SX SJB-62 Black Jazz Bass at Buzzard's Bass Guitar Shop

>> Workshop >> Project: Dave's SX SJB-62 Black Jazz Bass

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SX SJB Body - Alder

This being Dave's third bass being redone at my shop I've decided to make a new rule out of it. Anytime anyone has their third (or more) bass done here I provide lots of benefits as you can read along the way below.

Body Finish: Black~!

Body Routing: Going for a Fender P-p'up in the neck position.
While checking my templates I noticed thesse were not good enuf for this job.
I could file and fiddle-fuckaround with the ones I have but I decided to have a new set made for this job. Pickup cavity routing pictorial is included with the PG.

Pickguard: Solid Black routed for P-style p'ups. This one. Material: PAID
Labor free of charge for Dave on the custom pickguard.
3-18-09: After a series of differing diagrams trying to make a jazz pickguard with the pickup in the original Fender Pbass pickup position, this original pickguard is where the pickup will go and how the template will be. I tried to make a jazz pickguard with a pbass pickguard butt, but it just looked too funky to me.
3-19-09: Completed first cutout of the pickguard template.
3-22-09: Completed pickguard template and attached to plywood for routing.
Prepared the template, attached plastic, and routed the pickguard.
3-23-09: Pickup templates arrived at 1PM: Routed control plate recess, drilled screw holes, aligned and secured pg to body, routed neck pocket, double checked pickup template with pickup covers, aligned pickguard drawing in prep for routing pickup cavity, secured pickup template, and hogged it out.
Aligned pup template and routed pickup openings. Completed pickguard by further fitting to the control plate assembly, filing pickup opening corners, and countersinking screw holes. More hours than I care for but the pickguard is done.

Bridge: OEM Deluxe Black: $34.60 shipped: PAID

Bridge and Pickup Covers: Nope

Strap Buttons: Black - with black screws and rubber washers: SWAP

SX SJB-62 Neck - Maple/Rosewood - Front -|- Rear Completed Neck - Front -|- Rear

Dave wants to black out the whole neck, so why not?
Dave loves me, he told me so~! He showed me too . . . this is his third bass getting done so no matter what . . . what Dave wants . . . Dave gets . . .

Finish: Black Lacquer - 3-18-09: 1PM: Stripped the neck down to the wood so I'm not just adding to the weight. Calculated all frets. Leveled frets and end beveled.
10PM: I'm radiusing the fret ends and rolling the fretboard edge 1/16".
12AM: Completed frets and boardwork: feathered frets & rolled board edge.
It's very difficult to get a good photo that shows the removed gloss coat but this headstock photo helps a little. I tried not to go any deeper than the stain while removing all the poly.The board is finished up to 800 grit and the neck to 400 grit.
1AM: Applied MinWax Ebony Stain Sealer to the fretboard. ~ OMG~!
I'll tell ya, this is the finest detail I've bestowed to anybody. This work is usually for those who are very close to me. Not that everyone shouldn't have this amount of detail, but let's face it, this amount of work lends itself ONLY to those that I have earned respect~! This work is for true artists . . . Dave being one.
I can not top this. Every time a player wants work, what better can I do?

Headstock & Tuners:
SX Chrome tuners are being exchanged for Black Vintage Style Tuners.
SX tuning machines get removed and disassembled if adjustments are necessary. Then they're lubed and reassembled, of course. These new black tuners measure out almost exactly with the SX tuners at their widest point but may have to have the headstock holes filled and new holes redrilled. My main concern was the widest point: SX tuner: 1.342" and the Black tuner: 34mm which equals 1.34" ~ nice~!
3-20-09: The tuners arrived. The width is great but the length is requiring all holes needing to be plugged and new holes tapped. Although I could get away with not plugging the holes because the new tuners cover them, I think it'll be a much cleaner job this way. 3-21-09: Plugged and sanded tuner holes.
3-22-09: Tuning machine setup: bushing alignment, centered & squared,
screw holes marked, point set screw holes, screw measurement, drill bit measurement, tape drill bit depth, and headstock tuner holes drilled.

Headstock: Finish: Black~!

Fingerboard: Finish: MinWax Ebony Stain Sealer

Strings: Rotosound RS66 String Diameters: .045 .065 .080 .105
The timing was just right when I ordered these strings on Monday the 16th.
I just so happened to be needing a set of Rotosound RS77 flats so I headed over to Strings & Behond and managed to get free shipping as they offer this for orders over $35.00 so I managed to get Dave a set for a flat 20 bucks . . . PAID

String Nut: Graph-Tech Black - Labor free. Part: $10.00: PAID
3-19-09: 10PM: Starting work on the nut.

