Recently purchased this electric bass for my daughter - she is a double bassist and wanted to try electric bass. I know it is a fender bullet bass made in the USA probably 1983 ish - I was wondering about all the pick-ups and did they originally make an unfinished bass?
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Identify Bass and why so many pick ups
- Thread starter cohrazda
- Start date
This is a highly modified instrument. These Bullet Basses from the 1980s originally came with one smallish pickup as shown in the pic of a 1982 Bullet bass.
And AFAIK, Fender never sold an instrument with no finish, though there was a period where natural finishes were highly prized. So many Fender instruments had the original finishes stripped off, with the owners hoping to find beautiful wood grain underneath. Most were disappointed.
View attachment upload_2023-11-24_19-35-54.webp
And AFAIK, Fender never sold an instrument with no finish, though there was a period where natural finishes were highly prized. So many Fender instruments had the original finishes stripped off, with the owners hoping to find beautiful wood grain underneath. Most were disappointed.
View attachment upload_2023-11-24_19-35-54.webp
thanks looks like there is the P and the Jazz pick-ups - you never know what you will find in these off the beaten path music shops - she is so happy with it
thank you for this information - very helpful as I could not find any that looked anything like this looks like a P and Jazz pick up - she loves it
I’m glad she likes it. Definitely modified but I’d happily play it!
If the mods were done properly and the pickups used were of reasonable & equal quality, you have a very tone-versatile instrument. Fender actually made a bass with the same pickup configuration in the Stu Hamm signature series bass. I think it had a lot of other added features, mainly an active preamp with active bass, mid, & treble EQ, but it had the same pickup types in the same positions. Here’s a pic of the Fender Stu Hamm bass which might have inspired whoever modded the bass you bought.
That is a very cool idea. I do have a PJ Spector but the P doesn't have the fullness of a Precision tone. Hopefully, you get that with this bass.
I was just watching Rush's R40 concert last night and couldn't help but notice how much fuller the J bass sounded at the beginning of the concert compared to the Rickenbacker (which, obviously, I love) later on. Again, hopefully this tone is also available on this bass.
I was just watching Rush's R40 concert last night and couldn't help but notice how much fuller the J bass sounded at the beginning of the concert compared to the Rickenbacker (which, obviously, I love) later on. Again, hopefully this tone is also available on this bass.
I sold my Squier bullet guitar a few years ago prep'ing for a big move. Insanity, as I had bought it new in '83. I got hosed on the price. Don't let the same happen to you. They're good quality, sought after Japanese instruments.
I did that with a Jazz I bought off eBay for $200. I wasn't expecting a beautiful grain, but I wasn't expecting bondo either. But that's what I found under the paint. Bondo.
100% correct.
They did do a few PBs with a clear coat over natural wood towards the end of the 70s when natural was all the rage. I bought a new PB like that around 1981. But that’s as close to an unfinished look as Fender ever got.
Honestly, that's one of the coolest basses I've ever seen. Great find!
It sounds great! She is just starting out - been playing double for 9 years and is going into music for college - was hoping to expand her skills. She had only played electric bass once when they asked her to be in the pit for the school musical mama mia
