Johnny Brook basses - any good?

[solo4652]

You can buy one of these new for £50

[url="http://www.johnnybrook.com/product.aspx?prod=jb100"]http://www.johnnybrook.com/product.aspx?prod=jb100[/url]

I'm considering one as the start point for a fretless bass. Buy this, drop in a Mighty Mite unlined fretless neck, add some Tokai pups I have. Any thoughts? Waste of money? Get-what-you-pay-for? Bargain start-point?

Steve

[Moos3h]

I've done a few project basses and I'm increasingly of the opinion that a lot can be acheived with very basic materials.

If the setup and electronics are good (as you have mentioned) then I think it'd be a lot of fun and the chances of you ending up with something that wasn't useable are very slim.

Even if you budget for a good setup to be done on whatever you end up with, you'll be quids in and have a lot of fun doing it!

Cheers,
James

[chris_b]

[quote name='solo4652' post='662477' date='Nov 23 2009, 10:40 AM']....You can buy one of these new for £50....[/quote]
You want to buy a £50 bass then spend £100 on parts? In the end it'll still be a £50 bass!

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='chris_b' post='662531' date='Nov 23 2009, 11:47 AM']You want to buy a £50 bass then spend £100 on parts? In the end it'll still be a £50 bass![/quote]

With £100 worth of parts that actually make the noise.

[wotnwhy]

if your changing the electronics and neck, what about the option of buying a blank body and making a project out of it. good fun and you'll learn a bit!

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

It sounds like it'll be a trigger's broom by the time its finished.

If the body is decent then its probably worth doing as that will probably be the only original bit left, otherwise I'd spend a bit extra & buy a decent alder body from brandoni or similar and build up from that that a bit at a time.

[JTUK]

Get what you pay for...IMV

To do any mods, the core stuff needs to be very good.. so it needs to play well
which I would venture is likely to be quite a hit and miss thing for this money..

[henry norton]

The question that's always burned on my mind is 'will a piece of alder or maple machined in Indonesia or China sound any different to a piece machined in the Good Ol' U S of A?' If you have a decent pickup and get it set up properly it should sound fine. Having said that, I wouldn't buy a whole bass guitar ("made from the finest materials...", for that price it might well be the 'finest plywood'). If you want to hack it around, rip the frets out, re-carve the body and re-wind the pickup then go for it but if you're only keeping the body then just buy a second hand body.

[lemmywinks]

I'd keep an eye out for a Squier/Vintage/Aria etc. bass cheap on eBay, you can pick these up for around the £50 mark.

If you want to sell the neck, tuners and pickups on they'll have a higher value than Johnny Brook parts, Squier for the Fender shaped headstock alone

Squier Affinity P-Bass for £50 + p&p here:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ180435663664QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2a02cdbb30"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bass-guitar_W0QQitem...=item2a02cdbb30[/url]

I bought an Aria Jazz for £45 and it sounded heaps better than the usual budget stuff. I've played a very nice Stagg natural Jazz too

[gafbass02]

I've got one and it's fab! It sets up well and sounds superb very loud and punchy. A few iffy frets but it's really good. However!!!!
I bought mine to mod and NOTHING on it is a standard size, even the body is smaller and slightly off jazz shaped. I bought a load of cheap gold hardware from eBay and nothing fitted. Nor did any of the stuff I had off other jazz's. The neck has an extra fret too. So modding not as easy as it sounds. But for a beater bass then go for it!

[rapscallion]

Those ProBass ebay jobbies are awesome, and only £100 brand new, very good quality. it looks like they're the same build/plant as the SX guitars, which are very highly rated in the bass community. I've got a vintage modified jazz and its lovely

[gafbass02]

Curious, any chance of a link?

[WarPig]

I could only find this one:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBass-Vintage-Modified-NEW-EXCLUSIVE_W0QQitemZ190350933658QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c51ccbe9a"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBas...=item2c51ccbe9a[/url]

The series/parrallel switch is a nice addition.

[solo4652]

Ah - well there's a clear consensus emerging here. I'll not be getting a Johhny Brook or a Jay Turser or anything else like that. I'll look out for a Squier. Thank you to everybody for your thoughts.

How about an OLP body with a an unlined fretless neck? Do/did OLP make such necks?

Steve

[solo4652]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='662603' date='Nov 23 2009, 01:08 PM']I'd keep an eye out for a Squier/Vintage/Aria etc. bass cheap on eBay, you can pick these up for around the £50 mark.

If you want to sell the neck, tuners and pickups on they'll have a higher value than Johnny Brook parts, Squier for the Fender shaped headstock alone

Squier Affinity P-Bass for £50 + p&p here:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ180435663664QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2a02cdbb30"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bass-guitar_W0QQitem...=item2a02cdbb30[/url]

I bought an Aria Jazz for £45 and it sounded heaps better than the usual budget stuff. I've played a very nice Stagg natural Jazz too[/quote]

Blast it! That Squier on Ebay was about 10 miles from my house. Looked a bit too bashed-about though. I'll keep looking...

[rapscallion]

[quote name='WarPig' post='663357' date='Nov 24 2009, 12:15 AM']I could only find this one:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBass-Vintage-Modified-NEW-EXCLUSIVE_W0QQitemZ190350933658QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c51ccbe9a"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBas...=item2c51ccbe9a[/url]

The series/parrallel switch is a nice addition.[/quote]

Yep, thats the one! Seriously good bang for your buck and pretty nice bloke too, bass rived with a nice setup

[Low End Bee]

I should get one of these. The old boy who sits behind me at Griffin Park always goes misty eyed at the mention of him.

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Brooks"]Johnny Brooks[/url]

[redstriper]

[quote name='rapscallion' post='663109' date='Nov 23 2009, 08:07 PM']Those ProBass ebay jobbies are awesome, and only £100 brand new, very good quality. it looks like they're the same build/plant as the SX guitars, which are very highly rated in the bass community. I've got a vintage modified jazz and its lovely[/quote]

Do you mean awesome for £100 or just plain awesome ?

I'm interested to know how it compares to the Squire Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified jazz basses.
Also how does the pup switch affect the sound ?

Thanks.

[rapscallion]

[quote name='redstriper' post='664241' date='Nov 24 2009, 07:49 PM']Do you mean awesome for £100 or just plain awesome ?

I'm interested to know how it compares to the Squire Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified jazz basses.
Also how does the pup switch affect the sound ?

Thanks.[/quote]

Im afraid I've played neither, although I picked up a VM precision in Andertons and personally I'd say the ProBass felt nicer. Sorry I can't give a decent comparison, but the ProBass is a lovely sounder, its got that Jazz Bass growl with rounds on it, but a solo neck pickup gives quite a convincing dub/reggae sound with the tone rolled off. The series/parallel switch seems to give a more delicate precision sound, less thump. Its a shame they aren't in the shops, I had to buy mine on a whim and luckily it came out a winner.

[Moos3h]

Those ProBasses are deffo from the same stable as SX basses, and that can only be a good thing.

Each time I go to Dublin, I almost always come away with one...it's only the fear of Aer Lingus smashing it into a billion pieces that stops me!

[redstriper]

Thanks for the prompt reply rapscallion.

How do you find it for weight ?

I'm looking for something light to replace a heavy old jazz bass - see [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=67730"]this thread[/url].

Steve.

[rapscallion]

I don't mind it to be honest, but to be honest Steve I play sitting down mostly anyway. HOWVERE, it really isn't that heavy (or I'm just a young buck ). I just listened to your myspace, I'm taking it to a jam with a guy I was in a dub band with a while ago. I'll let you know how it fits in the mix.

The only thing thats a bit suspect is the blocks on mine, they're remenisent of those stick on jobbies that were available from GSR Guitars. But really you dont notice them

[Stacker]

[quote name='WarPig' post='663357' date='Nov 24 2009, 12:15 AM']I could only find this one:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBass-Vintage-Modified-NEW-EXCLUSIVE_W0QQitemZ190350933658QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c51ccbe9a"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RED-JAZZ-BASS-ProBas...=item2c51ccbe9a[/url]

The series/parrallel switch is a nice addition.[/quote]


The bridge is waaay off, scale wise. Unless it's a bigger body than a Jazz.