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Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass
Shipped Tuesday: 1-26-10: UPS Tracking Number is 1ZR435200333147221   Due in CO on Tuesday, 2-2-10

Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass
>> Workshop >> Project: Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass Servicing, Upgrades, and Setup

Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass
Built by Buzzard

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Services & Upgrades
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Contact me now and
we'll get it all done.
Monday, February 15, 2010 12:21 PM

Hey Brian,

Just wanted you to know that Friday night was the first chance I had to play the bass (been just nuts at work) and man all I can say is you totally rock!

It plays beautifully, the intonation and adjustments are perfect, I really like what you did with the fretboard and edges, and the back of the neck feels like silk. It is quiet as a mouse (thank you, thank you) and has firmly moved into #1 position of all my basses and will stay there!

I know you're a long ways away, and when I told some folks that I'd sent my bass to Florida for setup they looked at me kind of funny, but it was worth every penny and then some.

Thank you for your professionalism, your craftsmanship and your dedication to your art!

Best wishes for a bass-filled future!

Bob

Body : Alder

The body photos found on the right of the front and rear are taken from another client's bass guitar that I had in the shop back in March of 2009. They're basically the same MIM jazz bodies. The reason they're here is I need to a new camera . . .

Body Finish: Black
The body is in great shape with only the typical swirl marks that are inevitable from polishing with a "rough" cloth . . . I'll treat the body to a good dose of Dr. Duck's Axwax and hand buff before packing for return.

Pickguard: 4-ply Brown Tortoise Shell

Finger/Thumb Rests: None

Bridge: Swap stock Fender for OEM Deluxe chrome bridge.
The quick release top-loading bridge that Bob sent has four mounting holes instead of the 5 that provide mounting the stock Fender bridge. I suggested other bridge options as the price for me to fill the stock holes, align the quick release bridge and attach it are going to be just about the same as a new OEM Deluxe bridge which is a direct replacement mounting to the existing holes.

Bridge Note: I had ordered a number of these "hot" bridges a week before Bob's bass arrived on the 12th of January. Well, the distributor sent them to my old address. After many emails to the distributor, the bridge(s) finally arrived today, the 23rd of January; which is something that can occur to put a project on hold.

Bridge Update: Saturday 01-23-10 : Installed bridge . . .

Bridge/Pickup Covers: None

Strap Buttons/Locks: Chrome buttons with white felts


Project Parts and Labor Checklist
checkmark Fender Jazz Body
Front -|- Rear
• Finish: Black
• Bridge: OEM DLX Chr
• Bridge Cover: No
• Pickup Cover: No
• Pickguard: Tortoise
• PG Screws: Chrome
• Finger Rest: No
• Thumb Rest: No
• Strap Buttons: Chrome
• Strap Locks: No

Me
Hold-ups on parts can make me just as upset
as you. Deal with it~!

Me

Fender MIM Jazz Neck

Neck : Maple - Fender 20 Fret Jazz

Partial Fretjob: The neck is in great shape; at least visually and tap-tested.
My new neck jig uses a dial indicator for accuracy within +/- .001"max.
Photos below will show the progress and the neck photo above is after the fretwork and board rolling. Click here for a larger photo of the above picture.

Fretboard: Rosewood, 9.5” Radius.   Extra: Rolled FB Edge and Fret Ends
Saturday - 1-16-10: Applied Minwax Ebony Stain/Sealer to the rosewood after fretwork. Applied a second coat of the ebony. Here's a few huge photos: 1 - 2
Note: Minwax Ebony is translucent. If trying to get a total blackout of a rosewood board is what you expect, then a black dye would work better. Also, when applying the Minwax stain/sealer, I wipe it off after a minute or two so the stain seaps in but the "clogging" of the sealer doesn't create drag on the board.

Final treatment of the neck will be with Dr. Duck's Axwax.

Headstock: Fender MIM Jazz - leave stock

Tuners: Fender chrome vintage style clover keys were removed for installation into my neck jig, then lubed and reinstalled after nut work and sealing the FB.

