Modulus BASSSTAR Fan Club

[kuya takamine]

Usually, the 3 Bartolini's I had custom made were neck:vertical coil hum canceller, mid: split-coil (P), bridge: side by side humbucker. Looks like a Macassar Ebony top (we rarely used it), but it could be a rosewood too, hard to tell, with a mahogany center strip on top. The graphite on the outside was a plain weave fabric. The thumb rests are after-market! On-off switches for each pickup.

Thank you for telling me details.
Please tell us a few things.
When is it a work?
Finger board material.
Preamp motion (seems to be connected directly to the tone from the preamplifier)

Thank you for your response.

 

[kuya takamine]

Wow.. What a beauty. I love the neck thru triple pickup! Maybe Geoff would be able to give an idea of the details. But wow.. What a find. New to you huh? Details.. I love details

Thank you very much. I feel that it is beautiful. It was truly love at first sight

 

[Kirk Bryant]

I am enjoying this somewhat obscure thread. I lived near SF in this era and knew a few guys playing these. I always wanted a Modulus of some kind after playing a friends in the early 80's. When I went looking to buy in the 90's, I didn't like the necks on the couple I found for sale at the time. It seemed the neck profile had changed to wider, fatter and deeper than my friends which was thin front to back and narrow and fast. I went Tobias at the time but have always had an interest in these. For anyone looking there is a nice looking PJ4 on reverb right now, no affiliation.

 

[iriegnome]

I am glad that we didn't loose this thread in the shuffle. How is everyone in 2018

 

[silvertone]

Jamming and performing regularly with my SF based, New Orleans Funk music inspired band: Fog Swamp (www.fogswamp.com).

I play the orange Bassstar Fretless depicted in this thread on pg 12 and a Cocobolo Topped Q5 among others.

Love my Moduli!

 

[iriegnome]

View attachment 612044

Um, you mean this monster!! I love it

 

[M.Brown2112]

Hello BassStar fan club.

I figured it was time to say hello and post photos of my BassStar fretless Jazz bass.

I am on the fence about trading it for a P bass. Really awesome bass and I love the neck!

Thank You,

 

[iriegnome]

OMG... Fretless love right theredrooldrooldrooldrool

 

[M.Brown2112]

So I found this Sunburst body and swapped everything over. I think I will keep it for a while longer.

 

[andysvec]

I've listed my BassStar up on the bay if anyone here is interested (not sure if I'm allowed to post the link but just search for Modulus BassStar 4 string bass guitar 1990 ), haven't gotten around to putting it on the classifieds here yet but will try to this weekend!

 

[iriegnome]

I think the rules are if it is someone else's, you can post the link, if not, it is like selling it and that has to be done in the classifieds. However, you are more than welcome to tell us about the beautiful bass you have available?

 

[andysvec]

I think the rules are if it is someone else's, you can post the link, if not, it is like selling it and that has to be done in the classifieds. However, you are more than welcome to tell us about the beautiful bass you have available?

about 10yrs ago I got the neck (which was mounted to a beat Fender body) from ebay. I had the opportunity to buy a brand new authentic fender body a few years ago and rounded up all the other parts (Audere preamp, Hipshot tuners w/drop D, Babicz bridge, Bartolini pickups, Atelier Z pickup cover), had my Japanese luthier put it all together and set it up, plays and sounds great! But I have way too many basses, especially 4 strings, plus I moved recently and still in between jobs and my new gig is still in rehearsals. Have a bunch of gear for sale these days, some here on the classifieds and a bunch on the bay!

 

[iriegnome]

She is beautiful for sure

 

[Band Dad]

I haven't stopped by this thread in awhile, so figured I'd update with my appreciation for a few posts that have added to my knowledge of what I have.

There was a post about the lack of a battery box. Mine too is lacking that, so I thought the active pickups (EMGs) might not be original to it. But Geoff Gould's reply to that post suggests that it is not at all unusual for there not to be one - so I'm going with mine pretty much reflecting its original build.

A few years ago, after playing with the neck on a couple of different bodies, I went back to that original configuration and am happy I did: ESP body in "Olympic White" (a cream yellow), black bridge, "spumoni" pick guard (looks to be about seven layers in a variety of colors, but its surface is black).

What I'm mostly having fun with is playing it. I am not a musician, having got into basses as a hobby - buying fixing, etc. for my son's use. But I grew fond of this one and have begun playing it a bit.

Glad to see the thread still has life!

Ian
SF Bay Area

 

[GeoffGould]

post a pic!

 

[Band Dad]

In all its glory! And thanks, Geoff, for the help you provided in the past for adding to my appreciation of what I have.

Ian
SF Bay Area

 

[cowpoke]

Can anyone tell me about this neck? It has no truss rod and 21 frets with Fender style headstock. Age? Quality? Value? Model?

Also I am looking for a different body for the neck. I have a Jazz neck maple with black block inlay that I am going to install on the Aerodyne. What to do with this modulus neck?

 

[iriegnome]

Well, for years Modulus made Fender replacement necks. If Geoff is around, he would be the best person to ask. Looks to me like it is a Fender Replacement (have to see the serial number for the year). By the looks of it, someone was having issues with it due to the hole by the E/A string. Probably a string tree to help with string angle or something like that on those 2 strings. IIRC, when I bought mine (1999) these necks were in the catalog for $699. Nut width will tell you if it is a Jazz or P-Bass neck (1-1/2" for the Jazz). Value is not something we discuss in this forum. Quality is amazing. But again, since this neck is not a Bassstar, you may get better luck over in the Modulus Mob gang.

 

[GeoffGould]

It's no different than a BASSSTAR, except for the decal. It looks like end of 80's/early 90's, but check the serial number. Otherwise, I think most everything iriegnome said is correct.

 

[scowboy]

Glad I found this thread. This neck-through BASSSTAR just drifted into my life. Lots of bumps on the body but I like 'em that way. No serial number on it that I can find. The P-bass pickups are not balanced too well so I may put some Bartolini's in it and a preamp or perhaps another brand of pickups and preamp. Weighs in at 9.6 pounds and is more neck heavy than I used to so I may put some Hipshot Ultralights on it too.

Anyway here it is: