Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Wanted & Wishing => Topic started by: tomhug on February 25, 2011, 08:40:32 AM
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As much as I love my Alembics, I also am feeling the need to add a 100% passive bass to my stable of available instruments. My plan is to build a hybrid vintage instrument (in other words, vintage/used parts when practical, new when optimal). I've just scored a great vintage Fender Precision neck, which I'd like to marry to a similar vintage Jazz body. (Yes I know most people do it the other way around, but I have big hands and this neck profile is very close to my 1977 Series I)
I am looking for a Jazz body any year from 1960 through 1980 (4-bolt only though). I am not too worried about vintage museum provenance, so I am hoping to cherry-pick something that still functions as a player's piece, but may not be too desirable to vintage collectors, e.g. refinished or modded pieces. Of course, I am looking to do this as affordably as possible.
Does anyone know of sources for parts such as these other than eBay?
This will be a players bass, (not a collectors bass) so refinished pieces are perfectly OK.
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Check it out !
http://www.allparts.com/Bass-Bodies-s/134.htm (http://www.allparts.com/Bass-Bodies-s/134.htm)
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Look! Nice wood_____http://www.warmoth.com/Bass/J-Bass/Jbass.aspx (http://www.warmoth.com/Bass/J-Bass/Jbass.aspx)
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I would purchase a Jazz body at USACG. In fact I have purchased a Jazz neck from them, and it's a great neck. Tommy Rosamond is the owner and he's a really nice guy to work with.
http://www.usacustomguitars.com/jay.html (http://www.usacustomguitars.com/jay.html)
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Thanks!
One of the things that I am trying to do is get something that's not jarringly new in comparison to the neck. -- But -- I am not sure exactly how I feel about the whole relic-ing craze. So I was thinking that a used body would accomplish that without actually buying a relic-ed piece.
Also, I also just played a whole bunch of newer Fender pieces, all the way from Squier up through Custom Shop and Vintage Reissues. Seems to me the older wood is denser / more resonant / something? Another reason I am looking for wood that's been around the block a bit.
(Side note - I was changing strings on my 1979 Strat and realized that it's pretty relic-ed now. I still think of it as my 'new' guitar. I ordered it straight from Fullerton via a local budget music store (sight unseen) and pulled it right off the UPS truck. As teenagers my band used to follow that truck in a car waiting for delivery.)
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I have a Fretless Jazz assembled from various parts sources , as far as the bridge ; I really recommend this one from Schaller ;
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Bass_bridges/Schaller_4-String_Roller_Bass_Bridge.html (http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges%2C_tailpieces/Bass_bridges/Schaller_4-String_Roller_Bass_Bridge.html)
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Thanks for the tip about the bridge, Sonicus. That's exactly the kind of component improvement I am considering for this vintage hybrid. Do you know if that bridge uses the same screw-hole spacing as on a stock Fender jazz?
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Tomhug, here is a pic of a stock 71 P . Bass bridge with 5 screws and a Schaller Roller Saddle Bridge with 3 screws . I know for a fact that the Schaller will cover the area of the old Fender bridge but having 3 screws in stead of 5 there will be a slight variation. I think the middle and right and left screws might have lined up but it was 1991 since the last time I had it apart . This Schaller Bridge made a huge improvement in my opinion, I like it better then the "Badass" for a Fender replacement having one of those as well on another Pbass project.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/98328.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/98329.jpg)
Sorry for the less then steller pics
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Thanks! I appreciate the pics and explanation.