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If you want a vintage sound then how about a Sentell 'Lil Sis' or 'Big Sis' musicmaster replacement pickup - http://sentellpickups.net/bass.html (scroll down about half way) I have a Big Sis on my Bronco and it's a wonderful thing 😊

Apart from the roadworn cosmetics the only difference with the JMJ is a custom-spec pickup voiced to be similar to JMJs original '66 Mustang. So tonewise it may have a slightly more vintage vibe than the MIJ but it's still going to sound like a Mustang and unlikely to be much different to your MIJ. I haven't tried a JMJ, love the way it looks but a little pricey for me.

Me too, brings back memories of revising for school exams back in the late 60s with Then Play On blasting out in the background. Great guitarist and under rated in my opinion, RIP

The two most important things for me when looking for a band are the type of music and the people in the band. If these two feel right then the rest of it can usually be worked on if it's not already there.

Some Hartke speakers apparently have a dual voice coil design which allows impedance switching. Here's an extract from a Hartke manual: "The HyDrive HD112 has an innovative dual voice coil design that allows the cabinet to operate at either 4 or 8 ohms impedance. The cabinet has a impedance selector switch on the rear jack plate. If you are using a single speaker cabinet, and the amplifier has a minimum impedance of 4 ohms, set the HyDrive HD112 impedance selector switch to 4-ohms to get the maximum power from the amp. If you are using two HyDrive HD112 together in parallel, for a total impedance of 4 ohms, or adding a HyDrive HD112 to your current rig, set the impedance selector switch to 8 ohms."

I've not tried what you're suggesting but I'm intrigued by the idea. I've yet to find a dual coil pickup that genuinely has the same clear, crisp and open tone of a single coil but would be very interested to hear what the Jess Loureiro sounds like when you get it hooked up with the switching. A short demo would be great if you can.

Pre CBS decals were applied on top of the lacquer. Not sure of the exact year they started varnishing over the decal but if your replicating a 50s Fender then the decal was on top of the finish.

Ampeg casters are available from Fliptops in the US here - https://www.fliptops.net/catalog/cat-100025/feet-wheels Apparently they're 3" casters so other replacements of that size should work (although the mounting holes may not be the same).

I used Virtuoso cleaner/polish on an old Hofner nitro finish with very good results - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Virtuoso-Premium-Instrument-Polish-Cleaner/dp/B0088Q50BM

Sounds like you did the right thing to whip it off rather than trying a spot repair. Good luck!

I'm sure you've googled it already but couple of links below for info. The fix really depends on what caused the fingerboard to lift in the first place - eg. glue starvation at that end of the fingerboard when it was built, excessive lifting force at that point due to the truss rod, bond weakened over time due to oils in wood etc. Spot repairs are possible but removal, re-prepping and re-bonding would be a more complete fix. I should point out that I have no experience of doing either myself! https://crimsonguitars.com/forum/guitar-repair-and-customisation/fretboard-separating-from-neck/

Excellent, well done!!

The wire and winding specs of a Jazz pickup changed in the 70s. This description of the Nordstrand NJ4 and optional 70s wind gives a bit more detail - https://nordstrandaudio.com/collections/4-string-jazz-bass-pickups/products/nj4-vintage-single-coil. Curious that your 75 reissue sounds so mellow and warm, a 70s Jazz is usually a bit more aggressive due to the different pickup wind and bridge pup position. Have you tried raising the pickups a bit? If you've got some leeway to do that (without introducing magnetic pull/warbling) it should add a bit more bite and grunt. Particularly the bridge pup, but raising the neck pup will also tighten up the sound.

The bridge looks right for a Patriot as does the truss cover and triangular string tree. Good buy!

Fairly common practice I think, my ACG has a thin black veneer between the body and top wood.

This thread suggests it's 4mm -