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Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Chris P. on April 24, 2017, 04:31:15 AM

Title: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Chris P. on April 24, 2017, 04:31:15 AM
In July this one will be availablevery limited. All the specs are in the (bad) pic. Wine red, hand signed, bag and strap, flamed maple top.

Uwe doesn't collect finishes, but I guess this has to be in Ze Kollektiön:


(https://myalbum.com/photo/h0av8748zBG9/360.jpg)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Basvarken on April 24, 2017, 04:37:06 AM
Beautiful. I don't see any flame in the pic. But I'm sure that looks awesome.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: bassilisk on April 24, 2017, 05:06:39 AM
Finally - a dedicated gig bag. Maybe they'll start selling that outboard.

I keep my JC in an ABG gig bag full of a blanket and towels to take up the extra room.
Though it does make it a very well protected bass....
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Chris P. on April 24, 2017, 05:46:04 AM
Beautiful. I don't see any flame in the pic.

It's a enlarged copy of a screenshot..... I guess the red will be a bit transparent.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: uwe on April 24, 2017, 06:17:29 AM
Nice, but one JCS is enough.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: 4stringer77 on April 24, 2017, 06:36:20 AM
A big appeal of the JC is the price. With the gig bag, strap and Flame Maple top, I'm assuming the 20th anniversary will be sent closer to the over $1,000 bracket. Still a great deal but maybe more than some of the market will bear for a bass with hard to replace cheap pots and less than stellar hardware. Any idea of the price?
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: neepheid on April 24, 2017, 08:19:47 AM
He's finally sharing his red one, eh?  Only took him 20 years ;)

I'd be all over this if I didn't already have a super sparkly blue royale one :)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: bassilisk on April 24, 2017, 10:08:47 AM
I have a white one and the first thing I did was replace the hardware.

Bass arrives and I check it out. The strings on it were awful, but everything else looked okay. I immediately
knew I wanted a set of Chromes on it. I put them on and start tuning up. The E won't tune - goes up and goes flat etc.

I finally look down and the bridge posts were halfway out of the body! I do not like Gibson 3-point bridges to start with and the Epi version is very much lacking. I went with a black Hipshot SuperTone.

The tuners were meh and manageable but now I had to have black all around, so a set of Hipshot HB6's completed the deal.

Crappy pic but you get the idea.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: TBird1958 on April 24, 2017, 01:56:55 PM

 It's sure pretty in that color!
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Dave W on April 24, 2017, 09:06:22 PM
Maybe the anniversary edition will come with bridge posts that don't pull out.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: bassilisk on April 25, 2017, 03:46:13 AM
Maybe the anniversary edition will come with bridge posts that don't pull out.

Apparently this problem is not that uncommon across numerous Epiphone models using the 3-pointer. There are some
long threads about it over at TB. Most just glue them back in and go their merry way.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: neepheid on April 25, 2017, 03:59:30 AM
Apparently this problem is not that uncommon across numerous Epiphone models using the 3-pointer. There are some
long threads about it over at TB. Most just glue them back in and go their merry way.

It is not limited to Epiphones - I was stretching the strings on a Gibson Midtown Standard and out popped the post, taking a star shaped chunk out of the finish with it.  Gutted!
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: bassilisk on April 25, 2017, 04:26:05 AM
It is not limited to Epiphones - I was stretching the strings on a Gibson Midtown Standard and out popped the post, taking a star shaped chunk out of the finish with it.  Gutted!

Yeow! That is distressing! I wouldn't imagine that to be an issue on an actual Gibson.  :o

Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Highlander on April 25, 2017, 12:27:28 PM
I traded a nickel-esque 3-point from my RD for a black Epi 3 point... never had a problem with the old or new one... admittedly, string thru, always...
They are different bridges and not directly replaceable so I had to plug and re-drill...
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Pilgrim on April 25, 2017, 03:44:24 PM
Apparently this problem is not that uncommon across numerous Epiphone models using the 3-pointer. There are some
long threads about it over at TB. Most just glue them back in and go their merry way.

Exactly what I did with my Casady. Didn't bother me a bit.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Grog on April 25, 2017, 05:04:35 PM
Yeow! That is distressing! I wouldn't imagine that to be an issue on an actual Gibson.  :o

Back when we were buying Les Paul Standard Oversized Basses, I seem to remember Doc buying one about the time I did. His studs were pulling out right out of the box & he returned it.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Dave W on April 25, 2017, 06:15:17 PM
Funny how I've never heard about this happening with vintage Gibsons or Epis. This shouldn't happen, period.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: lowend1 on April 25, 2017, 06:19:17 PM
I'm just happy that I didn't have to use this here:
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y247/lowend1/CasadayCassidy_zpsbsl7czrq.jpg) (http://s6.photobucket.com/user/lowend1/media/CasadayCassidy_zpsbsl7czrq.jpg.html)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Chris P. on April 26, 2017, 03:26:29 AM
I have better pics, but I promised to wait until May 1st.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: 66Atlas on April 26, 2017, 05:19:49 AM
Of all the Gibsons I've ever owned I've never had one pull the studs out of the body.  I could see it happening if they're incorrectly adjusted (at any point in it's life) or forced maybe but it's nuts that people have them come out new.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Granny Gremlin on April 26, 2017, 08:29:11 AM
Are they just drilling out the post holes a tad bigger than they used to (maybe to make fitting the bushings quicker/easier)?  Does a machine do it now?

Also I know the 60s bushings at least, had much deeper, denser packed and sharper (triangular)  teeth/knurls on them; some modern ones I have seen are barely detectable (smaller, more space between and rounded over vs sharp).
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: 4stringer77 on April 26, 2017, 09:48:04 AM
I can see the advertising opportunities now. 2017 Epiphone basses, now featuring improved bushing knurles for a completely secured bridge!
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Pilgrim on April 26, 2017, 01:14:03 PM
"Now, with larger knurls for your pleasure..."  :-X
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: doombass on April 27, 2017, 03:32:05 PM
I can see the advertising opportunities now. 2017 Gibson basses, now featuring improved bushing knurles for a completely secured bridge!

Corrected that one for you.  :mrgreen: I have'nt seen Epiphone using the same escalating word-pooing like Gibson have over last decade.

Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Dave W on April 27, 2017, 05:40:39 PM
My 2015 SG Standard Bass didn't have the problem. OTOH it had the Babicz bridge which sits flat on the body. That may have had something to do with it. Still, there's no excuse for bridge studs pulling out with the traditional 3-point.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: uwe on April 28, 2017, 09:54:59 AM
It has happened to Gibsons and on Epis with me, but actually more often with Gibsons! It's a quick fix repair and once glued or hammered back in, it stays that way forever. The fact that it never happens to old (from the 80ies and back) Gibsons and Epis probably has to do with wood shrinkage/drying over time. Just like old basses hardly ever need neck adjustment anymore unless you do something radical to them.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Dave W on April 29, 2017, 07:13:28 AM
It has happened to Gibsons and on Epis with me, but actually more often with Gibsons! It's a quick fix repair and once glued or hammered back in, it stays that way forever. The fact that it never happens to old (from the 80ies and back) Gibsons and Epis probably has to do with wood shrinkage/drying over time. Just like old basses hardly ever need neck adjustment anymore unless you do something radical to them.

Wood shrinking and drying would make them more likely to come out, not less.

Jake's observation about older ones having larger knurls makes sense.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: amptech on April 29, 2017, 11:26:39 PM
Wood shrinking and drying would make them more likely to come out, not less.

Jake's observation about older ones having larger knurls makes sense.

I'm with Jake here too. Last two EB-0 Projects I have done were both 65's and those anchors takes some force to get out (and back in)

On the korina epi (2000 model) I used for my most recent project however, the stopbar anchors almost fell out with no force applied.

In fear of yet another thread derailed into sexism, modern studs vs. new is day and night. The old ones are sharp and rough, while the new ones are just too smooth.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Basvarken on April 30, 2017, 04:31:00 AM
It surprises me that so many Epiphones and /or Gibsons suffer from this flaw.
I have installed quite a few new three point bridges on the BaCH semi acoustic bass guitars that I've been selling.
I drill the holes for the inserts myself, using an 11mm drill. And I really need to hammer them in. Pressing them in is not an option.
Once hammered in flush to the body there is no way you get them out by pulling the studs.

This tells me Gibson/Epiphone seems to be using a drill that is too wide.
Maybe it's the old metric vs imperial issue again?
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: Alanko on April 30, 2017, 01:35:00 PM
The studs were pulling out on my Aria bass when it arrived too. I simply epoxied in every stud but the one the ground wire connected to, as I figured I might need at it at some point in time.

Presumably one of these things that should be pulled off with strict tolerances, but isn't. From memory the studs are tapered, but of course the hole isn't. A tight hole will push the stud out, and slack hole will allow the stud to Jimmy out over time. Threaded inserts would be an ideal solution, but require more skill and patience to install than simply driving a ribbed metal stud into a hole and hoping everything stays put.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS
Post by: amptech on April 30, 2017, 11:25:00 PM

I drill the holes for the inserts myself, using an 11mm drill. And I really need to hammer them in. Pressing them in is not an option.


