What's with this JTB-401 ???

Turser has been making knock offs since forever. Some are good, some aren't. If it has a nice fit and finish, good balance and weight, good unplugged tone, and you plan to upgrade the pickups, what more can you ask for?

Try a search.

There are 77 pages of threads with "Turser" in the title.

I haven't gotten my hands on one, but I do remember a fair number of people saying the bass had a serious neck dive issue.

Looks like a winner to me. I'm sure the JT's are like other low ends: you can get a loser, but you can often get a winner, after some TLC.

I just sold my Natural finish JTB-401 to guy who loves it.
I sold it because I have acquired too many basses to play regularly, and I caught the Peavey bug.
The JTB-401 sounds awesome, and has a true '50's p-bass sound. There is no need to change out the pickup. The only slightly negative thing about it is that is a bit of neck dive to it. There are ways around that. There are some threads on TB about the JTB-401. Someone (i think it was Pilgrim) put adhesive alloy wheel weights on the underside of the bridge cover to compensate for the neck dive. Seeing that the stock JTB weighs about 6 lbs., it's no big deal at all.

Bought a JTB-401 a few days ago. Natural/Honey with white pickguard and chrome. Played unplugged in the store and thought "this bass has something". Wasn't set up properly and had cheap strings. Nagged at me, so went back days later and plugged in, still with slinky-wound strings and out-of-adjustment action buzz, but still had that 'something'. Crisp and clear unplugged. It fit great.

$300 CND; adjusted saddles and put on real strings. BOOM. Love this thing.

Basswood body (mismatching pieces in the laminate, a bit of a bummer but its well done and doesn't bother me too much considering the price). Body is slightly thicker and longer than the Squire VM P-bass I compared it with. The finish is well done and even.

Neck just feels really good. First all maple top-and-bottom-necked bass I've owned. Sustain is spectacular and really rings. Reg P width and radius, I guess. 'Dive' is not much really (far less than head-for-the-floor Epiph/Gibson EB-3).

The single pup does very well, and is quiet. Other threads discussed replacing; after experimenting one guy put the original back in. It has a throaty, deep tone with a bit of snarl. Can get a nice Barrie Oakly type of tone with a pick, and slap has a good crunchy wump. Finger-style is lickin' good. Treble knob is only active for the first 1/3 of the turn.

Does what it was bred to, very well. "One trick pony" as someone put it, maybe.

Inexpensive MODs made:
STRINGS: D'Ad Flatwounds. DR flat's on the way. D'Ad XL ground-wounds also sounding great.
TONE: luthier made bone nut (note: a Tusq nut is too narrow for the slit), Tusq saddles. Have new pots to get better control on treble radius.
AESTHETIC: vintage bridge cap, the pup cover looked nice but just got in the way. Screw it.

All this bass really needs is a set up, the new nut, and your favourite strings. Will add a thumbrest above, instead of resting on the pup.

Super pleased finding such an affordable, GREAT bass. Finding an "ugly duckling" instrument is better than re-mortgaging the house for something with a dozen knobs and exotic knots... well, who am I kidding, I'd love one, but you get the point.

-Harmony Central reviews: http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/product/Jay+Turser/JTB-401/10/1

-modified JTB-401, headstock and all: http://www.bass-guitar-museum.com/bass-16482-Jay-Turser-54-Precision-bass

Other copies of the same Tele P design:
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The real thing$:
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1954 - what the JTB-401 is made after: Invalid Link Removed
1969: http://www.clubbass.ca/instock/FTB.html[url] Holy smokes, caught a bass bug. Cheers

Great bass. I bought mine at Classic Axe in Gainesville, VA, as described om the first post. I've added a bridge cover and a black pickguard custom made at Jeannie. Love it. It was a big hit at the international GTG last year.

Had one and it waa a really good bass. Labella deep talkin' flats are perfect for it. Yes..I used tire weights under the bridge cover to balance it. Only sold it coz had too many basses and wasn't playing it.

So, are these routed under the pickguard? Wondering if it looks ok without the PG. Also how much weight does it take to balance the darned thing? One of these has been calling out to me but it has to be able to balance on the strap and in the lap.

I have no complaints about balance. Can't remember what's under the pickguard.

There is... wood under the pick guard.

Harmony Central user reviews are helpful:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/product/Jay+Turser/JTB-401/10/1

Just got one of these. I own and have owned dozens of Fender Basses over the years and I was really impressed with this. Two truss rod twists and it plays like butter. I got the cherry sunburst and it's beautiful. I had my guitar tech reshape the headstock to look like a real tele headstock, put on the chrome covers, finger rest, and Tele decal and it's good to go. It has a voice of it's own quite different from a Jazz or P Bass. Tele basses have always been my favorite. I also own the new Classic Vibe Tele Bass and I did the chrome covers, correct decal on that and it's smokin'. There isn't a whole lot of quality difference other than the Fender has a nicer bridge. I'm lovin' this bass and it's all I've played lately. If you get one, get the chrome covers, a set is only 25 bucks on ebay and it makes all the difference in the looks. The neck is really not that top heavy. If I hadn't read that before I got it I wouldn't really have noticed. Cheers

Just installed new pots, capacitor and plug-in. (Vintage P bass: Link Removed).

Sound is improved, adds a tad more weight, larger and seems higher quality, and most of all it fixes/gives full radius on the tone knob instead of just 1/3 turn.

Stems are thicker diameter so you'll have to route out the knobs a bit to fit-careful don't make them loose or you'll need a bit of electrical tape wound on the post. I have no idea how I know this...