Luthier's Lair - Bass Guitar History - JayDee SNC Series I

If there was ever a bass guitar that inspired and shocked me, it was the JayDee Supernatural Series I!
I started playing bass when I was 13, but loved the low end since I was 3 years old!
I still remember wanting a JD when I was 16. I just could not believe that you could get "that sound" out of a bass!
So, with all humbleness, I present my take on the JD SNC Series I!
For bass guitar pickups, I always want the highest quality, performance and longevity!
Seymour Duncan is my go to choice in my high-end builds!
seymour-duncan.sjv.io/QO3Y19
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[@gdenyer]

For some awesome links and information, please be sure to click on "Show More" in the description section!

[@fergieweather]

Worth mentioning George Anderson Jr of Shakatak... from memory, he also played a JayDee on all their major 80's hits, plus at live gigs

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

I always loved the twin circular double string anchors on that particular bass.

[@MrRedrocket42]

Brilliant vid Gary and your chops are spot on! JayDee basses will always have a special place in my heart and be the tone I most associate with Mark.

[@thilobraun3440]

Great Video. This model was the one I planned to buy. Finally got a JayDee Roadie Active built in 1986. I love this Bass and will keep until my end.

[@ultimatebasses]

Getting one of these basses is on my bucket list.

[@pjam4490]

I had a Jaydee GA24 built for me in the mid 80s. Although I really don’t play in anger anymore, I still have the bass. She will will be with me for the rest of my life 😊

[@gdenyer]

The GA24 is spectacular! Don't let go of it!

[@ryanmannie7070]

Great to see you Back behind the Jaydee Gary loving your luthier skills too!

[@gdenyer]

Many thanks, Ryan!

[@blackromulan]

I am a huge Level 42 fan and I have always wanted one of these basses in honor of the great Mark King

[@tannysband]

amazing teacher spectacular amazing, greetings friend

[@gdenyer]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@garrycrawford6967]

can’t believe this video has been up for 4 years and i’m just seeing it 😂… im also MK fan but more so playing Status bass than jaydee… both beautiful but once you own a status there’s no going back

[@gdenyer]

If you enjoy or appreciate my channel and would like to support it: www.paypal.com/paypalme/garydenyerbasses?locale.x=en_US

[@mooski-mooski]

I had a copy of mark’s original cherry red bass made by john. I have 38 other basses including Alembic, Status, Warwick… and this JayDee is my fav!

[@robertmcshane1038]

Hi Gazz totally right on Mark king. Like him you are awesome in your playing and bass manufacturering love all your videos and I see what you mean about the jaydee sound wise to the kingbass thanks for all your great work m8 take care

[@gdenyer]

Thank you so much for your great words and like-wise understanding! It is just something that hits you in the guts... you just know! I really love what Rob Green has done with the Status, and I confess to emulating that sound in the basses I make, but it is just because I cannot (and no-one ever will) get that JayDee sound, except for Mr. Diggins himself! Take care my friend!

[@oldschoolbbass]

great playing my friend

[@gdenyer]

Thank you!

[@dslapster64]

I am very impressed with this bass, I did not know it sounded like this. Mark King has always been a major influence of mine during my teen years in the UK . If I can find one of these, I think I will grab it.

[@gdenyer]

They truly are awesome basses!

[@daryllcornier4509]

How about a "Shout-out" for the original pop record Bass solo. John Entwistle. My Generation ❤

[@mjlly1]

I Believe when Mark King worked in the music shop he was playing in the drum department. I heard somewhere.

[@marilyndenyer9187]

Remember it well !!

[@bern207]

Nice video, Gary. I remember your old website, years back. 20 years maybe? We chatted once or twice, recalling Ewood Park football ground just down the road from me. I hope you're keeping well.

[@gdenyer]

Yes, I remember! All the best, Bernard!

[@tkotmk]

RIP John.

[@khaz606]

Mark bought the bass late 1980 when Level 42 got their publishing deal with ATV. You can see Mark on Top of the Pops miming with it on Love Games in April 81. Strange that it says 82 on the Jaydee website. Would be great if you had the basses he used on The Early Tapes album. Would love to see a video on those.

[@gdenyer]

Yes, I saw that on the JayDee website too. I'm pretty sure Mark bought the bass from a music store in 1980, and haggled the price down a bit! I'd love to get my hands on the Early Tapes basses! I believe one of them was a Zon? All the best!

[@khaz606]

@@gdenyer Yes, he got it knocked down from £700 to £500, but without the case. The basses are a Gibson EB-2 then a Hayman bass.

