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Fender Bitsa Recipes - What's Yours?


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[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1492937642' post='3284173']
This has been my main bass for a few years now. 2 piece swamp ash PJ body, oil & wax finished by myself.

Jazz width neck is from a seller in the Netherlands, I can't remember what they were called and can't find them on the web any more.

Bridge is the excellent Schaller 2000 (choose your string spacing !)

pickguard, tuners, knobs etc are generic. Controls are simply vol, tone and a 2 way switch between having both pickups 50% and the P pickup only, which are the only 2 sounds I ever need.

Strung with Fender 7250M 105-45 nickel roundwounds.

Weight is an extremely manageable 3.4 kgs (on my bathroom scales)

Edit .... forget to mention that the pickups are my secret recipe (which shall now be revealed to you !). A Tonerider jazz bridge pickup and a Wilkinson ceramic P pickup. These 2 together are awesome and ar my very favourite PJ mix (and happen to cost less than £50 together brand new). I have owned and tried a shedload of expensive PJ pickup selections and these truly are excellent - don't waste your money on boutique ones.

The very sad news is that I have just fallen in love with a Tune Bass Maniac I have just bought from Dandelion and this lovely bass has just been relegated to number 2.
[/quote]

You are spot on about the Tonerider pickups. I put a P in my Nate (which is a bit of a bitsa, now painted black and with a tort gaurd) along with one of Mr K`s finest looms and it the dogs dangalies.

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'73 Jazz body
Tele bass Warmoth neck
Schecter Monstertone pickups
Schaller 3D bridge and M4S tuners
Ki0gon loom
Wired in series mode.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/goat_punisher/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20170430_203407_zpskh2ktrb8.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/goat_punisher/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20170430_203407_zpskh2ktrb8.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

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Not 100% on the components as i bought this recently as is, but I understand it to be:
Fender MIM jazz body (possibly a Geddy), drilled to accommodate an American string through bridge
Fender pick-ups from a Japan 75 reissue jazz
Fender neckplate
Mighty Mite jazz neck with Wilkinson tuners and a Fender decal
Fender knobs and bell plate with a Kiogon wiring loom.
It's a beauty tho for sure...






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[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1492953028' post='3284316']
How are you finding the Status fretless neck? Always been intrigued by the idea of one.
Lovely collection btw!
[/quote]
Cheers!

Status necks are rock-solid.

As it stands I seem to have 5 Statuses/Statii (The two J's, a headless and two 5-string wooden neck ones), so I might've overdone it...

I think the fretless one is going to go.

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I bought a 90's Mexican jazz in midnight wine with a pearloid pickguard. Possibly the worst era of MIM fenders this was a nice player and the previous owner had fitted a badass bridge and Schaller lightweight tuners. Now, the only original parts are the body and neck and some screws....
It now has:
Jaco Pastorius monogram neck plate
Bartolini j pickups
Black pickguard
Fender straplocks
Hand made bone nut
Gotoh tuners replaced the schallers for the authentic look
Hipshot xtender for easy d tune
Chrome knobs
Replaced badass bridge with Wilkinson chrome and brass
Fender pickup covers x2

It's a great bass, plays so nicely. There are so many dings and scratches by me and previous owner(s) and a quantity of filler covering some old drill holes. With a good set up and decent strings it's a great bass with a bit of a growl to it. I've had it for over five years and can't part with it. It will be worth nothing second hand but worth loads to me on stage. Sometimes it's hard to choose whether to play this or my Japanese P bass if I'm only taking one bass.

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Love this thread.

I've made one or two and here's my latest, so cross-posting http://basschat.co.uk/topic/303227-fender-deacon-ification-mkii-late-70s-mid-80s-era/

It's a real Fender Precision neck - an 'A' neck with a 40mm nut and the body is a seriously resonant example made by the incredible Jon Shuker. The net effect is an extraordinarily girth-some sounding instrument acoustically. Couple with a Dimarzio Will Power P pickup, I am very impressed!

I'm still tweaking the set up, but I'm pretty impressed.

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Here's my nearly finished Fender Mixup, along with one of her "higher toned" sisters.

A short scale wide nut Rascal neck, on a Mexican P Bass body. The old bridge holes are visible right now, but will be covered by a Fender Ashtray cover soon.

I've called her "Red, White and Blue".........

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hi everyone

I'm a long time reader, first time poster - but I have just completed my first bitsa 'Fender' Precision Bass.

Mighty Mite neck from ebay - never mounted but gloss (probably poly) finish and a decal already applied - the plan was a '62 clone but I couldn't find a cheap neck with 7.25" profile so I had to settle for 9".
Body is from guitarbuild website - made in uk - 3 piece Alder; I've finished it in a tru oil.
Original Fender parts for most of the hardware: vintage bridge, vintage tuning machines, original '62 pickup, string tree, strap buttons, neck plate
Cheap knobs and scratchplate (celluloid top)
Strung with Rotosound 77s

I'm pretty pleased with it...

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Here's mine - 1988 MIJ Fender jazz body and a 2004 US neck. Most of the hardware and electronics are from my parts bin, but it plays brilliantly! Lowest action of any bass I've had before.

[url="http://s3.photobucket.com/user/mylkinut/media/IMG_20170225_142741_zpszddfycxm.jpg.html"][/url]

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[quote name='daveornorm' timestamp='1494510504' post='3296619']
hi everyone

I'm a long time reader, first time poster - but I have just completed my first bitsa 'Fender' Precision Bass.

