Old Fender Jazz too heavy - what to do ?

[redstriper]

I have a 1963 Fender jazz bass that I'm now finding too heavy for long gigs.

It had a home made maple precision body fitted in 1978 which is what makes it so heavy.
It also had a new maple fingerboard at the same time, the neck is original, but the headstock has been cut in the musicman style.
The electrics and hardware are all original.

These are the options, I've considered -
1: Get a lightweight bass for gigs and keep the old jazz for recording.
2: Sit down at gigs.
3: (This is my latest plan) Have a lightweight jazz shaped body made and maybe also a new neck or fingerboard.

It's been my main bass for 30 years and I love the sound, So what should I do ?

Any suggestions ?

[phsycoandy]

All of the above doesn't make much sense. 1963 Jazz, wow! wtf happened to the original body? You reshaped the head to MM style, WHY? why would a homemade P body be lighter than the original. You ripped out the original fretboard! A bass which could have been worth a small fortune is now, sounding good from the vid, but practically worthless from what you say, and I see no cure for too heavy problem other than you retiring to reggaeland in the sun and smoking some reefs man.
Me thinks uve been smokin too much reggae ganga my friend. Shoot us some pics so we can cry.
Hope thats been helpfull!

[Musky]

If you love the sound as it is you should keep it just for recording. I would have thought changing the body for a more traditional ash or alder will change the tone. If you go the route of a new body and neck you may as well go the whole hog and have an entire bass made. Or just buy something off the shelf, which has the added bonus of being able to try it first or at least shift it on without too much of a hit on your wallet (if you buy second hand).

Andy - I think you ought to remember these things weren't always megabucks and were made to be played rather than for investment. Jaco might have left his alone if he just had an eye on its value.

Edited November 17, 2009 by Musky

[henry norton]

Get yerself an EB-0!!!

But in reality, I suppose if you have the facilities to make a bass body you could chamber it out. Chamber out either side and leave a big chunk in the middle so's not to alter the tone & timbre too much. Panic over, lighter bass, virtually no money, more or less same sound and a 'trendy' chambered body. I can see the value rising already.......

BTW don't feel bad about modding a (now) valuable bass. I added a Jazz pickup to my JV Precision in 1990 when it was just a good, cheap instrument, not a collectors item. Good on yer!

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Get a Fender Mustang?

[Owen]

Try my Hofner.

Lighter than a light thing

[beerdragon]

Can you post some pics, it sounds interesting.

[velvetkevorkian]

[quote name='redstriper' post='657345' date='Nov 17 2009, 06:52 PM']3: (This is my latest plan) Have a lightweight jazz shaped body made and maybe also a new neck or fingerboard.

I[/quote]
So... a new bass then?

[redstriper]

I just read my original post and I can see how it makes no sense, so I will try to clarify things -

Firstly, I didn't do any of the modifications - I haven't done anything to it except change the strings a few times since buying the bass.
Secondly, I don't smoke ganga or anything else.

Now the history lesson which I only recently discovered -

The original owner was in a psychadelic band called The Answers and he used to pour lighter fluid on the bass and set fire to it as part of his act.
He cut the headstock maybe to improve the balance or maybe because he broke the end of the headstock, he had a wild stage act and this was the '60s.
The bass was then sold on in 1968 by which time the body and fingerboard were charred beyond redemption.
The next owner built a new precision shaped body and replaced the fingerboard both out of maple.
He then toured with it extensively before selling it to me in 1980.
So, it is as I described - a 1963 jazz bass with the L serial number, all original except for the body, fingerboard and headstock.
I've been very happy with it until the past couple of years, when the weight has become a problem.

Now, to the solution(s) -

I bought an Ashbory, which is the bass in my band's myspace music - it's great for weight and sound but hard to play without concentrating, (not my strong point).
Then I bought an Epiphone EB-0, which came close, but wasn't quite right sound wise.
I've also tried a 70s Fender Mustang and found it almost as heavy as my old jazz.
I tried sitting down at gigs, but it's not ideal with this band, the funny thing is that I always sit down with my other band which is more jazzy and the fretless bass I use for that weighs almost nothing but it doesn't have the right sound for reggae.
I don't have any wood working skills, so I won't be doing any mods myself.

Which brings me back to my 3 options and I must say the most appealing is to have a lightweight jazz body made if I can find someone willing and able to take the job without charging too much.
It would be nice to get the bass back to the way it was before the pyro maniac got to work.
I recently tried 2 original '60s jazz basses and they both weigh a lot less than mine - they don't sound too shabby either.

