JS 2 bass bridge saddle, scale length, strings?

[Guildedagain]

Looks like the gear gods have seen fit to bestow a '73 JS2 bass. Surprised to see a multi piece neck, as on a higher end instrument.

These are 30" scale?

Probably flats for this one. Labella, D'addario?

What gauges?

Where to find rosewood bridge saddles for these?

 

[Happy Face]

32" strings required. Many here like TI Jazz Flats 324

 

[Guildedagain]

Ooooh, TI Flats, I've never had those before.

Is it ok to buy things for things you haven't received yet? ;]

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Is it ok to buy things for things you haven't received yet? ;]

Bad Juju!

 

[fronobulax]

I don't think they were available in 1973 but there are definitely JS II basses with a 34" (long scale). Pretty rare but if you don't like to return things you might want to hold off on the strings.

I've got a set of Rotosound rounds that have been on one of my basses (or another) since 1976 or so. If it is your only bass pick some flats but there are some niches that a JS II with rounds can fill.

I think the Newark Street saddles will fit. Guild will sell you a bridge with saddles for $50 but couldn't find just the saddles at their web site. I'd try calling customer service or going through a local Guild authorized repair shop.

 

[Happy Face]

Good to know about them saddles, Frono. I guess I will not be retiring on the value of my spares.

To reiterate the most important item- most short scale string sets will NOT fit on a JS-II. You are best off finding 32" sets.

 

[secndshft]

My JS II is ready for me to pick it up but I'm a couple hundred miles away. My good friend (and tech) called me last week to let me know it's done, and that it turned out okay, but not as well as he wanted. He's a tough one to please, which likely means it doesn't play itself but is really nice. We ended up going with a custom set of Stringjoy strings, with slightly lighter middle strings. I'll report back in a week.

Do you have any images of the new (to you) bass while we wait?

 

[Guildedagain]

I've had the same set of Rotosound flats on my '73 P Bass for well over ten years. Always wanted more of a McCartney sound out of it, but you can't fault the strings, it's just a treblier bass. Actually missed the ring of the roundwounds on it, all the upper harmonic content.

My other bass, gone now was a '63 EBO, too much bass. Like playing syrup. If you've got the ears for it you're ok, but not enough definition for me.

I only checked out soundclips of a JS2 after buying it, and somehow it maybe exactly what I wanted but couldn't have, with either one of the others. Also attracted to the short scale again. For that thumpier tone as well as I've always felt that the P Bass is too big for me. Amazing fingerboard in it's own right, but there's things you could do on the SG, lighting fast runs and lots of easy string bends, I like the expressiveness on the short scale.

Here's a couple seller pics, impulse buy, too good a price to pass up and I've been wanting to sell my P Bass, I'll clear over $2k doing this swap if it works out. I'd been looking for a bass for weeks. There are hundreds out there, all kind of the same ho hum nothing ever stood out. I was actually about to buy a slightly used China Hofner Ignition Beatle Bass, and that's not really my style something that new and China, so I'm glad the JS popped up. I made a very slightly lower offer than full price, just to avoid buying it I suppose, but the seller accepted, a 1st for me with a vintage Guild electric.

This will be my 1st Guild electric. I really wanted a Starfire, my Bday was yesterday and I never found one, had actually been looking for months. Oh well on that count.

Now wishing I'd tried harder to get the CL S100 that was a good deal a short while back, but the seller made it not happen. when you ask for a pic and never get it, forget it.

This one looks like it has some cosmetic damage to the headstock, maybe I didn't even notice that as much when I made the offer but unless it's more than skin deep it makes no difference to me. This was the same guy who had the super clean S90 I think it was. It was clean but couldn't handle the lack of knobs. This was a much better deal on something that I've been looking for in my tonal arsenal.

