davebass66 Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 So I dunno if this counts as an official 'build' but hey! I am 'constructing' an early 60's style Jazz bass and thought I'd post some of the updates as they happen in case anyone is interested! Ordered most parts early this week and stuff is starting to arrive!!!! Picked up a stack knob control plate from the gallery yesterday and the sonic blue body arrived from Warmoth this morning (kudos to them for their speed, only ordered on monday afternoon). Got it in Swamp ash, which I know isn't technically correct for the 60's jazzes but it's really light, which is important to me.... Anyway...here is the first pics! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pobrien_ie Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Very Nice! Love sonic blue! Will watch this with interest...best of luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Very early 1960 Jazzes came with an ash body, so it's "correct enough" . I think this is going to be totally rad! If you need info about the most silly vintage correctness, feel free to contact me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pobrien_ie Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 [quote name='MrFingers' timestamp='1345112831' post='1773606'] Very early 1960 Jazzes came with an ash body, so it's "correct enough" . I think this is going to be totally rad! If you need info about the most silly vintage correctness, feel free to contact me [/quote] +1 on contacting MrFingers for "silly vintage correctness" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Bolton Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 This is going to be the balls. I love Sonic Blue, is this having a proper celluloid tortoiseshell scratchplate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 (edited) Mmmmm pretty, pretty. I've always liked sonic blue Jazzers since I saw JPJ playing one with Lenny Kravitz. May I ask where are you planning on getting the neck? I know stratosphere sell RI necks etc on ebay (I bought a Mex Classic sixties Jazz neck a while ago from them plus other various bits and pieces). In fact you could get everything you need to build your own reissue from Stratosphere, as they just take gear apart and sell them on bit by bit. Good luck. and here's the vid of JPJ playing his (probably original) sonic blue Jazz......bum notes and all. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xW84u4DOzE[/media] Edited August 16, 2012 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebass66 Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 Thanks for the support guys! Already hit my 1st stumbling block......d'oh! I went ahead and ordered a parchment scratchplate for it (was only a tenner), however, being the fool that i am I didn't realise that the standard jazz scratchplates don't quite 'snug up' to the stack knob control plate!.....balls.....trying to decide whether this is something I can live with or not.....I have just found what calls itself a 62 reissue mint green scratchplate, but it's $47 from the states (plus import/VAT etc)....Also I'm not sure whether mint green works..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebass66 Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 Will stick up a picture when I get a sec....Also, does anyone have a stack knob wiring diagram to hand?....not sure which part of it to connect the bridge ground wire to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pobrien_ie Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Would also be interested to know where you sourced the parts. I used Stratosphere myself a bit, but found their shipping costs to be crazy... e.g. €50 to ship a body, €40 to ship a pickguard or any other small / lightweight item . I was also close to buying a neck off them for about €300, but when they didn't answer me the 3 times I queried a nut width I went elsewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pobrien_ie Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 [quote name='davebass66' timestamp='1345117938' post='1773723'] Thanks for the support guys! Already hit my 1st stumbling block......d'oh! I went ahead and ordered a parchment scratchplate for it (was only a tenner), however, being the fool that i am I didn't realise that the standard jazz scratchplates don't quite 'snug up' to the stack knob control plate!.....balls.....trying to decide whether this is something I can live with or not.....I have just found what calls itself a 62 reissue mint green scratchplate, but it's $47 from the states (plus import/VAT etc)....Also I'm not sure whether mint green works..... [/quote] In my experience mint green tends to be very light in colour and for me usually looks more like an off-white. It'd be actually the first colour I'd go for with sonic blue. The 62 reissue pickguard should also have the holes for the pickup cover and thumbrest as well, which finishes off the look nicely. Does the parchment guard have those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 I guess they do. Anyway, mintgreen is the way to go for early sixties instruments (was used until 1964)! It's not the guard that's expensive, but the material. While your whitish guard is probably "just" ordinairy ABS, the mintgreen '62RI guard is made from the correct celluloid material. I always say: "when you start with something, don't halfass your way through it, but do it thoroughly!" and like they say in dutch: "Goedkoop is duurkoop" (translated it comes down to: "when something is priced low, so it looks like a bargain, you can be sure there will be some issues with it down the way, and you'll probably end up buying the more expensive, but correct/higher quality thing you were going to buy first") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 [quote name='davebass66' timestamp='1345117938' post='1773723'] Thanks for the support guys! Already hit my 1st stumbling block......d'oh! I went ahead and ordered a parchment scratchplate for it (was only a tenner), however, being the fool that i am I didn't realise that the standard jazz scratchplates don't quite 'snug up' to the stack knob control plate!.....balls.....trying to decide whether this is something I can live with or not.....I have just found what calls itself a 62 reissue mint green scratchplate, but it's $47 from the states (plus import/VAT etc)....Also I'm not sure whether mint green works..... [/quote] Having changed a lot of scratchplates in my time I realised that they are not all identical and sometimes there can be a gap between control plate and the edge of the scratchplate. The easiest way to sort this out is just to fit the scratchplate and then loosen the control plate and move it until it sits snug where you want it. In extreme cases you may have to drill new holes for the control plate but usually that's not necessary. A stack knob control plate, I assume, is the same size and shape as a normal plate - It just has 2 holes instead of 3. This company, in Amsterdam, sell some great quality scratchplates at great prices. I've bought 2 and both were perfect fits. [url="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Custom-world-guitar-parts/Pickguards-/_i.html?_nkw=jazz+bass+pickguard&submit=Search&_fsub=1787262016&_sid=711305886"]http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Custom-world-guitar-parts/Pickguards-/_i.html?