Jazz bass dilemma!

[Conan]

OK, I admit it - I really like Jazz basses! There is just something about the ergonomics, the look and the tone that works for me.

That said, there are so many different models and styles (not to mention Countries of origin) that I am a bit perplexed...

My favourite neck (by quite a margin) is the one attached to the Geddy Lee signature model. But, after owning two Geddies and a Marcus Miller, I am coming to the conclusion that I prefer the sixties pickup positioning.

What I would really like is a Geddy neck on a different body (but still with a Badass II bridge) - but Fender seem to have so many different neck attachment solutions that it might not be straightforward...

So my quesion is: Will a Geddy neck fit into a J body with sixties spacing (without modifications)?

I also like the tone of EMG pickups... but that is a simple fix!

[brensabre79]

Conan I believe it will. Nice combo by the way

I don't think the neck pocket specs have ever changed. As long as its a licenced Fender body it should be fine. I think people run in to problems with non-Fender copies where the neck is rounder or squarer at the heel. Stick with the genuine article and you should be fine. Loads of bodies on the Bay - some fully loaded - although if you want the Badass and EMGs not really much point...

I have a '74 neck - so the older 4 bolt 70s style like a Geddy, (mine's got white binding though and it's like a tree trunk compared to Geddy)

I've had the neck on 3 different bodies, and I also had a Squier VM neck (the slimmest I've found except for the Geddy) on the same 3 bodies with no drama.

If your Geddy truss rod adjustment is at the heel (like mine is) then try and get a body (and scratchplate) that is already routed for this.

[Dingus]

Geoff, I have no idea if a Geddy Lee neck will fit on another Fender body ( actually, I expect it probably will fit on at least some , maybe all standard four bolt fixings ) , but if it does, bear in mind the chances of getting a tight neck join are a bit hit and miss, if that matters to you.

However, let me ask you, how wedded are you to the Geddy neck profile? Do you find a regular Jazz Bass profile to fat? Myself, I find the Geddy Lee profile [i]way[/i] too skinny, and it doesn't feel particularly stable to me either. There just isn't enough wood to be stiff enough, and that must influence the tone, too.

Have tried one of the Roadworn Jazz Basses? Very slim and vintage-correct neck profile , feels incredibly fast, light weight and an lot of fun to play. Fender got it right with theses basses. You could very easily pick one up on Basschat, put a Badass on and , if you feel it is necessary, whatever pickups you fancy and you have got a killer Jazz Bass.

My other recommendation would be a used post-2008 American Standard Jazz. A bit fit fatter neck profile than a Geddy Lee,( probably more typical of a genuine early-to-mid 1970's Jazz Bass than the shaved-down feel of the Geddy Lee , ironically enough) but still very playable and with the benefit of graphite reinforcement. 60's pickup placement , and a great all-round Fender bass. The High Mass Vintage bridge is perfectly good too, so no real need to swap for a Badass.

Either of those basses might be a better option for a Jazz with '60's spacing than a cut and shut job involving a Geddy Lee and some other Jazz Bass.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Dingus

[Conan]

Thanks for the responses guys! In true Basschat fashion, very different advice!

I've owned and played lots of Jazz basses. Mostly Fender, but a few derivations and copies too. The necks vary massively IME. I don't like the chunky ones (even though that is the type that my fretless J copy has). The neck on the Marcus Miller was very nice, but not as good (for me) as the Geddy. The neck on my MIM standard J is OK too - just not as nice as.... well, you get the idea.

I don't have a lot of cash to spend, so if I was to buy another J bass (with slim neck and 60s spacing) I would have to sell my Geddy first. I sold another GL a while back and have regretted it ever since - the CIJ ones are seriously good basses (IMO), and the only two things I would change about this one are the pickups (for EMGs) and the pickup spacing (which is not so easily done).

I think I might have a tinker before tonight's rehearsal and see if the Geddy neck fits on the MIM body. I think both are four-bolt attachments, so apart from the time, nothing will be lost.

I'm not too bothered about a water-tight neck pocket fit - so long as it feels and plays nicely. Although if I keep losing pocket-change in there I may have to re-consider...

Edited May 14, 2014 by Conan

[brensabre79]

I've owned enough basses (especially Fenders) to know:

If you have a neck you like, keep it!

If you want a tight fitting neck join don't buy a Fender!

Give it the old switcheroo, at least that way you can see the sort of compatibility you can expect and if it's more like what you're after... As long as you keep the rest of your Geddy Lee bass, you can always return the neck to it's rightful owner if you decide to sell in years to come

[Dingus]

What is it about the 1970's spacing that irks you Geoff, is it the slightly tighter, more aggressive tone? Do you play a lot with the bridge pickup soloed? At the risk of stating the very obvious, if you are using both pickups on together or the neck pickup, needless to say, the influence of the rear pickup positioning will be minimal.

