warmoth jazz bass
The first instrument I bought in Australia was a Fender Jazz Bass. I hadn't owned or played a guitar for seven years or so. One day in 1976 I found myself staring in the window of Harry Landis Music in Park St Sydney. They had a sale on and I was amazed to see a left hand Gibson EB3 staring me in the face. There was even a lefty Les Paul copy, a "Navarra" perched on a stand beside it. Of course I had to go in and see what else, if anything, this amazing place might contain. It was the first time I had ever seen two left handed guitars in one place in my life. I had never been keen on the little solid Gibson basses but had loved my EB2. Nevertheless I was easily persuaded to try the EB3. I honestly didn't like it that much and handed it back saying that I would much prefer a Fender Precision. I thought that would stop the sales pitch in its tracks but out they trotted with a brand new sunburst Jazz with the bound, block inlayed neck, full complement of chrome ash trays, finger brace the lot. Even the case was left handed. The only time I had ever played a Jazz bass had been in a pub in London. It was a right hander which belonged to a bloke in the band that happened to be playing there at the time. My band did a stage invasion job on these poor guys and didn't give a stuff that I would be forced to play something strung upside down as well as being totally off balance and strange. So with that as my only previous experience it wasn't love at first sight for this piece of kit. However it was definitely love at first feel! Upside down they are neck heavy, unwieldy and generally a pain in the arse. But a lefty is heaven on a stick. I had that bass for twenty odd years. From brand new till it became vintage. I sold it for 4 times what I paid for it and have regretted it ever since.
These days Fender only make a left hand jazz in Mexico. They make American Deluxes, but they have a different body shape and I honestly think other makers do active basses better. I'm a bit of a traditionalist with Fenders. So not being able to afford a Custom Shop job I am going to make my own.
So far I have only ordered the bits, but I can tell you what it will consist of. A walnut body with a maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with abalone dots. (supplied by Eric from Warmoth) I have decided to fit original Fender pickups in homage to my old one. Hardware is all gold; Schaller tuners, Gotoh bridge and a vintage pearl pickguard.
I'll keep adding bits to the page as the bits get added to the bass...........
We will see how closely this resembles the finished article when the time comes
Here are the bits being tried out for size and they seem to fit just fine. Like the Telemaster, this bass will have a hand rubbed Danish oil finish on its Walnut body. The neck is again coated in satin clear polyurethane.
All finished! It sounds beautiful, thanks to the walnut I guess. All my colour choices seem to go together and, again thanks to the body wood and some very chunky hardware, it weighs a ton!
