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Moon Owners Club
- Thread starter gimmeagig
- Start date
I didn't always love my Moon bass.I have had it for about 10 years. I put on Nordstrand pickups and an Aguilar OBP1 and an ABM Bridge but even though it was extremely well made,I could never get it to play right.There was this clacking sound that it would make in the lower range. Root 5th or the 4th below. meat and potato range critical stuff. I just wasn't able to get rid of it. My other basses wouldn't do it, just this one.So I knew it wasn't poor playing technique.I think I'm pretty good at setting up basses but my Moon was a real problem. So it sat in the closet for a long time.
One day I decided put back the original Gotoh bridge that the bass came with and tried another setup. I sat down with it and gave it one more try before I was going to put it on E Bay. I don't know what I did, but the bass immediately felt like a different instrument. The clacking is gone, the action is low but not ridiculously low. It feels great, barely buzzes and it records better than the Atelier Z and sits in the mix just perfectly. It has a fat sound that is very clear at the same time almost keyboard like. But still Jazz bass all the way. My souped up 74 Fender Jazz used to be my favorite, followed my my Atelier Z 5 string Jazz, but for about 6 months now I have used the Moon for practically everything.
Sometimes I sit in my music room with my amp and I switch around between my basses. I have a cable with a silent plug, that helps. So I keep going back and forth, 74 Jazz , Atelier Z, Modulus Jazz, and my completely revamped former KSD Proto J,and the Moon (which has the 60s pickup placement).
All basses are totally dialed in and very similar ( I like the Marcus Miller vibe). I might change my mind at some point I don't know but for some reason the Moon has replaced my 74 Jazz as my best sounding instrument.
One day I decided put back the original Gotoh bridge that the bass came with and tried another setup. I sat down with it and gave it one more try before I was going to put it on E Bay. I don't know what I did, but the bass immediately felt like a different instrument. The clacking is gone, the action is low but not ridiculously low. It feels great, barely buzzes and it records better than the Atelier Z and sits in the mix just perfectly. It has a fat sound that is very clear at the same time almost keyboard like. But still Jazz bass all the way. My souped up 74 Fender Jazz used to be my favorite, followed my my Atelier Z 5 string Jazz, but for about 6 months now I have used the Moon for practically everything.
Sometimes I sit in my music room with my amp and I switch around between my basses. I have a cable with a silent plug, that helps. So I keep going back and forth, 74 Jazz , Atelier Z, Modulus Jazz, and my completely revamped former KSD Proto J,and the Moon (which has the 60s pickup placement).
All basses are totally dialed in and very similar ( I like the Marcus Miller vibe). I might change my mind at some point I don't know but for some reason the Moon has replaced my 74 Jazz as my best sounding instrument.
+1 Tell me about it. You go and mention Moon to most bass players and they'll look up in the sky...... These basses are some serious instruments.
Wow. That's some stiff competition you have in your stable for this bass. Which one do you like best between your Moon, and the Bossa OB-5? I've heard great things about the Bossa stuff, and, the prices ain't bad at all when buying used, either. Man, I love a great deal when I buy used..... Sorry, just thinkin' out loud.
Hello, I'm from the Philippines, and this is my Moon bass. (But to be honest, I don't know what model this is, I just got this bass recently and I just love it. 
)
)
Hi Guys,
Well, it looks like I have to join this club as I just yesterday picked up a used Moon bass. neck pocket and neck itself have JG******* written on them. Can't seem to find any info on the net about them as I am trying to determine when this bass was made.
It's going to need some work and upgrading of parts... I may come back to this "club" for info.
I'll get some pics up soon.
Fishheadjoe
Well, it looks like I have to join this club as I just yesterday picked up a used Moon bass. neck pocket and neck itself have JG******* written on them. Can't seem to find any info on the net about them as I am trying to determine when this bass was made.
It's going to need some work and upgrading of parts... I may come back to this "club" for info.
I'll get some pics up soon.
Fishheadjoe
I guess since I started this club I need to keep track of the membership. In order to get a number you have to post a picture of you bass.The Moon gallery 
So here's the updated list:
#! gimmeagig
#2 TomB
#3 LAG
#4 ddnidd1
#5 Keef66
#6 BobaMosfett
#7 teptep
So here's the updated list:
#! gimmeagig
#2 TomB
#3 LAG
#4 ddnidd1
#5 Keef66
#6 BobaMosfett
#7 teptep
That's a great looking bass. I have never played a Moon with the slanted neck pickup. Mine is standard 60s position. I wonder how that different pickup location affects the sound.
Anyone has any suggestions for matching a serial number to a production date. Just trying to get some info on when mine was built. I know, pics or now bass! Wife's got our camera at work today, so pics to come.
I'm seriously considering ripping out the Bart JJ's and installing Sadowsky Single J's. At this point, keeping the Bart pre to see how it gets along with the Sad p/us.
Small chance I know, but any experience?
Fishheadjoe
I'm seriously considering ripping out the Bart JJ's and installing Sadowsky Single J's. At this point, keeping the Bart pre to see how it gets along with the Sad p/us.
Small chance I know, but any experience?
Fishheadjoe
Have you taken the neck off? in my neck pocket I have hand writing underneath the laquer
Jan 20th 1998
ser # 634
inscription on the neck 12-17
Jan 20th 1998
ser # 634
inscription on the neck 12-17
I did have the neck off yesterday when I put a shim in the neck pocket. There were numbers written on both the neck and body, but I didn't see anything that looked like a date.
My serial number is 17243 on the neck back plate. That number did not correspond with any of the numbers in the neck or pocket, that I checked.
I'll take some pics when I get my camera back and maybe that will shed some light on the topic!
thanks,
Fishheadjoe
My serial number is 17243 on the neck back plate. That number did not correspond with any of the numbers in the neck or pocket, that I checked.
I'll take some pics when I get my camera back and maybe that will shed some light on the topic!
thanks,
Fishheadjoe
Huh! I've never had occasion to take the neck off mine --- dunno what's there. This new TB format makes attaching pictures easy. I guess I'll have to do that soon, share some pics of my Burgundy Mist JB-5. It's a veteran now, as I've owned it since some time around '98. BTW, I had a JB-4 with the slanted pickup. It sounded great but I can't say for sure what effect the slant produced. Anyway, it's nice to see these basses surface.
After some careful consideration, I decided to do some "upgrades" to my Moon. I bought it with Bart Jazz p/u installed, with a Bart two band pre. The bridge p/u was very noisy, the other, dead quiet.
My goal in buying this bass was to get something that had a great passive tone and had the option of a pre if wanted/needed.
I decided to have the following done;
-remove the bart JJ's and install Sadowsky non-stacked j p/u
- a full set up by a pro including removing many years of neglect from the finish
-I'm going to try out the Sad JJ's with the Bart pre for a bit before I contemplate a pre change.
So for now, unfortunately, no pics as it is in the shop... should be done by the end of the week and I will get some pics fro you guys then...
Fishheadjoe
My goal in buying this bass was to get something that had a great passive tone and had the option of a pre if wanted/needed.
I decided to have the following done;
-remove the bart JJ's and install Sadowsky non-stacked j p/u
- a full set up by a pro including removing many years of neglect from the finish
-I'm going to try out the Sad JJ's with the Bart pre for a bit before I contemplate a pre change.
So for now, unfortunately, no pics as it is in the shop... should be done by the end of the week and I will get some pics fro you guys then...
Fishheadjoe
Wife still has my camera... got it back from the shop and it looks like I am going to need some copper tape to shield this bass. The Sadowsky's sound good, although a bit noisy being single coils, but they place nice with the Bart pre.
Took the neck off today as the set up either moved over the last two days or I am getting overly picky in my old age! LOL
In the neck pocket and on the back of the neck, I found the following;
-Moon 1 JG -0400458
Not sure what this means... if anyone has any suggestions, I'm definitely open to hearing!
Again, sorry for the lack of pics... gotta get that camera from the warden.
Fishheadjoe
Took the neck off today as the set up either moved over the last two days or I am getting overly picky in my old age! LOL
In the neck pocket and on the back of the neck, I found the following;
-Moon 1 JG -0400458
Not sure what this means... if anyone has any suggestions, I'm definitely open to hearing!
Again, sorry for the lack of pics... gotta get that camera from the warden.
Fishheadjoe
OK, other than Larry Graham, Randy Hope Taylor and Pino, Moon sightings are kind of rare but I found another great Moon bass player:
Richard Patterson I found this old Sanborn concert and you can hear Richard really well on this one.He switches between a Fender 4 string Jazz and the Moon.
Here it is, enjoy:
Richard Patterson I found this old Sanborn concert and you can hear Richard really well on this one.He switches between a Fender 4 string Jazz and the Moon.
Here it is, enjoy:
Just saw this update to the thread and realized I had not posted a pic!
I've been gigging this bass since the fall of last year. Very piano like tone and the Sad p/u I had installed are super punchie and articulate.
The only down side to this bass is the weight, it's by far my heaviest bass. That said, I hardly ever have any back fatigue and it balances well and the tummy cut really helps hang the bass tight to my belly.
Probably one of my best bass purchases to date!
Fishheadjoe
I've been gigging this bass since the fall of last year. Very piano like tone and the Sad p/u I had installed are super punchie and articulate.
The only down side to this bass is the weight, it's by far my heaviest bass. That said, I hardly ever have any back fatigue and it balances well and the tummy cut really helps hang the bass tight to my belly.
Probably one of my best bass purchases to date!
Fishheadjoe
