NBD Atelier-Z Jazz

[ped]

This came in the post today!!

I posted a wanted advert here a few weeks ago asking for a Jazz Bass with 70s spacing. I had lots of messages and offers of all sorts of basses from vintage Fenders to modern super jazzes. 

I ended up going for this one for a few reasons, mostly from good experiences with Atelier-Z in the past, and the fact the bass exhibits none of the weight associated with 70s examples (certainly those that I tried).

The body is chambered and a sandwich of alder and ash. It sounds superb; full of that 'breathy' quality of the best jazz basses I have tried. Slap is pure Marcus Miller territory when you want it to be, but I especially like the way it sounds with finger style and the occasional pop accent. The pickups feel great - very powerful and a muscular gritty detail when you dig in.

Here's a pic of the chambering

...and here are some pics of the bass in my garden shortly before I walk Sybil and no doubt cause a rainstorm

I'll do some sound samples once I have played with it. 

Cheers

ped

[LukeFRC]

I like the rear mounted controls but with the Perspex bell plate - A good solution as it also helps them take more wood out the back. 

[BassApprentice]

Very nice - currently much want for a natural jazz here too - preferably with cream pickups...

Enjoy!

[Simon.]

That is lush! Makes me nostalgic for my MIJ 75RI...

Nice. 👍

[PaulThePlug]

Nice...

Eek... Squeek!

Edited October 4, 2020 by PaulThePlug

[Mokl]

Phwoar

[bubinga5]

Proper 70,s super jazz that...Atelier EQ-M preamp.? 

[bubinga5]

20 hours ago, Simon. said:

That is lush! Makes me nostalgic for my MIJ 75RI...

Nice. 👍

You mean this one that I bought from you Simon many years ago. Miss that bass.

[ped]

41 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

Proper 70,s super jazz that...Atelier EQ-M preamp.? 

Not sure what it’s called! It’s Vol, Vol (pull passive), Treble cut boost and bass boost only. Sounds excellent flat and it allows me to cut the treble on the bass so I can keep plenty of sizzle in reserve. 

Setup is pretty spot on now I think - neck is dead straight snd it only needs a tiny bit of pressure to get gnarly. 

I did look at several Fender Reissue models, finding it all quite complicated - some didn't even have 70s spacing. 

I’ll send an email to AtelierZ to see if they can tell me the spec of this one exactly because the fingerboard wood is gorgeous. And it’s really light, for a bass with a larger body than I’m used to. I think around 3.5kg but my scales aren’t great. Maybe the chambering helps but it’s hugely resonant. 

I haven’t had a Jazz bass for ages but it’s great to have one in the collection with my P bass too. 

[bubinga5]

When I think of a 70,s jazz bass tone its this.  as seen on TV with Francis Hylton. I think he has the same Atelier. 

 

Edited October 3, 2020 by bubinga5

[ped]

1 minute ago, bubinga5 said:

as seen on TV with Francis Hylton. I think he has the same Atelier. 

 

I think that's an M245 or something (two jazz type knobs, two metal) which isn't chambered (I don't think) and has a Bartolini preamp. Basically the same though. He's a cool player!

Some description of the models here - http://www.bassjapandirect.com/atelier-z.html

[ped]

Interesting that the Atelier-Z site says the board on mine is ebony - I had presumed it was rosewood but ebony comes in all shades. 

[DarkHeart]

On 02/10/2020 at 16:39, LukeFRC said:

I like the rear mounted controls but with the Perspex bell plate - A good solution as it also helps them take more wood out the back. 

This ^

[Frank Blank]

That, Sir, is a doozie.

[bubinga5]

2 hours ago, ped said:

Interesting that the Atelier-Z site says the board on mine is ebony - I had presumed it was rosewood but ebony comes in all shades. 

Im not sure I would want true black ebony anymore from what I have seen. Ebony is better with its idiosyncrasies. Great fingerboard great photography.

 

[LukeFRC]

10 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

Im not sure I would want true black ebony anymore from what I have seen. Ebony is better with its idiosyncrasies. Great fingerboard great photography.

 

https://www.taylorguitars.com/ebonyproject/ 

[bubinga5]

Taylor guitars are very aware as many others have to be.

[Simon.]

7 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

You mean this one that I bought from you Simon many years ago. Miss that bass.

Yup, that's the one. Still the best neck I've played, IMO.

Anyhoo, back on topic - congrats Ped, it's a beauty!

[sprocketflup]

Now that is really nice 

[ped]

Thanks! Here’s a picture which probably gives a better idea of the colour of the bass. When the light hits it it’s really golden in colour and the grain jumps out. I don’t think there’s any ‘colour’ applied, just a clear finish, so I guess it’s the Ash that just looks so nice. 

I was playing it until well after midnight, enjoying every fizzy growly note that jumped off the fingerboard. We watched a scary film last night and normally I’d be a bit scared of going down to the office in the dark to play with my back turned but on this occasion I thought evil spirits be damned, maybe we can jam?

 

[PaulThePlug]

Real nice, I like real natural, a rear route gives ya more of the wood, and the clear plate gives a modern take but  keeps the classic and expected lines and shapes, (A bit like those eyeing for the clear plate on the black paisley P.) without appearing too modern, and like something is missing or forgotton... i may of gone for a more modern and smoother looking bridge - more to reflect eveloution... Real nice...

 

[ped]

Neat little feature - the knobs are countersunk into the ‘bell plate’. 
Bye

[LukeFRC]

2 minutes ago, ped said:

Neat little feature - the knobs are countersunk into the ‘bell plate’. 
Bye

I was wondering how the shafts were long enough - very clever 

[ped]

1 minute ago, PaulThePlug said:

Real nice, I like real natural, a rear route gives ya more of the wood, and the clear plate gives a modern take but  keeps the classic and expected lines and shapes, (A bit like those eyeing for the clear plate on the black paisley P.) without appearing too modern, and like something is missing or forgotton... i may of gone for a more modern and smoother looking bridge - more to reflect eveloution... Real nice...

 

Thanks, yes I think it can come with a Badass type. This one is a Gotoh slightly stylised BBOT which works well - nice to have plenty of adjustment at the saddles because the plate is so thin where it attaches to the body. Normally with high mass jobs I end up with the saddles as low as they can go. 

[ped]

Just now, LukeFRC said:

I was wondering how the shafts were long enough - very clever 

Yes that could be why. The plates are quite thick, certainly more than I remember on the last jazz bass I had.