Show me your favorite junk yard bass.

[6stringvince]

I recently baught a $40 p bass copy from a pawn shop (see my thread "help indentifying a p bass copy"). I still don't know what it is, other than 70's Japanese (probably). I put on some new flat wounds that cost almost as much as the bass itself, spent a couple of hours tweeking the set up, and WOW! I'm in love!
Now I own several guitars and basses ranging from a 65 ES345 as my most expensive, right down to this $40 special ("The Unknown Bass"), and all I can say is that some of my favorite players are also my cheepest. Ever wonder if we're all just fools following expensive treands? "So and so plays this $5k guitar, it must be awsome!".
In the 70's and 80's the guitar amps to have were the Twins and Super Reverbs, the Princeton Reverb was a beginnes amp, now the heard had moved to another direction, I see Princetons approacing the $3k mark, and you could pick up a silver face Twin for $400-$500.
The most collectable guitar on the planet is the 59 Les Paul, why 'cause Clapton played one, truth is Clapton baught a 59 because he could find what he really wanted, a 56 Les Paul (trying to chase HIS hero Freddy King). In 59 Gibson couldn't sell a Les Paul, and shortly there after replaced them with the SG style of body. Now 59's go for as much as $400k! What if Clapton found his 56, woudl they be the cat's ass?!
More and more I'm realizing that fat price tag doesn't equate to better.
In short, show me your best poor man's guitar.
Here's a pic of myne
Vince

[JimmyM]

Cool bass. Not sure what it is, but it reminds me of the old Kent basses. Here's my favorite junkyard bass:





Says "Realistic" (yes, THAT Realistic), but was built by the Matsumoku factory in either 67 or 68. The same bass came out under the Univox and Greco names, too. Bought it off TB, spent about 2 days making it playable again and $100 on getting the pickups fixed. The neck's a little bit twisted but plays extremely well with pretty low action. And the sound is out of this world!

[dirtbeard]

This is what ive been playing for the last few years. Dimarzio model j bridge, no neck pickup, no pickguard.. It actually sounds pretty good, suprisingly.

[Ken J]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Cool bass. Not sure what it is, but it reminds me of the old Kent basses. Here's my favorite junkyard bass:





Says "Realistic" (yes, THAT Realistic), but was built by the Matsumoku factory in either 67 or 68. The same bass came out under the Univox and Greco names, too. Bought it off TB, spent about 2 days making it playable again and $100 on getting the pickups fixed. The neck's a little bit twisted but plays extremely well with pretty low action. And the sound is out of this world!

I wonder if Sears made on too?

[dalkowski]

I can't pin it down but there's something about the idea of a "Realistic" Beatle bass that just tickles me to death. Like, if you're Paul in "Rain" or "1964," you need one. I want one!

Sorry, I'm rambling...

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Ken J

I wonder if Sears made on too?

They sure did:

[KISSbestfan]

To me its a bit weird call bass a "junkyard bass" but anyway. This is the bass itself, and it was in the worst shape I ever bought. It was very cheap tough, cost only approx 30$ ...

Sorry for a low quality photo, but I dont have better one.

The bass is a late 60's/early 70's Defil Lotos. Someone painted it HORRIBLY. The pickguard was made of mdf sheet. Bridge missed. Electronics - single pickup from Hofner guitar, no pots. The neck itself didnt had even a fretboard ! Only raw wood, and a trussrod. Headstock crushed a bit. At least all 4 tuners were present, so I didnt had to spend another 30$ for new ones :P

I started to scratch off the paint, but due it was a very long process, I used FIRE. Its not finished yet, but thats a matter of short time to be finished. I made a pickguard using plexi, but its not 100% the shape I wanted, so maybe I'll make another one, or modify this one. The pickup comes from Washburn T12 (10$ only), and bridge is from Jolana Proxima Bass (my friend gave me, alongside with tuners, and pots). This is the actuall progress of finishing the body:



What will I do next ?
Clean the body, paint it, redo or convert the pickguard, also paint it, make a new fretboard (this will be pain in the ass), install electronics properly, set the bridge, put the strings on, and play :P But this bass will be for the young guy, that wants to start his adventure with the bass. He is pretty short, so the shortscale will fit him good.

[ronaldpdbrandt]

My $47 pawn shop special recently went from this:



To this:

[ronaldpdbrandt]

Originally Posted by KISSbestfan

Actually, I kind of like the look of the scraped paint on the body! I'd just put a nice gloss over it and call it a day. I'd go back to the drawing board on that pickguard, though.

[CauliColin]

Originally Posted by ronaldpdbrandt

My $47 pawn shop special recently went from this:



To this:

Wow!
That is stunning!

[Chef]

Built it from a Fender Precision A/E body and Mighty Mite Neck, G&L power:



1974 body, 1975 neck, powered by DarkStar:

[funkytoe]

Originally Posted by ronaldpdbrandt

My $47 pawn shop special

I take it someone is a Berry Oakley/Allman Bros. Fan? Nice tractor "P" bass. Color me jealous.

[Bassdirty]

Jimmy, that realistic..tho may have been inexpensive at some point..doesnt seem to me..to be considered "junkyard". i mean..thats gotta be collectable somehow.?..


and to the op as far as us bein tricked into buyin expensive.basses...well My opinion is that u can get a very playble bass for 500 or less. I belive the ones that get up into thousands..your paying for..wood..beauty..high quality components...fit n finish stuff that doesnt nesecarily make it more playable..or even sound better...but LOOK better too. I play out alot...and require playable basses, so anything say over a 1500 $ bass...would be novelty for me..as I couldnt personally justify taking a 5000 $ treasure on stage.w/me. (the.way i jump off $h!t ). lol.

ymmv an all.

[Hues]

Originally Posted by ronaldpdbrandt

My $47 pawn shop special recently went from this:



To this:

Did you reshape the headstock, or is it a new neck?

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Bassdirty

Jimmy, that realistic..tho may have been inexpensive at some point..doesnt seem to me..to be considered "junkyard". i mean..thats gotta be collectable somehow.?..

Hey, someone wants to buy it for two grand, I'm there

[cricman]

I also have a $40 special. I got it off of Craigslist a few weeks ago. I changed.the strings, electronics (pup, pots, cap, and jack), and p-guard. It needed 3/4 turn on the truss rod and adjustment of the saddles for intonation and it plays and sounds great. I have about $90 in it. I am taking it to an impromptu surf music jam with friends next week.



cricman

[6stringvince]

Looks great cricman!
Something to be said about the simplicity of a pbass.
After a couple of days messing with this $40 hunk of plywood, I can honestly say nothing I've owned has ever conected with me quite like this. I'm seriously thinking of selling my former #1, (G&L L2000).

[GAPendragon]

This is my 1976 Columbus Jazz Copy. It was my first bass and still needs some work done. I picked it up for £50 at a flea market I'd been dragged to.

This second image isn't mine, but it's the same model and also shows the neck and the back. Mine is a lot more scuffed.

[ronaldpdbrandt]

Originally Posted by funkytoe

I take it someone is a Berry Oakley/Allman Bros. Fan? Nice tractor "P" bass. Color me jealous.

You got it! I'd had the bass for a couple of years, and I'd always wanted to jack it up somehow. I finally got the inspiration from Berry Oakley's Tractor Bass (for the uninitiated, his is a Jazz bass with this same pickup configuration).

Originally Posted by Hues

Did you reshape the headstock, or is it a new neck?

I reshaped it with a belt sander.

[gurensan]

Originally Posted by cricman

... I am taking it to an impromptu surf music jam with friends next week.

...

cricman

Sometimes, one must set aside time to be spontaneous!