How’s THIS for Rare? (TV Jones Content)

Every so often, something comes along and just totally blows your mind. This, my friends, is one of those occurrences.

We all know about TV Jones and his awesomeness. I never knew he built basses, until I came across the perfect P-Bass (for me, anyway).

Check it out:


Alder body and maple neck - hand carved by the man himself. He also custom made the pickup for this bass, and this bass only. Shell pink nitrocellulose lacquer. 35” scale. Totally one of a kind.

I’ve never seen anything like this, and I got it for a stupidly low price. I should have it in my hands in a week or so!

HOW COOL IS THIS?!?!!?!?

 

So have I, and this couldn’t be more perfect!! This is basically the instrument that both Nash and Fender refuse to build, and I’m thrilled that I found it. It’s just SO COOL!

 

Oh, they don’t, and technically never did. TVJ himself built this bass for a personal friend of his back in the mid-nineties. From what I understand, he only builds instruments for friends and famous people.

The Spectra Sonics were designed by TVJ, and are built in Japan at the same factory where Gretsch builds some of their nicer models. I’d really love to have one of those, too, and the prices seem super reasonable for what they are!

 

I’m well aware that Fender makes 5 string AmSTD/AmPro Precisions. I’m currently on my third one, which is in the middle of a refin.

What they won’t build, is a 35” scale 5 string Precision with a nitro finish. Not even the custom shop will do it.

 

I actually had an AWESOME conversation with Mister Jones about this bass the day before I threw down and made the purchase. What a super friendly dude he is! He went through his journal while we were on the phone, and he gave me some of the specs I was curious about. I know the whole thing got underway in Sept of ‘96, I know who he built it for, the neck thickness, that he went with a different piece of alder than the one he was originally planning to use (first one was too heavy), and he even told me exactly where he got the paint from.

He sent me a text yesterday that he found some info on the pickup he wound for it, so that’s SUPER exciting!

 

Thanks!

TV Jones is essentially the authority on Filtertron pickups - that’s kind of what he’s known for. So much so, that Gretsch came to HIM to show them how to make their pickups sound more like the originals. He is also a world-class luthier, and builds for/does work for Brian Setzer and John Fogerty, among a few other high profile players.

I’ve got his pickups in my guitars as well!

 

Thanks! Neither did I, until I just started searching for a 5 string P one day. I saw this thing, and it blew my mind! I’m on the edge of sanity while I wait for it to get here!

 

Exactly! Funny story when it comes to my history with this bass...

2 months ago, after seeing this thing on Reverb, I pulled the trigger. As I’m waiting for the seller to ship it, he sends me a message that he loves the bass too much to let it go, and he’s sorry but he has to back out of the sale.

I was SUPER bummed out, but I understood, and found an awesome deal on a seafoam Roscoe Classic 5PJ to ease the pain.

Then, last week, dude messages me again, saying he doesn’t really have a choice but to sell it. Was I still interested?

HELL YES. I was fully expecting him to change his mind again, but I didn’t want to waste my chance at the one that got away.

Turns out it paid off, and I’m that much more excited because of it!

 

Haha. That dog is crazy, too! He bites for fun!

Got it from a private party.

 

Yup. That’s the one!