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Jazz bass road worn upgrades


bassman84
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IIRC the Road Worn series came with US pickups. I had the P and fitted an additional P pickup, a Seymour Duncan, I couldn't tell any difference in the quality of tone from the two. So, as NancyJohnson says, if it ain't broke, why fix it?

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1446384591' post='2898917']
This. If it ain't broke, fling it from an upstairs window, that should do it.
[/quote]

HAHAHAHAHAAH, That was a good one, guys, I really know what you mean and at the bottom line I totally agree, I'm just curious to know if anyone here has the exact same bass with upgrades, for example the pickups are very good but could be that the new fender vintage 62 are even better than the ones I have?

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Visit a music shop and have a go of a current US Jazz. Take your bass along - tell them you`re doing this as you want to A/B the basses with a view to buying the US - and try them both out. See if you prefer the CS pickups or your own.

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I have a RW Jazz in sunburst, and I keep telling everyone that it's my favourite bass ever
It's just so well balanced, so comfortable to play and the neck profile is the most comfortable I've ever played
I also love the sound - but I did change the pickups, purely because someone local was selling a pair of DiMarzio Jazz pickups
and I fancied experimenting. Originally, the bass sounded great, but maybe a tad quiet, in comparison to another jazz I had

The DiMarzio's certainly gave me a bigger output, which has more "punch" than the original pickups. Sometimes, I think the bass now sounds more like a PJ. And maybe it has lost just a bit of the softer Jazz tone. I may swap them back again - just for comparison.
The original pickups certainly sound like vintage Fender to me
Great bass, and another convert :)

I must say, I've owned 2 US Fenders, and my RW knocked spots off them both (I've since sold both US basses, but I'm never parting with the RW, unless I get a Bass Centre Norman Watt-Roy Jazz, and maybe not even then!)
EDIT: As Rumple points out - the reverse tuners are sometimes an annoyance, but the bass seems to hold tune really well
So I think I'll leave mine alone

Edited by Marc S
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[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1446454084' post='2899394']
I have a RW Jazz in sunburst, and I keep telling everyone that it's my favourite bass ever
It's just so well balanced, so comfortable to play and the neck profile is the most comfortable I've ever played
I also love the sound - but I did change the pickups, purely because someone local was selling a pair of DiMarzio Jazz pickups
and I fancied experimenting. Originally, the bass sounded great, but maybe a tad quiet, in comparison to another jazz I had

The DiMarzio's certainly gave me a bigger output, which has more "punch" than the original pickups. Sometimes, I think the bass now sounds more like a PJ. And maybe it has lost just a bit of the softer Jazz tone. I may swap them back again - just for comparison.
The original pickups certainly sound like vintage Fender to me
Great bass, and another convert :)

I must say, I've owned 2 US Fenders, and my RW knocked spots off them both (I've since sold both US basses, but I'm never parting with the RW, unless I get a Bass Centre Norman Watt-Roy Jazz, and maybe not even then!)
EDIT: As Rumple points out - the reverse tuners are sometimes an annoyance, but the bass seems to hold tune really well
So I think I'll leave mine alone
[/quote]

Thanks a lot mate! Well, if one day you do a sound sample with both pickups I would be delighted to listen to it...

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1446452016' post='2899377']
I replaced the pickguard on mine for a mint one.

The only thing I'd do to change the bass if money were no object is replace the reverse tuners, not a major problem they are just a bit annoying.
[/quote]

The tuners are the one thing I would never change! :D

[quote name='dave74200' timestamp='1446449978' post='2899369']
I know someone who had a RW Precision and upgraded to Seymour Duncan SPB-1 saying it was an improvement.
[/quote]

Actually I'm considering a gold one to change sometimes ;)

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[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1446452016' post='2899377']
The only thing I'd do to change the bass if money were no object is replace the reverse tuners, not a major problem they are just a bit annoying.
[/quote]
what's annoying about them?

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[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1446475893' post='2899621']
what's annoying about them?
[/quote]

Nothing major at all, it just the fact it's the only bass or guitar I have with reverse winding tuners so when I play it I inevitably turn them the wrong way, it's one aspect of the bass I wouldn't have made period specific but that's just personal taste.

It's by far the best Jazz bass I've owned.

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I put some Dimarzio Model J's in mine but that was purely as I wanted hum free and a hair more P bass sounding tone. If you like the jazz sound stick with it as is. If you wanna change something just for the sake of it or to give it your own mark then by all means. I'm not sure what to suggest but Bart's are great (they will take away from the vintage look though).

As for the tuners again they're fine and they work, changing them will kill the look but that's a personal choice again. Only issue I ever had was having the RW Jazz stolen and when playing the replacement bass tuning the wrong direction in a gig and then struggling to get back in tune as I'd bamboozled myself my tuner had been nick too so couldn't silent tune to fix it!

Good luck whatever you decide!

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