_nkw=jazz+bass+pickguard&submit=Search&_fsub=1787262016&_sid=711305886[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Bolton Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 You could always have a wee word with The Bass Doc, he's made custom scratchplates for countless BC members, I had celluloid tort plate made up for my P Bass earlier this year, it's excellent. Mint green doesn't actually look green, as Mr Fingers said, it's more "off white" than anything else. I reckon it would look pretty tidy on sonic blue, not as nice as as tortoiseshell though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Bolton Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 [quote name='MrFingers' timestamp='1345119081' post='1773753'] I always say: "when you start with something, don't halfass your way through it, but do it thoroughly!" and like they say in dutch: "Goedkoop is duurkoop" (translated it comes down to: "when something is priced low, so it looks like a bargain, you can be sure there will be some issues with it down the way, and you'll probably end up buying the more expensive, but correct/higher quality thing you were going to buy first") [/quote] I'd second that. If you're going to do it, you'll be much happier doing it properly, if you try cutting corners here and there, it may end up costing you more in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Bolton Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 [quote name='Jono Bolton' timestamp='1345120888' post='1773795'] You could always have a wee word with The Bass Doc, he's made custom scratchplates for countless BC members, I had celluloid tort plate made up for my P Bass earlier this year, it's excellent. Mint green doesn't actually look green, as Mr Fingers said, it's more "off white" than anything else. I reckon it would look pretty tidy on sonic blue, not as nice as as tortoiseshell though [/quote] It was actually pobrien_ie that was talking about the scratchplate, not Mr Fingers! Sorry pobrien_ie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grassie Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Mint green all the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebass66 Posted August 17, 2012 Author Share Posted August 17, 2012 OK, advice time! I have been looking into connecting the neck today.....Had to do a little sanding on the heel to get it into the pocket, but what I now have is a very tight fit on either side....HOWEVER.....The front is not quite flush on the side of the top horn. DO you think this will be any sort of issue bearing in mind the rest of the fit? pics below.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I've seen a lot worse - wouldn't expect that to be a problem in terms of stability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Is snug enough. I wouldn't mess around with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebass66 Posted August 17, 2012 Author Share Posted August 17, 2012 [quote name='gjones' timestamp='1345116575' post='1773691'] Mmmmm pretty, pretty. I've always liked sonic blue Jazzers since I saw JPJ playing one with Lenny Kravitz. May I ask where are you planning on getting the neck? [/quote] Picked up the neck from a guy on Ebay, it is one of the licensed mighty mite necks. He gets them, sticks a decal on and sells on. I contacted him to get a blank one. It's a very nice neck I have to say, nice grain (with the odd bit of birdseye), clean fretwork etc....this guy.... http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/bluebass320/?_trksid=p4340.l2559 So is the consensus that mint green is the way? I am a little nervous tbh! I have been looking at pics but it's so hard to tell when it's not in right in front of you!....Have got in touch with the Doc who said he'd make me one, just deciding between mint or parchment (which is the colour of the current guard... Again if anyone has a stack knob wiring diagram it would be greatly appreciated! I looked at the one from Fender and it didn't appear to use a ground wire....is that right?! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 That is correct, because there isn't a groundwire present. 1960-62 jazz basses had the grounding going via a brass strip that was wedged underneath the bridge, and ran to the cavity of the bridgepickup (where it was soldered to the brass plate underneath the pickup. That plate was connected via wires to 2 other plates, one in the cavity of the neck pickup, and one in the control cavity. From the controlcavity went a wire to the sleeve of the jack (1962) or the back of, the pot (1960/61), thus making the entire grounding complete. (those four screws you see between the bridge and the pickup are those of the "[url="http://www.ggjaguar.com/mutes.jpg"]spring loaded mutes[/url]" (still available at some [url="http://www.thebassplace.com/parts-miscellaneous-c-8_26/fender-jazz-bass-mute-kit-p-54"]sites[/url], but it's discontinued as a fender-part since 5 years...), also present from 1960 to 1962.) This is a picture of the wiring. The 2 small resistors you see are optional. They were present in the real vintage basses, since the output needed to be tamed, because they would blow up the speakers of the amplifier (there weren't really bassamps back then, the best thing you had was a '59 Bassman). Nowadays there are bassamps, so you can use the full potential of your pickups, so you can leave those resistors out. And erm... Mint is the way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebass66 Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 That is some awesome info! thanks Fingers!!! Do you know whether this method would work using copper tape rather than a brass plate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Copper tape should be doable (if you can solder on that, that's needed for a good connection), but I'd advise to go for the brass. I bought for a '68 project a piece of brass at a shop for modelplanes & -boats, did cost me 2€, and I could do 3 basses with that sheet of brass. I don't know what pickups you are going to use, but if it is the Fender '62RI Pickups, or Seymour Duncan Antiquities, then those pickups already come with such a brass plate for the cavities with them, so I wouldn't mess around with copper tape. Just a slight remark: for the neck... Mighty Mite isn't that top-notch quality (I once had an issue with 2 frets being out of place, thus making the entire neck worthless (since positions 4 & 5 were sharp). If I were you, I'd go for an allparts neck. It's a bit more expensive, but it's well worth the money, and you'll get a better neck in place (with correct trussrod at the heel instead of that ugly thing at the heastock), and a better neck means a better tone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 (edited) I've had both types of necks and although the MM neck is very good quality (and the headstock access to the trussrod is very convenient, although not historically accurate) the allparts is better. The only downside of the allparts neck was that it was a bit chunkier than the MM version (and 3 times the price). Alternatively, if you went for a warmoth neck you could specify the exact neck profile you wanted (but of course that's even more expensive). Edited August 19, 2012 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 or musikraft, it's a tad cheaper than Warmoth, and true vintage correct, with a LOT more options in terms of profile, frets, radius,... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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