ESP LTD Deluxe J-1004. Upgraded with John East Uni-Pre and 2 pairs Hot Rod pickups. £475 including UK Delivery. D Tuner and new Tourtech gig bag. £475 Suffolk

[Quent]

Hi everybody.

This bass is For Sale Only. I put this up last year but withdrew it. I’ll try again now

and hope somebody can see sense and treat themselves to a wonderful, if weighty, bass.

 

 I bought this 2002 (ESP) LTD DLX J-1004 in June 2020 from Basschatter “Bass Wielder “.

He had upgrading modifications done professionally about 5 years ago and it gives a superb variety of tones. It’s exactly 5kg , 11lbs using my accurate scales but is very well balanced and is therefore fine with a wide grippy shoulder strap and when you’re seated it’s reassuringly plonked and stable on your thigh compared to some light weights.

 

A recommendation here by Basschatter Harlequin74 ( July 15 ) who played the bass at The Gallery.

” Just a quick recommend for this bass. Tested it at Bass Gallery when there to pick up another bass.

Lovely bass, with fantastic build quality and amazing tonal variation with John East preamp. Looks lovely too. “

 

Upgraded with 2 pairs of switchable Hot-Rod coils and a John East Uni-Pre.

It has a lovely dark rosewood neck with abalone markers and side dots.

Ash body with golden Quilted maple top and gorgeous binding containing abalone shards  ( looks like that). So a hell of a lot of bass features and top electronics on offer here. Notice the great top edge contouring (photo) with rear scoop and front curve for arm rest comfort.

The photos capturing the more golden shades of the body are the nearest to it’s actual shade. 

See further below for the Eternal Guitars and Hot-Rods detail on the windings

and 3 way switches for each pair of coils. Centre position for both coils in series, then left or right for each single coil.

Notes by maker Dave Walsh a few paragraphs below. 

 

The Modifications.

*East UK Uni pre - Active /Passive bass pre-amp that simply is world class.

*East UK BLI - battery low indicator tells you when 9v is almost out of power.

Easiest to look at the Uni Pre using the John East link below. See 5 knob version.

 

No noticeable change in Vol when pulling / push Passive tone knob ( sits above the line of 4 knobs on my bass).

Line of 4 goes Vol Blend Mids/sweep Treb/Bass with pull for extra sizzle.

The Treb knob is slightly scratchy when turning it but fine once in position.

The passive tone works in active mode too but for me best turned full on

for best clarity from the active EQ.

 

 

*Hot-Rods custom made pickups - Specially made for this bass. It is like having four Jazz style pickups in a two shell  package (3 way switchable between each pair of coils). The combination of this and the East UK has turned this instrument into a very versatile beast. From Marcus Miller slap to Jaco jazz to Pino P-bass if you have the skills !

 

20 year old bass but only has a few small marks on the thick gloss coated body

so they look no worse than a bit of dust on the bass. See arrows on photos.

1/2 inch crack  in the gloss under the neck pocket, see photo looking under the neck joint. It’s stable so is not an issue. Some pick playing lines on body under strings at playing area. It’s quite a vintage golden colour on the body top. One or two minor scratch marks if you peer very closely and an edge gloss chip on the headstock (tuner-side ) so minor cosmetics only considering the age.

 

I just polished frets and a fretboard clean with a little oil. Frets look like they’ve had a proper levelling because it plays superbly, no buzz and actually sings when not plugged in. Minimal neck relief, I tightened the truss rod slightly today and the strings run from 2.2mm to 1.8mm E to G at 12th when fretted at 1st.

Room for the saddles to go lower.

 

Selling to fund other basses purchased. I’ve had my fun with this (ESP)LTD J1004 experimenting for hours with the brilliant John East Uni-Pre, Two 3 way switches 

and some blending of the pups. It’s endless what you can create. I need to start replacing some basses if I’m to experiment further. I’ve spent up and now have no room to have more basses.

