colour.

 

A few thoughts on my first Jaydee that i received in January:

 

Being a Mark King fan since the first time i saw Level 42 on Top Of The Pops in the 80s, I always desired that distinctive Jaydee look & sound through out the nearly 30 years i have been playing bass now. So 3 years ago i put in an order for a blue series 3 Jaydee.. yep 3 years!

 

When the bass arrived the first thing i notice was the beautiful craftsmanship & attention to detail, the construction was flawless. The neck was solid and super stable, so much so that i could get the most ridiculously low action. 

 

The paintwork was gorgeous, it actually changes colour depending how the light hits it, I would definitely recommend a pearl style colour if you like this effect.

 

The negatives:

 

Picking up the bass i did notice at first that it seemed a little heavier than my other basses which are all chosen for their lightness. This did bug me a bit (more on this later).

 

On playing the bass for the first time sitting down, I found it a bit weird to balance on my knee as the shape of the contour pushes the bass backwards compared to say a Fender sitting position.

 

Also, generally playing the bass after playing Fender Jazz basses for years, felt a bit strange, I couldn't get used to the tone controls, and the tone wasn't like my Jazz bass ......

 

3 months later, negatives turn into positives:

 

I soon got use to the slight weight increase, since lock down i had done virtually no exercise, after a few barbell curls I stopped to even noticing the slight weight difference.

 

I soon got used to the shape of the bass in a sitting position, i experimented positioning the bass in between my legs (it actually helps your right hand finger style technique in the position) but also in my normal - resting just on my right  leg position. 

 

One thing that has surprised me is how amazing these basses play and sound but - it didn't happen out of the base case, it took a few months to get use to the Jaydee sound and playability. Now, I can't even play as fast or articulate on my Jazz bass!

Also, Jaydee basses are meant to be played mostly with the back pickup on, yep even for slap! But if you select both pickups you can get that Marcus Miller smooth slap sound as well. Also, It can handle an amazing Jaco style growling mid tone, perfect for staccato funk or reeling off bebop licks.  

 

By far this is my favourite bass I have owned, and iv'e owned quite a few.

 

To conclude, my experience with Jaydee basses is that they are really professional basses for pro bass players. You have to make a few adjustments if you're coming from a Fender style instrument & probably need to play it in for a few weeks / months  but once you do there's no looking back!

 

 

I'd love to hear your similar stories & thoughts on your Jaydee bass experiences.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2022 by joe_geezer
pics

[chris_b]

Pictures or it didn't happen. . . .

[stevie]

Jaydees have always been out of my price range, but it's heartening to know that a British boutique bass company is still alive and kicking. They've certainly been around for a while.

Edited May 26, 2022 by stevie

[joe_geezer]

3 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Pictures or it didn't happen. . . .

Your wish has been granted

[White Cloud]

For me the prettiest basses there are!

 

Owned a Supernatural in the 80's and loved it, however the neck developed a terminal back bow. The only bass I've cried over 😞

[police squad]

I'd love to play my old again, I remember the quality being outstanding

[LeftyJ]

Not my cup of tea in terms of design, but I love the craftsmanship and that blue finish looks beautiful! I usually prefer a "hidden" neck through, where the neck wood isn't visible at the front, but I really enjoy the contrast with the solid finish! 

[yorks5stringer]

I had this Supernatural Roadie during the 90's and traded it for a Status Groove 5 string for £400!

 

[joe_geezer]

1 hour ago, yorks5stringer said:

I had this Supernatural Roadie during the 90's and traded it for a Status Groove 5 string for £400!

 

Love that white finish, also nice amp!

[NickA]

On 26/05/2022 at 12:36, joe_geezer said:

The neck was solid and super stable, so much so that i could get the most ridiculously low action. 

Do you want that for slap?  Genuine question not any criticism btw.

[joe_geezer]

1 hour ago, NickA said:

Do you want that for slap?  Genuine question not any criticism btw.

I play Jazz. fusions, smooth jazz & funk, I like to play fast so I need a lower action for this & slightly lighter string (100-40).

I also have a fender Jazz with heavy strings and high action for my Jaco sound.

 

Mark King also stated in the Guitarist interview that you need to get the lowest action possible & he's an amazing finger style funk player as well.

If you're a metal or rock play then a lower action probably isn't your bag, i have no idea as i am not a rock / metal bassist.

 

For example, this is me playing on a jazz with low action and 100-40 strings:

 

 

Edited May 28, 2022 by joe_geezer

[peteb]

20 minutes ago, joe_geezer said:

I play Jazz. fusions, smooth jazz & funk, I like to play fast so I need a lower action for this & slightly lighter string (100-40).

I also have a fender Jazz with heavy strings and high action for my Jaco sound.

 

Mark King also stated in the Guitarist interview that you need to get the lowest action possible & he's an amazing finger style funk player as well.

If you're a metal or rock play then a lower action probably isn't your bag, i have no idea as i am not a rock / metal bassist.

 

For example, this is me playing on a jazz with low action and 100-40 strings:

 

 

 

Niiiice 🙂 

 

Actually very fluent, great playing...! 

 

Edited May 28, 2022 by peteb

[Cosmo Valdemar]

2 hours ago, joe_geezer said:

 

If you're a metal or rock play then a lower action probably isn't your bag, i have no idea as i am not a rock / metal bassist.

 

I play rock and metal (although not quite so much metal these days). I've always preferred a low action and dig in hard when playing.

If the bass is set up properly a low action should not be an impairment to musical style.

[4000]

3 hours ago, joe_geezer said:

I play Jazz. fusions, smooth jazz & funk, I like to play fast so I need a lower action for this & slightly lighter string (100-40).

I also have a fender Jazz with heavy strings and high action for my Jaco sound.

 

Mark King also stated in the Guitarist interview that you need to get the lowest action possible & he's an amazing finger style funk player as well.

If you're a metal or rock play then a lower action probably isn't your bag, i have no idea as i am not a rock / metal bassist.

 

For example, this is me playing on a jazz with low action and 100-40 strings:

 

 

To be honest that action looks noticeably higher than mine! 

[4000]

13 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

I play rock and metal (although not quite so much metal these days). I've always preferred a low action and dig in hard when playing.

If the bass is set up properly a low action should not be an impairment to musical style.

I originally played rock and metal and always preferred as low an action as possible, although I do generally play very lightly.
 

Flea uses pretty low action considering how hard he plays:

 

3/64ths 12th fret E string

2/64ths 12th fret G string

5thou relief centre of neck when string fretted at both ends

 

And then of course there’s Entwistle and his famous “I like my strings on the other side of the frets” quote. And this one I read recently- “When a bass mag interviewer asked if, because of his super low action, if it bothered him if he got fret buzz in a few spots, John said "Yes. I want them all to buzz evenly."😂

[NickA]

Well, I play jazz mostly. Not especially fast.  I Read a John Pattituci article, also repeated by Janek Guizdala, where he said a high action is better for tone and articulation, which makes sense.

 

I bought a Warwick dolphin a few years back that arrived with an action so low I found it hard to play (spooky) so settled on about 1/16" ( or a bit less) at 12th fret.  Certainly higher than flea or John entwhistle (I really don't want fret buzz)

 

But is that too high for good slap tone?

 

...only slap for fun btw.  The band would have a fit.

[Shaggy]

That is not only an absolute stunner of a bass, but also almost the exact finish of my car (Audi “Eisvogelblau”, apparently......)

Came close to buying an ‘80’s Supernatural many years ago, always regret that I didn’t.  ☹️

 

[Skybone]

Very nice bass indeed. Was never a fan of slap, but the Jaydee's are ace looking basses.

 

Enjoy.

[4000]

1 hour ago, NickA said:

Well, I play jazz mostly. Not especially fast.  I Read a John Pattituci article, also repeated by Janek Guizdala, where he said a high action is better for tone and articulation, which makes sense.

 

I bought a Warwick dolphin a few years back that arrived with an action so low I found it hard to play (spooky) so settled on about 1/16" ( or a bit less) at 12th fret.  Certainly higher than flea or John entwhistle (I really don't want fret buzz)

 

But is that too high for good slap tone?

 

 

It’s all completely subjective. I can’t slap with high action at all (not that I really do anymore) but YMMV. Of course it doesn’t just apply to slapping either. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to what’s comfortable. As for tone, I like to have a bit of fret buzz in my sound and find the higher the action, the further away it gets from the tone I like, so whether higher action is better for tone Is also entirely subjective IMO. 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

2 hours ago, NickA said:

Well, I play jazz mostly. Not especially fast.  I Read a John Pattituci article, also repeated by Janek Guizdala, where he said a high action is better for tone and articulation, which makes sense.

 

I've never understood the logic behind that.

