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Post subject: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 1:20 pm
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Arrrgghhh. Finally got all the hardware for my FrankenJazz and the neck is way too high off the body.

The components involved are a 1968 - 1972 Precision Neck and a 200? Highway One Jazz body. Is there any reason why these should be so vastly incompatible?

I understand in principle the concept of shimming the neck, and I believe that I can create a shim to angle the neck more appropriately. (Dan Erlewine shows how in this video, which I have and have watched multiple times). However, how much is too much mismatch in parts compatibility? Should I consider a different method or even buy a different body?

This is my first Fender Bass, although I've been playing other brands for 30 years. I've had a Strat for 30 years as well, so I'm not new to Fender. I just thought these parts would be much closer in compatibility. Any tips?



Neck sits really high off body:
Image

Straight edge laying on frets:
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Straight edge laying on frets – full view:
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Straight edge laying on frets – close up:
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With pickguard in place to see how it “should” look . . .
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Trying to get some idea of a measurement:
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It’s about 3/4″ off of the bridge plate:
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To give some idea of scale, there’s a US Quarter coins wedged straight up between A and D bridge saddles
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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 7:52 am
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Thanks for the responses guys.

These pictures are all with the neck bolted into the body, using a standard size 4 bolt neck plate and #8 x 1&3/4 screws.

There is no gap between the neck and the body, so it looks like it's properly seated, which is why I posted my question. I understand that there have been dimensional variations in Fender parts over the years, but I thought that even so, it wouldn't be this far apart.


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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 1:10 pm
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I'm no egg-spurt on basses but it surely seems like the "floor" of the neck pocket is dimensionally shallower than the older vintage-spec neck heel is comfortable with. Might take some serious luthier work to get these two components to "play nice" with one another.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 2:00 pm
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Sabre Lane wrote:
You may be correct...

But once you cut, chisel or sand, one of the parts (body or neck), will become useless for another project if the final product isn't wonderful....


+1000!

Therein lies the rub.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 3:18 pm
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Sabre Lane wrote:
Shakespeare couldn't have said it better. :wink:


:lol:

If there's any "persuasion" to be done, I'd certainly opt for re-routing that neck pocket rather than tamper with a bonafide piece of Fender history. But even then I would think long and hard about it before putting blade to wood.

This one's a toughie, for sure!

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 3:40 pm
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First, which piece has the angle? Both the neck pocket and the mating surface of the neck should be flat. The back of the neck heel is supposed to be parallel to the fingerboard; no angle. The neck pocket is supposed to be parallel to the surface of the body; no angle. There is definitely an angle in your photos. I'm sure you could see if there was something causing the neck to not be sitting tightly in the pocket, because there would be a space visible on the treble side of the pocket/neck joint. There aren't any photos that show that side of the pocket.
Assuming that it is the neck pocket that has the angle, you should have a luthier rout the neck pocket flat. They will have to carefully compute the amount of wood to be removed to result in the correct heel height above the body. I would not suggest shims, since you would have to shim the nut end of the pocket, which is both wacky and will result in an inferior contact patch between the neck and body. That contact is an important part of the tone of an instrument with a bolt-on neck. The routing needs to be done with a template matching the heel, because there is not anything to support the router out beyond the neck pocket. The process will take about two minutes, but the set up and template fabrication could take a few hours if there isn't a template on hand that matches your neck. It is relatively simple since you have the neck to use as a guide for making the template, but is not going to be quick.

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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 3:57 pm
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Your info doesn't say where you are located. If you are in or near St. Louis, I can do the work for you. I made a Jazz Bass body to match a neck a while back, and the template is in my storage locker.

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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 8:08 pm
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ashtone wrote:
First, which piece has the angle? Both the neck pocket and the mating surface of the neck should be flat...


There isn't much of a perceivable angle in the wood surfaces. The neck is straight and without warping. The underside of the neck appears flat. But if I had to say, I think it's the body that is more varying from standard dimensions, and it probably has the slight angle.

I checked the neck against the dimensions here, and my neck matches the measurements (except of course I don't have an extra fret).

The neck pocket depth is 9/16" all around as far as I can tell. I don't have anything more sophisticated than stiff cardboard and a metal straightedge with 16th marks to measure it though.

Does 9/16" seem like the typical neck pocket depth for a Jazz bass ? If so, than I'll have to suspect that I didn't have the neck perfectly flat, although I looked at the pocket very closely and it looked like there was no gap at all.

I might have to try it again and make sure to tighten the screws closest to the bridge first.


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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 4:52 pm
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I must be a total idiot . . . :oops:

It fits fine, I must have had a gap in the neck somehow.

I panicked :shock:

Image

[IMG]http://tomhuguelet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_0259-1024x764.jpg[/

Image

Now to string this up and see how she sounds . . . :D :D :D


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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 5:49 pm
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Let's get that puppy finished -- I'm eager to see it all together.

8)

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 6:09 pm
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Doh!! I'm glad it wasn't something serious man!

Lets see some pics!

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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 9:47 am
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Easy fix,Get an original BADASS bass original bridge,they are much thicker in the height dept due to being originally designed to be mounted in a flattend area that was routed in the body, not just screwed down flush on the body,
This was a direct replacement I believe for a gibson bass,but not a drop in mod for a Fender,putting the BADASS 1 bridge will give you the height to string and intonate your bass correctely while keeping the cost of customizing the body of the bass low and original should you sell it,routing the body to accept a thicker neck may be costly and IRREVERSABLE.
Check E-bay,they are easily found there.Hope this helps :mrgreen:

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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 11:14 am
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OK, here she is.

Still need to do some truss-rod & set-up adjustments, but everything's settling in nicely now.

Image

Thanks for the help and advice everyone!


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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 11:58 am
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Yeah, thanks. Amazingly enough, it's got a tiny bit of a back bow right now, so I'll be loosening rather than tightening. But I will go slow and listen for groans, squeaks, etc in any case.


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Post subject: Re: Precision neck not fitting Jazz body
Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:46 pm
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Very cool!!! Glad to see I'm not the only one that prefers the P neck, I recently modded an MIM Jazz by swapping the neck for an Allparts maple P. Now I finally have a Jazz that I love!

BTW, if anybody at Fender is listening, please make a P width neck as an AFFORDABLE option on the Am. Std. Jazz basses!!!


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