Mighty Mite neck from ebay - never mounted but gloss (probably poly) finish and a decal already applied - the plan was a '62 clone but I couldn't find a cheap neck with 7.25" profile so I had to settle for 9".
Body is from guitarbuild website - made in uk - 3 piece Alder; I've finished it in a tru oil.
Original Fender parts for most of the hardware: vintage bridge, vintage tuning machines, original '62 pickup, string tree, strap buttons, neck plate
Cheap knobs and scratchplate (celluloid top)
Strung with Rotosound 77s

I'm pretty pleased with it...


[/quote]

Good job! :)

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[quote name='Mylkinut' timestamp='1494512461' post='3296639']
Here's mine - 1988 MIJ Fender jazz body and a 2004 US neck. Most of the hardware and electronics are from my parts bin, but it plays brilliantly! Lowest action of any bass I've had before.

[url="http://s3.photobucket.com/user/mylkinut/media/IMG_20170225_142741_zpszddfycxm.jpg.html"][/url]
[/quote]

I love that blue.... :)

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I recorded our album almost exclusively (two tracks were done on the Stingray I had at the time) on a bitsa P: Black SX body, Mighty Mite maple neck, Schaller 3D bridge, Hipshot Ultralights, Wizard Thumper. A great passive P, as good as any Fender I've owned. I'm all active now, but I've a hankering for another (light) passive P. I've got some bits kicking around, I might just see what I've got tonight... :)

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[quote name='Root45' timestamp='1494512612' post='3296643']
I love that blue.... :)
[/quote]

Thanks - it's Sonic Blue, looks great in the flesh. The previous owner had it refinished in nitro just before selling it to me, I love it.

How does the P pickup sound so close to the bridge on your Rascal bitsa? I've got an old Hondo which has a P pickup in the Stingray position, it sounds huge!

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[quote name='Mylkinut' timestamp='1494514397' post='3296665']
How does the P pickup sound so close to the bridge on your Rascal bitsa? I've got an old Hondo which has a P pickup in the Stingray position, it sounds huge!
[/quote]

I like a Jamerson muted growl, and that's what I get from it. I use GHS flats (which have a growl from the get-go), and a light foam mute on the bridge. I play fairly close to the neck, and often use a 5mm soft rubber pick, so the slightly shorter distance between the bridge and the neck doesn't seem to affect things too much.The relative slackness of the strings on the shorter scale probably affects the sound more.

Once I attach the chrome ashtray cover and hand rest, the foam (as well as the holes and the earth wire) will be out of sight, and the handrest will keep my hand in the right place! :blink:

Edited by Root45
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Ok

Here is my purple burst thang I acquired from Karlfer, Custom PG from TimAl to match the burst, a lovely little thumb rest in Aluminium that a fellow basschatter made a coupla years back, (I have black ones too) MIM tuners from the spares box. Also a couple of purple 'jewel' topped knobs that came from god knows where! The neck was finished with a custom logo, but to be honest that neck is a bugger, its way too chunky for me, have recently gained a HB jazz neck which needs a bit of fettling to fit, and I'll probably upgrade the pickup at the same time, as its the original 'no name' one which is a wee bit 'thin'

[URL=http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/Mkuk0/media/P1030117_zpsq7l1qae1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l527/Mkuk0/P1030117_zpsq7l1qae1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[url="http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/Mkuk0/media/P1030107_zpsf5hy3ujk.jpg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/Mkuk0/media/P1030108_zps4y24v4jd.jpg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/Mkuk0/media/P1030110_zpsudrgg7qy.jpg.html"][/url]

Edited by Oopsdabassist
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[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]My Bitsa is a glorious Jazz bass assembled and refinished by Dave Wilson. The original owner commissioned Dave to build the bass with cost being no object.[/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] He wanted the bass to replicate one of Adam Claytons Stage Basses for a U2Tribute show. He wanted a Jazz with a Precision Neck ! The spec is a s follows:-[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Fender Japanese 62 Jazz Body - Refinished In a gorgeous Aged Gold.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Neck is Japanese Fender Maple Block & Black Bound neck but with Precision width - nice slim profile front to back, 70's Jazz Logo applied.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Pickups are Nordstrand NJ4SE / NJ4SV which are an outstanding pairing - the Bark & Bite with Bottom end thump, dual coils and absolutely silent. Pickups alone cost £200.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Machine heads are Fender[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Bridge is brand new Fender USA[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Internals are all CTS / switchcraft[/font][/color]

[font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]Set up with nice low action.[/color][/font]

There is a 'tongue in cheek' Fender Custom Shop decal on the back of the headstock although I reckon this Jazz could quite easily stand proud amongst custom shop instruments.

This is a marvellous bass which has a huge presence in any setting.

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[quote name='daveornorm' timestamp='1494510504' post='3296619']
hi everyone

I'm a long time reader, first time poster - but I have just completed my first bitsa 'Fender' Precision Bass.

Mighty Mite neck from ebay - never mounted but gloss (probably poly) finish and a decal already applied - the plan was a '62 clone but I couldn't find a cheap neck with 7.25" profile so I had to settle for 9".
Body is from guitarbuild website - made in uk - 3 piece Alder; I've finished it in a tru oil.
Original Fender parts for most of the hardware: vintage bridge, vintage tuning machines, original '62 pickup, string tree, strap buttons, neck plate
Cheap knobs and scratchplate (celluloid top)
Strung with Rotosound 77s

I'm pretty pleased with it...


[/quote]

Ooh now that's my kinda P!

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[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1493642149' post='3289598']
Cheers!

Status necks are rock-solid.

As it stands I seem to have 5 Statuses/Statii (The two J's, a headless and two 5-string wooden neck ones), so I might've overdone it...

I think the fretless one is going to go.
[/quote]
The fretless one went last weekend; its new owner was very happy to add it to his collection!

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