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Ok, here's the scoop. The serial number is 449. And the neck was shimmed with a straight edeged razor blade. No printed info. on the body, but like I mentioned previously, Dan Ransom said it was his body.
Mr. Geoff Gould - It's been a minute, and by that I mean like the mid 80's. I used to drop in the shop in SF from time to time and chat. I don't expect you to remember me but you might remember this bass. I ended up buying a new Bassstar Neck mounted on a body you had on the wall that you weren't going to be able to sell otherwise. It was a gorgeous Zebra wood body that had once experienced a router blow-out that you repaired with epoxy. Bartolini pickups and schaller tuners. A really sweet instrument. I still have it although there's a different neck currently on the body. The neck is serial number 0440 and looks almost as good as the day I got it 40 years ago! Anyhow, just saying hi. Great to know you're still around. Hope you've been well! - ShadowDancer
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GeoffGould
Commercial User
Healthy is an understatement. It is in just as good condition as the day I got it and it has been played a LOT! I have resurfaced the fretboard a few times over the years cause I play nickel roundwounds and they leave can leave tiny grooves over time. But ebony is tough stuff and this baby is pristine! I wish I could have held up as well these past 40 years!
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Happy Friday everyone.. It has been a while since anyone posted anything here. Gotta keep this one going. Lots of great stuff in here
Someone over on the modulus bass junkies Facebook group just posted a pic of a 1984 red PJ with a BassStar neck. It was gorgeous! I'll see if I can find that and cross post it here.
Edit: Here it is.
Edit: Here it is.
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I would assume (yes I said it) that the rear routed ones are active. Not sure how many they did in passive, but that would be my guess.
That would also make sense with the unmatched hardware. None of this stuff was especially well documented and, of course, there's no way to document a parts bass anyway.
Mine (also with EMGs) is rear routed but it doesn't have a separate battery compartment. In fact, the battery is sort of stuffed into the (passive VVT) control cavity as if it were an afterthought, although I suspect it's actually original.
Not sure what the reasoning is with Modulus and the lack of battery compartments. I have had to have most of mine retrofitted. Kind of crazy to me. But I didn't start playing active basses until the late 1990's so I was way sheltered for a long time
They were getting bodies from an aftermarket vendor - perhaps Charvel or Schecter or Mighty Might - and I suspect they were using an off-the-shelf body. Modulus was a really small operation at the time and active electronics were only just becoming commonplace. I think they just took what was readily available and made it work.
GeoffGould
Commercial User
It's hard to tell, but we certainly did some vintage style whole instruments with pick guards. There's a picture of at least one in a catalog sheet we distributed. We made bodies from the beginning, but also occasionally used others as well. Charvel tried to get our business in the late 70's.
Back in the early 80s I was using one as my main ax. I don't have any meaningful pictures of it, but what I remember of it
was a Jazz bass shape and pickup configuration, basic active electronics with maybe bartolini pickups. Neck through construction.
It had a great full crisp sound through my GK 800RB and 2 1-15 electrovoice cabs. I played on some band demo recordings where the bass was plugged directly into a mixer, so it sounded very clean. (Where i would have liked a bit more oomph and dirt).
I used the bass exclusively for about 2 years, ended up trading it for a Rickenbacker 4002.
This is the only picture I have, sorry it's pretty blurry.
Edit- looking back through this thread, I think the pickups might have been emgs. I don't remember there being any markings,
but it was over 40 years ago. Also think it might've had the Alembic witch hat knobs, because I really love them,
even have a set on my Fernandes Bp-8 string currently.
was a Jazz bass shape and pickup configuration, basic active electronics with maybe bartolini pickups. Neck through construction.
It had a great full crisp sound through my GK 800RB and 2 1-15 electrovoice cabs. I played on some band demo recordings where the bass was plugged directly into a mixer, so it sounded very clean. (Where i would have liked a bit more oomph and dirt).
I used the bass exclusively for about 2 years, ended up trading it for a Rickenbacker 4002.
This is the only picture I have, sorry it's pretty blurry.
Edit- looking back through this thread, I think the pickups might have been emgs. I don't remember there being any markings,
but it was over 40 years ago. Also think it might've had the Alembic witch hat knobs, because I really love them,
even have a set on my Fernandes Bp-8 string currently.
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Been too long since she was out! I really love this bass
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,235
- 45,135
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
This one was shared earlier in the thread by its former owner. I just picked this up from Greg Taylor at Bass Pluckers in Wilmington NC and it's astoundingly light and has super low action but, as was mentioned before, bears no serial number anywhere on it. According to Mr Gould that isn't unusual considering that it is a neck through model.
These photos are Greg's shots, I'll get some of my own up later PLUS I have another I would like to share some pics of, as well.
These photos are Greg's shots, I'll get some of my own up later PLUS I have another I would like to share some pics of, as well.
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Damn beauty!! Neck thru 4 banger with Fender headstock.. Such a super rare awesome instrument