[@darrenwales1092]

Awesome playing and THAT tone ! Had one back in 2000 but got rid for status groove 5 string . Been looking for the answer about a comparison between Jaydee and Status basses, and I really respect your view , and agree. I'm currently playing a Sandberg California TM , which is great but I think an order for a Jaydee us long overdue . Cheers.

[@gdenyer]

Hi Darren! Sandberg's are awesome! They have that hybrid P-Bass/early Yamaha BB series look! The tone is also brilliant. BTW, John's waiting list for a new JayDee is something like 16 months right now!!! Good for him, bad for us :)

[@patbassman8251]

Im back it seems I can't stay away from your chops ( nice smokin ) JayDee are amazing basses and great value for money , My favorite Level 42 track is , Living it up the sun goes down , I just love the bass tone. I have just started out building basses myself and id love to get a JayDee or Wal tone I think apart from the hardware there is some witch craft going on with the electrics and pre amps . Wals are a bit pricey IMO but hey if Fodera can charge $19.000 Wal can surly charge 10 grand for one of their basses , you could call them the Bentley of Basses, JayDee should charge more.

[@aussiecoastie72]

To me JayDee remind me of Alembic basses

[@freddiesoverbite6162]

This guys voice reminds me of Jack Bruce.

[@richardgaspar2118]

Hallo, Great, How to make that amazing sound like M.K? Greatings from Slowakia. Richard

[@smarthalayla6061]

Hi Gazz, please make a video on how you set the Jaydee sound.

[@gdenyer]

I recently did a video on getting the Mark King style sound, kzbin.info/www/bejne/maW2mXlmg9WAmKM but if you mean the actual guitar settings itself (plus effects chain and amplification), then I should do a video on this! Cheers for watching, and all the best for the holiday season to you!

[@MichaelDavidFinn]

Great effort, on a fantastic bass guitar. I’d like to draw your attention to Mark King’s remarkable finger style, instead of the cliche eighth-&-2-sixteenths loop. If slap is the must, try “43”, “Can’t walk you home”, “Return of the handsome rugged man “. Still, I gained tremendously out of “Kansas city milkman “, “ Freedom Someday “, “True believers “! They were & still are challenging depending on the last time I played them. This is not meant to offend you, the opposite actually. As fans of Mark King, there are so many great riffs, but at the same time many can’t grasp his double slapping, ghost notes, pick-up notes that make him groove, rather than sound like a machine blasting triplets. Keep up the thumping! Good luck!

[@LostInFunk]

It sounds great. So you are using light gauge strings. Are you using any effects?

[@MichaelDavidFinn]

Of course he is! Listen to the chorus effect, and possibly light flanger. The light strings let you play those machine gun triplets, give a very percussive sound, albeit kinda thin. I moved up first to 35-95, then 40-95. Then I had trouble with the neck. The early JayDees had neck (truss rod issues)

[@greatwhite61967]

Quick'ish Question ................................ Why is it that UK Guitar Builder's John Diggins' aka JD Supernatural Series Bass Guitar's along with Rob Green's Status range of Bass Guitars & Wal Bass Guitar's never advertise or put their products out for reviews so that we can get their (predominantly for me) reviews of their bass guitar's before buying!.. Sure I know how each of these 3 bass guitar's sound but I've always wondered Why there's a lack of pushing for advertising their products... Now I know many will say its because they are the Best Of The Best & players go to them, but that doesn't cut it for me, especially when it comes to the prices of Status & Wal Bass Guitar's... Don't get me wrong I love all their sounds/except the back pick up arrangements that Mark King uses/& i acknowledge that they are built to the highest standard but we as buyers should be allowed to know & hear more about these instruments rather than just waiting to get on the Waiting List to order one of (any) these bass guitar's... Forget about buying a Vintage Wal MK1 & MK2 Fretless Bass Guitar as their prices are higher than the latest newer models, but many do this because of the length of the waiting list... The last Wal Fretless I just (literally) just missed out on sold within 10 minutes of it being uploaded to that Guitar Stores Online Website for £6500.00 about 18 months ago... These bass guitars are difficult to come by along with the Matsumoku made Aria Pro II SB1000/SB900 along with the SB700 & they mostly seem to be being sold from Japan & American at even more inflated prices & then you have the Import Tax & P&P & Insurance for their delivery... Out of all the bass guitars in the world I've never been able to purchase one of the ones id prefer as they are thin on the ground & those that sell them ask way too much money for a preowned bass guitar & not many show but when they do they are gone in a flash... I managed to get my hands on a beautiful Michael V Pedulla Buzz Fretless Bass Guitar in December 2019 which has kind of reignited my enthusiasm that maybe one day I'll own 1 each of these bass guitars I've mentioned & I have to say the wait for the MVP Pedulla was worth the wait & with MVP announcing his retirement last year has seen the price of his guitars become even higher... They were highly collectable before but now since his retirement, this has them cost even more to buy preowned... I forgot to mention I did buy a preowned Status Eclipse Bass Guitar which had some nice overall sounds but it wasn't really what I was looking for from a Status so I traded it back in 1 year later... In light of the still ongoing coronavirus stay safe & healthy wherever you are in the world... .....

