My GAS won't end. Does it ever end?!
For sale is one of my Vantage Avenger basses wiht original hard case. Made at the Matsumoku factory in Japan. This is a 1981 in the red stain and in pretty good condition.
This is a very beautiful precision style bass. For those not familiar, I like to give a little background as these basses occupy a fond place in my formative years. You see, these basses were mass marketed during Fender's "Dark Years" (also know as the early 80’s) when many (dare I say most?!) people associated Fender with poor quality control and an "antiquated" mass-marketed design. I remember it seemed that all Fender owners did in those days was replace parts-- pickups first, then pots, then bridges, etc. I remember my first teacher so well- he had a Fender P bass with almost every single part replaced!
This bass puts a different spin on the P bass. Similar tone but more "boutique" sounding due to the high quality woods and finish, and of course with the classical looks and panache that come with! The factory precision style pickups in this bass were modeled after DiMarzios which were the premium and preferred pickup of choice in those days and what most Fender players were swapping for.
This bass is in some ways a Gibson SG/Fender P Hybrid looks-wise and design-wise with perhaps a little bit of a metal or glam flair thrown in. Note the flat edges but elegant belly cuts that make their way into the top. A stark contrast which results in a nice, almost sculpted design. This has a brass funder style barrel saddles bridge and a brass nut. And a great neck-- maple board and a nice deep profile reminiscent of the Aria Pro II Superbass that was also made in the Matsumoku Factory.
The DiMarzio-inspired precision pickup is wound hot! 10-12K in my estimation. Put flats on this (as I have on some of my other Vantages) and it just thumps! Bass is full 34" scale. Very easy to play!
I just checked the set up, polished the frets and restrung the bass with a brand new set of rounds so she will be good to gout right out of the box!
This bass is in good condition overall. Since I like full disclosure the following is a list of the imperfections, mostly minor. There are some dings and scrapes, as well as some light rash on the back. All are pictured and none are very visible given the combination of the heavy varnish, the wood stain, and the graininess of the wood itself. A little grime at the edge of the neck which should come out with polish and what appears to be a slight finish imperfection from a light ding near fret 4 as pictured. The E string tuner is bent slightly butt fully functional and you cannot see in the pics or notice except when stringing the bass. Very slight oxidation on the pickup pole pieces. Again, overall condition is great and as the pics show, the bass presents very nicely and I took flash pics to make sure these slight blems appeared easily for the purpose of this listing.
I am asking $SOLD! shipped anywhere in the CONUS in the original hard case. If you are outside the CONUS the price will be higher as shipping is considerably higher so PM me to see what we can work out. And I pack bomb proof so she will get to you safe and sound.
I am not 95% not interested in trades at this point as this sale is to finance more recent GAS-related purchases, but PM me if you plan to make an offer I can't refuse.
I think this just about covers everything. Please PM me if you have any interest, questions or would like to make a best offer.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy the high res pics below.
RBM
