It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:02 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 26 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:50 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:58 pm
Posts: 1051
Location: SW Florida
Hey Stroker....does this look familiar?

Picked this one up in GA today and immediately thought about Stroker. It had been gigged for 15 years and then put away (filthy) till now. Even after making the deal I wasn't sure..it was that dirty, but it cleaned up pretty good. Put new strings on it and it plays nice. There are a couple issues, the bridge pickup is pretty wimpy. Not a lot of output. And it is missing the chrome neck pickup cover.

Stroker's jazz is older. This one has a 7 Jan 72 neck, but 7304 pots, so the neck sat for at least 1 year and 3 weeks.....not sure I ever saw that big a gap before....or the pots were replaced for some reason....or my eyes, but let's not go there.

Anyone know when did they started using black blocks? The only reference I have says 73, but Stroker's bass, and my neck, are 72s.

Steve

Image

_________________
Collector of vintage Fender 4 string basses.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 8:17 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:19 pm
Posts: 1480
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
Hi Affprod,....... Neck Binding was introduced in 1965 when CBS bought Fender, & in the following year 1966 pearl block markers replaced dot markers, 1968 was the year Black block markers were introduced,....(to the best of my knowledge) :)


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:41 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2007 6:33 am
Posts: 4583
Location: North of Pittsburgh
Sweet!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:06 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:58 pm
Posts: 1051
Location: SW Florida
Hi all. As you may know, I buy, and occasionally sell, not often enough according to my bride, Fender 4 string basses. I take them apart, clean off the gunk, not the patina, toss on some new strings and set them up and enjoy their company. I do not make repairs, but thought I would give it a try with this one. My knowledge is zero, but even with the internet I am uncertain what path to take.

As mentioned, the bridge pup is not putting out enough sound, maybe 20% of the neck pup. I have tried adjusting it by simply loosening the screws and lifting it to see what effect that has, thinking maybe I could put a pad under it. While it does increase the volume significantly, even with the screws almost backed out it is still noticeably different from the neck pup. Sounds okay, maybe a little brighter.

I visually inspected, wiggled, etc. all solder connections. Nothing makes any static noises, nor does the volume change. Even the pots are remarkably quiet.

I checked the pots in series at 123.somthing, which I understand it correct when connected.

I really do not want to start desoldering connections and messing with the value. Is there a way to determine what the issue is without isolating each component? Any little tricks to the trade I should be trying? Would a break in the pup coil winding do this or just kill the pup altogether?

This bass has been in storage since about 1988-90 but had 15 years of gigging prior to that.

Thanks.

_________________
Collector of vintage Fender 4 string basses.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 4:34 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:01 am
Posts: 2842
affprod wrote:
Hey Stroker....does this look familiar?

Picked this one up in GA today and immediately thought about Stroker. It had been gigged for 15 years and then put away (filthy) till now. Even after making the deal I wasn't sure..it was that dirty, but it cleaned up pretty good. Put new strings on it and it plays nice. There are a couple issues, the bridge pickup is pretty wimpy. Not a lot of output. And it is missing the chrome neck pickup cover.

Stroker's jazz is older. This one has a 7 Jan 72 neck, but 7304 pots, so the neck sat for at least 1 year and 3 weeks.....not sure I ever saw that big a gap before....or the pots were replaced for some reason....or my eyes, but let's not go there.

Anyone know when did they started using black blocks? The only reference I have says 73, but Stroker's bass, and my neck, are 72s.

Steve








OH WOW ! :D That is def like my 72 !! Nice. That's the only other one I've seen! If I thought it was proper-- I'd ask what you gave for it. But I won't ask. I traded 3 basses for mine and 100 bucks.

Mine was real dirty when I got it. I took it all apart and photographed everything. Yours actually looks in better shape than mine.
Mine has a lot of little marks all over it and whoever had it dug a hole where they rested their pinky finger under the "G" string ( obviously a thumb user). It must have thousands of hours on it to get the kind of wear on it that it has.

Sorry to hear about the pickup-- I'd say get it looked at or---- Take the cover off the pickup and look to see if any of the wire is broken or unraveled . A magnifier of some sort will help. You can always get it re-wound. That's better than replacing it I guess.