I use 11mm too. But it feels even tighter than what Gibson probably used back in the day; pulling vintage studs from 11mm holes is harder than pulling them from original holes - even the real tight ones.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Chris P. on May 01, 2017, 01:44:57 AM
(https://myalbum.com/photo/B4Px7laAvR9J/360.jpg)

(https://myalbum.com/photo/PIxA2IDTJ8RL/360.jpg)

(https://myalbum.com/photo/dCN0eEgtHKjM/360.jpg)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Basvarken on May 01, 2017, 02:52:31 AM
Awesome Chris!
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on May 02, 2017, 11:21:58 AM
Darn, it does look good. And playing red hollow bodies will make you famous sooner or later.

(http://www.cyrildavies.com/Images/ritchie%20blackmores.jpg)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Nocturnal on May 02, 2017, 05:51:06 PM
Looks nice in red.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: amptech on May 02, 2017, 11:44:25 PM
Darn, it does look good. And playing red hollow bodies will make you famous sooner or later.

(http://www.cyrildavies.com/Images/ritchie%20blackmores.jpg)

Wow, charlie sheen with a guitar :mrgreen:
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on May 03, 2017, 02:55:51 AM
 :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: 4stringer77 on May 10, 2017, 07:41:02 AM
Speaking of resemblances, Jack looks a little like Michael J. Anderson who played the backwards talking guy in David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Michael was in Mulholland Drive too, another neat Lynch movie. Here's Jack, not Michael, digging in to the 20th anniversary bass. He gets a sprightly step at 3:30.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfALj52cVow
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Rob on May 10, 2017, 04:25:30 PM
He doesn't look very happy.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Dave W on May 10, 2017, 09:24:08 PM
Has anyone seen anything about the price yet? That may put a damper on the enthusiasm.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Chris P. on May 11, 2017, 01:05:54 AM
In Holland 749, which is I think the same or slightly more than a normal one.

I like the way JC wears his JCS low.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on May 11, 2017, 06:55:23 AM
Why should it be substantially more expensive than past alternative fins (white, black, green IIRC)? Am I missing something new/different about it other than the flamed wood? They'll probably hike the price a little, but not much I think.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Basvarken on May 11, 2017, 07:15:49 AM
Because flamed maple is more expensive.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Chris P. on May 11, 2017, 08:14:09 AM
This has a gigbag, a strap and a certificate.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: 4stringer77 on May 11, 2017, 08:20:58 AM
Don't forget the strap and gig bag. *Chris beat me to it. I'd say Jack seems happy enough Rob. Without knowing too much about his personal life, I'd guess he has plenty to be grateful for. His signature bass has sold strong for twenty years and he's a living legend. He is old, but at least there's Viagra around if he needs it.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on May 11, 2017, 09:45:51 AM
Because flamed maple is more expensive.

That can't be much. But the certificate is of course value-enhancing.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Basvarken on May 11, 2017, 10:38:28 AM
A gold JCS costs € 597
A gig bag cost about € 50
A padded leather strap costs € 30

This would mean the flamed bookmatched maple top is € 72 more expensive than a regular maple top.


Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Dave W on May 11, 2017, 02:22:14 PM
The US price for the regular Casady bass is $800, although MF/GC has reduced that a bit now, they must be trying to close them out. These are now MIC, right? If I were in the market, that's more than I would pay, regardless of specs.  If the new one is any more expensive, I think they will see sales fall, if they haven't fallen already.

Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Chris P. on May 12, 2017, 02:23:30 AM
I think yours is the street price, Rob, and not the RRP
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: the mojo hobo on May 12, 2017, 03:15:27 AM
Sweetwater has the 20th anniversary available for pre-order at $799, same as the black and gold ones. MF has the Blue Royale at $829, but with the 15% discount they are running now it's actually $705. Unfortunately MF doesn't have the 20th anniversary available for pre-order.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on May 12, 2017, 08:22:43 AM
A gold JCS costs € 597
A gig bag cost about € 50
A padded leather strap costs € 30

This would mean the flamed bookmatched maple top is € 72 more expensive than a regular maple top.

I find that reasonable, the translucent fin won't allow any type of flamed maple either, so they can't even use every sheet.