Truss Rod Cover: None

Strings: Rotosound Swing Bass RS66LD strings .045 .065 .080 .105
Saturday 01-23-10 : Stings installed after final height adjustment of bone nut.

String Nut: Replaced Plastic with Bone. Slots: .045 .065 .080 .105
Saturday - 1-16-10: Photos: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 . . . the final shaping of the slots and top of the bone will be when the strings arrive.

String Guide: Fender chrome round 2-string retainer.
I usually advocate the upgrade to the Hipshot 3-String Retainer.

Setup: Saturday 01-23-10 : neck relief, tuning, intonation, string action . . .
Also pickup height for maximum output. Problem: the
Pan Pot operates the neck and bridge pickups and one would assume the center detent to allow an even balance between the two p'ups but the control "cuts out" producing no volume.
checkmark Fender Jazz Neck
Front -|- Rear
• Fretboard R&R
• Tuning Machines: Fender
• Tuner Screws: Chrome
• String Guide: Chrome
• Strings: RS66LD
• Nut R&R: Bone
• Truss Rod Cover: No
• Setup: Completed


Electronics: Active

No work was scheduled for the electronics or cavities other than a final testing and adjustment for pickup height to stock Fender specifications. However, at 7PM on Saturday night I noticed a Problem with the Pan Pot not blending the pickups. I notified Bob and was told to replace the pot.

Pan Pot Problem: Sunday - 01-24-10:
Now I'm on overtime . . . you can follow this here.

Monday: 1-25-10 - 4pm: Stripped the body to apply copper shielding and rewire the controls. Continued here.

Pickups: 2 Dual-Coil Ceramic Noiseless™ Jazz Bass Pickups with Nickel Plated Pole Pieces.

Controls: See the Diagram

Control Plate: Fender 4-hole chrome with side-of-body mounting of the output jack & plate.

Control Knobs: Yup, they're there . . .

Cavities: Copper Shielding was not initially requested.
Monday: 1-25-10: I shielded the cavities.

Wiring: Inspection shows someone has spliced into and recoupled the pickup wires with crimp connectors.
Monday: 1-25-10: 7:30pm to 9:30pm - Rewired Controls.


Active Jazz Wiring
See Fender Wiring



Controls
Controls
electronics

checkmark Electronics
• Active Jazz Wiring
• Pickups: Fender
• Copper Foil Shielding: No
• Pup Screws: Chrome
• Control Plate: Chrome
• Control Pots: Fender
• Knobs: Black
• Capacitor: Fender
• Output Jack: Fender
• Wire: Fender
• Setup: Pickup Height

Model Name Active Jazz Bass®
Model Number 013-6760-(Color #)
Series Deluxe Series
Colors (306) Black,
(309) Candy Apple Red,
(332)* Brown Sunburst *add $50.00,
(341) Vintage White
(Polyester Finish)
Body Alder
Neck Maple, Modern “C” Shape,
(Satin Urethane Finish)
Fingerboard Rosewood, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets 20 Medium Jumbo Frets
Pickups 2 Dual-Coil Ceramic Noiseless™ Jazz Bass Pickups with Nickel Plated Pole Pieces
Controls Master Volume, Pan Pot, 3-Band Active EQ with:
Treble Boost/Cut: +/- 10 db @ 8kHz, a shift in the cut frequency, and about a 2dB slope per octave.
Mid Boost/Cut: +10dB, -15dB @ 500Hz, and a wide band slope.
Bass Boost/Cut: +/- 12 db @ 40 Hz, with a 4dB slope per octave.
Pickup Switching Pan Pot
Bridge Standard Vintage Style with Single Groove Saddles
Machine Heads Standard
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 4-Ply Brown Shell
Scale Length 34” (863.6 mm)
Width at Nut 1.50” (38 mm)
Unique Features U.S. Made Active Electronics
Strings Fender Super Bass 7250ML, NPS,
Gauges: (.045, .065, .080, .100),
p/n 073-7250-005
Introduced 7/2004

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