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Post subject: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 6:26 am
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Hi Fenderers, I'm fairly new to bass. I do like the P sound, it suits me. I just can't get comfy with the wider necks on the standard P. I want a USA standard P with a USA standard J neck. I can't afford, or more truthfully can't justify several thousand for a custom shop (Australian prices).

It seems tragic that with 55 (fifty five) J and P models that Fender offer, not a single one is what I want.

I have searched in forums and people suggest the American Deluxe (active and has J pickup, too many knobs) or Duff mcKagan (way too many knobs and not the look I want) , I don't want a Sandberg or Lakland, or an active Fender or anything that doesn't look like a standard P.

A J neck on a P seems to be a common enough mod. Would a Fender retailer accommodate a request like this? I don't care if the headstock says Jazz. I saw the thread about replacement necks being for sale, but no answer on whether you would do worldwide shipping, not to mention the cost of buying/shipping a new neck for a new bass.

Sorry for the long rant. I just want what I want.


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 6:50 am
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I was going to suggest the Duff Pbass with the Jazzbass neck or the American Deluxe P-Bass ......once again the AM Dlx has a thinner neck,........but as I read in your post these options won't work,........how about getting a P Bass locally in Australia that you like & then buy a Fender replacement Jazz bass neck........you can buy them here, contact Fender customer relations to answer any questions you may have & you can also see if your local music store could bring in a replacement neck for you .....this would be much easier..... just a thought..


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 6:53 am
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Here ya go wallaby, this is pretty close:

http://www.fender.com/basses/precision-bass/nate-mendel-p-bass-rosewood-fingerboard-candy-apple-red

"Unique Features: Slim neck with smaller nut width, Seymour Duncan® Quarter Pound™ pickup, ..."

not quite as narrow as a Jazz but very close 1.6" vs 1.5"

but you have tons of other options: buy a used P and pick up a Jazz neck on ebay or new from Fender.

or start out with new P body and Jazz neck and build your own custom.

You're only limited by your imagination and your pocket-book.

_________________
2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:25 am
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Location: Albemarle, NC
Buy a neck and body and put them together yourself. People do it all the time. You can pay a tech to do it for you. Having a tech do the swap is probably a good idea because after a neck swap you'll need a setup from scratch.

Complete necks with all the hardware and loaded bodies are for sale on eBay all the time by the dozens. There are eBay sellers who buy complete (sometimes NEW or nearly new) Fender instruments just to part out. I do business with one of the larger chop shops when I need parts or cases. Some find their business model distasteful however there definitely is a market for parts and they do fill a need.

Another thing you could do is buy 2 Standards (1 J and 1 P) and swap necks and then sell the J-Bass with the P-Bass neck after the neck swap. The Fender replacement necks are way more expensive than a neck from eBay, even with international shipping. Someone would probably be looking for a J with a P neck. Or you could part it out and probably make more selling the parts one at a time on eBay like the other chop shops do in their successful business model.

Once upon a time you could order a P-Bass with a Jazz neck. It was called an "A" width neck. So, the final option but far from the worst option is to find a vintage late Pre-CBS or CBS era P that came with an "A" width neck because it was custom ordered that way. The CBS era ones are out there and sometimes surprisingly reasonably priced. Now is the best time there will ever be to buy one of the CBS ones and it will never go down in value. I've seen a few of these around lately. They run more than a typical B or C width neck.

The only possible downsides of swapping necks on two brand new ones are voiding warranties on 2 instruments in one swoop and of course the expense. You likely will recover most of the investment on the second instrument selling it as a whole instrument but could possibly make money than it cost selling it one piece at a time. Selling them one piece at a time to maximize profit is exactly what the eBay chop shops do.

There are lots of ways to get there, but if you are waiting on Fender to offer one you might be waiting a while.


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:53 am
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Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:14 pm
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Location: Linningrad
If you have access to a willing master luthier he or she can always shave down and reshape the P neck to your liking and then fabricate and instal a new nut. Re-instal neck; re-string, and totally new set-up and you are ready to RAWK! \m/ \m/ Should be less $$$ than a complete neck swap.

I did something quite simular to this when I hot rodded my '76 P. I had the neck shaved and slimmed down, and it is very eerily simular to the new Nate Mendel P right on down to the Seymour Duncan Quarter-Pounder and the Badass II bass bridge. A factory fresh hot rod just for you! :wink:

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2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 3:10 pm
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I think Fenderer should just go ahead and do a P bass with a J neck . There must be a reason they don't do it. My 74 P has a J "A" neck so why not do it once more again? I just swapped necks and did a P with a J neck and now I have a J with a P neck that sounds really good. I mean it. It does .