I must say ... I am tempted ... after all we are all sometimes guilty of ... (And don't you dare mention "Rhiannon" when Doro zings zis!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt1SfOo1lmU

Alas!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi2xSCNw4EE


Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Dave W on May 12, 2017, 08:56:23 PM
Sweetwater has the 20th anniversary available for pre-order at $799, same as the black and gold ones. MF has the Blue Royale at $829, but with the 15% discount they are running now it's actually $705. Unfortunately MF doesn't have the 20th anniversary available for pre-order.

If the 20th winds up at $799 with the gig bag, it ought to sell at least as well as the original, which must have sold reasonably well to have lasted this long.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: the mojo hobo on July 13, 2017, 07:25:14 AM
I did pre-order one from Sweetwater about a month ago. They called me last week saying it was expected this week, but called again this morning and said August now.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on July 13, 2017, 11:07:21 AM
Apart from the TBird, the JCS is the most consistently selling bass model Gubson or Epiphone have put out in the last two to three decades. It started the semi-acoustic trend with basses.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on July 27, 2017, 05:36:45 AM
Because flamed maple is more expensive.

Do these have a solid maple top, or simply a veneer?

I also had a think about the bushings for the bridge, and are these drilled vertically down? How was it done on the original Les Paul Signature (?) bass? I know Epiphone used these 3-point bridges on the Rivoli reissue, but the original basses had the 2-point system. I'm thinking that bushings mounted vertically don't match well with a curved top, whereas a flat EB-3 or Thunderbird top makes better sense.

I'm keeping an eye on these JC basses actually, as I like the look of the red finish on these. I've never liked the gold finished JC basses as the finish doesn't look as regal as the '70s originals for whatever reason. If a black one showed up locally however I might spring for that.

Quite interested in the circuitry of a JC bass. Is it simply a low-Z pickup which is then fed into a transformer with a few different taps on it? What does the '50, 250' etc actually signify? It seems the lowest setting has the widest bandwidth but the lowest output, and the bandwidth diminishes as the output increases, with the 250 and 500 setting? As such these aren't strictly low impedance basses as a line transformer converts the output to high impedance, so that you can connect the bass to a conventional amplifier? Is this, then, a tradeoff between the higher fidelity of a low-Z pickup system and the general ease of usability of a high-Z bass?
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: bassilisk on July 27, 2017, 08:44:36 AM
Here's a thread from TB about the JC electronics. See if it helps you.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/how-do-the-epiphone-jack-casady-electronics-work.1241184/
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on July 27, 2017, 12:14:25 PM
Frankly, the 250 and 500 settings do nothing for me, but Jack doesn't use them either. They might be interesting for people that want to drive their extreme effects with a beefed up signal, other than that it is hard to see what there is to like about sounds that take all the nuances out of this nuanced bass.

The original Gibson Les Paul Signatue had a second output at the side for "studio work" - I believe that was for the unadulterated low impedance signal to be fed into a mixing console etc. It was much quieter than anything that came out of the front jack irrespective of setting, in fact whatever the setting of the chicken head switch, its sound was unchanged.

The big dif between the Epi and the Gibson is that the latter regularly had a maple neck as opposed to a maho one. That makes all the difference in the attack of the thing, the Gibson is much snappier, unusually snappy for a hollow-body. But seeing how Jack plays, I believe he cares neither for snappiness or attack, but purity of tone and a certain mellowness. Which is ok, but the Epi has none of the Gibson LP Sig's P-Bass-bullish assertiveness.

I actually like the way JC promotes that bass, very understated, matter of fact. He also plays them off the rack from Epi, no fancy pants custom shop model for him. And it's nice that it is still in Epi's model line after all these years and that you actually see it quite a bit with pro players for an Epi (even if in the upper price range as Epis go). Is it versatile in sound? Not really. But players looking for a hollow-body are all about vibes and not versatility. It plays nice too.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on July 27, 2017, 01:44:28 PM
I'm going to give one a shot, if I can find one used. If I get on with the design, tone and neck then I might try and get one of these 20th anniversary ones.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on July 27, 2017, 02:15:40 PM
Very few people are disappointed with it. I used to complain how it didn't sound/bite like a Gibson LP Signature until I realized that it can't in absence of a maple neck - the Epi's maho neck is a matter of taste and choice, not quality.

Of all the different fins they have offered over the years, that 20th Anniversary one is really the cream of the crop. And I agree with you, the original Epi gold fin can't compete with the gold of the Gibson model though I'm not a gold fin fan either way.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on July 28, 2017, 03:22:24 AM
Very few people are disappointed with it.

A challenge appears!  :mrgreen:

Here's a thread from TB about the JC electronics. See if it helps you.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/how-do-the-epiphone-jack-casady-electronics-work.1241184/

That is cool to see, many thanks! I think my basic premise was right, but I didn't realize that the 3-way switch settings actually indicate ohms.

I agree with you, the original Epi gold fin can't compete with the gold of the Gibson model though I'm not a gold fin fan either way.

Yeah the gold isn't really 'me'. But the original seems more vibrant somehow, and the Epi has a sort of plastic shine to it, whereas the '70s originals have a deeper luster. Hard to describe.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on July 28, 2017, 07:48:29 AM
The Gibson gold is more brass (with even a slight greenish hue, but that is the aged clearcoat), the Epi one more yellow and shiny.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on July 28, 2017, 12:21:48 PM
The Gibson gold is more brass (with even a slight greenish hue, but that is the aged clearcoat), the Epi one more yellow and shiny.

Just my luck, but I can only find gold ones in the UK at the moment. There is one silverburst one, but at a markup. There is also a white one, but I'm not sure the seller would ship and it is dazzlingly white.

My plan here is to find a used one to find out if I get on with it, and then buy one of the red ones when they become available, so colour isn't a clincher by any means.

There is a photo on Talkbass of a JC bass and an original Gibson, and the colour difference is stark. The Gibson also benefits from not having a gaudy 'E' on the pickguard and has a nice chrome bridge cover as well.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: patman on July 28, 2017, 12:32:54 PM
Actually I always kind of preferred the gold, but they rarely come up on craigslist...
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on July 28, 2017, 01:16:56 PM
Actually I always kind of preferred the gold, but they rarely come up on craigslist...

Move to the UK!

The sunburst seems to be vanishingly rare here. I've never seen one in the flesh, never seen one listed for sale...
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on July 28, 2017, 01:55:47 PM
Pick guard needs to be removed on both Epi and Gibson as it seriously muffles the sound. Both the Sig and the JC have quite an acoustic signal due to the scalloped sustain block. Playing with or without the pg obstructing the lower F-hole is quite a contrast.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on July 28, 2017, 03:13:31 PM
Surely only unplugged?

What is this fluted/scalloped block that Jack talks about in interviews? Does the central block not contact the top or back of the bass, and have a scalloped pattern carved into it to allow further airflow? And therefore does the pickup technically float in the top of the bass?
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on July 31, 2017, 12:41:03 PM
All that, yes. The top is free from contact to the sustain block, the pup has no contact to the sustain block either. Whether they did this for air flow or just to make the top less stiff, I dunno. But even when playing plugged at low to mid volumes you notice a difference playing the bass with or without a pg. It's more responsive without. And at higher volumes you can feel the top working and the bass has strong "Hand of God"-sustain, but never nasty feedback.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: 4stringer77 on July 31, 2017, 01:27:52 PM
Feedback is possible at a loud enough volume. I can say this from experience. When I needed to use my JC as a back up bass before a show, it would feedback particularly when a low E or in my case down tuned D was ringing out. It was manageable enough to get through the set but don't expect miracles from an essentially hollow body bass if you like to crank up the amp.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on July 31, 2017, 03:04:55 PM
I kinda liked it, it was that continuous "Carlos-Santana-sustain-on-the-brink-of-feedback". Yes, if you did nothing and let a low note ring, it would gradually morph into a drone, but nothing uncontrollable. I played it in a Brit Pop band with two guitars for a while, we weren't a thrash metal band by any means, but the guitarists preferred that blurry "Oasis-Wall-of-Open-Chord-Rhythm-Guitar-Sound", so it wasn't exactly quiet.

With today's amps pumping out volume over comparativley small speaker cone areas it's probably less an issue than if you stood before an Ampeg 8x10" fridge with its "sea of sound".
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: bassilisk on August 17, 2017, 03:51:18 AM
A guy over at TB just took delivery of one. These are apparently made in China.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/nbd-jack-casady-20th-anniversary-bass.1298148/
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: doombass on August 17, 2017, 05:06:39 PM
I believe they are all Made In China nowadays. The Korean Peerless factory still manufactures the JCS (renamed Bassmaster) though they changed the headstock shape and use heartshaped tuners:

http://www.peerlessguitars.eu/bassmaster/4557055576 (http://www.peerlessguitars.eu/bassmaster/4557055576)

(http://www.peerlessguitars.eu/communities/9/004/008/785/029/images/4598963660_344x758.jpg)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: 4stringer77 on August 17, 2017, 07:05:52 PM
I wonder if the Peerless made basses are constructed better? It's neat that one of the few Peerlesss dealers are in Woodsville N.H. I'll have to remember that when I'm in their neck of the woods, pun intended.  ;D
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Dave W on August 17, 2017, 09:29:15 PM
Doesn't surprise me that they're MIC. Epi Qingdao makes the semihollow guitar models now too.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Basvarken on August 17, 2017, 11:47:45 PM
I wonder if the Peerless made basses are constructed better?

