kind of NBD: refinished Jazz bass.

[mcnach]

I bought a Fender Jazz 75RI a while ago, natural ash/maple with pearl blocks and white binding, that was just really nice to play and sounded great with a pair of Nordstrand NJ4SE pickups.

The only think I didn't quite like, visually, was the grain. It was... well, it was ugly. Very poor attempt to match the pieces of wood: it looked better from the back than fron the front!
I love natural bodies, but this one was bugging me.

Here's a few pictures (minus controls and neck pickup, as I was in the middle of some surgery)










So there it was.

Now, I've been on a "red phase" for a while now... Red car, red shoes, red hat, red bass... red cabs!

So the idea of refinishing this in some kind of red started forming in my head.

Enter... David Wilson.

[url="http://www.dwilsonguitars.com/en-gb/home.aspx"]http://www.dwilsonguitars.com/en-gb/home.aspx[/url]

and

[url="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002025970885&fref=ts"]https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002025970885&fref=ts[/url]

I saw him being recommended in a couple of threads on this forum, and decided to contact him. And I couldn't be happier, really!
The whole process didn't take too long at all, and it was so simple. Choosing what kind of red I wanted was the hardest part! Once I managed to print out an example of the kind of shade I wanted, I sent it to him together with the body (I could have sent the whole thing and get him to send me back the finished instrument, which would have been tremendous I am sure, but I wanted to experiment a bit with pickups and preamp/no preamp, so no point this time).
The body arrived yesterday and it's... gorgeous. He did such a great job! The shade of red is perfect!

It's hard to photograph properly... I just took a bunch of pictures with natural light and I think it gets close enough to what it's like in "person".

I'll upload them later today, but you can already see a couple of pictures on his facebook page above. Ignore the feminine side comments, pah!

[discreet]

Can't see the pics!* Funny really, before I got to the bit where you were having a refin, I thought 'trans red would be good'. I too was looking at the David Wilson site after seeing a quality refin by him of someone's Spector... can't remember where I saw it now.

*Because you haven't uploaded them yet. Dur! Hurry up!

Edited December 16, 2014 by discreet

[mr zed]

I can't believe the mis-matching of the original woodgrain from one of Fenders AVRI range. They should be ashamed of themselves. Looking forward to seeing the pics.

[Drax]

[quote name='mr zed' timestamp='1418744495' post='2632890']
I can't believe the mis-matching of the original woodgrain from one of Fenders AVRI range. They should be ashamed of themselves..
[/quote]

Agreed. Is this the £1800 reissue?!

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='mr zed' timestamp='1418744495' post='2632890']
I can't believe the mis-matching of the original woodgrain from one of Fenders AVRI range. They should be ashamed of themselves. Looking forward to seeing the pics.
[/quote]
[quote name='Drax' timestamp='1418745077' post='2632897']
Agreed. Is this the £1800 reissue?!
[/quote]

Come on, they were only being faithful to the original 70's standards!!

[mcnach]

[quote name='mr zed' timestamp='1418744495' post='2632890']
I can't believe the mis-matching of the original woodgrain from one of Fenders AVRI range. They should be ashamed of themselves. Looking forward to seeing the pics.
[/quote]


No, it is a CIJ Reissue, from around 2002. With 60s spacing. Cheaper than the AVRI, but still...

It really does look like they made a mistake and the front should have been the back, doesn't it?

[mcnach]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1418740278' post='2632839']
Can't see the pics!* Funny really, before I got to the bit where you were having a refin, I thought 'trans red would be good'.
[/quote]

great minds...

but it's not trans, with that grain, I went for solid solid solid red.

Ok, let's fetch those pictures...

[mcnach]

ok, pictures...




it's hard to picture the colour... with/without flash:
WITHOUT


WITH



Not sure what bridge I will use. This is one of the newer US Fender ones with adjustable string spacing (I like a slightly wider spacing than standard).


The only problem is it requires plugging and redrilling some of the original holes. That's why I bought it and never used it yet. I could use the older style threaded saddle bridges, which work very well. I have a couple of basses with those and I like them, and no redrilling needed.

The bass originally came with a Badass bridge. Originally, I mean, when I bought it. The previous owner installed it. It looks good but I'm not particularly in love with it and I do prefer a slightly wider string spacing. This is the Badass bridge:

[mcnach]

Now, I will probably use it without pickguard at least 90% of the time... but sometimes it's nice to have one.

NO PICKGUARD:


TORTOISESHELL:
Not a big fan but... it does look nice in this case!


