tredders Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 (edited) So I've been after a Fender Telecaster bass for a while, and they've either been too expensive, or have come up at a time when I've had no bass funds. By luck, I found one on eBay - terrible small photos, basic description, but I contacted the seller, and arranged to meet up with him. Turns out he's the bass player with Marmalade, and was a really nice guy. Had a chat, coffee, and the net of it is that I came away with the bass (even better, for what I consider to be a damned good price too ). Now, it's been used, is genuinely 'road worn' but sounds amazing! That mudbucker is a beast! It's currently got a jazz pup fitted (so many from that era had this mod done, unfortunately), so I've been in contact with the Bass Doc, and he's going to get it back to stock for me. He suggested that a thin vaneer could be put on the front of the bass to hide the filled jazz pup routing, or the alternative would be to get the bass refinished and resprayed. I've gone for the latter approach, and have chosen that custard-colour off white that aged Fenders have. He's going to make a white pickguard for it, move the tugbar to the right position, and source me a bridge cover (hopefully with the foam still in place). So, on with the show. Here are some pics of the bass as it stands now: - I'll post some more pics once Howard has performed his magic on it (it's being delivered to him on Monday), but this is the kind of colour scheme / result I'm after: - Will update the thread in the coming weeks. Edited May 10, 2013 by tredders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr zed Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Lovely - congrats on your new bass. Looks stunning now, even better when HJ has finished with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I didn't know Jack was a skilled luthier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tredders Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 (edited) [quote name='Old Horse Murphy' timestamp='1368180330' post='2074087'] I didn't know Jack was a skilled luthier [/quote] Of course, I meant the Bass Doc. I've edited my original post accordingly. You'd think I could remember the name of the guy who's going to be working on the damned thing, wouldn't you? Edited May 10, 2013 by tredders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Tredders, that is just great. i know you`ve got a refin in mind, but that bass is sooooo stunning as it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Personally, I'd leave it 'burst. It's a rare colour for the Tele. Also - make sure you're 100% sure re: removing the J pickup. I found my mudbucker Tele to be unusable. Too much mud, not enough buck :-) The J will help with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick's Fine '52 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Nice, good project, looking forward to seeing the finished article. I had a '72 a few years back, in blonde, and those humbuckers are pretty unique sounding. Nice basses these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 [quote name='tredders' timestamp='1368178164' post='2074053'] this is the kind of colour scheme / result I'm after: - Will update the thread in the coming weeks. [/quote] Nice... but I'd be going for black/tort Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tredders Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 I'm sure re: removing the Jazz pup. I know it's a one trick pony, but it's that exact trick I want it to do, so I don't really need it to be versatile. Anyway, I have a real aversion to the sound of jazz pups at the best of times...! As regards the colour, I'd love to leave it sunburst but to cover the filled-in jazz routing, the only real solution is to veneer the front of the bass and try to match the 'burst, or to get the whole bass resprayed and refinished from scratch, and that's time consuming and costly. Besides, I like that off white look :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 100% keep the Jazz PUP Mark, it was the mod de jour for a reason (I remember the guy from Be Bop Deluxe played one with the same mod), and let's face it, the bass in question also didn't catch on for a reason. The Jazz PUP also lends a certain charm. Anything you do now will to a certain extent take it even further away from original? And until you get one of those babies roaring through a few hundred watts of tubes you won't realise what an untamable beast that mudbucker is (and why it's called a mudbucker) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tredders Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 You remember that thing you used to do as a kid? Where you'd stick your fingers in your ears, and say "la, la, la, I'm not listening" when someone was speaking to you? Well I'm actually doing that right now, with regard to the jazz pickup I've actually had the bass for a fortnight, have played it a lot in that time, and have tried to learn to love the jazz pup, but I genuinely don't. This bass will be purely for my Specials / ska / reggae thing, so all I need is the sound it gives me. Hence, returning it to original spec makes sense (to me at least!). Besides, this one will be a keeper - I've looked for one for long enough, so it's got to please me, rather than for me to think about future resale value. For the first time in years, I'm relatively GAS free... I mean, I'd still like a Pino. And a Jetglo Ric. And Clarky's pre-CBS P bass. Oh, and I wouldn't mind trying a Thunderbird. But apart from those, there's nothing I'm after. Well, I've been tempted by a Dingwall recently, if I'm honest. And I'd like a 70's CIJ P bass (with the slim neck). And a Lull Precision. And I've been wanting to try a Nash for years. But other than those, I'm sorted for the moment.