Put a better way, what and why is it that you prefer the '60's positioning ?

Edited May 14, 2014 by Dingus

[allighatt0r]

Out of curiosity, is the pickup spacing on a Squier Silver Series the 60s spacing or 70s spacing?

[brensabre79]

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1400079543' post='2450543']
Out of curiosity, is the pickup spacing on a Squier Silver Series the 60s spacing or 70s spacing?
[/quote]

I would say it's probably 60s. Most Jazz Basses and derivatives are. Even some 70s reissue ones are 60s spacing.

The issue many have with 70s spacing is that the extra 1/2" makes the bridge pickup just a bit thinner sounding. I've compensated for this with electronics on my bass but I hardly ever use the BPU on its own because it's just too nasal. I notice quite a difference between this and my 60s spacing American Std Jazz.

[Conan]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1400079278' post='2450534']
What is it about the 1970's spacing that irks you Geoff, is it the slightly tighter, more aggressive tone? Do you play a lot with the bridge pickup soloed? At the risk of stating the very obvious, if you are using both pickups on together or the neck pickup, needless to say, the influence of the rear pickup positioning will be minimal.

Put a better way, what and why is it that you prefer the '60's positioning ?
[/quote]
[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1400081170' post='2450569']
The issue many have with 70s spacing is that the extra 1/2" makes the bridge pickup just a bit thinner sounding. I notice quite a difference between this and my 60s spacing American Std Jazz.
[/quote]

Second post pretty much answers the first - but not entirely. For me personally, it is also about the physical positioning of the bridge pickup. I often play with my thumb anchored on the BPU (OK, maybe not ideal from a technical point of view...) and on a J with 70s spacing that position just feels a wee bit too close to the bridge. The strings don't have quite as much "give" in them, and (as you both alluded to above) the tone is slightly less full than the 60s positioning.

They are small differences, but they become noticeable on my main bass.

The thing is, I love pretty much everything else about the Geddy sig basses - especially the Jap ones with their immaculate routing, fabulous finish and build quality. I just wish I could move the BPU a whisker towards the neck!

The slight lack of tonal depth was apparent in the Marcus Miller too, but can be compensated for using the onboard EQ. The Geddy doesn't have this option.

Yes, I like the more "growly" tone that the Geddy (and, presumably other 70s Js) get - but I prefer the more full and rounded tone that I seem to get from the 60s spacing - at least in the music that I am currently playing. It just sits in the band mix better. There seems to be more in the lower midrange frequencies with the 60s spacing, and I like that in my current sound. Maybe I'm not explaining this very well, but I know what I mean!

Didn't get the chance to swap the necks over last night as I took advantage of the good weather to mow the lawn before rehearsal. It was getting so long that we kept losing the dog in it... Will swap 'em over this evening...

Edited May 15, 2014 by Conan

[Who's Who]

Booby Vega managed to fit a 70's Jazz neck on a P bass body:

[url="http://youtu.be/5-Z8T1B8-w0"]http://youtu.be/5-Z8T1B8-w0[/url]

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1400079186' post='2450530']
If you want a tight fitting neck join don't buy a Fender![/quote]

Warmoth kit is the opposite end of the spectrum. The neck pocket and pickup routes are very precise, some parts won't fit them unless you sand the body a little to ease them in.

I guess Warmoth expect their buyers to put a bit of effort into getting a good fit and of course you can't start with too little wood, whereas Fender just want their factory guys to be able to put them together in seconds.

Edited May 15, 2014 by thisnameistaken

[Conan]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1400076229' post='2450493']
Geoff, I have no idea if a Geddy Lee neck will fit on another Fender body ( actually, I expect it probably will fit on at least some , maybe all standard four bolt fixings ) , but if it does, bear in mind the chances of getting a tight neck join are a bit hit and miss,[/quote]

Did the swap last night. Interestingly, the Geddy neck is a perfect fit on the MIM body, but the Mex neck on the Jap body leaves an annoying gap between the end of the neck and the body of around 2-3mm.

I also swapped the bridges over, so now the Mex body (still with Mex pickups) has a Jap Geddy neck and a Badass II bridge! Kind of a "Gringo Geddy" perhaps...

The dark rosewood fingerboard of the Mex neck looks great on the black Geddy body - especially with the black scratchplate, so I may be onto something here! I'll get some photos taken on sunday...

First impressions (after a little while to let the necks settle and "bed in") are good - but both will need the bridges altering for the height of the action.

I quite like this customisation business!