 

[fronobulax]

My '71 has a couple of screws in the bridge that yours lacks. I think that is factory though. My selector switch has a metal tip and I haven't seen the "rubber" tip on any factory bass. Mine was sold as "Walnut" (finish, not wood) and acknowledging the issues of color in photos and computer screens yours looks redder than mine. You know your G string saddle has been improvised

Your expectations on tone seem quite realistic. "thump" definitely applies with the deep/hard switch on deep. (Both pics show it on hard, I believe, and remember that as wired from the factory the switch only effects the neck PU). In the other position the tone is somewhat unique. If you want to sound like a P bass then get one one because you'll never get close on the JS ;-)

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

My '71 has a couple of screws in the bridge that yours lacks. I think that is factory though.

He has screws, they are set screws with no heads, Don't know if they were factory or not. The bigger concern is the TRC is on up-side-down!

 

[Guildedagain]

Leave it to Guild, a Deep/Hard switch. I'll have to look for a metal knob, although black is perfectly matching.

The control cavity looked to be fairly unmolested, original pots.

I would have preferred Walnut, this is cherry, actually black and red look good together.

Is the TR correctly upside down on account of the bigger tuners on a bass?

 

[fronobulax]

He has screws, they are set screws with no heads, Don't know if they were factory or not. The bigger concern is the TRC is on up-side-down!

I was in such a state of disbelief about the TRC that I could not find the words to describe the differences. Thank heaven for pictures

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Is the TR correctly upside down on account of the bigger tuners on a bass?

No, you should be able to jam it in there!

Oh look! I have Set Screws in my bridge too! Must be factory!

 

[fronobulax]

Is the TR correctly upside down on account of the bigger tuners on a bass?

No. While there are some Guilds where the tuners force the TRC into a different orientation basses from the '70's are not in that group.

Marketing literature called it a Deep/Hard switch. I used to call it a suck switch as in "it sucked the tone out" but after much debate and confusion I decided that "suck switch" belonged to the push switch found on Starfire basses from about mid-67 to the end of 1969. (Switch was also on M-85s of the period). What convinced me was the difference in the circuitry controlled by the switch. More than you will ever want to know in Bass if you look. Most worthwhile might be the comments of folks who disabled the switch. My control cavity pic and hand drawn circuit diagrams might even still be around.

 

[fronobulax]

Oh look! I have Set Screws in my bridge too! Must be factory!

I think they are factory. The question is one of vocabulary. Remember all those "where you lived" vocabulary tests where they will describe something and ask what you call it? For example:

Carbonated, flavored soft drink?

• soda
• pop
• soda pop
• cola
• coke
• I use some other words
• I know what this is but I have no words for it
• I don't know what this is.

"I know what this is but I have no words for it" applies to many items of hardware

 

[Guildedagain]

Ok, had a senior moment.

I was going to post a pic of the guts with my last post.

Seems to be mostly correct, but the masking tape?

 

[secndshft]

Here's an image I had handy of my JS II. I remembered Hans had asked for a photo for records. I have no idea how original mine is, but the two seem to differ a bit.

 

[fronobulax]

Mine again. '71. As the original owner I stand by the claim that this is "factory". I don't see many differences. The masking tape is unexpected and it looks like the physical format of a couple of capacitators is different.

 

[Guildedagain]

Frono kudos on a really good "gutshot". Looks like the same person wired the earlier basses, but but mine.

Also nicer tone caps, Mallory maybe, the ones in the '73 being the more compact green "Chiclet" caps.

You'll find that all these vintage caps sound great, regardless of weather they look cool or not.

Who made Guild's pots? Centralab? They don't look like the Fender/Gibson CTS pots of the era.

The tape may be nothing more than to keep wires shielding from shorting the circuit, and the the later wiring seem a bit sloppier.

In the frono Bass has a cap and a resistor on the tone switch, three caps, two resistors! The secndshft layout is the same as mine but with the older mustard caps.

Here they are together all cropped in the order they were posted.

A lot less wiring here, so what's up with the white wire - extra ground? - coming out of the body in the middle pic only?

 

[fronobulax]

I think all three tone switches have a capacitor, just not the same style. But if I am seeing things and they aren't there then perhaps someone tried to mod the circuit. There is a long thread here somewhere about making it go away and I think the PU is hotter without the cap and resistor