My second option is to buy a new (or used) bass for gigs and I'm quite partial to that idea, but all the lightweights I've tried, (not that many TBH) have sounded too bright and thin for reggae.
I'm cautious of buying a bass without trying it because I'm quite fussy and it has to feel and sound right even for gigs - any recommendations welcome.

The simplest and cheapest option is a stool - Jamerson used one after all.

Here's the beast in question -
[attachment=36613:63_bass.jpg]

[~tl]

Personally, I'd keep that bass as is. Use it for recording, or whatever. It's unique, so it'd be a shame to butcher it up... well, more than it has been already! Then I'd be on the lookout for another (lightweight) Jazz to use for gigging. The new American Std. ones are supposed to be rather good, though I'm not sure about the weight. Maybe go down the custom route (depending on your budget, of course) and get something made that has a similar neck profile but a more lightweight body. [url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/"]Jon Shuker[/url] might be a good shout for that. Or you could always get parts from [url="http://www.warmoth.com:80/default.aspx"]Warmoth[/url] (they have weights on all the bodies and necks in their store) and make it up yourself. Then there's the second hand route...

Out of interest, how much does that bass weigh?

[OutToPlayJazz]

Interesting history that bass has, or should I say, that neck has! So all in all, there's not much left of the original bass. Sounds like you need to keep it and buy your stool, being as you like the sound & all.

[redstriper]

[quote name='~tl' post='657672' date='Nov 17 2009, 11:56 PM']Personally, I'd keep that bass as is. Use it for recording, or whatever. It's unique, so it'd be a shame to butcher it up... well, more than it has been already! Then I'd be on the lookout for another (lightweight) Jazz to use for gigging. The new American Std. ones are supposed to be rather good, though I'm not sure about the weight. Maybe go down the custom route (depending on your budget, of course) and get something made that has a similar neck profile but a more lightweight body. [url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/"]Jon Shuker[/url] might be a good shout for that. Or you could always get parts from [url="http://www.warmoth.com:80/default.aspx"]Warmoth[/url] (they have weights on all the bodies and necks in their store) and make it up yourself. Then there's the second hand route...

Out of interest, how much does that bass weigh?[/quote]

Thanks - I'd like to buy a new jazz bass rather than making my own, unfortunately Fender don't advertise the weights of any of their range, in fact I don't know anyone that does and a new bass might not have 'my' sound.
The American Vintage 62 jazz looks very nice but I don't really want to spend that kinda dosh, Then there's the American Standard, the Mexican classic 60s and the Squier CV - will any of these be light enough and sound and feel right for me ?

I haven't got accurate scales, but I reckon mine is about 10 - 11 lbs.
Not all that heavy, but painful after a while.
Anything below 9 lbs would probably be ok.

I feel a road trip coming on - but the stool is cheaper.

[Beedster]

[quote name='redstriper' post='657696' date='Nov 18 2009, 12:17 AM']Thanks - I'd like to buy a new jazz bass rather than making my own, unfortunately Fender don't advertise the weights of any of their range, in fact I don't know anyone that does and a new bass might not have 'my' sound.
The American Vintage 62 jazz looks very nice but I don't really want to spend that kinda dosh, Then there's the American Standard, the Mexican classic 60s and the Squier CV - will any of these be light enough and sound and feel right for me ?

I haven't got accurate scales, but I reckon mine is about 10 - 11 lbs.
Not all that heavy, but painful after a while.
Anything below 9 lbs would probably be ok.

I feel a road trip coming on - but the stool is cheaper.[/quote]

Don't change that bass, it's f**king ugly but has character and history, and they're important.

Do you really think 1-2lbs weight reduction will make a significant difference? You could spend a lot of money on basses when a few sessions with a physio working on posture etc could be money far better spent (equally yoga, Alexander Technique, even lifting a few weights). The sad truth is that most guys I know who've dropped a few pounds in bass weight due to back/shoulder/neck pain still get the same pain after a time, it's often how were playing, not what we're playing, that's key.

That bass is special, keep playing it dude

C

[maxrossell]

[quote name='Beedster' post='657713' date='Nov 18 2009, 12:31 AM']Don't change that bass, it's f**king ugly but has character and history, and they're important.

Do you really think 1-2lbs weight reduction will make a significant difference? You could spend a lot of money on basses when a few sessions with a physio working on posture etc could be money far better spent (equally yoga, Alexander Technique, even lifting a few weights). The sad truth is that most guys I know who've dropped a few pounds in bass weight due to back/shoulder/neck pain still get the same pain after a time, it's often how were playing, not what we're playing, that's key.

That bass is special, keep playing it dude

C[/quote]

This, totally. I play Les Pauls, which are heavy guitars, and for a while I was playing a Custom whcih was like a lead weight around my neck. I switched to a Standard which was far lighter, but I got the same pain. I started doing some back exercises and eating better, and hey presto, no more pain.