[@gdenyer]

Great question! I am not really sure why John or Rob never advertise or put their products out for reviews. They kind of had high profile bassist's buy their stuff back in the day, and that seemed to be enough. Also, John Diggins is a small shop and low volume production... his backlog is around 18 months, I believe. It is difficult to price the instruments I make as well. They are all completely hand crafted (no CNC), but I need to stay competitive. With these "famous" bass manufacturers, the prices look to be a little steep, but the market seems to be bearing these price points. Like you said, it is very hard to get your foot in the door once they become available. As soon as they go up for sale, they are gone! Congrats on the acquisition of the Michael V Pedulla Buzz Fretless! I must admit to being jealous!!! Thanks for the comment! Stay safe as well! All the best!

[@MichaelDavidFinn]

Ok! Long post so I will be answering most obvious questions. 1] John Diggins had a small workshop, hence low numbers in production volume. That’s what hand made means. Similarly with Rob @ Status. 2] These instruments were advertised, especially in British media, and to some extent in Bass Player magazine in the US . Of course the best advertising is seeing Mark King playing those basses until his thumb burst on his white Starchild JayDee! Again, you must understand the business side of this. There used to be a Bass Centre Los Angeles, wayyy back when Bass Centre Wapping (UK) was THE Bass center of the world. In 1991 John kept bumping my order from Miami, as he got an order for 30 JayDee Mark King models, from Wapping alone! Both luthiers are British, so they need a big business to market them. But since they are imported to the US, tariffs apply, along with customs, etc. Sam Ash had a run of Status basses in the early 90s. They weren’t selling Stateside. In Europe though they were dominating. As far as your Mark King tone remark, I really don’t understand it, specially since the eq systems on these basses are remarkable, (not to mention that Mark can get any tone imaginable by using the top of the line tone creator: His fingers!) The Status you had, was not a great representation of the superb instruments they make, as they focused on the Matrix Empathy as the cheaper models were gradually phased out. Now ever since Wall Street jerks made tons of money they started buying the best instruments just to put them in a display case. Now if you bought a Pedulla just because Mike retired, that’s a shame. On the other hand if you bought it to go out and perform every night while enjoying amazing craftsmanship, that’s the way to do it. Tip: do some research! You’ll find tons of stuff on Statii page, the early Status. British bass guitar excellence: Wal, Overwater, Status, JayDee, Panghorn.

[@greatwhite61967]

@@MichaelDavidFinn Hi Mike, Thank You for getting back to me & taking the time to read & respond to my comments... This comment was from 7 months ago & a lot has happened since then... As i decided to go straight to talking with Rob at Status & John & Andrew at JD Guitar's & i am happy & glad to say i bought a Status Series II & a Status KingBass Artist & i couldn't be any more happier with those 2 bass guitar's & both are a major step up from the Status Eclipse Bass Guitar, which i knew would be the case anyway... Rob & Dawn at Status HQ were extremely patient & helpful & i couldn't ask to talk with 2 really helpful & nice people & im hoping to put an order in for another Status by the end of this year... But first I decided to bite the bullet & call John & ask if he could to put me on his waiting list as any range of Johns bass guitar's are quite difficult to find preowned & even though he's fully booked he remembered me from the emails i sent year's ago about getting on his waiting list & he's been so kind enough to give me a spot for this August... I've already given my specifications im looking for on my JD Supernatural Series III which should be built within a 16 month period maximum, though Andrew has said it'll be ready before that period, but its better than waiting 16 to 18 months just to get on John's list & again i couldn't have had help from nicer guys & Andrew has been very helpful with regards to my specifications & what they can do for my specific JD Bass... Now regarding playing Live or in s Studio " If I Could I Would " but a serious injury when i was younger kept getting worse over the years to the point that no more operations or physio therapy is going to help me & i cant play my bass or any of my other instruments like i used to & now im more of a collector but i try & play when i can but I've had to accept the reality of my situation with regards my health... The Pedulla was bought because i wanted one whether i could play or not as i've always been a huge fan of Michaels fretted, but for me predominantly his fretless bass guitar's, as they are a functional work of art in my honest opinion & as soon as i first saw the images i was sent of this fretless they did this bass guitar no justice when i actual saw it & got my hands on it.. It's truly beautiful to look at & the sound is amazing, but again this is down to when i can play which is usually late spring & over the summer as my muscles & bones ease off a little bit more than during the winter... I've had to accept certain things in the last few years that i hoped wouldn't worsen but they have & i just have to accept it & as i was always brought up to think of others first i know that there are others out there that are in worse health than i am, so i play when i can & i cant wait for the warmer climate to start so i can ease myself back into playing my bass/accoustic & electric guitar's & i can enjoy them over the spring & summer period... All The Best Mike & Again Thank You for replying & your input... In light of this still ongoing coronavirus outbreak stay safe and healthy wherever you are in this world & i hope this comment finds you in good health & take care... .....

