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Hacking again that lovely Squier Matt Freeman: from Jazz to simply JJ


mcnach
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[u][size=5][b]Background:[/b][/size][/u]

I bought a Matt Freeman precision a while ago, as backup to my Fender Classic 50s, which was my 'goto' bass for a while. It was a lovely bass.

It looked like this:




I played a few gigs with it, but lovely as this bass is, its role as 'backup' was not really required, as I soon had my Maruszczyk Jake P/JJ which was a fine bass indeed and between the Classic 50 and the Jake I really didn't need three Precisions. However, I liked the idea of a Jazz with a Precision type neck. A lot. It led to my briefly owning a Roadworn Jazz with a RW series maple Precision neck... but I really prefer the smaller Precision body. So I converted the Matt Freeman to Jazz.

There's a thread about it here:
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/289660-not-quite-nbd-matt-freeman-precision-to-jazz-conversion/page__hl__matt%20freeman"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/289660-not-quite-nbd-matt-freeman-precision-to-jazz-conversion/page__hl__matt%20freeman[/url]

It essentially ended up looking like this:



I later changed those Nordstrand NJ4SE pickups for a set of my favourite DiMarzio Area J with cream covers, and since I was at it I put cream coloured knobs too:




I used the bass in this configuration in most of my gigs in the past couple of months or so. For some reason it does not have that Jazz tone. I'm very familiar with those pickups, and they were placed at the correct positions... I checked and double checked... but it sounds nothing like my Squier Jazz with Area J pickups. The bridge pickup was very nice, the neck was also very very nice, but both together had a weird resonance that was not very Jazzy... I can't understand it. Still, it had a lovely spot where I turned the blend knob slightly to the bridge, just where it changes from the "two pickups full on" but without getting to bridge alone sound... and luckily that position was achieved by aligning the knob marker to one of the pickguard screws, so I could get the sound easily everytime.

It was lovely.

But I have a Maruszczyk Jake with Jazz configuration coming soon and I have time in my hands right now... so I decided to go for something different here.


[size=5][u][b]Episode IV: A new hope[/b][/u][/size]

I had a new pickguard made by SIMS and I'd move the neck pickup closer towards the bridge. My experiments with an old OLP suggested this could be quite cool. It may get a bit of a Stingray-ish vibe, but pretty distinct from it, and a very focussed type of sound. Let's see.

The mod would also be quickly reversible in under 10 minutes: loosen strings, swap pickguard, move pickup, screw back on and tighten strings.

Ok, so I removed the pickguard to reveal the routing underneath:




I placed the new pickguard on top so that I could mark the new pickup position and know where to hack away... and I mean hack, I'm not a subtle wood worker :lol:





A lot of the space needed was already empty as the original P pickup routing overlapped with the new position.

I started chiselling softly with a wide chisel to mark the boundary. I used masking tape to help me avoid chipping the finish too much (note: use VERY SHARP chisels!!! mine weren't that sharp anymore and I didn't do great). I marked also the edge of the pickguard to make sure I don't make the hole too big:




And with the help of two smaller chisels, I started to carefully remove wood...




Ok, it is not a very elegant job, but I didn't remove much more wood than needed and the bottom was reasonably flat and level with the existing route... that would do!






Time to reassemble it!





And the Matt Freeman JJ LIVES!!!!




Sounds?
Well, the neck pickup in its new location has a lot of midrange bark that reminds me of a Precision, but it does not sound like a Precision... In its original location it sounded fat and was reminiscent of a P, here the sound is a lot more define, a lot less bottom end, but that Precision midrange 'bark' is there... it's a different sound. Panning between the two pickups is almost like having a wide peak mid-range semiparametric EQ control. Both pickups sound very different, but they're both two flavours of the same type of sound, if that makes any sense...
With both pickups on there's a slight mid scoop, but nothing like on a Jazz. I found a sweet spot where I turn the pan slightly towards the neck pickup, where I get a very defined tight bass sound with just enough low end and the right amount of mids... It doesn't sound like anything else.

Does it have anything in common with a Stingray? The line between the pickups is pretty much where the middle of a Stingray pickup would be, just a fraction higher towards the neck, and the pickups are wired in parallel, as the two coils in a Stingray. The area covered is a bit wider than that covered by a Stingray pickup.
So does it remind me of a Stingray?
Absolutely not. Nothing like it whatsoever. I'm surprised just how different it is. When I played in the OLP I could get sounds that had some 'Stingray spirit' in them, but this doesn't. It's true I never placed the two coils so far apart as in this example.

Well, I put new steel strings on, and I'll be using this bass at tonight's gig. Let's see how it behaves live!

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Two gigs now with the bass in this configuration... and it's a winner.
I ended up just leaving the two pickups on (parallel) and it has enough oomph and enough definition and sounds very good. A very different sound from a Stingray or a Jazz. Nice slap tone and fingerstyle. Success! It'll stay as it is :)

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[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1483302310' post='3206081']
Nice one, I'll have to hear you play it sometime!
[/quote]

If we play near you I'll let you know!

I'm really liking it, so much so that I'm thinking I should have maybe left this one as 'Jazz' and have the Maruszczyk be the JJ... ah well! I do want a 'nice' Jazz, which the Maruszczyk will surely be.

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[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1483306652' post='3206138']
Next mod - triple pickups!
[/quote]

Ha ha! :lol: no, I think I'm done with this one now ;) although it could be cool to have three pickups and a 5-way pickup switch like a Stratocaster where you can also get the two outer pickups on, for 'Jazz' sounds... Maybe next Xmas if I spend too much time at home without anything else to do :P

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[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1483314374' post='3206189']
That configuration has a really great look to it. Nicely proportioned - which given how far the pickup has moved is a real surprise. Nice!
[/quote]

Thanks!

I thought it might look a bit off, but it seems it works alright visually. I think having both pickups equidistant from the pickguard edge makes it look balanced.

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[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1483537780' post='3208009']
You meantion a blend control... in the middle position is it both pickups at 50% or both pickups at 100% (mn type I think it's called) that will make a difference to the sound of it
[/quote]

I have noooo idea. Chris McIntyre did the initial conversion for me and when he asked "hey, how about a blend rather than VVT configuration?" I said "hmmm, sure!". That's as far as that conversation went and I have no idea what kind of pot was used. I didn't even know there were different kinds!

I do like the result now, 'though.

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