>> Workshop >> Jeremy's Left Handed SX 4-String Jazz Bass Project Sunday, August 14, 2011 2:12 AM Hello! I just bought a Rondo SX lefty jazz bass and it looks and feels good. However, I'm wondering if it's possible to have it modified into a pj. I understand it would involve routing for the precision pu and a new pickguard . . . I await further instruction. Thanks, Jeremy Hi Jeremy . . . as you begin to contemplate your project you can see below there are many possible mods, services, and upgrades involved which we need to discuss . . . nothing major but, for example, copper foil shielding of the cavities, possible fretwork, etcetera below . . . Sunday, August 14, 2011 5:38 AM Bass Arrived: Friday, 08-26-11 via UPS at about 5:30 PM Body - Electronics - Neck

Are You Ready For Your Project ? Contact me now .

SX Jazz Body   Front Before - After -|- Rear Before - After Body Species & Finish: Alder with *imitation* Metallic Lake Placid Blue finish Body Inspection: Main area checked is in the pocket. Too many basses arrive with debris in the pocket making the setup impossible. Found some small debris in pocket and under pickguard. Found a dimple at the butt area. Refinishing: No Disassembled: Front -|- Rear Cavities: Route neck pup opening for PJ configuration. Pup Rout Pictorial: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - whoooops - 8 - 9 - 10 Pickguard: Replaced with solid white material. Routed jazz pickguard with pbass pup openings: PG Template: had to make three templates altogether due to the router thrust washer being toast causing the router shaft and bit to eat the pickguard material and the pickguard. Replaced the Router. Third run finally made it~! 1st Pass Template PICs: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 1st Pass Pickguard PICs: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - destroyed. Finger/Thumb Rests: or Fboard Extension   ?????   I guess not~! Bridge: OEM Deluxe 4-String Bridge - Chrome Bridge/Pickup Covers: None Strap Buttons/Locks: Schaller Straplocks ~ Chrome

Project Parts and Labor Checklist SX Jazz Body • Body Disassembly: • Body Mod: Pup Rout • Body Refinish: No • Bridge: OEM DLX • Bridge Cover: No • Pickup Cover: No   Pickguard: S WHT • PG Screws: Chrome • Finger Rest: No • Thumb Rest: No • FB Extension: No • Strap Buttons: No • Strap Locks: Schaller

---

Electronics:   Passive     New Assembly is Guaranteed for Life Pickup(s): Pickups are another thing I'm still pondering. ~ Jeremy I think it's probably better that the pu's are matched, so i'm going for the Dragonfire PJ set (black). Cavity Shielding: Yes: Copper foiled Control Plate: Yes per Jeremy. I do not have a pointed SX plate here so, if I'm making a custom pickguard I can make it so it fits to a standard Fender "round nose" control plate. Drilled control plate holes for CTS pots. Harness: PJ Controls = Volume - Volume - Tone : View harness Control Pots: Three EP-4385-L00 Left Handed CTS 250KA split shaft Capacitor: Sprague Orange Drop .047µF 100V Wire: 22awg PTFE Hi-Temp Teflon Silver Plated Stranded Copper Output Jack: Switchcraft mono Control Plate Assembly: Lifetime guarantee. Any time you have any problem, return it and I'll send you a new one. View the assembly Control Knobs: 3 black domes

Electronics   PJ Wiring Diagram • Copper Foil Shielding • Control Plate: Drilled • Control Pots: 250KA CTS • Capacitor: .047µF • Switches: No • Output Jack: SWCRFT • Harness: Jazz • Assembly: • Control Knobs: 3 BLK • Pickup(s): DF PJ • Pup Screws: 8 • Pup Pads: wo/springs   Pickups: Setup/Output