WHITE:
Of course, white or mint/white always works...


BLACK:
but black is so sexy too...



Decisions, decisions

[discreet]

Very cool. Love the red/maple/white pickguard. That's classic.
Matches the blocks, too.

Edited December 16, 2014 by discreet

[mcnach]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1418753983' post='2633004']
Very cool. Love the red/maple/white pickguard. That's classic.
Matches the blocks, too.
[/quote]

I'm leaning towards that, to be honest. It matches my Classic 50 Precision too (I removed the gold anodised pickguard, I didn't like the touch):

[Drax]

Great job. Looks fabulous with no pickguard

[mcnach]

It'll go well with these

[EBS_freak]

good choice!

[Mornats]

I have a candy apple red Squier jazz with a black plate, maple neck and black block inlays that looks rather shexy.

Pic:

[discreet]

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1418759262' post='2633070']
I have a candy apple red Squier jazz with a black plate, maple neck and black block inlays that looks rather shexy.
[/quote]

Are you saying that in a Sean Connery accent?

[Mornats]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1418759871' post='2633086']
Are you saying that in a Sean Connery accent?
[/quote]

Is there any other accent that could possibly be used to describe a CAR jazz with a black scratchplate, maple neck and black block inlays?

[discreet]

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1418760182' post='2633096']
Is there any other accent that could possibly be used to describe a CAR jazz with a black scratchplate, maple neck and black block inlays?
[/quote]

http://youtu.be/wNl9ksUI-bU

[Mykesbass]

Looks great in all combinations - nice dilemma to have

[sblueplanet]

I would experiment and have someone make a gold-coloured pickguard. Would really set off the maple neck.

[cocco]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1418740056' post='2632836']
I bought a Fender Jazz 75RI a while ago, natural ash/maple with pearl blocks and white binding, that was just really nice to play and sounded great with a pair of Nordstrand NJ4SE pickups.

The only think I didn't quite like, visually, was the grain. It was... well, it was ugly. Very poor attempt to match the pieces of wood: it looked better from the back than fron the front!
I love natural bodies, but this one was bugging me.

Here's a few pictures (minus controls and neck pickup, as I was in the middle of some surgery)










So there it was.

Now, I've been on a "red phase" for a while now... Red car, red shoes, red hat, red bass... red cabs!

So the idea of refinishing this in some kind of red started forming in my head.

Enter... David Wilson.

[url="http://www.dwilsonguitars.com/en-gb/home.aspx"]http://www.dwilsonguitars.com/en-gb/home.aspx[/url]

and

[url="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002025970885&fref=ts"]https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002025970885&fref=ts[/url]

I saw him being recommended in a couple of threads on this forum, and decided to contact him. And I couldn't be happier, really!
The whole process didn't take too long at all, and it was so simple. Choosing what kind of red I wanted was the hardest part! Once I managed to print out an example of the kind of shade I wanted, I sent it to him together with the body (I could have sent the whole thing and get him to send me back the finished instrument, which would have been tremendous I am sure, but I wanted to experiment a bit with pickups and preamp/no preamp, so no point this time).
The body arrived yesterday and it's... gorgeous. He did such a great job! The shade of red is perfect!

It's hard to photograph properly... I just took a bunch of pictures with natural light and I think it gets close enough to what it's like in "person".

I'll upload them later today, but you can already see a couple of pictures on his facebook page above. Ignore the feminine side comments, pah!
[/quote]

Wow. I can't believe fender let it leave looking like that. It reminds me of that optical illusion camouflage they put on battleships during WW2.

[discreet]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1418740056' post='2632836']
I've been on a "red phase" for a while now... Red car, red shoes, red hat, red bass...
[/quote]

My old gran used to say, 'red hat, no knickers'...
I've got a refin lined up with D. Wilson in the new year - trans red!

[mcnach]

[quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1418761546' post='2633132']
I would experiment and have someone make a gold-coloured pickguard. Would really set off the maple neck.
[/quote]


ugh!

Not my thing I'm afraid. My Classic 50 Precision came with a golden pickguard... I really don't think it's a good look. With black, perhaps. Hmmm, no, not with red.

[mcnach]

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1418798991' post='2633400']
Wow. I can't believe fender let it leave looking like that. It reminds me of that optical illusion camouflage they put on battleships during WW2.
[/quote]

[mcnach]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1418837810' post='2633940']
My old gran used to say, 'red hat, no knickers'...
I've got a refin lined up with D. Wilson in the new year - trans red!
[/quote]

ha ha no comments.

As for the trans red... tell us more!