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Help Identify the Warehouse Bass Find

L

lutus8

Feb 11, 2014
4
0
#1
Bought this off craigslist for 30 bucks, rolling the dice on a project/beater bass with character. The guy I bought it from found it in a warehouse. Help me identify this thing. I originally thought this thing was going to be a Pbass but when I got there I looked under the covers and saw this...

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The neck is bent like a banana, made of an interesting wood, and has no marking on the bottom or the headstock. The frets look pretty good but I haven't tried to adjust truss rod yet. The nut is cut uneven and is a goner.

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The body has a nice looking sunburst finish, very even and natural wear along the edges, and no markings in the neck pocket or on the pots. I took off the pickup plate cover and the thumb rest for the pictures. Someone previously tried to fill in the bridge plate cover but did a poor job.

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Please take a look at the pictures and help me out with identity, history, suggestions on what to do to make this thing live again (I am up for anything).

Let me know if you would like to look more closely at something or have any questions. Thanks!!!
 
#2
It's definitely a Precision inspired vintage Japanese piece from the 70s. Hard to put a brand name to it since there were so many from the same factories, but if you have a look through the "Show me your vintage Japanese basses" thread you may be able to narrow it down... likely by the choice of neck wood and pickup.
 
#10
Thanks for the replies. I have to get to work but if I get a chance I will look through some previous threads on Japanese basses and see what I can find.

I will probably put a new neck on this thing, pickup/pickguard, but not till after I get some more info.

Will update the thread as I come across anything else.
 
#11
Did some digging and can't find a bass JUST like it. The body was routed to fit a Maxon pickup. Here is a link to a forum post of a guy with one similar (not identical, esp. headstock) to mine.

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The hunt continues...
 
#14
... with the heel cut on that neck, it may be tough to find one that fits well ...I would probably get the original into a 'fixture' and see if I could bring it back into some semblence of straight and try to make it work ... did you ever figure out of that truss rod is working?? ... is the neck just bowed, or is it twisted?
 
#15
Ok..now I'm confused. I remember seeing early Yamaha basses just like this somewhere online. Didn't the Yamaha's come from a different factory in Japan? I know about Matsumoko and Fugi Gen, just not sure who is what.
 
#16
I tried the truss rod and thankfully it straightened right up. I now can see that there is a very slight warp in the neck. I also removed the nut, whats the best source for a new nut on the interwebs these days?
 
#17
My friend has a similar bass to this. His is a fiesta. Same body and color and electronics. Bridge is badly off center so the strings are to the edge of the fretboard on the G side. Still playable but could be better so im fixing it sometime soon. But his has a maple neck, dot inlays unbound. Unlike this one here. So i'm gonna guess kent, or something along those lines.
 
#19
I had one of those 50dollar "who cares who made it" basses from Japan in the 70's. I gave it to a neighbor so he could have a beater bass.

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#20
I have/had a similar bass with that exact same pickup. Mine was a Crown - had the same neck binding but with block inlays and dual pickups.
I ditched the plywood body and stripped all the lacquer off the neck. The neck and pickups live on in a custom-bodied bass. The neck was totally worth the $50 I paid for it.
 

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