Ebay Pbass Body

[BJMtz]

Searching ebay for a pbass body and came across this. Anyone have any experience with these?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251223414229...84.m1423.l2649

[stephenleejp]

Subscribed

[nukes_da_bass]

"These are aftermarket Japanese body" I don't believe that!!!! they're definitely aftermarket Asian but who knows which country of origin?

[Bassist4Eris]

No experience, but at that price, I can't imagine the electronics are very good. I'd be factoring in the cost of completely replacing the pickups and pots, personally, if I were planning a project around one of these.

[DandersonCooper]

I've had experience with the exact same seller and product. Got a loaded Jazz Body for 70$. Honestly, I don't think its worth it.

-The contour is all wrong. Its like an odd in-between of a regular jazz and a slab. -Very weird.
-The body is made of alder probably 3-4 pieces.
-The poor pickup slot routing was really wonky. I'm not sure if this happens in every one, but the one i got was slightly slanted.
-The pickup installation was weak too. Non matching screws, some were stripped, and theres a piece of foam on the bottom of the pickup. No height adjusters.
-The pickup is weird and cheap as well. The "cover" is hot glued together into a big solid sloppy mess.
-The routed hole under the bridge is slippy and a weak copper wire sits under the bridge for grounding.
-In the Jazz body, the control cavity is sharp, fitting an official pick guard is near impossible.
-I believe the screw placements are all off placement as well.
The pick guard is a cheap one ply.
-Lastly, the pocket dimensions are no where close to what the ad stated.

I think thats all I remember from my experience.

Best of luck!

Edit : I got the Jazz Body style, not to confuse you with the contour issue.

[slick_tu]

You get what you pay for.

[Deechord]

14 hole pick guard.

[awilkie84]

Originally Posted by DandersonCooper

I've had experience with the exact same seller and product. Got a loaded Jazz Body for 70$. Honestly, I don't think its worth it.

-The contour is all wrong. Its like an odd in-between of a regular jazz and a slab. -Very weird.
-The body is made of alder probably 3-4 pieces.
-The poor pickup slot routing was really wonky. I'm not sure if this happens in every one, but the one i got was slightly slanted.
-The pickup installation was weak too. Non matching screws, some were stripped, and theres a piece of foam on the bottom of the pickup. No height adjusters.
-The pickup is weird and cheap as well. The "cover" is hot glued together into a big solid sloppy mess.
-The routed hole under the bridge is slippy and a weak copper wire sits under the bridge for grounding.
-In the Jazz body, the control cavity is sharp, fitting an official pick guard is near impossible.
-I believe the screw placements are all off placement as well.
The pick guard is a cheap one ply.
-Lastly, the pocket dimensions are no where close to what the ad stated.

I think thats all I remember from my experience.

Best of luck!

Edit : I got the Jazz Body style, not to confuse you with the contour issue.

This is the way most fenders are, too. The foam acts like a spring, except that it applies equal pressure along the length of the pickup. Both of my MIAs and my MIMs were like this.

[tbplayer59]

It also takes all the fun out of building your own from parts.

[1bassleft]

I'm not out to call a seller a liar, I have no way of looking at a CNC'd body (esp^y) with the scratchplate on) and say "categorically not [insert country of manufacture]" - I'd use "ask seller a Q" and see if the reply stacks up. That said, here's my conjecture:

Looks like alder, but doesn't look Japanese. None of the hardware is stamped as such and everything I ever got had it on the neckplate, the underside of the bridge and such like. Stereotyping, but their philosophy of QC (post the naff, 70s stuff) doesn't sit with what I saw of the paintwork.

If that were a UK auction, in that colour, I'd say it reminds me of the "Harrier" brand. Bargain basement (quite good when seen in that context) $100 all-Chinese stuff let down by a neck with a "stained to look like rosewood" fretboard which, of course, isn't present here. I can easily see this one passing along without bids even at the $69 starter and I, personally, wouldn't kick myself. Unless the seller replies to my Q with something that establishes provenance; in which case I'd hope he doesn't upload it onto the listing (and mentally apol for my cynicism).

The reason for my jaded outlook? The number of Fleabers who, misguidedly or intentionally, throw in casual Wikigarbage to inflate sales/prices. Example:

Over a decade ago, I wrote a HC review of the 1990 Fenix Jazz (Young Chang) I bought used for £67, mentioning what I'd heard as a stringer for a music mag that FMIC weren't happy; rumours of leftover Squier Japan materiel being siphoned off to their own brand complete with Fender style serial numbering, resulting in a forced headstock change and a short contract run.

So what's happened? A bunch of chancers waffling on about "quality so much better than Fender Japan that FMIC lawsuited them... yada yada" cack and fantasy prices. There's currently a yukky-headstock later 90s job with a stupid £400 start hoping for a gullible to click.

Not saying this listing is anything like the same league, but I'm non-plussed and would at least ask Qs before trigger pulling.

[DandersonCooper]

Originally Posted by awilkie84

This is the way most fenders are, too. The foam acts like a spring, except that it applies equal pressure along the length of the pickup. Both of my MIAs and my MIMs were like this.

I did not know that. Theres springs and flexable rubber piece in my pickup pocket to adjust height. Maybe thats an aftermarket add on.

I guess, when tried to adjust the pickups, it did not do a very good job. The non matching screws and stripped shafts did not help.

[the art guy]

I bought one of these once on a whim - I think it was Shoreline Gold? Anyway, yeah - it was pretty cheap all around. Just didn't "feel" like I want my basses to. Whatever that means.

[GreaserMatt]

Caveat Emptor