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Is my Bass any good???

#41
I've got an Electra Long-Necker Jazz that has your bass's bridge pickup in both positions. Unless the set-up is so bad that the bass is unplayable, the pick-ups alone (especially if the neck pickup is a DiMarzio Model 1) make yours a good bass -- especially at that price. Just upgrade the tuners.

My Electra also is beastly heavy (that's wicked heavy for you in the Bahston area), but the pickups on it are so SO, that not only would I NOT take a real Fender Jazz in trade, I'm stockpiling those pickups for projects. They do NOT sound like Fender pickups.
 
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#42
I agree with what some others have said here. Play that bass and learn as much as you can and also try to learn about setting up a bass. Don't be afraid to work on that bass. You may struggle at first but that is how you learn.
As your skills as a bassist and a luthier improve you will be able to decide for yourself what is a good bass and that is what really matters.
Don't buy a bass because a lot of us here say it is a good bass, I made that mistake once. As you grow Play a lot of different basses if you can and decide what works for you. Don't be in a hurry to get a new bass. Have fun.
 
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#43
I'm not so optimistic. Just look at the nut for starters, what is that stuff between the strings and the nut?
Is there fret-wear? No one can't tell from your photos. Does the truss-rod work? The tuners?

If you need a Luthier replace the nut (looks like it) and redress the frets (possible, the strings look like Roto 66 SS whom have a reputation for "eating" frets) it will cost you more then you paid for the bass.
 
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#44
For £40 you done grand,most folks on here are American and don't quite grasp how things are expensive in the UK even when used.

Here's a couple of examples for USA readers petrol ( gas ) is currently $9 a gallon here and the Squier Bronco GC have for $149 costs $299.27
also a used Squier Jaguar is around $200 in private sales.There's a lot less gear

To the OP for info on your bass I'd suggest going to Basschat.co.uk and asking Bassassin,the man's a goldmine of information on Japanese basses.
 
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#45
I like the bound neck and rectangular fret markers. If the neck is straight (not twisted) and the frets are decent, I think you did well for a starter. This one will let you learn the basics then you can use it to measure other basses against. It might be worth getting a new bridge (that original bridge looks kinda "off") if you like the bass and you are missing a bridge cover but a lot of players remove them. I think 40 Pounds is about $60, so yes, decent price.
 
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#46
I have a couple of the Precision versions of these and really like them. One is fretted and branded as a Hohner. The other is a No-Name that a previous owner converted to fretless. They both have a single pickup like the one in the bridge position on yours. Both of mine needed quite a bit of work, which I did myself, but it was worth the effort. Do a seach under my moniker to see pics and comments on the restoration process. Your bass looks to be in a little better shape. I've seen some of the jazz style versions, including one branded Electra like GretschWretch's, on eBay. Since the neck pickup on yours is different, it leads me to believe it is a replacement.

The original pickups on these (like the bridge on yours) are actually single coils that are made to look like humbuckers. I agree with GretschWretch about their sound - there's something about them I really like.

If I found one for that price I'd grab it fast.
 
#48
It looks a little bit nicer than the very first bass I ever had. If you already know that you want to be a bassist, you did fine. If you bought it with the hopes of kindling a love for playing bass, you might have a bit of an uphill struggle unless you put some effort into fixing it up. In my experience, nothing kills the enthusiasm of a new player faster than poorly set-up instruments.
 
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#54
For the money you payed, it looks decent to me (better than my first bass). Since you are a starter, I'd highly recommend you to take it to a luthier, (or a friend who knows what is doing) to get it set up well if necessary. You might not be able to tell that if you've just started playing, and a good set up makes a HUUUUGE difference especially for a starter.

Rock!
 
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#57
It looks like my first bass. Mine said "Aims" on the headstock. Mine was fine as far as playability and build quality - but when I compared it to a P Bass I realized that it lacked low end for my taste. This is the best photo I can find of it - no digital cameras all over the place then ;)

scan0033.jpg
 
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