Members Marckus Posted April 30, 2007 Members Share Posted April 30, 2007 I'm ussually a keyboarder, but for the past year or two I've been playing bass quite a bit. I bought this peavey bass from my brother (the neck through one) and I like it pretty good but I have just been loving the fretless sounds lately. So I'm contiplating getting one. I could just buy a new one but i'm not REALLY a bassist, so I want a cheap but sweet one. I've seen a no name MIJ jazz bass sitting around a friends church that apparently belongs to no one, and nobody uses it...(the tuners are a little rusted and the strings feel really really old but i think it's ok) I'll bet i could get it for cheap. i was thinking i could maybe getting a fretless neck and swaping necks every once in a while depending on the situation. stupid? and how is the transition to fretless? I've played two. and an upright. (for a grand total of maybe two hours) I think i could pick it up pretty quick but is there something i don't know about that will make me never really play it comfortably? and does anybody ever slap with a fretless? just curious. Thanks for any input on the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mytola Posted April 30, 2007 Members Share Posted April 30, 2007 Fretless isn't as hard as you might think. You'll adapt to it pretty quickly, and it will help you training your ear, which is a very good thing. That MIJ jazz... Any idea what year that is from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thumper Posted April 30, 2007 Members Share Posted April 30, 2007 Welcome to the forum! Check out the SX basses at www.rondomusic.net They're popular with many player here and are dirt cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Marckus Posted May 1, 2007 Author Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 Are those SX basses nice? how do they compare to squire basses or guitars? I really don't like squire or rougue....(although i've never played a higher end rougue) As to the year of the MIJ bass i have no clue...there are no markings whatsoever except on the back plate...says "MADE IN JAPAN" even that could be a replacement. it has block inlays, a sunburst finish (a little dinged up but fairly atractive) and has a tiny little humbucker at the neck and a single coil at the bridge, but it isn't your typical single coil, it looks like a strat pup with four poles. and the case has those chrome things to cover the pickups...(what are those for)...and in the case there are two more tiny little chrome humbucker looking things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xOriginalNinjax Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 Are those SX basses nice? how do they compare to squire basses or guitars? I really don't like squire or rougue....(although i've never played a higher end rougue) A Squier (EXCEPT the Vintage Modified's) and Rogues both don't compare. They're comparable more to an MIM or if modded an MIJ Fender. I will admit after I defretted my Rogue and re-did the electronics, it was a pretty good sounding, REALLY light bass for $50. Also, Music123.com has some Fullerton's on Clearance right now that are really nice for the price as well. (if you note, I own both an SX Jazz and a Fullerton Ventura ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thumper Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 They're nicer than Rogue, and are about the same quality as a Squier. The advantage is that they're dirt cheap and easy to mod. I dropped new pups, pots and bridge in and it sounded very nice indeed----all for the price of an unmodded Squier. They need some set-up right out of the box---pup height, intonation and truss rod tweaks. Basic set-up is pretty easy on a Fender-style bass, though. (waits for the SX haters to check in...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members L-1329 Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 (waits for the SX haters to check in...) You rang? Beam has a fretless Yamaha that is unreal for the price he payed. I played it once and was very impressed with it. MUCH higher quality than an SX/Squire, for not that much more coin. If I were going for a budget fretless, I would look at Yamaha's first. Definitly a step up in quality/playability than the low end cheapies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Marckus Posted May 1, 2007 Author Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 So how about my Idea to replace the neck? Do all Jazz bass pockets fit all Jazz bass necks? Can I just unscrew it and screw it back on...I don't see why not just as long as i'm careful not to rip out the threads. and how about those tiny humbuckers? they sounded fine...the strings looked and felt ten years old so it's kinda hard to judge... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zebra Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 So how about my Idea to replace the neck? Do all Jazz bass pockets fit all Jazz bass necks? Can I just unscrew it and screw it back on...I don't see why not just as long as i'm careful not to rip out the threads. and how about those tiny humbuckers? they sounded fine...the strings looked and felt ten years old so it's kinda hard to judge... No, not all jazz necks and jazz neck pockets match. You're probably underestimating the work required to change necks too. You'll probably do it once or twice then think "to hell with it" and stick with one neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted May 1, 2007 Moderators Share Posted May 1, 2007 and does anybody ever slap with a fretless? Plenty of people slap with a fretless. If you have a fretless and flatwound strings, it won't be very sproingy, but throw some rounds on and there is more zing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted May 1, 2007 Moderators Share Posted May 1, 2007 No, not all jazz necks and jazz neck pockets match. You're probably underestimating the work required to change necks too. You'll probably do it once or twice then think "to hell with it" and stick with one neck. Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Smokinfiddler Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 They're nicer than Rogue, and are about the same quality as a Squier. The advantage is that they're dirt cheap and easy to mod. I dropped new pups, pots and bridge in and it sounded very nice indeed----all for the price of an unmodded Squier.They need some set-up right out of the box---pup height, intonation and truss rod tweaks. Basic set-up is pretty easy on a Fender-style bass, though.(waits for the SX haters to check in...) AHEM excuse me but I traded off a SX fretless for a Rougue Because I thought the Rogue was a little nicer than the SXso I beg to differ with you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Marckus Posted May 1, 2007 Author Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 so then how do i tell if i can swap them out? my reasoning on the neck swap isn't that I'll be doing it every other gig or anything, just if i stop playing fretless for quite a while and want the other.....If I got that bass for a hundred (or less) and a neck of ebay for what....150? I think i would have a substantually better bass than a sx, squire of rougue....for under three hundred and a case...and extra set of pups...and it won't be going to pot laying around in a church....and it looks sweetwith those block inlays....like marcus millers bass....but if i replace the neck. how can i tell what necks will fit...there is a fretless neck in a pawn shop about six months ago...might still be there.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zebra Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 so then how do i tell if i can swap them out? my reasoning on the neck swap isn't that I'll be doing it every other gig or anything, just if i stop playing fretless for quite a while and want the other.....If I got that bass for a hundred (or less) and a neck of ebay for what....150? I think i would have a substantually better bass than a sx, squire of rougue....for under three hundred and a case...and extra set of pups...and it won't be going to pot laying around in a church....and it looks sweetwith those block inlays....like marcus millers bass....but if i replace the neck.how can i tell what necks will fit...there is a fretless neck in a pawn shop about six months ago...might still be there.... Since no one knows what that bass is, you're just going to have to measure the neck pocket yourself. Worst case scenario (and perhaps most likely one, actually) the neck won't match the dimensions of an after market fender neck, or any other easily obtainable neck. In that case you'd have to shim the pocket just right, which could take some time and practice depending on how close of a fit it is. Another possibility is you may need to route the neck so that it'll even fit in the first place.Buying a cheap neck off ebay may leave you with something that won't directly fit into the bass without shimming. If that's the case, then no, you won't get a substantially better bass than a Squier, Rogue or SX, but probably a substantially worse one. The neck joint is critical, and getting a good joint through shimming is best left to experienced luthiers or techs. Otherwise you'll have a piece of crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TN.Frank Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 Fretless isn't as hard as you might think. You'll adapt to it pretty quickly, and it will help you training your ear, which is a very good thing. That MIJ jazz... Any idea what year that is from? I've played by ear all of my life(first guitar and now bass for the last 10 years or so, off an on.) and I'm supprised at how quickly I've adapted to my fretless. I actually like it better because I can move a bit on the neck to adjust to any songs that I'm playing along with. I think you'd like a fretless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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