[@laurentquintana262]

Hi Gazz... if you had to choose between a Status bass or a Jaydee bass which one would you advise me to acquire? Thanks.

[@gdenyer]

Hi Laurent! It depends on the model of Status or JayDee. The Status Kingbass is a superb instrument, but if push came to shove, I would always go for the JayDee Supernatural Classic Series I. I love the range of tones you can get from it, plus it really has the ability to "growl"! It also plays very fast. The only issue with it is, if you play light gauge strings (30-90) then the neck needs adjustment a bit. However, it is worth it! If you are a fan of Mark King's earlier sound, you cannot go wrong with the JayDee! Thanks for watching!

[@laurentquintana262]

@@gdenyer thanks for your explanation....one last advice from you: should I buy the Supernatural model or the Starchild model, are they equal as far as sound is concerned?

[@gdenyer]

@@laurentquintana262 As far as I know, they are both Series I basses, it is just that the Starchild model has upgraded hardware and beautiful neck inlays! I wouldn't mind a Starchild bass myself!!! Cheers!

[@laurentquintana262]

@@gdenyer this is a really beautiful instrument for sure. But patience is hard for me and they told me I should wait 16 months to have it built so this is gonna be hard for me. Did you build the Falcon bass I have just seen on another video of yours???

[@gdenyer]

@@laurentquintana262 Yes, that was completed around 3 weeks ago. I build two models... The Falcon and The Scarab. Cheers!

[@johnhughes3796]

You can see Mark telling the story about how he came by it, its on KZbin if you search. This account is rather a ramble.

[@theavenger3363]

Jaco

[@evenseb7574]

Wiith a bit more volume on the amp (what amp?) it probably sound fantastic. Oh, no - now it gets distorted. Pity about the sound. But thanks anyways here from Norway for a lovely little JayDee moment!

[@olly3438]

Omg. You're Gary denyer? I used to watch you so long ago! I actually dread to think how long ago. I remember having to download your videos because I couldn't buffer the stream! You're Scottish?! I thought you were American. If you're not Gary, just ignore this comment (and sorry. Lol)

[@gdenyer]

Yes, tis me! I seem to recall you Olly from maybe 14 years ago perhaps! I am Scottish but I have been living in Florida for the past 25 years! Great to hear from you! All the best for the new year man!

[@narflethegarthok256]

Is that a bass chorus pedal your using?

[@gdenyer]

Hi! I'm using a Boss GT1-B bass effects processor on the standard "Scoop Slap" setting, which includes a blend of chorus and a little reverb.

[@narflethegarthok256]

@@gdenyer yeah people say Mark used a Bass chorus pedal back then but your bass tone sounds exactly like his at Wembley 86. I wish Mark still had that tone haha

[@patbassman8251]

You forgot to mention God Jaco Pastorius

[@gdenyer]

I'm sorry! That was totally remiss of me... you are correct!

[@patbassman8251]

@@gdenyer maybe we should stick to British bass players , I understand where your coming from with the slapping thing though , Just to throw a couple British bassists that never get mention , Jean jacque Burnel , Norman watt Roy , Mick Karn , Its a shame Nick Begg got with the wrong Band in the early years he seems to have slipped under the radar.

[@johnhufton5787]

Fantastic sound but it’s so MK only.