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tredders Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 (edited) Anyway, you can keep your Be Bop Deluxe added-jazz-pickups. I've got Horace on my side: - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xar9j2RRJDE Edited March 24, 2014 by icastle Link fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Great looking bass and I'm liking the refin - what sort of cost would that be if you don't mind me asking? I have a 79 that I stripped and recently I've been wondering about getting it refinished. oh & 1973 would be my dream year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Good to see a shout out for Charlie Tumahai (BBD). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ash Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I was interested in this and was in touch with the chap from Marmalade - I kept asking for more pics and I think he may have thought I was taking the mick! I've owned a few of these - I decided against it because of the string alignment looking all wrong on the pics he sent me. Its a lovely bass but I would seriously think twice about removing the extra pickup as a few have commented, the mudbucker has a hell of a sound but does need taming! My last one had a Dimarzio jazz pickup and a coil tap on the 'bucker too which worked a treat. A great bass I love the neck on these. Good luck with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 [quote name='tredders' timestamp='1368181015' post='2074098'] Of course, I meant the Bass Doc. I've edited my original post accordingly. You'd think I could remember the name of the guy who's going to be working on the damned thing, wouldn't you? [/quote] Howard is building me a fretless P bass neck I started to see Jack in a whole new light for a minute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnyboy Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I like it as it is , but I really like what you're proposing to do with it - it looks fantastic and it's all part of its story.Bin the Jazz pickup nanananana! ( Although I do like the Humbucker/Jazz combo on my Squier Tele Bass- maybe not a great comparison!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I think it will look great when finished. Good choice with removing the JPup, it looks gash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Its a lovely bass, great story too. I'm afraid I'd be keeping it as it is, with all that history and 'mojo', makes the bass for me. 'Burst is unusual and the J pup, while I agree looks better without, is still part of its history and how this particular bass is. How about selling it for another, more standard bass? Its a great bass, really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Looks fantastic as is to me, lovely, what a great 'burst and the black pg on it looks just 'right'. It's your bass and you should do what you want, but (you knew the but was coming right?) I'd leave the original finish and just not use the J pickup if it didn't float my boat. Why? Because you never know if you'll 'need' to move it on later and the refin will detract from the potential price you could achieve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick's Fine '52 Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 [quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1368312327' post='2075676'] How about selling it for another, more standard bass? [/quote] This is also a good point, humbucker tele's are available for pretty reasonable prices, and you may be able to sell this for the same price as you can get a standard one already how you want it, blonde is far more commonly found too. Worth looking at before this one gets further modded? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1368343600' post='2075790'] Looks fantastic as is to me, lovely, what a great 'burst and the black pg on it looks just 'right'. It's your bass and you should do what you want, but (you knew the but was coming right?) I'd leave the original finish and just not use the J pickup if it didn't float my boat. Why? Because you never know if you'll 'need' to move it on later and the refin will detract from the potential price you could achieve. [/quote] +1, if I were in the market for one the J-PUP and 3TSB would be a winner over a Oly White refin. I very nearly had a J-PUP added to mine (there's a thread on here somewhere about it). C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Some Telebass thoughts here http://basschat.co.uk/topic/35826-so-who-on-here-has-a-telebass/page__hl__beedster%20telebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tredders Posted May 12, 2013 Author Share Posted May 12, 2013 [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1368357196' post='2075987'] Some Telebass thoughts here [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/35826-so-who-on-here-has-a-telebass/page__hl__beedster%20telebass"]http://basschat.co.u...ster%20telebass[/url] [/quote] Cheers Chris - it made interesting reading. Made me laugh to compare your experience with your bass with my thought processes over the last two weeks, summarised as: - 1. "Bloody hell, this bass makes the walls shake" 2. "But that's all it seems to be able to do" 3. "Should I get another pickup fitted? I'll leave it a week and see" 4. "I've ordered a new pickup" 5. "I've had the new pickup fitted. It's now brilliant" 6. "Fender Telecaster bass for sale" Hopefully, I'll avoid step 6! Anyway, thanks for everyones comments and suggestions. It is going to have the jazz pup removed. It is going to be resprayed faded white. Please all feel free to ridicule me if I ever say that I regret having the other pup removed....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Pitch forks and flaming torches at the ready..... Nah I`m kidding. I agree with the work you are gonna do. It will look cool and sound like only a mudbucker can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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