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Marcus Miller bass in pawn shop

thumblypeg

thumblypeg

Oct 23, 2007
139
79
52
Monroe, NC
#1
posting from phone and having problems. bare with me. long story short: found what appears to be a marcus miller 4 string in a pawn shop for a ridiculously cheap price. looks and plays perfect. has the sig on the headstock, chrome pu cover, BA 2 bridge, everything. serial number dates it at mid 80's? whats going on? cant do pics. will try from a pc when i can. the sn is B010133. input would be welcome. thanks
 
#4
tplyons said:
Hard to be built in the 80's when the model wasn't introduced until 1998.

You'll notice the neck says CRAFTED IN JAPAN, not MADE IN JAPAN. The CRAFTED IN JAPAN models recycle the numbering scheme, but are much newer.

I'd call a CIJ B+6 serial would be 1998 or 1999.
Click to expand...

What I meant was, somebody might have changed the neck for a newer model. Probably just a serial number confusion.
 
#5
EagleMoon said:
What I meant was, somebody might have changed the neck for a newer model. Probably just a serial number confusion.
Click to expand...
The serial number is on the back of the neck near the heel.

They started recycling serial numbers in 1997, using the CIJ moniker.

They started producing the Marcus Miller Jazz in 1998.

Therefore, the serial number is early in the new cycle of numbers, and would probably date around 1998.

I don't see how the neck could be any newer... no reason to suspect a neck swap.
 
#8
thumblypeg said:
sweet. thanks. i knew something was up. paid 300 for it. so far only thing wrong was a dead battery. doesnt even look like its been played. the guy had a stock MIM jazz for 400 behind the counter. heh. oh well. thanks again
Click to expand...
Wow, that's a HELL of a deal! Throw a new battery in it and love it!

They're going for $1400 new, currently.

Even back that far, they were about $700 new.
 
#9
tplyons said:
The serial number is on the back of the neck near the heel.

They started recycling serial numbers in 1997, using the CIJ moniker.

They started producing the Marcus Miller Jazz in 1998.

Therefore, the serial number is early in the new cycle of numbers, and would probably date around 1998.

I don't see how the neck could be any newer... no reason to suspect a neck swap.
Click to expand...

Yep, I know where the serial number is. :)
 
#10
tplyons said:
The serial number is on the back of the neck near the heel.

They started recycling serial numbers in 1997, using the CIJ moniker.

They started producing the Marcus Miller Jazz in 1998.

Therefore, the serial number is early in the new cycle of numbers, and would probably date around 1998.

I don't see how the neck could be any newer... no reason to suspect a neck swap.
Click to expand...

hold up. the sn on this one is on the headstock. with an 's/n' before it. just under the logo. its a legit number. is that a problem?
 
#13
nowhere does it say where it is made. only assumed it was japanese because it looks like a MM, has his signature and a MIJ serial. and a 3 bolt neck. tried to upload pics. wont let me. i guess im wondering why a place that buys and sells name brand instruments didnt stick this sucker on ebay. its worth the price paid at any rate. sure looks real. neck binding and block inlays are gorgeous. the action is great.
 
#17
the serial on my bass is from a neck made by fugigen in 1986. furthermore, the number is printed in silver, not black. i can find no evidence they ever recycled the 'B' series of numbers. they started again with 'A' in the 90s, then went straight to O. the neck is identical to the MM IV in every way AND has his signature on the headstock. how can i solve this? it is obviously the reason the guy could not sell it as a miller, because he couldnt prove it. if its a fake, its a damn good one.
 

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