Author Topic: Jaydee (Read 288 times)

spose · « **on:** February 16, 2015, 06:13:59 AM »

on talkbass...(fugly)

http://www.talkbass.com/threads/rare-1984-jaydee-supernatural-2-excellent-condition.1133736/

bigredbass · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2015, 01:47:22 PM »

Not hard to see the influence involved here, is it? But I wonder, what is the recessed area for between the neck p/u and the end of the fingerboard?

Joey

jazzyvee · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2015, 02:14:55 PM »

I believe, it is to give space under the string for your finger when you are doing lots of slap and plucking.

Enzo · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2015, 06:26:42 AM »

You are correct Jazzywee, but that groove IMO is counter productive for that purpose. I have 2 JDs, one is like this in the picture, called Series 2, the other one is Series 3, slightly different body shape.
Influence? Yes for sure, although John Diggins claims he had never seen an Alembic when in late '70s came up with this bass. The electronic looks kind of sophisticated but in reality is not that powerful, again IMO, light-years from an Alembic Series, but the price of a new one reflects it.
I'm going to keep one and sell the other, for that nostalgia of those early L42 years

sonicus · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2015, 07:57:35 AM »

A few years ago I went to checkout an Alembic Distillate that was for sale on Craigslist. The same fellow also had an Jaydee for sale. I also checked out the Jaydee closely and played it. When I turned it around I immediately noticed that the neck was in fact a set neck rather neck through design. I was really surprised and thought they went through all the trouble to make a laminated body just to pose as a neck through ? . At the time I had a bit of a comedic response and said The Jaydee is just wearing an Alembic Halloween costume , I see . ___ Nobody laughed at the time ____. My dry humour was just too dry I surmise . I ended up not making a purchase of either of the two instruments but really considered the Distillate at the time , but a few days later I found another Alembic Bass that I did indeed purchase.

Enzo · « **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2015, 08:08:26 AM »

Yeah, all the JDs are set neck. For a reason I never understood (maybe because I never asked?) his 'credo' are set necks? punchier? Once I remember reading Mica's comment on the Alembic Epic to be very punchy because of the set neck, I could be wrong though I always go back to read old threads, years old, very informative.

gtrguy · « **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2015, 10:07:07 AM »

The whole set neck verus bolt-on neck versus one piece is an interesting subject. I have owned all types and each has it's good points.

Even a bolt-on neck can be a good thing, for example, the Yamaha TRB-JP is a bolt on and the Ibanez Jem guitar. And Gibson and PRS set necks are great.

jazzyvee · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2015, 11:44:35 AM »

Enzo, the conversation I had with JD years back when I first started taking my guitars to him for servicing was that. He was asked to make a custom bass for a customer years back and the person started with this idea for a body style which eventually ended up as what we know as a jaydee style. What John didn't realise at the time was that the customer was aiming for an alembic style bass, hence the similarity in looks.
I'm not a fan of that body styling to be truthful nor the classic large bodied alembics either, but dressed in the right top wood can challenge my taste buds a little but not my pocket. :-)
John once showed me round his new workshop on a visit I made and I too was surprised that the basses were set neck. He has done some great work on some of my guitars and basses over the years and I think he deserves all the credit he gets for his basses.
Plus he is based in the same city as me... :-)

Enzo · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2015, 12:14:05 PM »

Jazzy, thank you for this post. Now THAT explains the design similarly. I know even when JD was already a well known luthier people asked him to replicate certain details found on Alembic, yet maintaining the JD identity. The George Anderson (GA24)model even sports the pointer and a rounder body. Did John explained you by any chance why he believes in set neck?
I have a nice S2 so called Session which has few options extra, a walnut top and back laminations (plain looking, no interesting veniers), fiber optics on side position, which are red when active and green when passive, plus 2 switches, phase and series/parallel. Recently I had a newer set of pickups installed, coming from another JD that made the bass sound more modern, bigger and rounder sounding that complemented the aggressive preamp. Unfortunately I lost the series/parallel function due to the standard wiring of the new pickup but it was almost in the current position anyway.

Enzo · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2015, 12:14:19 PM »

Double post.

(Message edited by Enzo on February 18, 2015)