---

Neck - 4-String Maple/Rosewood     34" Scale Headstock: Old SX Fish Hook . . . I'm already wanting to toss this into the pond. Truss Rod: hope it works as Jeremy questioned installing a new one. It would be cheaper to buy a new bass than it would to have me redo an old fish hook neck. Oh, the horror~! The SX truss rod nut is partial bugered and sitting very low in the slot. This "lowness" is a result of the manufacturer routing the t-rod slot too deep into the neck. An eighth of an inch basically renders this neck almost useless. The first remedy that comes to mind is opening up the access hole. Saturday, August 27, 2011 6:40 PM : Hi Brian, I don't have any attachment to the SX neck! The Mighty Mite looks really good, if its not any trouble. ~ Jeremy Sunday, August 28, 2011 10:55 AM : Hi Jeremy, How do you feel about trying to match the metallic Lake Placid Blue finish on the whole neck? The reason is the MM Neck has no finish at all . . . maybe a very light sealer but it does need something on it and a primer and blue finish naturally comes to mind. However, it could also be left a natural but spraying a few coats of clear instead. ~ Brian 8-28 to 8-30: I did my best to try and locate a matching blue to no avail. The first can of blue paint looked good on the cap but didn't match the body. The second can of paint I located is a match to what's on the market at Guitar Reranch for Lake Placid Blue but they are both too dark for the "interpretation" that was bestowed upon the body. The body looks great but I cannot locate a match to paint onto the neck so I'm going with a few coats of clear. ~ Brian Truss Rod Cover: None Tuning Machines: Sctratched-up chrome Fender MIM style. I have a box of these tuners so I plan to take the best of the parts and rebuild them so at least the keys aren't "noticably" marred like the ones that came on the SX neck. Tuesday, 8-30-11 : I laid out, marked, and started the screw holes on the rear of the headstock for mounting the MIM style tuners. These things need to be done before spraying the two coats of clear. Fretwork and nut need to be done too. Tuning Machine Photorial: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4   Also these wood shims were the only things holding the tuner bushings in place. I had to take the bushings from Hipshot HB7 tuners in order to have something that fit properly. Fret Job: A partial fret job at the least (it buzzes like a rattlesnake) ~ Jeremy Fret Ends to be radiused to 1/8" on treble side and 1/16" on bass side AFTER leveling, etcetera. YES, even a new neck goes through the same routine . . . I love a new neck because, usually, only a very few frets need to be leveled. This neck had 4 that were a thousandth or so high. These are easy to do and the rest of the fret lengths can just get a good polishing. Fret Size: Mediumsmall. I don't care for the small size frets that these cheap ass reproduction companies use. They actually look more like geetar frets than bass frets. Fucktards~!   They do anything to get people to have to buy another neck. Fretboard Radius: "Rolling the fretboard" ~ do it~!   Did it. Fretboard Finish: Usually Dr. Duck's Axwax Maple Finish: SEE this note Fboard Extension: None String Nut: Brass String Nut Job : Photorial: 1 - 2 - 3 Removed a plastic nut that was installed backwards. Most likely due to no lefty nuts available but to put one in and not slot it properly~?! Strings: Rotosound RS66LD: .045 .065 .080 .105 String Guide: Hipshot 3-String Retainer - Chrome Setup Specs:

Neck Which Do You Want? Mighty Might vs SX Hook • Tuners: R&R • Tuner Screws: chrome • Truss Rod Cover: No • Fboard: R&R • FB Finish: Dr Ducks • B Edge Roll: Yes • FB Extension: No • Fret Size: Med • Fret Job: Partial   Nut: Brass • Neck Finish: Clear • String Guide: HS 3 C • Strings: RS66LD

---

The Tally Checklist The List contains items you've agreed to go with . . . indicated with a price. The others in the list without a price indicate the need to make a decision. Customers receiving Service on their bass do not pay full price for parts. Customers receiving Service on their bass do not pay shipping on parts. However, all first-time customers must pay for their parts prior to assembly. BODY Route for PJ configuration: $50.00 OEM Deluxe 4-String Bridge - Chrome: $25.00 Pickguard Solid White: $15.00 Pickguard Labor: $50.00 Schaller Straplocks - Chrome: $15.00 NECK Partial Fretjob with Final Setup: $150.00 Rolling Fretboard & Frets: $50.00 Strings - Rotosound RS66LD: $20.00 Brass String Nut Job: $55.00 Hipshot 3-String Retainer - Chrome: $10.00 ELECTRONICS Pickups - Dragonfire PJ Black Set : $35.00 Shielded Cavities: $50.00 Control Plate - Chrome: $10.00 Control Harness: $50.00 Control Knobs: 3 Black Domes: $15.00 EXTRAS - Accessories Dr. Duck's Axwax & Axwipe: $10.00 SHIPPING to Piercy, Ca 95587 based on a 5 day UPS Ground travel time Lowest Price UPS Estimate: $31.00 Plus $600.00 Insurance = $5.00 TOTAL: $646.00 Minimum Deposit: $323.00 (one half) is required if you need a budget, with the balance due before shipment. However, I will knock about a $100.00 off the total if PAID in FULL. I will need to know your payment of $550.00 (Bank Cashier's Check or Postal Money Order only) is being sent right away with your bass guitar.

---

Shipping is paid on the delivery of the completed bass from Bradenton, Florida to wherever the customer is located. An average weight of 15 pounds is used to calculate the shipping charges at UPS. The box size is pre-calculated (when providing estimates) at 48" x 14" x 4" and is re-adjusted upon receipt of the bass. When providing quick estimates to customers, it is standard practice for me to quote a worst case scenario of $35.00 which has been the average cost to ship a bass from the east coast to the west coast. ALL basses shipped must also include INSURANCE for full value of the instrument. I don't want to hear about, "Oh, but it's only a cheap SX bass."   Bullshit~! If that's the way a person feels, chances are good I won't even be servicing their bass. Nine out of ten people who ask about prices never even buy anything, parts or otherwise.

IF you are having your bass delivered to me in anything other than the stock shipping box, such as when you ship it to me in a hardshell case or gig bag, these boxes are usually oversized and will incur much higher shipping charges due to weight and size. The average cost of shipping these oversized containers usually doubles the price and is not usually necessary except for the most valuable bass guitars for protection. In all the years of shipping there has been only one loss due to damage, and that damage occured from the driver at the airport driving over it in a tug~! My point being, yes, take extra precautions when shipping a bass, but lets be reasonable; if you have a value of the bass under $2,000.00, insure it and if it gets destroyed, buy a new bass.