NPBD: best sounding Jazz I've had, from cheapest parts

[andruca]

This is my second "build" (assembly, might I say). First was a thomann P-style kit I got as a gift in 2016. Suffered intense metamorphosis, up to its present self, a fretless reverse P+J 5er.

This time it's a Jazz I've built. Thing is almost 2 years ago I got a "horrible bass" (ad stated that clearly, guy begged for somebody to take it away), for just 38€ (and a 15min ride, included was an un padded gig bag). Body was like a badly cut version of a Jazz and neck was bananas (literally, beyond repair, truss rod would do nothing for it), but (no brand) hardware seemed decent, solid bridge, precise tuners, and pickups/electronics were all in working order (origin/brand still a mistery). Had a black J pickguard home, from some other Frankenstein I planned but never came to be.

So I got the cheapest neck & (basswood) body I could get from AliExpress for 50€ total. Funny, it all summed up to 88€ , which is what thomann charges for their (really decent) kits. I opted for a black "distressed" finish (easy, and looks "used"/"player's" -and sorta' ghetto-). I'm a big fan of a black guard on a black Jazz Bass. I added a Hipshot D-tuner I've had lying around for some years (my main players are 5 strings, and it's not that useful or needed for the low B as they're on a 4 string for drop dealings). Neck is a little thicker than I'd like (still normal, I'm just an unusually picky skinny neck freak) but it plays great, frets are surprisingly level (can be setup ridiculously low) and, as soon as I set it up and plugged it in thru' my usual presets it just... WOW!

First some photos...

A ramp is mandatory for me on every 2 pickup bass, I'm used to Stingrays5s playing position (the exact punch, depth and stiffness I like), and feeling the pickup underneath helps my fingers not to travel too far/sink too deep, keeps me plucking with the very tips, alla' Geddy.

Family photo, joining the aforementioned previous build...

 

NOW ONTO THE SAMPLES. What you hear here is:

FINGERSTYLE: both pickups, then neck, then bridge

PICKED/SANSAMPED: both pickups, then neck

PICKED/SANSAMPED DROP-D: both pickups, then neck

This was recorded direct into a Zoom R24 (inserting its built in SansAmp emulation -low gain- and compression) for the clean fingerstyle tones, and thru' a Zoom MS-60B (a more crunchy SansAmp + 166 comp. emulation) for the picked dirty stuff (no inserts on the recorder).

In all honesty, after owning 2 MIJ Jazz Basses in the '90s/early '00s and having played MANY Jazzes and clones from all walks of life thru' the years, only one I'd probably like better is a MIJ Geddy sig.

Edited February 18, 2020 by andruca