The lastest bass: Fender Standard Jazz Bass

I picked up an MIM Jazz Bass in the spring of '08 to experience (and report on) the N-Tune installation for this model bass, but wound up liking the instrument so much that it has rather replaced the P-Bass in the rotation. It was the only bass used at the Jalm this year, and everyone agreed it played well and sounded great. That's Larry Upton workin' it in this shot (right).

The N-Tune's battery was a bit of a snug fit under the control plate, but I was able to squeeze it all in with NO woodworking. You can see the N-Tune's indicator dial under the neck pup's volume control (left). The only bump in the road (very small bump) was that the N-Tune's volume-pot connections had to be rewired "Jazz Bass" style, as they come pre-wired ready to drop in yer average Strat. No biggie, just two changes to the factory connections, and we're up and running.

The N-Tune works just as flawlessly in this axe as it does in my guitars, and it doesn't seem to care that it's in a bass rather than a guitar. Good product!

July 2009: While I was fooling around with a rotary switch tone control idea for a Strat and Tele, I thought I'd try one in the J-Bass. I finally had to do a little woodworking, moving the N-Tune's battery up under the pickguard. That was required to make room for the new rotary switch and caps assembly, which was larger than the stock cap-and-pot tone control.

Like on the Strat "Roto-tone" prototype, I used a 6-way rotary, and left the first throw "open" - no cap - connecting caps of increasing value to the other five throws. After juggling the values a bit, boy, do I like it - a LOT! The #1 no-cap throw is like a no-load pot for bass, and it clicks like a RIC! Good tones out of all the other throws, too...