Fender comes up with 55 different combos and I'm sure all those are NOT coming from someone writing in to them and asking for them SO.....build a P with an "A" neck. I don't know how many times I've seen people on here that want one. Untill the other day after Fender released the Rustic body guitar I NEVER saw hide nor hair of anybody wanting a Rustic Ash body anything. Well-- I don't visit the guitar forums so maybe over there someone wanted a Rustic Ash body but we all know as bassists that what guitar players want is not important. What we want is important. There's just more of them than there are of us darnit.

Dear Fender- please make a Squier plywood flat red wine finish fake laquer wall paper one pickup hardtail Strat with no pickguard or tone controls. (It will be out in a month.) :D :D :D :D :D


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 4:18 pm
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stroker vance wrote:
I think Fenderer should just go ahead and do a P bass with a J neck . There must be a reason they don't do it. My 74 P has a J "A" neck so why not do it once more again? I just swapped necks and did a P with a J neck and now I have a J with a P neck that sounds really good. I mean it. It does .

Fender comes up with 55 different combos and I'm sure all those are NOT coming from someone writing in to them and asking for them SO.....build a P with an "A" neck. I don't know how many times I've seen people on here that want one. Untill the other day after Fender released the Rustic body guitar I NEVER saw hide nor hair of anybody wanting a Rustic Ash body anything. Well-- I don't visit the guitar forums so maybe over there someone wanted a Rustic Ash body but we all know as bassists that what guitar players want is not important. What we want is important. There's just more of them than there are of us darnit.

Dear Fender- please make a Squier plywood flat red wine finish fake laquer wall paper one pickup hardtail Strat with no pickguard or tone controls. (It will be out in a month.) :D :D :D :D :D


I'd save up for a Fender American Standard Precision with a Jazz neck...and J pickup at the bridge. I haven't tried the new special run version. Looks awesome.


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 5:59 pm
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You can also just cruise gbase or other online gear site, and find one where the mod is already done. I picked up this 63P refin with a 63J neck that way. They do show up from time to time.

Image

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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:46 pm
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affprod wrote:
You can also just cruise gbase or other online gear site, and find one where the mod is already done. I picked up this 63P refin with a 63J neck that way. They do show up from time to time.

Image



Bingo-Zingo!

What could be easier?

_________________
2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 10:25 pm
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Location: Athens, Greece
The Boner Precision sported a Jazz neck.

Image


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 10:56 pm
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That bass there is a real heartbreaker. I can't decide which I like better..the Elite's or the Plus Series.


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 12:57 am
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Both basses use the same bridge.


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 6:37 am
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Linin's suggestion of the Nate Mendal P-Bass is a great suggestion,..the Nate Mendal P-Bass has a thin neck, & you might find it a comfortable fit,........my only other suggestion would be like what Dave said... Get a P-Bass Body & Jazz Bass neck & piece together your own Bass..


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 8:01 am
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wallaby wrote:
Hi Fenderers, I'm fairly new to bass. I do like the P sound, it suits me. I just can't get comfy with the wider necks on the standard P. I want a USA standard P with a USA standard J neck. I can't afford, or more truthfully can't justify several thousand for a custom shop (Australian prices).

It seems tragic that with 55 (fifty five) J and P models that Fender offer, not a single one is what I want.

I have searched in forums and people suggest the American Deluxe (active and has J pickup, too many knobs) or Duff mcKagan (way too many knobs and not the look I want) , I don't want a Sandberg or Lakland, or an active Fender or anything that doesn't look like a standard P.

A J neck on a P seems to be a common enough mod. Would a Fender retailer accommodate a request like this? I don't care if the headstock says Jazz. I saw the thread about replacement necks being for sale, but no answer on whether you would do worldwide shipping, not to mention the cost of buying/shipping a new neck for a new bass.

Sorry for the long rant. I just want what I want.



A very understandable want. And one that I'm after myself. Since Fender isn't making such a beast, I've taken it upon myself to start building a Precision bass with a Jazz neck.

There are tons of aftermarket parts for just such a build. And there are also lots of instruments that have been parted out by people for a variety of reasons. As for my own bass? I've sourced most of the parts for the build except for the neck. The body is a Classic 50's Precision with the lacquer finish. I decided to go with a Seymour Duncan Antiquity II P-Bass pickup. The hardware is all aftermarket Fender stock.

As for the neck? Well, I love the neck on my Road Worn Jazz bass. But I don't want to cannibalize that instrument in order to build this new one. So I'm looking for another Road Worn Jazz bass neck. I'm hoping that one will turn up soon, since this is the final piece in my P-Bass build puzzle.


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Post subject: Re: P bass with a Jazz neck
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 6:18 pm
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I played my 74 P with J neck exclusively for 17 years. That's 2 fret jobs and assorted replaced parts. I refinned it 2wice . It's a player instrument. A darn good one . It's been in the house now for a long time. 17 years. I will use it again when I play nice clubs or a concert but no animal bars or 100 degree outdoor gigs. A P with a J neck is the kind of bass one can get used to and play for a long time. Maybe that's why big "F" doesn't make them. Think about it. :D


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