Please help to identify this bass

[Freuds_Cat]

I think this is an old Japanese bass but not sure what. All help appreciated.

[Hamster]

Hard to say - have you taken off the neck and scratchplate to check for names / numbers etc?

Hamster

[Freuds_Cat]

[quote name='Hamster' post='85394' date='Nov 8 2007, 10:08 PM']Hard to say - have you taken off the neck and scratchplate to check for names / numbers etc?

Hamster[/quote]

I cant, I dont actually have the bass. Just had the pics sent to me.
Being offered VERY cheap to me. Neck looks interesting so I figured I would get some input from you guys.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='Freuds_Cat' post='85396' date='Nov 8 2007, 12:42 PM']Being offered VERY cheap to me.[/quote]
It looks like it was found in a skip. I'd pass if its over £20.

[Freuds_Cat]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='85402' date='Nov 8 2007, 10:24 PM']It looks like it was found in a skip. I'd pass if its over £20.[/quote]

Therin lies my problem. £5 and The skunk stripe has me curious. None of the complete rubbish 'toy' basses I've ever seen have ever had one.

[BigRedX]

Difficult to tell from such small pics, but the Pickups could be DiMarzios?
The bridge looks the same as on my late 80's Washburn so maybe some reasonably decent far-east not-quite P-copy...?

Edit, the neck looks as though it needs adjusting in the pocket - look at the G string...

Edited November 8, 2007 by BigRedX

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Its got to be worth a fiver just to get experience of fret levelling (if you're interested in that sort of thing) etc.

[Freuds_Cat]

Hmmm... ah, I just picked up a coupla SX's so I might just ignore this one

[tauzero]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='85430' date='Nov 8 2007, 01:23 PM']Difficult to tell from such small pics, but the Pickups could be DiMarzios?
The bridge looks the same as on my late 80's Washburn so maybe some reasonably decent far-east not-quite P-copy...?

Edit, the neck looks as though it needs adjusting in the pocket - look at the G string...[/quote]

Might not be the neck needing adjustment but a replacement bridge put on way off-centre.

Looking at the headstock shape, with that rounded bit where a Fender would have a sharp angle, when did the far eastern copiers start making not-quite-exact copies to avoid copyright cases?

[crumpet_tramp]

Some Vintage Fenders had cream pup's I got some on my P

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='crumpet_tramp' post='85447' date='Nov 8 2007, 01:49 PM']Some Vintage Fenders had cream pup's I got some on my P[/quote]
Didn't this only happen in around '83 - '85 ish, and then those were more white than cream. If a 70s Fender has cream pickups I'd wager it was "upgraded" to Dimarzios early in its life.

[SJA]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='85402' date='Nov 8 2007, 12:54 PM']It looks like it was found in a skip. I'd pass if its over £20.[/quote]


mind you, if that came out of the Fender Custom Shop as a special edition relic, people would be paying £3000 for it.... :ph34r:

[Soulfinger]

[quote name='tauzero' post='85445' date='Nov 8 2007, 02:47 PM']Might not be the neck needing adjustment but a replacement bridge put on way off-centre.[/quote]
Spot on - the strings don´t line up with the pickup pole pieces either. Must be the bridge.

That poor bass has had a rough time. I wouldn´t trust that neck without actually seeing it.

[colda]

for the sake of £5 I'd certainly take it

[Sibob]

Yeah that neck joint in the second to last picture doesn't look very healthy at all!

hmmm
Si

[tauzero]

[quote name='Sibob' post='85491' date='Nov 8 2007, 03:34 PM']Yeah that neck joint in the second to last picture doesn't look very healthy at all![/quote]
Looks like someone has applied a chisel to it to excavate some wood and get the neck to move forward, then changed their mind and put a beermat behind it.

[Bassassin]

£5? You need to ask?

As for what it is, generic old P copy, more likely Korean than Japanese. Makes me think of those old Marlins from the 80s - some were OK, some were bloody awful - probably depending on the quality of the driftwood that washed up that morning. They had a skunk stripe - even the crap ones. Interesting bridge - doubt it's a replacement, but it would have to be moved, which isn't a major job. Wonder if the bridge is brass? Pickup might be a DiMarzio but I doubt it - the rest of the bass looks too cheap & cheerful.

For a fiver, it's worth it for curiosity's sake - or quick & dirty profiteering! The body's plainly been beaten to feck & back but a good stripdown, clean & setup would make a massive difference. If the body's solid timber (unlikely, IMO) then it might strip back nicely, if you can be bothered taking the time. Even if it's not worth hanging on to, stuff like this can fetch about £60 - £80 on Ebay, with a good pitch.

Jon.

[The Burpster]

I think I can ID it.....

I think its called Phil and it sleeps rough in a cardboard box, near the fire exit of our local Boots the chemist where every Tuesday and Thursdays it picks up its Methodone script. The rest of the time, it lives on White Lightening and out of date food from Sainsburys, and it stinks of pi55......

I beleive you get the picture......

[Freuds_Cat]

And the winners are:


[quote name='The Burpster' post='85639' date='Nov 9 2007, 05:33 AM']I think I can ID it.....

I think its called Phil and it sleeps rough in a cardboard box, near the fire exit of our local Boots the chemist where every Tuesday and Thursdays it picks up its Methodone script. The rest of the time, it lives on White Lightening and out of date food from Sainsburys, and it stinks of pi55......

I beleive you get the picture...... [/quote]


[quote name='SJA']mind you, if that came out of the Fender Custom Shop as a special edition relic, people would be paying £3000 for it....[/quote]



hehehe worth the fiver just for your comments

[SJA]

actually I was only half-joking when I wrote that-
have you seen the Fender Eddie Van Halen Frankenstrat?

[url="http://www.evhgear.com/frankenstein/"]http://www.evhgear.com/frankenstein/[/url]

they were charging $25,000 for that piece of...er...fine craftsmanship.....

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='SJA' post='85700' date='Nov 8 2007, 10:07 PM']actually I was only half-joking when I wrote that-
have you seen the Fender Eddie Van Halen Frankenstrat?

[url="http://www.evhgear.com/frankenstein/"][url="http://www.evhgear.com/frankenstein/"]http://www.evhgear.com/frankenstein/[/url][/url]

they were charging $25,000 for that piece of...er...fine craftsmanship.....[/quote]
I though this was the Eddie van Halen Frankenstein

[Tait]

i quite like the way it looks...

[ergon]

[quote]actually I was only half-joking when I wrote that-
have you seen the Fender Eddie Van Halen Frankenstrat?

[url="http://www.evhgear.com/frankenstein/"]http://www.evhgear.com/frankenstein/[/url]

they were charging $25,000 for that piece of...er...fine craftsmanship[/quote]

I thought you where meant to slowly "customize" or destroy your own guitar over time not buy one pre-wrecked!!!