[Lozz196]

6 hours ago, 4000 said:

Flea uses pretty low action considering how hard he plays:

 

 

And then of course there’s Entwistle and his famous “I like my strings on the other side of the frets” quote. And this one I read recently- “When a bass mag interviewer asked if, because of his super low action, if it bothered him if he got fret buzz in a few spots, John said "Yes. I want them all to buzz evenly."😂

It’s funny isn’t it, many of us on here have gone for the cleanest possible sound there is, yet these seasoned pros who are revered around the world seem to either not care that much, or actively shy away from clean sounds. 

[Wolverinebass]

11 hours ago, joe_geezer said:

If you're a metal or rock play then a lower action probably isn't your bag, i have no idea as i am not a rock / metal bassist.

 

That's most definitely not true. I play metal and my action is lower than the Mariana Trench.

 

 

4 hours ago, NickA said:

I Read a John Pattituci article, also repeated by Janek Guizdala, where he said a high action is better for tone and articulation, which makes sense.

 

Frankly, as Janek Gwizdala plays a bass that looks like a melted plastic bath toy, I'll take his opinion with a skip load of salt. Plus, it depends how you define "articulation." For me it's hearing every percussive click and snap of my playing. You will never get that with a high action.

[NickA]

2 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

4 hours ago, NickA said:

 

I've never understood the logic behind that

It's about getting a clean sound and clear changes of pitch by ensuring the string leaves the fret at a good angle, so doesn't hit any other frets between finger and bridge.  You can then play quiet or loud without getting fret buzz. Of course if you WANT fret buzz it's counterproductive.

 

Our man Joe here is nevertheless playing with what he says is a low action and still getting great articulation and no buzz ... so if you're good enough... and the rest of your setup is perfect....

 

..anyway, my question was about string height for max slappability.  Might have a mess with my dolphin as a height change is only a couple of screws to turn. But I'm no Mark King or Max Miller and was hoping for an expert opinion.

 

Plus I guess a bass that CAN have a low action, even if you don't want it, means it's otherwise well made & set up.  So, back on topic... nice one JD!

[peteb]

31 minutes ago, NickA said:

It's about getting a clean sound and clear changes of pitch by ensuring the string leaves the fret at a good angle, so doesn't hit any other frets between finger and bridge.  You can then play quiet or loud without getting fret buzz. Of course if you WANT fret buzz it's counterproductive.

 

Our man Joe here is nevertheless playing with what he says is a low action and still getting great articulation and no buzz ... so if you're good enough... and the rest of your setup is perfect....

 

..anyway, my question was about string height for max slappability.  Might have a mess with my dolphin as a height change is only a couple of screws to turn. But I'm no Mark King or Max Miller and was hoping for an expert opinion.

 

Plus I guess a bass that CAN have a low action, even if you don't want it, means it's otherwise well made & set up.  So, back on topic... nice one JD!

 

Yes, there are certain tonal advantages to a higher action that you have to balance against playability issues. Every player is different and there is no ‘right’ way – it’s all about what compromises you make to get the right set-up for how you play.

 

I took a bass for a setup to Chris Dobson (Alpher Basses) and asked him for a low action. When it came back it had an incredibly low action, which I thought was brilliant until I tried to play it in anger and every note choked out. I took it back to him and he said, ‘so you like quite a high action then’ Now, I’m not particularly heavy handed and my basses are generally set-up with a lower action than many of my mates, but compared to the guys that Chris works / builds for, I need a pretty high action. Similarly, Joe talks about having a low action, yet his bass has probably been set up with a similar or even higher action to mine, which in turn is nowhere near as low as what a lot of guys use.

 

[joe_geezer]

13 hours ago, peteb said:

 

Yes, there are certain tonal advantages to a higher action that you have to balance against playability issues. Every player is different and there is no ‘right’ way – it’s all about what compromises you make to get the right set-up for how you play.

 

I took a bass for a setup to Chris Dobson (Alpher Basses) and asked him for a low action. When it came back it had an incredibly low action, which I thought was brilliant until I tried to play it in anger and every note choked out. I took it back to him and he said, ‘so you like quite a high action then’ Now, I’m not particularly heavy handed and my basses are generally set-up with a lower action than many of my mates, but compared to the guys that Chris works / builds for, I need a pretty high action. Similarly, Joe talks about having a low action, yet his bass has probably been set up with a similar or even higher action to mine, which in turn is nowhere near as low as what a lot of guys use.

 

100% agree, when I say low action, i mean low but still high enough that you can draw some tone out of a note. I try to get the best action for slap but at the same time allow come nice clean sustained notes played finger style with the minimum amount of fret buzz, its a bit of a tight rope lol

Edited May 29, 2022 by joe_geezer