How do I find replacement parts for Fender Jazz Basses? and 9V battery issues

[Andrew H]

I am getting my 3-color sunburst Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass in a few weeks, ordered it for $1,300. But I want to make it look unique, I want to install the chrome Fender logo bridge cover and pickup cover and also the 70's style thumb/finger rest.

Basically I want to make it look like the early Jazz bass models made in the 70s. Check out the 50th Anniversary Jazz Bass and you'll see what I mean.

So does anyone have ideas how to get the 3 things I mentioned? or a place I can try to visit? I tried Ranking music and sports down at Bras Basah once and only found the pickup cover that I installed on my Epiphone Thunderbird bass, but they don't sell them anymore.

Also, since it will be my first active bass, What happens when the 9V battery starts dying? will I lose tone and volume, or the whole bass would start to fail and shut down? or turn to passive?

Because when I tried the MIM 5-string Active Jazz bass at Swee Lee yesterday, the tones and slapping sound was just not happening and the low-B and E string sounded like a dying elephant... below my unmodified Japan handcrafted Epiphone Thunderbird, which can still slap and its passive. Is it something to do with the 9V battery? ... or is it they never maintain their basses there?

 

[SicBarney]

Don't mean to rain on your parade, but something wrong with your account?


Join Date: Sep 2010
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Something's wrong man.

 

[Andrew H]

Yea.. its so weird, I just signed in SOFT this month, how did I make over 4 billion posts? I only made 2 so far.
Anyway how do i get the Jazz bass parts anywhere in Singapore?

 

[AlNino10]

HAHAHAHA! That posts and rep thing is hilarious. Wish certain forums could screw up like this..

Well, IME swee lee doesn't really have their instruments well setup. That's probably the main reason you're not getting th vibe. Either that or, you're just not familiar with the feel and style of a jazz bass yet since you've been on the thunderbird.

Dont expect what you hear from videos and clips directly out from a jazz, they've got to have the right combination and setup. Strings play a huge major part, wood materials, pickups placement, eq, and most of all technique. Dont wna start on amps and cabs. But the battery issue isn't usually a problem, even at low life they still produce a tone. You'll hear crackling and inconsistent volumes when the battery starts showing signs of flatting out.

Regarding the parts, you can easily get them off ebay or tb for a cut price. They're all over the place. Just gotta have the right connections and you'll be well on th way to having your 'vintage' looking jazz.

 

[Andrew H]

But, I tried a few types of jazz basses before like the Fender Japan Aerodyne and 1962 & 1975 reissue , the limited 50th anniversary Jazz bass and the American Deluxe Jazz Bass and also the passive MIM 4 and 5-string Jazz bass and they all sounded awesome and really how a good bass supposed to sound. Even the US made 1975 reissue of the jazz bass I tried at Swee Lee also give that cheap $200 bass sound and can't give the usual slapping sound.

As for Ebay, I never dealt with them before but they do have the parts i'm looking for, for a low price, I thought they were expensive., and what's the deal of people with MIM basses and guitars? is there any hidden defect or weakness in it, they feel ok to me. People keep saying that they're lower quality than US and Japanese made Fenders.

 

[shinobi]

does that mean that if you up my points, i will have over 4 million points? try leh

MIM and MIA fenders are made by fender co. MIJ fenders are made by fender japan. fender japan is a completely different company from fender co and is licensed to use the 'fender' brand.

the difference in quality can be debated. what is more certain is not the quality, but the consistency. MIMs are less consistent than MIAs. there are shitty MIMs. there are also shitty MIAs. however, it is more a case of one avoiding a shitty MIA, while searching for a good MIM.

 

[Andrew H]

Thanks for the info, Youtube is sometimes very misleading, I got a bit worried and anxious after watching that demo video of the MIM Deluxe Active Jazz Bass and the 5-string American deluxe Jazz bass by 'universalrenote', he made them sound like cheap basses but turns out they were used basses, maybe its expected to sound like that, probably, right?

Designs always matter a lot to me, before the playability (excuse me for this..), That's why I choose the 3-color sunburst finish and also because it's an active bass.

Maybe in the future I might try getting a MIJ 1975 reissue ('JB-75US' they call it), looks a lot like the 50th Anniversary Jazz bass, I'm really crazy over the Candy Apple Red and the Lake Placid Blue finishes on them, Check it out, go Google 'JB-75US OCR'

I don't think I could ever afford a 'high-end' MIA jazz bass, MIJ fenders always have more colors and designs to choose from and they're less overpriced too.