 

A Note copied below on the bass’s modifications , from Dave at Eternal Guitars and (Hot Rod) Pickups. UK to Bass Wielder ( Hope that’s ok BW. All technical )

Unit 8A Littlemead Business Centre, Tangmere Rd, Chichester PO20 2EU, United Kingdom

"Hi.

Glad that you like the pickups so far!

Okay, wiring: they are wound and wired in a similar fashion to a normal humbucking pickup but of course with the exception that each coil is a true Jazz bass pickup. To wire them in series you will need to join the red and green wires together and cover the join with tape or shrink tubing. If you plan to coil split, then the joined red/green will go to your switch.

White is live and black is earth.

Some details on the pickups: the neck pickup is two Jazz bass pickups wound to vintage specs and placed side by side - both pickups use forbon flatwork and eight magnetised poles. Either could be used individually if desired for a 'true' singlecoil sound or in series (as supplied).

The bridge pickup is slightly different - it uses a vintage spec wound Jazz bass pickup nearest to the neck but the coil nearest to the bridge uses identical flatwork and magnets but with a 'hotter' coil wind. When selected on its own this coil will have a thicker and warmer single coil tone than a traditional Jazz bass.

I hope this helps and please let me know if you need any help wiring them up... : )

Cheers for now,

Dave Walsh

Eternal Guitars & Pickups . Chichester. UK “

 

 

34" scale

Ash body w/quilted maple top and  gorgeous binding with abalone shards.

** Maple neck w/dual graphite reinforcement rods** V advanced for 2002.

Rosewood  fingerboard

38mm nut width

Abalone dot inlays w/model name at 12th fret

Hipshot Gold Ultralite  tuners, satin. Separate Gotoh gold D Tuner , polished.

Hipshot "A" style satin bridge w/string-thru-body

21 Frets 

Metal nut 

**String through body or Bridge.

 

Sounds: Extremely versatile and you can load the strings via the bridge or through the body. Has 45-105 Elixir Nickel plated steel strings  ( Nanoweb Coating ) and they still a lot of life in them.

New padded Tourtech gig bag and D Tuner which fits but does not match. I’ll insure the delivery. UK only. I use FedEx nowadays.

 

Thanks for looking.

Quent

 

 

Edited September 18 by Quent
Corrected pickup switch operation single/series/other single

[bigsmokebass]

Oh my, a lotta bass for that sorta money!! 

[Quent]

Thanks Bigsmoke. It’s a real beauty as well as producing all

kinds of wonderful tones with the John East Pre and those

Hot Rod dual coil pickups with a 3 way switch each. 

I’ve had it 4 years and love it but it’s time for someone else

to enjoy it ! I see your pic with a Yamma there. I’ll be putting more

basses up soon as needs must. Cheers.

[chuck_stones]

Wow, that is a beautiful looking bass and I'd imagine, extremely versatile. That is an insane amount of bang for the buck. If it had a wider nut I'd buy it straight away, alas my chonky hands don't agree with narrow jazz bass necks. GLWTS 

[Quent]

Yes Chuck. The John East pre , as you may know, is as powerful

or subtle as you want , going way beyond any treble or high end mids

for me so there’s something there for anyone’s taste.

I know what you mean about the first few frets on some jazzers

but this isnt like , say, a Lakland skyline 44-64 PJ. Silly slim.

Necks vary don’t they? I know it’s a J-1004 but this one feels deep to me and

I have big skinny hands. I just measured with my digital calipers.

Nut width 38.8mm, 3rd fret 44mm , 5th 47.5mm, 7th 50.5mm, 12th 57mm

which is interesting because the string spacing at the saddles is 19mm,

so 57mm from E to G centres.

Why not compare the girth of the fret board to one of your basses?

At 5th fret this neck is 12.5cm ( piece of non stretch string used )

7th 13mm and at 12th 14cm, wrapping string tightly around the neck.

Thanks for the bump 👍

Quent

[Quent]

7th fret neck girth 13cm I meant 🤓