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Author Topic: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz  (Read 7050 times)

Offline malthumb

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Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« on: September 22, 2007, 03:34:55 PM »
Following up on the "New Bass!!  Modifications Coming!!" thread.  http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,47482.0.html

Here are some pictures, as well as some description of procedures in modifying my Made In Mexico Fender Jazz......

STARTING POINT:

Made in Mexico Fender Jazz Bass (on the left with the white pearloid pickguard).  This is a standard bass with passive circuit.  It also has a Precision Bass neck.



FIRST STEP:
Removed the white pearloid pickguard and the control panel, exposing the control cavity and the pickup wires.  Notice the "waist line" in the control cavity.  That's gonna have to go, because the 9 Volt battery that powers the Audere preamp will not fit in there.




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Offline malthumb

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2007, 11:41:09 PM »
In this next picture, I have detached the original control panel and I am attaching the pickup wires to the Audere preamp. 




With the connections made, you can now see the trouble spot.  Where the contour of the control cavity collapses inward is where the battery wants to lie flat with the Audere preamp.



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Offline malthumb

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2007, 06:00:17 PM »
To re-contour the body cavity, I used a Dremel power tool with a small grinding wheel attachment to basically remove the contour and make the cavity the same width all the way through.



When I finished, I had something easy to work with for dropping the battery and the Audere in place.





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Offline malthumb

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2007, 06:03:15 PM »
Then it was just a matter of screwing everything back together, and VOILA!!





Mmmmmm......purdy.......
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Offline DWBass

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2007, 06:16:27 PM »
Nice job. Now please get rid of that awful tort pickguard!
"Never Leave Home Without Your Groove On" :)

Offline malthumb

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2007, 08:18:59 AM »
Nice job. Now please get rid of that awful tort pickguard!


Oh, that's not happening.  My favorite Jazz bass configs are (in order)

  • Sunburst w/ tort guard
  • Natural w/ tort guard
  • Natural with any guard except white

So now I have two of the three.

And Honestly, which of these two looks better?

 

Peace,

James
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Offline DWBass

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2007, 10:52:27 AM »
The white pickguard, of course. I do not like Tort at all. I know my avatar shows me playing a 5 string Jazz with a Tort PG but I sent that one back a day after I received it (whole 'nuther story)! :)
"Never Leave Home Without Your Groove On" :)

Offline leftybass

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2007, 12:40:29 PM »
Sunburst with tort, or white with tort are my favorite looks for a Jazz. Why did you put a P bass neck on?

Offline malthumb

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2007, 02:27:55 PM »
Sunburst with tort, or white with tort are my favorite looks for a Jazz. Why did you put a P bass neck on?

I didn't.  I bought it that way.  It does give me the opportunity to play around with it a bit.  In all my years of bass playing, I have NEVER played a P-Bass.  Some people swear by either Jazz neck or P-neck and make it seem as though there's a big transition between the two.  I'm not noticing that.

Peace,

James
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Offline funkStrat_97

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2007, 03:01:11 PM »
Sweet...tort guard and all.
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Offline trsmooth

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2007, 05:46:08 PM »
hey man nice preamp....thanks for the photos of you putting the preamp in. i was considering buying one and didnt want to pay to have it done....

Offline funkStrat_97

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2007, 07:24:04 PM »
Are the pickups stock; and if so are you considering upgrading them?
“Don't bother to give God instructions, just report for duty”
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Offline malthumb

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2007, 08:56:36 PM »
Are the pickups stock; and if so are you considering upgrading them?

Yes and I don't know yet.

When I decided to do the modifications I had a specific goal in mind.  To see if I could put together a jazz bass that was as nice as my Fender Marcus Miller Jazz Bass for no more than I paid for the Marcus Miller.  That would be $545, including the $15 I paid for the strap locks on the MM.  There's another thread that details this.  I managed to put this bass together for a total of $504 and some change.  If I change out the pickups, I'm looking at another $150 or so.

Now, let's talk about do I NEED to change the pickups......Not really.  Especially if I plan to keep both this bass and the Marcus Miller, which I do.  I need to play this a lot more over the next few weeks to know what I have on my hands here, but my preliminary thoughts are that it has a real nice fat bottom in the Low Z mode, but might be a little too bright in the High Z mode.  I would like to get a sound like Louis Johnson gets on "Stomp" or "Ain't We Funkin' Now" or like Prince gets on "Let's Work".  It's actually a bit brighter  sounding than that.

Now,  fact of the matter is, the Marcus Miller nails that tone and the sunburst bass nails the James Jamerson / Willie Weeks tone.  Bookends.

Peace,

James
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Offline johnflindsey

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #13 on: September 28, 2007, 08:44:50 AM »
You did a beautiful job to the bass.  I really like your work.  I just bought a Fender squire active 5strg bass.  I would like to replace the bridge and pickups with bartolini's.

Offline Robear22

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #14 on: September 28, 2007, 09:48:13 AM »
I just got a KSD 5 that I am going to put an Audere into. Did that pre make a big difference in the tone of the bass?

Also keep the tort pickguard. Very nice look!!!!

Offline malthumb

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #15 on: September 28, 2007, 07:21:31 PM »
I just got a KSD 5 that I am going to put an Audere into. Did that pre make a big difference in the tone of the bass?

Also keep the tort pickguard. Very nice look!!!!

It did make a very big difference with my bass, but remember that I was starting with a passive bass.  I'm assuming your KSD is active.  Not certain if you'd see the same magnitude of difference going from one preamp to another as opposed to my situation of going from no preamp to a very hot preamp.

Peace,

James
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Offline jmain

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #16 on: September 30, 2007, 09:50:24 AM »
Very nice, James!!  Good work with the dremel too.  I dig the TTS/tort or Nat/tort also.  I found a MIM Natural Ash with what actually looks and feels like a pau ferro board.  Probably be dropping an Audere in it pretty soon.

Long story, but I have a rosewood neck with blocks and binding that I got.  I had to repair the headstock.  I'm probably going to switch it out.
Eph 5:15-20

Offline hands5

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #17 on: October 21, 2007, 11:01:16 PM »
I have a 98 MIM 5 string that I bought for pennies on the dollar that came with Dimarzio ultra Jazz pickups and although I never was a fan of the ultra jazz pickups  these sound good with the Aguilar op3 preamp

Offline dfwkeys

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #18 on: October 22, 2007, 09:29:18 AM »
I'm was listening to the sound clips for these preamps and considering to purchase. I assume that you would be turning a passive bass to an active one.  I would consider this because i will be doing a lot of live shows, but the tone i love is fromt he passive bass because of that growl.  Will these preamps increase the growl or the tone, or volume, etc...

Thanks

Offline jmain

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Re: Modifying my MIM Fender Jazz
« Reply #19 on: October 24, 2007, 11:39:34 AM »
I'm was listening to the sound clips for these preamps and considering to purchase. I assume that you would be turning a passive bass to an active one.  I would consider this because i will be doing a lot of live shows, but the tone i love is fromt he passive bass because of that growl.  Will these preamps increase the growl or the tone, or volume, etc...

Thanks

I really dig the Audere pre for its transparency.  (I used to have one and will probably get another for my 4-string.)  It lets the pickups shines through and just accents the frequencies you adjust.  I like it with singles b/c it really lets them shine through.

The top end is nice and the 3-way Z switch is cool.  The low-mid puts some booty in the tone, the mid-mid cuts at that midrange, and the high-mid is a nice way to get more articulation or some flesh under the treble when slapping.
Eph 5:15-20
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