Help identifying p bass copy

[6stringvince]

I picked up a $40 bass at a pawn shop, but I'm not sure what it is. It was advertised as a Fender and had a price tag of $279, after I assured the clerk that it wasn't a Fender I walked out with it and $40 poorer. I think it's a 70's or 80's Japanese P bass copy, but I'm not sure
What I know:
Plywood body
Looks like a chunky mahogany neck with maple freatboard (no skunk stripe, truss rod adjuster at headstock)
Humbucker pickup (not split)
Thumb rest above strings
Brass barrel bridge (2 barrels)
Ashtray bridge cover
No markings whatsoever, not on the pickup or anywhere else. Looks like an oval sticker was possibly removed from the headstock.
Plays and sounds good

Thanks in advance for any help
Vince

 

[cruzerjd]

Looks like early 70's japanese. Looking at eBay, i found a Seville jazz copy with the same pickups. Kind of drawing a blank on what instrument brands used similar pickups though (cold kicking my butt tonight). Lots of Sears and Roebuck catologue bass' if i recall. A couple of Sevilles that i found were asking around $300 so it looks like a bit of cleaning and such and you could have a good profit there. Lots of us who grew up on the kind of instrument you have there, lol.

 

[BassmanI]

Cold also be a Memphis or a Hondo II.

 

[TomB]

There were a bunch of labels put on Japanese made basses in the late '60's and early '70's that shared features with yours. Many were available from catalog stores, mostly under $100. Some folks on this board are familiar with the manufacturers; I think Matsumoto might have been one that cranked out basses like that, but I'm not one of those experts. One thing to check out: though they look like humbuckers with the two pole sets, mine that looked like that (a Conrad brand) was actually single coil. I still have it and a few other misc pieces in a box.

 

[6stringvince]

Looking at pics on the net Hondo II is one I thought looke similar?...
I put on some new flat wounds ($37, $3 cheeper than the bass it self!), did a quick set up and WOW! Nice player!
I'm always amaized at how little you have to spend to have a nice sounding instrument...

 

[user362432]

I had Aria Jazz with the same pick up(s). Piece of crap. Wood might be very good. But, electronics is horror.

 

[6stringvince]

How can I tell if it's a humbucker? The metal cover is sealed on there.

 

[6stringvince]

It has 8 screw poles (4 and 4), I'm guessing it's a humbucker?

 

[Warhawk]

I have a Electra Longnecker (Jazz Bass copy) with two of those pickups in it. From what I've found out the pickups are single coil inside the casing.

 

[6stringvince]

While I'm lovin the sound of this bass, I am curious of how these pickups sound compared to a typical split coil p-bass pup? I've never owned a p-bass, so I have no way to compare.