Help Identifying this Bass

[jime]

Does anyone know the manufacturer or model of this bass? I got it for $5 at a garage sale (had $50 on the sticker, but I only had $5 in my pocket and it was late in the day and Grandma said 'take it it for $5!')

I figure it's cheap or maybe somebody's project build. I was just curious if anyone recognized the headstock. I searched online for an hour or so and didn't see anything like it. There are no markings on the bass or the pickups.

I don't have a 5 string bass and was going to spend a few bucks to see if I can make it somewhat playble. Any suggestions on a DIY paint color I should use?

Also Also - when I buy the replacement saddle, is there a way I can tell what spacing I should get that'll fit this bass? What I mean is if I get a saddle that has 18MM string spacing, is there a way to tell if as the strings taper to the nut...they'll fit? (e.g. x MM nut width = 18MM string spacing or y MM nut = 17MM string spacing)

thanks in advance for any help.
Jime

 

[Papazita]

Looks like an abandoned attempt at modding & improving a Brownsville, one of Sam Ash's old in-house brands.

 

[BassmanM]

There seems to be no bass which tb cannot identify...

 

[JKos]

when I buy the replacement saddle, is there a way I can tell what spacing I should get that'll fit this bass?

I think you mean bridge. You can use two pieces of string held in place in outer nut slots. Then, pull them taught and adjust for desired inset from the fingerboard edges at the end if the neck. Measure the center to center distance of the strings where the bridge saddles would be. Divide that measurement by 4 to get your bridge string spacing.

- John

 

[jime]

Looks like an abandoned attempt at modding & improving a Brownsville, one of Sam Ash's old in-house brands.
Link Removed

Thanks Papazita!

 

[jime]

I think you mean bridge. You can use two pieces of string held in place in outer nut slots. Then, pull them taught and adjust for desired inset from the fingerboard edges at the end if the neck. Measure the center to center distance of the strings where the bridge saddles would be. Divide that measurement by 4 to get your bridge string spacing.

- John

Thanks John. I will give that method a go. Also thanks for the terminolgy correction.


Have you seen the bridge?
I ain't seen the bridge!
Where's that confounded bridge?

 

[David Rodriguez]

Hi I’m a guitarist but I like bass too, my dad found this in an alley and I’m considering fixing it either using it for demos or letting my bassist use it but I’m not sure if it’s worth it, it’s got a serial number but I can’t find anything searching it online, it has screws on the top so it might be an after market pickguard or they took off a part of it, any help identifying it is appreciated, thanks in advance

 

[cdef]

O, that's a JTKB200 Jet King, a retro-styled Ibanez model from about 10 years ago.

Ibanez JTKB200 Jet King bass review | MusicRadar

 

[David Rodriguez]

O, that's a JTKB200 Jet King, a retro-styled Ibanez model from about 10 years ago.

Ibanez JTKB200 Jet King bass review | MusicRadar

Rad! That was quick, I knew I came to the right place, thanks!

 

[Somanytoys]

The serial number sticker is strange.
I have a couple of Ibanez SRX models that have that same printing on the back, but the serial number is printed inside the little weird box, it doesn’t have a sticker over it.

Assuming it’s not a neck-thru, it’s also possible that the neck is from another body.

It (the neck at least) may have been made by Cort for Ibanez. No idea on what the model is, but I’m thinking the neck seems like maybe a mid-2000s?

Whether it’s worth fixing up, I don’t know. I guess a lot depends on what you want to do & how much you’re willing to spend

Interesting bridge and pickups. Those may be the first things I’d expect to change out (depending on how the pickups sound), along with possibly the nut.

 

[Somanytoys]

O, that's a JTKB200 Jet King, a retro-styled Ibanez model from about 10 years ago.

Ibanez JTKB200 Jet King bass review | MusicRadar

Cool, I remember the Jet King guitar, but never saw the bass model.

Good job.

 

[Bent77]

The serial number sticker is strange.
I have a couple of Ibanez SRX models that have that same printing on the back, but the serial number is printed inside the little weird box, it doesn’t have a sticker over it.

Assuming it’s not a neck-thru, it’s also possible that the neck is from another body.

It (the neck at least) may have been made by Cort for Ibanez. No idea on what the model is, but I’m thinking the neck seems like maybe a mid-2000s?

Whether it’s worth fixing up, I don’t know. I guess a lot depends on what you want to do & how much you’re willing to spend

Interesting bridge and pickups. Those may be the first things I’d expect to change out (depending on how the pickups sound), along with possibly the nut.

May be a factory replacement neck?

 

[Somanytoys]

It may be its actual neck, I was just saying that if it’s a bolt on neck, and not a neck-thru body, there’s the possibility that somebody Frankensteined the neck & body, which would make it harder to identify.

 

[jime]

I doubt anyone cares, but here’s what I turned this garage sale find into.

if I was grading myself, I give my self a B+ for design and C- for fit and finish.

I didn’t change the pickups and the nut makes the strings a little narrow for my taste.

Still was a fun project. I hope my kids get more than $5 for it 50 years from now when they have the inevitable “dad is dead we need to sell all his crap” garage sale.

Any love or critique you want to shower on me...feel free. I could use some these days. Peace!