Greetings everyone. I picked this bass up at an auction and have scoured the web looking for it's equal and nothing has come close. No serial number anywhere and no markings in the electronics cavity or the neck pocket. It appears to be VERY well made and in working order. Very unique truss rod as well.
Any help will be much appreciated. Thank you.
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Help Identify This Ibanez Bass
- Thread starter Steve Heine
- Start date
80's Musician model, maybe? Could be quite the score...
Jolana neck plate and pickups like I've never seen on an Ibanez bass from '70s or '80s ? That's a mystery bass alright, good luck figuring out what it actually is...
Body is from a Jolana Superstar bass--apparently the Eastern Bloc's answer to the T-40:
Jolana Superstar Bass Guitar Vintage | Reverb
Jolana Superstar Bass Guitar Vintage | Reverb
There we go. The Jolana neck plate and unique pickups give that away. The truss rod nut is most likely an expedient for a lost nut or, less likely, the truss rod failed and was replaced in the field. Was the Jolana body made for a 24 fret neck? In other words, does it intonate correctly and/or is the bridge in the right place.
Strange, the colors on the headstock and body are identical are identical. And the neck is attached with inserted threads not screwed into the wood and they match perfectly. Is this a parts caster or was this built this way?
Yeah, nothing about this is at all genuine Ibanez.
And copied the Ibanez Roadsters and Studios, not a Peavey T-40.
The bridge and pickup appearance certainly look T40 inspired, though the body shape is Ibanez roadstar
True enough. And the one in the Reverb link up in Post #4 definitely looks like a Studio. A little from column A, a little from column B...
bassobrutto nailed it on the body and electronics. however, the exact headstock and body color match, truss rod cover, and dot layouts are identical to the actual Jolana which was also a 24-fret instrument. if someone cobbled this together and swapped the truss rod etc, this was painstakingly done in my opinion without so much as a trace of evidence. im still scratching my head on this..
i can't even say that someone swapped the Jolana logo for an Ibanez because the headstock is definitely the "Soundgear" Ibanez style vs the similar but different original one on the Superstar.
it looks like a VERY OLD truss rod version but then again my expertise ends in the Fender world...
The headstock is "somewhat similar" to a Soundgear headstock, but still not quite there.
As has been mentioned, it's a Jolana bass — perhaps the logo is factory fake, or by a previous owner. But it is not an Ibanez neck. You are trying to make a mystery where none exists.
As has been mentioned, it's a Jolana bass — perhaps the logo is factory fake, or by a previous owner. But it is not an Ibanez neck. You are trying to make a mystery where none exists.
not trying to make a mystery. plenty of experience in the guitar world with partscaster and there are ALWAYS some pretty obvious tells or mismatches. the colors are spot on and aged identically
I still don't know what the issue is, do you think the neck is not original? Why do you think that? It's a Jolana bass with a copy of an early '80s Roadster body and a later model Soundgear headstock.
And this is me clicking on "Unwatch Thread"...
And this is me clicking on "Unwatch Thread"...