What do you think is wrong with the way the Epi JCS is constructed?
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Highlander on August 18, 2017, 03:15:42 AM
The Gibson gold is more brass (with even a slight greenish hue, but that is the aged clearcoat), the Epi one more yellow and shiny.

... says the man who does not collect for fins, but probably has at least one of every fin that Gibson and Epi have ever produced, by sheer chance, not design, of course... :mrgreen: ;)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: 4stringer77 on August 18, 2017, 04:09:27 AM
What do you think is wrong with the way the Epi JCS is constructed?

There is nothing wrong with the Epiphone I guess. I can't be sure because my black JC is made in Korea. I'm just going on an overall assumption that the Koreans have better building standards and quality control compared to the Chineese. If you wouldn't buy pet food made in China, why would you want to buy a bass made there?
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on August 18, 2017, 04:41:28 AM
I'm reasonably confident that if they can build aircraft carriers, high speed trains and Volvos, they will come to grips with a hollow body bass too.  ;)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: 4stringer77 on August 18, 2017, 05:14:08 AM
They're also capable of producing flooring made with exceedingly high amounts of cancer causing formaldehyde. Makes me think twice about breathing too deeply around a bass finished there.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Highlander on August 18, 2017, 08:29:11 AM
I shouldn't worry about it too much... gets us all in the end... ;)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxt_GHYmolI

Those Koreans: Boeing bits and Tankers too; that and a decent line in dog sandwiches...
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: 4stringer77 on August 18, 2017, 09:11:37 AM
I just hope I don't have to suffer too much when my time comes. Easy enough to say but harder to prevent. It seems everything in the environment is leading to our annihilation lately. I guess I shouldn't be so picky about what causes it. Man, the news is depressing lately. At least we can enjoy playing some neat basses while we still can, regardless of their country of origin.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Highlander on August 18, 2017, 10:00:42 AM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=54oqYyy_r_Q

Positive vibes, Dude... ;)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on August 21, 2017, 04:51:26 AM
They're also capable of producing flooring made with exceedingly high amounts of cancer causing formaldehyde. Makes me think twice about breathing too deeply around a bass finished there.

Oh my, formaldehyde, asbestos, what have you, it wasn't that long ago when stuff like that was ubiquitous in the West too. I remember yearly demonstrations of the fire brigade in our school during the 60ies where we were allowed to touch their asbestos protective suits, rub and sniff at them; when we lived in Zaire in the early 70ies, use of DDT (already outlawed in Western Europe) was widespread in (Western-produced) spray-insecticides ("Baygon" - it sure was effective too and even smelled like it wasn't good for you, not just for insects  :mrgreen: ), as late as the late seventies I worked on a construction site mounting asbestos materials - I assume those people who burned in that London highrise would have even today preferred some asbestos cladding to the one they had - and formaldehyde really didn't go out of fashion and become a health concern until the mid to late 80ies.

Countries like China are emulating our historic economic development in high speed fashion, that also means emulating some of our mistakes, but they will probably use asbestos and formaldehyde for a shorter period than we did in the past.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: 4stringer77 on August 21, 2017, 07:19:49 AM
Good points Uwe. Some argue the benefits of things like DDT outweigh the risks which they say are also not established.
Here's a video of a cute Libertarian girl making the case for DDT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jZPcqWFWXA

Still, even if the basses made in Red China aren't full of formaldehyde fumes, I'd still prefer to buy American because they're not made by commies. I like to eat organic food also; however, I'd rather not shop at Whole Foods and benefit one of the richest men in the world who is also monopolising the marketplace and being subsidized by the postal service to do it.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on August 21, 2017, 08:28:48 AM
How can you tell where a Jack Casady bass was made? My new one has a serial starting either 'R04I' or 'R041' followed by four numbers.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: bassilisk on August 21, 2017, 08:40:40 AM
Mine was made in 2014 and, being new, had a sticker on the neck.

(http://i.imgur.com/QBgNawx.jpg)

You can try looking it up here:

http://www.guitardaterproject.org/epiphone.aspx
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: doombass on August 21, 2017, 09:54:02 AM
Or if you look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphone#Serial_numbers_and_factory_codes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphone#Serial_numbers_and_factory_codes) you can see that an R prefix means it was manufactured by the Peerless Factory Korea.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: bassilisk on August 21, 2017, 10:58:34 AM
Mine was made in the Unsung Plant, Inchon.

Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on August 21, 2017, 12:06:41 PM
China ain't communist and hasn't been in a long time - if ever. It's state monopoly capitalism (stamocap) - a form of economics popular in Asia irrespective of political ideology, not just China. That said, you sometimes have to squint your eyes to tell the difference from a mere oligarchy.  :rolleyes:
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on August 21, 2017, 12:31:35 PM
Good points Uwe. Some argue the benefits of things like DDT outweigh the risks which they say are also not established.
Here's a video of a cute Libertarian girl making the case for DDT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jZPcqWFWXA

I'm still not sure I want DDT back  :mrgreen: - effective as it was! It took decades to get it out of the German eco system and it severely affected the breeding of raptors as the last ones in the food chain (as well as fish populations in our rivers as it was washed from the fields into them). That said, even without DDT Germany's insect population is down to a quarter from what it was and that is not a good thing, it is now affecting the bird population, rodents, amphibians and reptiles - anything that feeds off insects. I remember summers in the 60ies where you couldn't drive 10 miles without your windshield plastered with dead insects to the point you had to stop at a gas station and scrape them off to safely continue driving. These days you can drive from Frankfurt to Hamburg and have about four dead insects on your windshield. Intensive farming (too few plant species for insect populations to thrive), new pest resistant crops and use of pesticides are supposed to be to blame.

Zika vs. DDT. That is a bit like thalidomide vs. leprosy. Unknown to many, thalidomide is still being produced because it is a highly effective drug against leprosy in late stages in countries like Brazil. Unfortunately, leprosy-afflicted people make love to each other too and - shunning contraceptives, good Catholics they are - have children. The parents are saved from leprosy, the children suffer from thalidomide-induced birth defects (leprosy wouldn't affect them, a leper mom can have a healthy child though that will sooner or later turn into an orphan). So what do you do? Stop giving thalidomide to adults - their only availavble cure for progressed leprosy, the disease of the already wretched? That's one hellishly difficult decision to make.  :-\
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Granny Gremlin on August 21, 2017, 01:51:28 PM
Uwe FTW

No need for DDT (holy moly what a bad idea); DEET works plenty fine for skeeters and is much safer (no known long term effects; some users might get a rash or headache or just don't like the smell.... personally that was the eau de toilette of my youth); for the anti-chem among us there is picaridin (apparently as effective, derived from the pepper plant family, odorless, no known health effects but newer than DEET and not as well studied) and eucalyptus (def safe, but not as long lasting).
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: 4stringer77 on August 21, 2017, 02:13:51 PM
Either way you slice it, the Chinese government is an oppressive regime that has killed millions of their own people over the years and still is one of the worst countries regarding human rights in the world. They make enough crap, my bass doesn't need to be another thing from there.
   The other thing with zika and it's associated microcephaly as well as tick born diseases like Lyme disease I have to wonder about is where did they come from in the first place? Perhaps DDT or DEET wouldn't be necessary if it wasn't for botched biological warfare operations that found their way, intentionally or not, into the populations. Fighting mosquito borne illnesses with other genetically modified mosquitos doesn't seem like a wise choice ether. Pretty much the whole military industrial complex and overbearing States are basically the bane of humanity, whichever way they are labelled.
Anyhow, hope any of you guys getting the 20th anni Jack Casady basses enjoy them. 
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Granny Gremlin on August 21, 2017, 02:59:56 PM
To be fair, you can say the exact same thing about the Us government.  ;P


I agree with you that fighting zika with GMO mosquitos is probably a bad idea; hell, every time we've tried to fight 1 problem organism with some other organism it just created a new problem (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toads_in_Australia ).  We generally suck at learning our lesson.

Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Dave W on August 21, 2017, 04:47:10 PM
[facepalm]Politics: let's not go there.[/facepalm]

So...how does DEET affect the finish of JCS basses.  :P
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on August 22, 2017, 05:54:12 AM
Heh, I killed the finish on a cheap guitar with bug spray!
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Granny Gremlin on August 22, 2017, 05:57:46 AM
Yeah, DEET is not ideal; Frauline Rimmel best use alt products because DEET will disolve PVC and a few other synthetics.

Sorry Dave, I couldn't resist that one; was never going to continue with it.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Pilgrim on August 22, 2017, 09:35:39 AM
I learned (fortunately without visible damage) that sunblock gel can attack instrument finishes.  Had an outdoor gig and I noticed the finish softening on my old P...changed my technique to keep my forearm off the bass after that.