[redstriper]

[quote name='Beedster' post='657713' date='Nov 18 2009, 12:31 AM']it's f**king ugly[/quote]


Sad but true dude - would you play it in public ?



Maybe all I really want is a pretty bass.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Beedster' post='657713' date='Nov 18 2009, 12:31 AM']Do you really think 1-2lbs weight reduction will make a significant difference? You could spend a lot of money on basses when a few sessions with a physio working on posture etc could be money far better spent (equally yoga, Alexander Technique, even lifting a few weights). The sad truth is that most guys I know who've dropped a few pounds in bass weight due to back/shoulder/neck pain still get the same pain after a time, it's often how were playing, not what we're playing, that's key.

That bass is special, keep playing it dude

C[/quote]

Have to say that IME it really does make that much difference.

I've done the posture thing, and the exercises, and I've tried every type of weight-spreading strap there is, and all these things help lots.

But not as much as playing a lighter bass.

I used to draw the line at 11lbs, now it's 9lbs and I have no difficulty imagining that coming down to 8lbs within a few years. Once you start looking, there's no shortage of light-weight basses out there.

RedStriper, how about keeping your bass (with its fascinating history) intact and getting something made to order by Paul Rose (i.e. ProseBass)? Have a look at his picobass and then consider that bass with a Dark Star mounted right by the neck and some large-gauge flatwounds.

You could end up with a superb dub bass that weighs 7lbs.

Edited November 18, 2009 by Happy Jack

[wateroftyne]

Yep, I agree that a couple of lbs here and there can make a difference.

Redstriper - 10-11lbs is on the high side. If you shopped around you'll have no problem finding something around the 8-9lbs mark.

[MoonBassAlpha]

Lil ol' Steinbergers were popular with reggae types some years ago, and weigh not a lot.

[Beedster]

[quote name='redstriper' post='657751' date='Nov 18 2009, 01:19 AM']Sad but true dude - would you play it in public ?[/quote]

Yep, for sure. I wouldn't be seen dead playing a Steinberger or similar though

[markdavid]

I cant remember who makes it but im sure there is a strap that goes across both shoulders so that it distributes the weight onto both shoulders evenly (maybe someone on here remembers who its made by) perhaps something like that might help

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='markdavid' post='657835' date='Nov 18 2009, 09:10 AM']I cant remember who makes it but im sure there is a strap that goes across both shoulders so that it distributes the weight onto both shoulders evenly (maybe someone on here remembers who its made by) perhaps something like that might help[/quote]

[url="http://www.darestrap.com/"]http://www.darestrap.com/[/url]

[largo]

I don't think you should change it, the weight & wood used in the body and neck are all part of creating the sound which you love. My advice? Buy another bass and dig out the old one for the odd gig or song.

By the way, I've got a '63 Jazz too.
But a previous owner changed the body and the neck in late 80's and then the electrics and hardware early 90's. Mine doesn't weigh too much, but it's fantastic. Open to offers around the £3K mark. I think it still has the original '63 mojo that came with the bass, so not entirely a lost cause?

[BB2000]

[quote name='redstriper' post='657345' date='Nov 17 2009, 06:52 PM']I have a 1963 Fender jazz bass that I'm now finding too heavy for long gigs.

It had a home made maple precision body fitted in 1978 which is what makes it so heavy.
It also had a new maple fingerboard at the same time, the neck is original, but the headstock has been cut in the musicman style.
The electrics and hardware are all original.

These are the options, I've considered -
1: Get a lightweight bass for gigs and keep the old jazz for recording.
2: Sit down at gigs.
3: (This is my latest plan) Have a lightweight jazz shaped body made and maybe also a new neck or fingerboard.

It's been my main bass for 30 years and I love the sound, So what should I do ?

Any suggestions ?[/quote]

Look at the 60's classic I have for sale at the moment - it's one of the lightest jazz basses I've handled for a while (under 8lb 10oz). It's also bloody cheap!

[Sibob]

Don't Warmoth do chambered Jazz bodies?!...that would definitly help!
Swamp Ash chambered body, nomnomnom.

I wonder what a 1968 neck is worth?...just the neck though, no fingerboard, and a headstock that looks like only it's mother would love it lol

Si

[BigRedX]

My 2p.

If you like the everything about your present bass except the weight leave it alone! Any changes you make to reduce the weight will affect the sound. There's a chance it might be an improvement, but it's more likely to make it less good.

I'd go somewhere where you can try lots of basses and take yours with you for comparison. Try everything whether it costs £50 or £5000. The £50 might surprise you and if only something very expensive does it for you then you know that you need to start saving.