Double Czech - Jolana DiscoBass & Kolorbass -

[JIO]

This thread continued from here, post #134 > Maezzi Hollywood (referenced) project

Ok, so to preface - just received this groovy '80s Czech bass called the DiscoBass. As you can see it has a marginal DIY re-fin which I will refinish. 34"scale, 21 frets, alder body, and maple neck/?fb. Mostly original other than the bridge and tuners. Tuners are from an earlier Czech hollow-body - more on that later.

Bridge is a Fender style bent-plate. I will replace it with one more like the original.

Came with its original leatherette/pleather gig-bag - always nice to have for continence-sake

'80s ad for the DiscoBass showing that gig-bag and electronic schmatic

So after making sure everything worked, I disassembled it. Control/pu cavity shows its original red colour.

5 pieces of wood - supposedly alder and light weight -

Removed the tuners and fitted some late '60s/'70s made in Japan tuners I had. I found a pic on line of a DiscoBass with these exact tuners. Finding ones like those that came on it would be difficult at best. These will do.

The posts are a perfect fit for the collars. Note rotary tr adjuster and flamed maple. It appears to be the original gloss finish but there is no indication of the hs DiscoBass decal. I have some ideas about reproducing it.

Fingerboard has some interesting wood - never seen rosewood with these dark graining marks -

Also note the worn/flattened frets - this bass was played... a lot. Will leave them until everything else is addressed to see what goes on once I set it up. Note; tiny white side-dots... maybe done by the owner as they are basically made by pressing a nail(?) into the wood and dabbing a bit of white paint.

Serial #0229 - I guess I could try and see if there is a way to date it. Will be stripping the gloss and finish it in satin nitro.

Jolana neck plate -

Plastic pg - thicker than standard pg material.

...white plastic to be exact, top is sprayed a matte-black and in very good shape considering.

100k Tesla pots, 10000 cap and a cool jack - never seen one like it.

Hum-bucker pick-ups have a vinyl-type covering (neck pu)

Signs of some serious 'digging in' on the bridge pu.

Cool violet-tinted knobs with inserts

 

[Retro]

Wow! That's actually in pretty good shape, all things considered. Serial #0229 dates it to 1985, Mfd in Krnov CZ (Krnov-made Jolanas were assembled on the grounds @ the Reiger-Kloss Organ Factory) The hs logos were unfortunately applied on top of the finish from the factory, and can practically be wiped off in some cases. I've never seen one with a white pg before, fascinating that that's under there! (orange + white = creamsicle?.....) And that flame in the neck is gorgeous! This will definitely be a cool one! (Looking forward to seeing that purple go..... )

 

[bholder]

That's got some funky "bent" Gibson RD vibe going on. Seems like an interesting project - new pics when done, please!

 

[TerribleTim68]

I mostly just like that the wiring schematic was apparently worthy of ad material.
CEO: "What's your best selling point on this thing?"
Engineer: "...... "

 

[Reedt2000]

Very cool, I'm in for watching it get restored.

Sub'd

 

[JIO]

Wow! That's actually in pretty good shape, all things considered. Serial #0229 dates it to 1985, Mfd in Krnov CZ (Krnov-made Jolanas were assembled on the grounds @ the Reiger-Kloss Organ Factory) The hs logos were unfortunately applied on top of the finish from the factory, and can practically be wiped off in some cases. I've never seen one with a white pg before, fascinating that that's under there! (orange + white = creamsicle?.....) And that flame in the neck is gorgeous! This will definitely be a cool one! (Looking forward to seeing that purple go..... )

Wow, thanks for all that info! I don't think I will change the pg - it appears to be factory sprayed with something durable as it's in good shape for a well-played bass. The plastic is that milky semi translucent white like on vintage Rics - never one of my favorites. Same material as those white plastic cutting boards. I figured the hs logo was probably screened on. Yah, very nice flamed maple and the fb wood is unusual. Not sure what type of wood it is.

 

[JIO]

That's got some funky "bent" Gibson RD vibe going on. Seems like an interesting project - new pics when done, please!

Yes, was for sure referencing the Gibson RD. And you can count on a step-by-step!

 

[JIO]

I mostly just like that the wiring schematic was apparently worthy of ad material.
CEO: "What's your best selling point on this thing?"
Engineer: "......View attachment 4391997 "

yes - it's a Czech thing.

 

[JIO]

Very cool, I'm in for watching it get restored.

Sub'd

I'm happy so far - plenty to work with and a clean electronic harness.

 

[Retro]

it appears to be factory sprayed with something durable as it's in good shape for a well-played bass

Truck-bed liner? I agree, milky-white pg's look.... cheap? The mystery coating seems bulletproof though, it'll probably last another 36 years!

 

[Dynacord]

I dig the violet knobs. Reminds me of some of the antique glass doorknobs that would turn that color.

 

[tb4sbp]

Very Cool! Please keep us all updated

 

[Engle]

Yet another very cool resto!

 

[jj.833]

My Czech heart warms when I see this treated with love. I remember Jolanas from my beginnings in early 90s. Usually the fingerboard was bad quality wood, something between rosewood and walnut, called 'Brazil'. The pickups were noisy and microphonic, which people solved by leaking some glue inside (soldering rosin?). And the strings! Undescribable. And when someone wanted fancy knobs, he used toothpaste covers.
But lately they started to gain price and there are great young players playing them.
Nice project!

 

[jj.833]

Few pictures here JOLANA Disco bass
There's some history info on jolana.info if you can translate it.

 

[Killing Floor]

Subbed. This is going to be sweet. But I don't hate that refin, just saying, it matches a well used life.

Keep the pics coming as you go!

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Wow! That's actually in pretty good shape, all things considered. Serial #0229 dates it to 1985, Mfd in Krnov CZ (Krnov-made Jolanas were assembled on the grounds @ the Reiger-Kloss Organ Factory) The hs logos were unfortunately applied on top of the finish from the factory, and can practically be wiped off in some cases. I've never seen one with a white pg before, fascinating that that's under there! (orange + white = creamsicle?.....) And that flame in the neck is gorgeous! This will definitely be a cool one! (Looking forward to seeing that purple go..... )

really cool. please post the finished project on another thread so we can admire it from afar!

 

[frankie5string]

Did those come after they stopped using broken telephone earpieces for pickup parts (magnets and coils)?

One of my luthier friends used to cannibalize broken telephones to make pickups.
I wouldn't be surprised if the nail-head side dots were done that way at the factory. They probably needed a solution for side-dots into that really weird fingerboard wood, and a finishing nail painted white did the trick. lol!

That's a pretty cool find.

 

[JIO]

I dig the violet knobs. Reminds me of some of the antique glass doorknobs that would turn that color.

They are cool - the black rubber shaft caps for a snug fit are cool too. Never saw that on a knob before. You can see the slightly textured matte black coating.

 

[JIO]

Very Cool! Please keep us all updated

Yet another very cool resto!

really cool. please post the finished project on another thread so we can admire it from afar!

Thanks all! It's what this thread is all about - stay tuned for a step-by-step start-to-finish renovation of the DiscoBass right here!

Subbed. This is going to be sweet. But I don't hate that refin, just saying, it matches a well used life.

Keep the pics coming as you go!

This is the finish I'll be doing on it -