Jack Casady Bass Access Panel Question

#21
I replaced the output jack without too much difficulty. IMO it would take more time and be far more difficult to make a clean cut and fabricate a panel.
Youtube is a great resource for ideas on how to deal with stuff like this.
 
#22
Jeff Scott said:
To answer this question, cutting an access hole and adding its attendant cover will not affect the tone of the JC bass. It is a semi-hollow bass with a solid center block running down the middle length of it. If you want the access, cut with confidence regarding tone.
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No! The Jack Casady Signature does not have a solid centerblock! It has some sort of reinforcement bracing on the top and back.
 
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#23
Basvarken said:
No! The Jack Casady Signature does not have a solid centerblock! It has some sort of reinforcement bracing on the top and back.
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If there is sufficient bracing for a stop tailpiece style bridge (which includes the 3 point Gibson type) it is not a true hollowbody. Period.

"When I first started playing, I ran across a short scale semi-hollow bass," said Casady "Despite lacking some low end, I really enjoyed the semi-hollow nature of that bass and over the years tried to capture that characteristic."

I was living in New York and happened to stop in a music store one day and saw a goldtop, full scale semi-hollow Les Paul bass," Casady recalled. "I loved the bass but found the pickup to be deficient."
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#24
Jeff Scott said:
If there is sufficient bracing for a stop tailpiece style bridge (which includes the 3 point Gibson type) it is not a true hollowbody. Period.
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Yeah well, period; You said a center block running down the length of it. Which is not the case. Hence my reply. Just to avoid confusion ;-)

And about what Jack said; I actually like the Gibson Lo-z pickup better than the Electar.
 
#27
Basvarken said:
No! The Jack Casady Signature does not have a solid centerblock! It has some sort of reinforcement bracing on the top and back.
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Actually: "The body construction is unique, too. It's not a true semi-hollow or hollow body, but a hybrid that combines the best from both designs. Under the bridge is a mahogany center block that adds sustain and helps to fight feedback." It does have a "floating" top though.
 
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#30
MrRubi04 said:
You would not be able to reuse the cut out piece unless you used a very narrow saw blade. Referred to as 'curf', the width of the blade removes material, which is fine if you want to make something shorter, but to cut out a panel and then drop it back in, you're SOL.
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He'd use pickguard material to make a cover.
 
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#32
It's not like the JC bass is all that valuable, in reality. It is a decent (even with it's occasional construction/QC problems) bass made at a price anyone can afford to buy in today's market. It will never be a collectible instrument; only the few Gibson basses it is modeled after are collectible. Folks mod far more expensive/special basses, with no backlash, all the time, plenty of them are even discussed about on TB with praise.
 
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#36
Jeff Scott said:
It's not like the JC bass is all that valuable, in reality. It is a decent (even with it's occasional construction/QC problems) bass made at a price anyone can afford to buy in today's market. It will never be a collectible instrument; only the few Gibson basses it is modeled after are collectible. Folks mod far more expensive/special basses, with no backlash, all the time, plenty of them are even discussed about on TB with praise.
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Yeah, and none of them are semi-hollow basses that need no mods at all to continue to be very good at their intended job. What would be the benefit to having an access panel in the back of this bass?...how often in the life of a bass do you need to change the pots and output jack? If they get a set of CTS pots and a Switchcraft #11 jack, the bass is good for 30-40 years.
 
#37
58kites said:
Yeah, and none of them are semi-hollow basses that need no mods at all to continue to be very good at their intended job. What would be the benefit to having an access panel in the back of this bass?...how often in the life of a bass do you need to change the pots and output jack? If they get a set of CTS pots and a Switchcraft #11 jack, the bass is good for 30-40 years.
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The guy wants to mod his bass. People do so ALL THE TIME. Big deal.

You young kids would be shocked at what us old farts did with our instruments back in the day. :laugh: :roflmao: :woot: The JC bass is an inexpensive Korean (maybe Chinese, don't recall) bass, a perfect platform for modding. :thumbsup: We'd modded FAR MORE valuable instruments.
 
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#38
Jeff Scott said:
You young kids would be shocked at what us old farts did with our instruments back in the day. :laugh: :roflmao: :woot:

The guy wants to mod his bass. People do so ALL THE TIME. Big deal.
The JC bass is an inexpensive Korean (maybe Chinese, don't recall) bass, a perfect platform for modding. :thumbsup:
We'd modded FAR MORE valuable instruments.
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I was born in 1958 Jeff.

No, he wants to replace his output jack and doesn't know how.
You think a Korean (it's Korean) semi-hollow Jack Casady Signature model is a perfect platform for modification....what type of mod is this bass begging for?
How would you make an access panel that was worth the effort.. and/or deliver anything that would make a lick of difference to how that bass sounds or plays.
You are right, lots of folks have cut up lots of guitars and cars and other toys and realized no improvement on the original piece.
 
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#39
My Drake semi hollows have rear access panels designed into them. That's because semi hollows and hollows are a PITA to work on, or so my tech says.

If you really want to try it, go for it. If it works, post the victory. If it doesn't, wait for this thread to die down, change your handle and pretend you don't know you!
 
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#40
If you really insist on using a big access hole, why not just temporarily take the pickup out? (You don't even have to desolder it, just lay it on top). Then you have a gigantic access hole. When you're done, you put the pickup back in. No cutting needed.

(having said that, I'd still use the wire trick that I posted earlier on in this thread to guide the jack output to the hole)
 
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