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 5:39 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:58 pm
Posts: 1051
Location: SW Florida
Thanks stroker. Depending on what guitars you gave away you probably did better than I did. This guy had an unreasonable appraisal and we ended up splitting the difference so I paid at the low end of book value, but not below it. He has cancer and is selling his stuff to help his wife. He also has an EB3 and an Ampeg B25B amp. The EB3 is like new. He said he gigged in once, didn't like it and went back to the jazz. The Ampeg has been around the block. He wouldn't sell the EB3 until it was appraised....I can hardly wait if it is the same guy.

Hoping that someone will come up with a couple things to try in restoring that pickup. Otherwise I will take it is, or try the job myself.

_________________
Collector of vintage Fender 4 string basses.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 8:16 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:19 pm
Posts: 1480
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
Hi affprod, .... I had the same issue with my jaco bass,...while playing it the bridge pickup would go dead, then I'd smack it on the pickup & it would pop back on,.....then one day I plugged in & started playing & I was only able to get about 10-20% of volume......I opened up the Bell plate & took a quick look & everything seemed fine,... so not wanting to mess around in unknown territory I then sent it to the shop for repair & the problem ended up being a loose or broken wire at the pickup,... it was a quick fix & I got my bass back in the same day,.......try using a volt meter to help locate the problem.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 3:25 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:58 pm
Posts: 1051
Location: SW Florida
Thanks James. I have spanked, wiggled and tugged to no avail. I did just have someone suggest a light spray of contact cleaner on the winding itself as it had been sitting. Not sure about that, so still waiting for input.

Your advice to take it in is perfect, and I called my guy who it appears is napping under a palm tree someplace. But I really want to become more savvy on the diagnostics and repair of these older basses. I really enjoy setups, I think I will enjoy going beyond that. I have just always been timid about messing with vintage stuff.

_________________
Collector of vintage Fender 4 string basses.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:02 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:01 am
Posts: 2842
maybe a cold solder joint. It can look right and feel right but it could be wrong.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 5:32 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 4:33 pm
Posts: 255
Location: BawlMer, Maryland
Congrats on the Jazz...looks really nice. It's a shame the pickup isn't working well. You could always contact someone like Carey Nordstrand/Seymour Duncan or Fender CS, and see if they would rewind it for you? Or install something like an SD Antiquity II in the bridge and just keep the original bridge pup in the case. I presume you bought it to play it, not as a collector piece.

_________________
`12 Select Jazz bass
`06/08 American Std Jazz-blizzard prl
`12 Ric 4003 Fireglo


MB cmd 102p & 410hr
MB LM Tube 800

http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab92/RaginRog/0164b2a08afb2dac99b8f82fcd6ac8c6_zps7f4874d4.jpg


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:08 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 1:19 pm
Posts: 42
if you have to get it rewound go with lindy fralin


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 2:26 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:00 am
Posts: 1226
Location: In the pocket north of Washington D.C.
Sorry about your trouble with the bridge pickup on your Jazz bass.

The way the wires are connected to Jazz pickups makes them very vulnerable to too much pressure on the solder joints if the pickup support pad is too long under the pickup.

The way to fix this is to cut back the foam support pad so that the wired end of the pickup has nothing pressing on its solder connections and of course resoldering the pickup if the connection(s) are bad.

Good Luck- That's a sweet looking '72.
FYI:
The first year for black block inlays on maple Jazz necks was 1971.

Jazz basses got block inlays for the first time in 1967 but they were white pearl plastic on rosewood necks. No Maple necks on Jazz basses in 67 AFAIK.

_________________
If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 5:28 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:58 pm
Posts: 1051
Location: SW Florida
Thanks for all the info. I am enjoying poking my way through this one instead of just dropping it off.

Lindy Fralin will rewind for $60 but I am not quite there yet. A lot of suggestions to try and I have a loaded 72 J control plate I can give a whirl.

Data on pickup identifying marks and dating is being elusive. I would appreciate any information that would point me in the right direction.

Thanks again.

Steve

_________________
Collector of vintage Fender 4 string basses.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 5:57 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:01 am
Posts: 2842
What does Your capacitor look like ? Silver barrel?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 72 Jazz.....a stroker bass?
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 10:46 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:58 pm
Posts: 1051
Location: SW Florida
Yes, same style on both my 72 and 73 control plates.

_________________
Collector of vintage Fender 4 string basses.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 26 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: