I've decided I don't need 3 similar-ish fretted basses anymore, and while it was hard to decide which ones fit me the best tonally and ergonomically, I ultimately decided that my Jazz was the most replaceable (ie-I haven't had it long enough to customize it to the degree of my other basses!).
I'd love to trade for a nice comparable fretless or a nice lightweight power amplifier. Or possibly for a GK 800RB, a nice P-style bass (I do miss my G&L SB-2), or a Tronographics Rusty Box...I'll consider other trades as well, though I really don't "need" anything else gearwise...
I'd also consider a neck trade for an equivalent fretless neck (even with a P profile), preferably with Ebony or Pau Ferro fretboard.
I'll sell the whole bass for $350 + shipping (the price of the Baritone), which is less than I paid for just the neck and pickups- so you'll get the body, bridge, tuners, knobs, etc for free.
More pics:
http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p...etless%20Bass/
Here are the parts:
-Allparts neck: maple with rosewood fretboard, finished in Nitrocellulose by Atkinson Basses (has a nice vintaged yellow to it that will only sweeten over time and matches the body color well). The Rosewood is a beautiful dark chocolate brown with some nice figuring.
-Wilkinson tuners
-Aero Type 1 Jazz pickups
-Black Schaller "roller bridge" with adjustable string spacing (I love these things!)
-Control knobs from a Lakland DJ (I believe- bought these together with the Aeros from someone who took them out of a DJ).
-Squire Vintage Modified 70s Jazz bass body- these bodies are suprisingly awesome! One of the few readily available Fender Jazz bodies made of Maple. This particular one is very well matched and has some fantastic grain patterns.
This bass sounds great- has that really mid-snarly Jazz tone, but with extra clear treble from the Aeros. By far the most clear-sounding of my basses, and sounds particularly amazing through my Mesa Carbine- the top end from that combo could carve glass! With the original Squire neck, the top end and high mids could be pretty overbearing in a more laid-back mix, but the rosewood Allparts neck really help round out the tone- now there is a much more solid "oomph" and growl.
The Allparts neck also has more physical heft than the Squier (the biggest criticism I have with the VM 70s basses is the over the top skinny neck profile), but is noticeably less chunky than some MIM and MIA Jazzes I have played- a really comfortable and solid Jazz profile. The back of the neck is super smooth and fast as well. Frets are like-new and this neck can set up with nice low action (though my ham-hands demand a bit higher than really low!).
This bass came together surprisingly well, and has almost challenged my Darkstar'd Jazz for a permanent place here (I've been obsessively AB'ing them through an amp for the last couple of weeks, and am at a loss as to which I prefer!). I just know that this bass would be somewhat easier to recreate when I end up regretting getting rid of it (which is inevitable).
Thanks!