String Guide: SX round chrome: Swap for Black Hipshot 3 String Retainer.

Neck Plate: SX chrome. Swap for Black Plate & Black Screws.

Electronics - Passive

Pickups: Fender P & J pickups being supplied by Dave.
Neck pup area being routed for Fender P p'ups

Controls: V-V-T. Standard PJ Wiring
Setup & soldered pots, cap, jack, etc. . . . sexier view . . . assembled.

Control Plate: Fender "rounded top" Black
The reason I said rounded top is because the SX plate is pointed where it meets the pickguard. I do have a flat black pointed plate but . . . this is nicer.

Control Knobs: Black Flat Tops
I decided to run with Jazz Control Knobs as the flat tops are not the correct size. I would have to drill them out, which pisses me off as I ordered for 1/4" solid shaft.

Cavities: Copper Shielding applied 3-23-09

Wire: Nuttin' but the best~!
WBE PTFE Teflon High Temperature Silver Plated Copper Wire - 600V

Look, if you've got HALF the BALLS that Dave has, you'll get your bass into my shop~! Are you satisfied with the middle of the road setup and playability you have now? I'm willing to bet your bass plays like SHIT~! Why else are you monkeys always selling them? I don't care WHO initially built your bass. Whether it's a boutique bass or an assembly line monstrosity, you owe it to your self, and your audience, to have a bass that you will love to play. You'll sound better . . .

Now HERE is a serious player: meet Dave . . . a multi-satisfied customer . . .
This is Dave H

Message from Dave: Monday, 3-23-09:

Hi Brian,

I just took a look at the page again. The amount of work you are doing on that bass is insane! All that work to the fingerboard, tuner mounting, and the pickguard...I don't feel like I paid for that level of service to this bass! I have a feeling this bass is going to be superior to any instrument I've ever owned.

I've been playing the hell out of the other 2 basses you did for me lately. The red Jazz is what I pick up to practice on my own with all the time and especially for slap stuff, which is why I wanted another Jazz since I recently started trying to play that stuff. I need a lot of practice... The black one gets the call for every band rehearsal now. I'm not sure what you did to that black one, but my band has been playing some songs in dropped D tuning lately and for whatever reason the E string in D tuning is still great to play on. I usually have a problem with a floppy and rattling string in that tuning for a bass setup for standard, but the string still has nearly perfect tension on it. It's great!

Oh I also found a picture from a couple weeks ago of me playing the red one at a local bar for an improv drum and bass jam thing I did with my brother! It's cell phone quality, but it's fairly recent. Haha. There's a video of it floating around somewhere I think, but I'm pretty terrible at the slap stuff I was playing so maybe it's better to be lost!

~Dave

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 3:30 PM

I just got the new bass about an hour ago, and holy shit man. It's exactly as I expected. I wiped it down a bit as it had some dust settled, just from being shipped no doubt. It's beautiful! I had it sweated up pretty quickly after that since it's hot as a bitch outside today and I've been working in the garage on my other project. It sounds huge, very similar to my Fender (as expected, since it's the same pickups and configuration). I plugged it right into my GK rig and got the exact sound I'm used to.

The pickguard you made is awesome. Completely custom, as it fits an SX with a P pickup and a Fender control plate. After tuning up (I like these tuners btw, they feel rock solid) the action is right where you know I like it. Standing right next to the amp where I get that single coil buzz from the bridge pickup usually, it's pretty quiet, no doubt the shielding takes care of that. The fretboard is amazing too. The edges are so silky smooth, as are the fret ends.

No joke, this bass has that custom high $$$ feel to it and I paid about Squier price for it all said and done since you hooked me up BIG TIME on labor. I can't believe how little I paid for this bass. I'm gonna play the hell out of this thing. I also like the string retainer. It makes it look a lot more clean on the headstock since SX J necks get the cocked string look on the A and G with the round retainers. I'd go on and on about every detail but you put the damn thing together, you know how good it is!

You raised the bar yet again Brian. I'm scared to see your full custom builds now. Playing really is a lot more fun when you have basses you enjoy playing instead of having to get used to playing ones you don't like.

If I ever locate another set of Fender Jazz Special pickups I'll be looking for a twin to this one....watch out! (And I hope that's a ways away from now, because damn I need to save some money for a change!)

Thanks man,

~Dave