Wouldn't be surprised if other products such as DEET, or the carrier used for it, might do the same to nitro or lacquer.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Dave W on August 22, 2017, 12:10:36 PM
....

Sorry Dave, I couldn't resist that one; was never going to continue with it.

You're not the one who started it. Both of you have valid points, we're just not going to discuss it here.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: gearHed289 on August 23, 2017, 08:14:03 AM
About 30 years ago, the keyboardist I was playing with saw an ant on his DX7. He sprayed it with something, I assume bug spray, and those keys were sticky forever after.  :o
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on August 23, 2017, 01:58:40 PM
Typical for a keyboarder, overreaction as a way of life ... :mrgreen: As long as they don't exceed a certain size ...

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6sNqKRuv_jY/U5zBjN2C9mI/AAAAAAAACpw/Ov8m3KLSphw/s1600/themgif1.gif)
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on August 26, 2017, 02:02:22 PM
Frankly, the 250 and 500 settings do nothing for me, but Jack doesn't use them either. They might be interesting for people that want to drive their extreme effects with a beefed up signal, other than that it is hard to see what there is to like about sounds that take all the nuances out of this nuanced bass.


I've been messing around with mine for a bit now, and I'm leaning towards the 250 setting. The 500 setting is almost too nasal and pressure-cooked. It is nice to have the 50 to roll back to, and the 500 setting to boost to. This will work for me live, as I don't like having to dance through effects pedals for different gain settings. If nothing else the design is useful, even if unwittingly so. Rather than just being three volume settings the EQ changes for each setting. The 50 has a nice wide bandwidth, almost scooped in the mids. The 250 setting is fuller and more present in the mids. The 500 setting has that honk to it. Oddly enough I sound like Jack Casady when I play this bass.

I'm quite pleased that mine is a Peerless example. It doesn't have that plastic feel I associate, perhaps unfairly, with Chinese instruments. The rosewood of the fretboard is a nice piece, the finish came back from the dead very nicely and the frets are level and hard! I had to do a subtle leveling of them to remove some roundwound wear on the lowest two frets, and the frets were otherwise level up the neck. They were a joy to work on.

This is mine now:

(https://scontent-lht6-1.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/21041943_1494997700580054_7228538162279088128_n.jpg)

No 'E' on the pickguard and no poker chip under the 3-way switch.

I'm mildly tempted to put a Strat output jack plate on the bass just to strengthen the output jack area and to get the cable up and away from the top of the bass as quickly as possible. Blasphemy, of course, but I did the same to my much modified Aria TAB-66:

(https://scontent-lht6-1.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/15875666_1061306263980266_5982261265706254336_n.jpg)

On the Casady the jack would be pointing up the way, rather than down. I've also since de-fretted this Aria, and clearly need to learn to leave stuff alone.

Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Chris P. on August 28, 2017, 04:29:51 AM
Just use an angled plug, and put it though your strap. Hollow bodies and almost any instrument with an input at the front, need an angled plug.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: uwe on August 28, 2017, 06:14:53 AM
Don't. The Strat jack - practical as it is - looks out of place on anything - except a Strat, where it is perfect.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Pilgrim on August 28, 2017, 09:15:22 AM
Don't. The Strat jack - practical as it is - looks out of place on anything - except a Strat, where it is perfect.

Agreed.  And also agreed with Chris P. - use an angled plug and loop it through your strap. Works with every hollowbody or semi-hollow I have owned.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Basvarken on August 28, 2017, 11:53:55 AM
+1

The strat jack looks like a nasty scar
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Granny Gremlin on August 29, 2017, 07:00:04 AM
I don't agree that Strat jacks only work on strats (see the Ibanez Talman, and that other hollowbody ho alanko [right?] had a thread here about a while back; even that Aria ) but don't do it here; shame to cut up that top any more than necessary.
Title: Re: 20th Anniversary JCS [new pics]
Post by: Alanko on August 29, 2017, 01:45:59 PM
Duly noted, and thanks for jogging my memory banks! The semi-hollow I owned before was a Shine. The same model is marketed as a Douglas in the US.

The Strat jack was installed at the opposite angle to where it is on a Strat normally:

(http://i.imgur.com/Lwpsx29.jpg)

The pickups were something I rolled myself. I bought a few empty MM-style humbucker shells and installed a P pickup in one, the guts of an Epiphone T-bird pickup in another. That was actually a pretty good bass, and is hopefully still out there somewhere.

Lesson learned, the Jack Casady will remain undrilled. I'm waiting for an area of lacquer re-spray to gas off on it at the moment.