Help ID'ing a bass
- Thread starter emilio
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Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Help ID'ing a bass
Your bass guitar is a copy of a Fender Jazz Bass. (The Fender Musicmaster Bass was a short scale student instrument.) It almost certainly dates from the Seventies. It would have been made in Japan. Sometimes, the same factory supplied near-identical instruments to numerous "import" brand names. Typical of the period would have been Kay, Satellite, Silverstone, Teisco, Kasuga, Hondo and so forth.
The pickups look original but have lost their covers. The covers might have provided a strong clue as to the original brand.
Your bass guitar is a copy of a Fender Jazz Bass. (The Fender Musicmaster Bass was a short scale student instrument.) It almost certainly dates from the Seventies. It would have been made in Japan. Sometimes, the same factory supplied near-identical instruments to numerous "import" brand names. Typical of the period would have been Kay, Satellite, Silverstone, Teisco, Kasuga, Hondo and so forth.
The pickups look original but have lost their covers. The covers might have provided a strong clue as to the original brand.
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Help ID'ing a bass
I meant the outer casings of the pickups themselves, not the metal RF screening covers.
Some of the old MIJ "lawsuit" era basses came with small, metal covered Maxon pickups, roughly the size of a Gibson LP Deluxe mini-humbucker. The same pickup appeared on both P and J "inspired" instruments.
In your headstock photograph, below the A and D machineheads, there appears to be a less discoloured area of the finish, roughly wear a manufacturer's logo might originally have been attached. (i.e. A solid, plastic or metal name badge as distinct from a decal.)
I meant the outer casings of the pickups themselves, not the metal RF screening covers.
Some of the old MIJ "lawsuit" era basses came with small, metal covered Maxon pickups, roughly the size of a Gibson LP Deluxe mini-humbucker. The same pickup appeared on both P and J "inspired" instruments.
In your headstock photograph, below the A and D machineheads, there appears to be a less discoloured area of the finish, roughly wear a manufacturer's logo might originally have been attached. (i.e. A solid, plastic or metal name badge as distinct from a decal.)
Crazy, I didn't notice that. I'll keep looking. The oddpart is that I can't find anything with two pickups. Thanks a lot for all of that information!
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
Re: Help ID'ing a bass
I like it
I like it
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: Help ID'ing a bass
Why not?
Why not?
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Help ID'ing a bass
For $30, as long as it doesn't have any major issues, go for it. Bass is easy for a guitarist to learn, and Jazz basses are one of the great designs.
For $30, as long as it doesn't have any major issues, go for it. Bass is easy for a guitarist to learn, and Jazz basses are one of the great designs.
daan
New member
Re: Help ID'ing a bass
I've had a bunch of those. Those (J copies) seem to be as prevalent as LP copies, as far as 70's import guitars go. About 75% of them were Plywood, but some of them were solid. LIke Funk Man said, you can find them with any number of names (or no name at all) I personally have had a Carlo Robelli, a Hondo, a Global, a no-name, and have handled an Aria, a Univox, an Ibanez, and several other no-names. As long as the neck is straight, and the electronics work, it'll be a nice bass. Nothing super valuable, but some of them can sound pretty good.
THESE pups actually sound pretty good, but all of these seem to have cheap wiring/pots/switches in them, so upgrading those first can net you a fine sounding bass. These pups aren't sized like anything else, so nothing will "drop in", but you may not have to switch the pups themselves to get good sound.
I've had a bunch of those. Those (J copies) seem to be as prevalent as LP copies, as far as 70's import guitars go. About 75% of them were Plywood, but some of them were solid. LIke Funk Man said, you can find them with any number of names (or no name at all) I personally have had a Carlo Robelli, a Hondo, a Global, a no-name, and have handled an Aria, a Univox, an Ibanez, and several other no-names. As long as the neck is straight, and the electronics work, it'll be a nice bass. Nothing super valuable, but some of them can sound pretty good.
THESE pups actually sound pretty good, but all of these seem to have cheap wiring/pots/switches in them, so upgrading those first can net you a fine sounding bass. These pups aren't sized like anything else, so nothing will "drop in", but you may not have to switch the pups themselves to get good sound.
