Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Nate: Yes, the Special comes in black with gold guard. If you want to change out to a white one, you might have some problems with the pot holes...there are 4 on the Special, but only 3 on normal P Basses.

Pickguardian, my friend.

I looked at some really cool Fender Japan stuff.. like a better quality Geddy style J bass... minus the badass 2 bridge. But... it'd have to be shipped from Japan.. what a waste of time!

I'll look into it.. or just buy a MIA J on the bay.

Does anyone know why most MIM Fender basses don't offer a maple fretboard?

nate, act fast!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Geddy-Lee-Jazz-Bass-Ltd-Edition-Like-New_W0QQitemZ7371018258QQcategoryZ64400QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I gotta admit Jeff looks odd with anything but a Ric in his hands.

Kenn, nice bass. Many of my friends have concluded that the Mexican instruments generally range from not bad, to even excellent with some minor adjustments.

I had some guitar friends over for Thanksgiving, and I had this FenderMex guitar called the Cyclone(bought it only cuz I was in a band by that name). Anyway, it just sat in it's case for a few years. My buddy takes it out, adjusts the neck and pickup height and he had it screaming within minutes.

With the American instruments, I have a Fender Hwy 1 Precision that's set up just right for me, was very inexpensive(pd $450 for it as a second). I just love it.

I bought a mex 60's reissue jazz, the first one that came to the store had sanding gouges on the face of the headstock and the frets were sticking out on the sides. and while I was waiting for the replacement, went to said store of purchase, and said I'm tired of waiting, let me take it home and,whilst adjusting truss rod, the nut ran out of thread and I broke it, by hand.. the new one arrived about 3 mo. later, after I waited 7 mo. for first one, so I took the new neck and swapped with the first body, nicer grain and burst, but I had a tool and die friend make me some spacers for the tr nut and this neck is fine, it does need the spacer, as I like as flat a board as I can get, I'd like to get the gtr player I play with to shave some lumber off the back and have a shallower C to it tho. I tried a U.S. jazz reissue with stacks, felt same neck thickness, so I saved a grand by buying the mex one, and I'm very happy with it. Waiting patiently for my 4001c64 tho., maybe april

Sean, I'd buy that, but I'm broke right now... waaaaahhhhh!

Jeff; what have you got in those old traynor boxes? I used to have a custom special/ big b 8x10, and if the brain blew up, or speakers, down to the factory it would go, and most times back out, with some wait, but they were very accommodating.....nostalgia

Jeff... do those BA 2 bridges really do anything? Because if they do one is going on every Fender I ever own.

The jury is out on BAII bridges. Some say they can hear a difference when a bass is equipped with one, others say they can't.

I'm in the "can't" camp.

FWIW, the Fender MIM Deluxe don't sport any U.S. parts, except perhaps the pickups and active circuitry. It's possible that some parts are CNCed in the U.S. but the majority of the work is done in Mexico.

The lowest level you can go to get genuine U.S.A. parts is the HWY 1 series. The body, neck and I think bridge are all MIA. The pickups, electronics and tuners are MIM.

My main bass is a HWY 1 P.

Those are YS-15 cabinets from the '60s. I have Eminence Deltalite 15s in them and with the Walter Woods amp they sound very nice. Each cabinet weights only 38 lbs. which is great for us old farts!


Are you dizzy yet?

The BA II is heavier so the bass is not so neck heavy. as to sound, I don't think it made a difference, but it does sound good. Make sure you notch the saddles.

Well, sound difference or not, I like the look. It's better looking than the non existent stock Fender bridge IMHO.

I thought about those highway 1 basses, but on the fender site they only have rosewood fret boards and the only decent color is the 3 tone sunburst.

Check this one out, Nate.

http://www.tomgallo.net/fdp/partsp

My dream P. *cries*
Damn Roger Waters!

Where'd you get that?!

Parts built from Fender parts.

Ok then... where'd you get the parts?!

Too bad Fender doesn't sell spare bodies and necks anymore. They'd have a sale from me in no time.