Shambo

I bought a jap jazz from France that had been fitted with some glorious Hepcat 62 pickups. Best I've ever heard. Foolishly returned the Jazz to stock and moved it on because we didn't quite bond. Eventually sold the Hepcats as they were languishing in a parts drawer (i'm a P player these days). I'd love another set but they'd set me back €240 plus import fees... the pups that got away.

I'm thinking about the white version and you post one whist I'm writing!

Mine also had a 3 bolt neck, but I don't think it had the 70's bridge pickup spacing. I saw one around the same age (2008) with a white body and matching headstock, which looked fabulous contrasting with rosewood, blocks and binding. If I'd won the lottery last night, I'd fly to Tokyo and try a few out to see which one spoke to me. I considered importing one but, buying one blind, I'd be concerned it might end up being another perfectly good instrument that I just didn't 'bond' with. But if you decide to move this one on, I'd certainly like to give it an audition. 😉 I think I'm probably quite local to you these days. Great looking bass.

I used to have a Jap Jazz in this configuration. It was a 75RI. Bought it from a Basschatter in France. I absolutely love the look, still do. You don't see it very often. It reminded me of my first proper bass, an original black '75 Jazz... but I just didn't play it enough to warrant keeping it. I sold all the basses in my collection a few years ago, but kept the Pro Precision that usurped it as top bass in my stable. Did you import yours?

I have a theory that they were so cheap and nasty, people used to just give them away for free... neglected, beaten, abused then either gifted to a newb or chucked in a skip.

First Bass: Avon EB0 copy Go-to Bass: Fender Pro Precision with flats 'Your' Bass: A black Fender Jazz with rosewood, blocks & binding

Have they?

My fave Jazz colour combo. Black, rosewood, blocks & binding with a BWB or tort scratchplate. Had both an original 75 an a jap reissue over the years. I wish Fender would update the 75 look to a modern passive version. Like an American Pro 2 FSR.

This bass is looking very familiar to me too. I bought it off ebay and traded it with @grahamd for an amp in 2009. Excellent quality instrument. IIRC the 'pro active' version was very rare.

When I think of Theivery Corporation I think of Shaolin Satellite. Takes me back to... jeez twenty five years or more, to when I first heard it on a Kruder & Dorfmeister DJ Kicks album. The K&D Sessions is one of my very favourite downtempo albums. You might like that one too.

Allow me to pose a question only for arguments sake. So, you have a wooden guitar body that is heavy. Let’s say a 70’s Fender alder body that wasn't seasoned for long enough before it was wrapped in poly. If you were to strip the body back to the bare wood and place it in a ‘drying chamber’ then wouldn’t the seasoning process resume as the wood slowly loses moisture content and therefore weight? Let’s just ignore shrinkage and glued pieces and anything like that. Could you restart the seasoning process on an old piece of wood? It’s something I’ve wondered about occasionally.

What the hell have I been doing with my life?

I'd be happy if we could just have some new Fender Pro II colours. I'm not doing that Mod Shop if I don't know the weight. They might send me a boat anchor!

All Day And All Of The Night - The Kinks actually, it could have been You Really Got Me... sometime in the late 80's.