1984 Fender JV ’62 Re-issue Jazz Bass

Aloha!

By now you probably know about my fascination with Japanese Fender instruments, and this is a rare one. It is a 1984 ’62 re-issue Jazz Bass with a JV-prefix serial number. It is one of the only ones I have ever seen, and it seems like JV Precision Basses outnumber Jazz basses by about 20 to 1. This one is a model JB62-60, and it still has the 60 sticker on the headstock, meaning that this bass originally sold for 60,000 Yen.

This one is finished in its original 3-tone sunburst, and it is in very good condition considering that it is 27 years old. The rosewood fretboard and frets show very little wear, and the truss rod still turns easily.

The hardware is original too, with the serrated bridge saddles and the non-reverse tuners that later JV basses were equipped with. When I bought it, the bass came with the original leatherette Fender gig bag, which you never see with these.

But, despite its rarity and the collectability of JV instruments, this one is an uncollectible outcast. How come?

Well, that is because when I got this bass it had no electronics in it, and the original pickups and pots were long gone. I put it right (more than right), and it sounds great, but it is not an untouched classic anymore.

I installed Fender USA vintage pickups with CTS pots, an Orange drop capacitor and a Switchcraft output jack. This is all strung together using Belden Silver Coated Copper Wire (with cloth covering) and WBT silver solder. It was the least I could do.

It plays well, and sounds good. It has a bright and cranky tone with the new roundwounds I put on it, but it does not really work for me. Over the years I have become more comfortable with the fatter Precision and Stingray bass necks, and a skinny Jazz neck feels alien to me now.

This one will be going up for sale soon, so let me know if you are interested.

Mahalo!

Inventory Update: Third Quarter of 2011

Hi there!

What is in Rex’s newly remodeled garage/studio today? Inquiring minds want to know, and the second quarter ukulele frenzy has changed up the mix a bit. Here is a snapshot of what is around today:

1. 1982 Fender JV Precision Bass. The oldest Japanese Fender I have ever seen. I recently had this one strung with D’Addario tapewounds. This thing is sexier than Face’s Corvette.

2. 1982 Fender JV Precision Bass. Ditto the above, but with Jamerson flats.

3. 1984 Fender JV 62 RI Jazz Bass. This bass is on its way out because I hate the neck on it. Maybe I am not a Jazz Bass guy anymore.

4. 1999 Fender 75 RI Jazz Bass. Ditto the above, although it is dead sexy.

5. 1997 Fender 52 RI Telecaster. A heavy thing, but the best Tele I’ve ever owned, and that says a lot.

6. Kala Tenor Ukulele. Cheap, but a very good ukulele.

7. Kala solid mahogany soprano ukulele. I am in love again, and this one make the other ukes hide in dark corners (and Chris’ house).

8. Simon & Patrick Songsmith dreadnought. Still a very popular subject on my music blog.

9. 2008 Martin D-18V. It is good to have a really nice acoustic back in the fold. Hopefully I will not be so hasty to off such things in the future.

10. Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 with 2 12-inch Shuttle cabinets. The ironmen of my collection.

11. Cave Passive Pedals. These are the only products on my pedalboard besides my trusty Boss tuner.

12. Fender Vibro Champ XD. Cheap, but it has a 5-year warranty.

On August 1st things will look completely different. Trust me.

Mahalo!

Sean McConnell’s The Walk Around EP

Good day!

I finally had to give in and buy Sean McConnell’s EP The Walk Around because my friends Jack and Brian would not stop talking about it. I imagine them listening to it in the background as they sob at each other on the phone each night.

Sean McConnell is originally from Boston, but seems to tour endlessly around Texas. His music is sort of a countrified rock, and has a strong songwriting pedigree, having penned songs for Brad Paisley, Meatloaf and Tim McGraw, among others.

He has two full-length albums out as well as The Walk Around EP, and in my opinion, this EP is best of the lot. And it comes down to how well the songs are written – these are six gems squeezed into only 23 minutes.

”Hold On” kicks off the EP quietly, and then builds into a strong melody with intelligent lyrics: a killer combination.

The next two tracks: "Say, Say, Say" and “The Walk Around” are both slickly written as well, and have to be great additions to his live show.

My favorite track on the EP is "Reckless Love", which is not only well-written but also shows that Sean’s singing is no joke. There is pure passion in this song, my friends.

"Bob Dylan (They Say No)" is more progressive/indie than the other tracks on the EP, but it still fits in well with the package. This is the tune that has the best chance of making it onto radio, in my opinion.

The last song on the EP is "Our Love And Our Souls" which is very good and has enough emotion to make me wish there were a couple more songs in the mix.

The Walk Around EP is only $5.94 on iTunes (the price of a large drink at Starbucks), and I consider it an essential part of any music collection. Download it today, and keep an eye on his touring schedule, as I hear his live show is not to be missed.

Mahalo!

The Argument for a Cheap Microphone: the Audio Technica M8000

Howdy!

I do a little live sound work, and when choosing the best microphone for the job I would ordinarily go for a Shure SM-57 or SM-58. They sound good, don’t give a lot of feedback, and they hold up really well.

But, they cost about $100 each, and many times it is not worth the risk of putting them out there for the unwashed masses to grab.

Huh? You’ve seen it before. The drunk lady tries the Roger Daltrey microphone swing during karaoke, or the best man fumbles the mike while making announcements, or the mike stand gets kicked over as young bands are hustling while loading or unloading during a festival or party. And do you need high fidelity for any of these gigs? Most likely not.

I have been using Audio Technica M8000 for a lot of jobs over the past year, and they are good enough for any of those situations. I have been steadily using 5 of them with no failures and no complaints from anybody that has used them.

The M8000 is a dynamic microphone with a hypercardioid polar pattern and frequency response of 50Hz–14kHz. They are covered by a one-year warranty from Audio Technica, which I have not needed as of yet.

You might look at the list price of $259 or the street price of $80 and say, ”no thanks.” But, these are often bundled into packages that make them a lot more attractive.

For example, you can pick up a deal on these Audio Technica microphones during Musician’s Friend Microphone Month sale. The package includes six M8000 microphones, six decent boom mic stands and six cables for $229 (with free shipping).

I have not given up my Shure microphones, but these budget mics make a lot of sense for what I do most of the time. Check them out if you get a chance.

Mahalo!

Not the new logo...

Howdy!

Corey gave me the inspiration for another logo, but Mr. Hall's lawyers might call me on this one...

Mahalo!

New Rex and the Bass Logo

Hiya!

Well, it's not really a new logo, because I never had one before. I thought the blog header was looking a tired, do I 'shopped together the headstock logo you see here.

The line art came from a Fender technical manual, and I used a few different fonts to put the lettering in. The capital "R" is Brush Script, the "e" and "x" are actually the Fender font, and I used a generic sans serif font for "AND THE BASS".

Let me know what you think (besides that Fender will send me a letter telling me to remove it).

Mahalo!

Leo Quan BADASS Bridges

Sugoi!

I have owned scads of basses throughout the years that had Leo Quan BADASS replacement bridges on them, and I was think that maybe you folks would be interested in how they came to be and the differences between their different models.

In 1972 Glen Quan (Leo?) started constructing his own guitar bridges, as he wanted something more adjustable than the factory bridges that came on guitars of the day. Other musicians saw what he had done, and asked him to make bridges for their guitars too. He started die-casting more of these bridges and made his own market. Not much later he switched to milling them from a high-density zinc alloy, for considerably better precision.

One thing led to another, and by the end of the 1970s, every Fender bass on the planet had a BADASS bridge and a brass nut. Funny how all those collectible basses do not have them anymore…

Leo Quan sells guitar and bass bridges, but their bread and butter are the bass bridges. They have a few different models of bass bridges, and their website is a little vague, so here are few details about them:

Bass Bridge

This is their first BADASS, which attaches with 3 screws. It is not a direct replacement for anything, except for the Martin Basses that came equipped from the factory with these bridges. Geddy Lee put one on his Rickenbacker, which had to be an improvement over the mess of a bridge that 4001 basses come with. This is not the best bridge if you want to change out your Fender’s bridge.

Bass II Bridge

This is a direct replacement for 5-screw Fender bridges, and works on both Jazz and Precision basses with no modifications to the bass. Fender is using these bridges as an OEM parts for some of their basses, such as the Geddy Lee artist model.

Bass III Bridge

Heh. This one is not even shown on the Leo Quan website, which does not seem to have been updated since 2001. This is a direct for later model 3-screw Fender Bridges, and allows stringing thought the body. The Bass III bridges have grooved saddles, so no filing is needed.

Rumor has it that that Leo Quan is out of business, or pretty close to it. Many stores no longer have their Badass bridges in stock, and they seem to be going for stupidly prices on eBay. Smart money has it that their product line will soon be picked up by Fender, which makes sense as they use the bridges on some of their basses, and have an established parts distribution business and network.

Mahalo!