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Name that bass

Jamigro

Jamigro

Dec 18, 2014
35
10
Denmark
#1
Hi there

I've recently received this old, ugly, beaten up bass in a trade including several basses. I thought I would sell it again to finance my illness (severe case of GAS).
It's ugly as hell but when I tried it out in the rehersal room it blew my mind. It is simply fantastic!
The guy I got it from thought it is a Navigator from the early eighties but have never been able to confirm this.

Can you help me?

On the front of the headstock I can see very fine sanding marks where the logo used to be and on the back it just says "Made in Japan".
On the neckplate the number "10007" is stamped into the metal.

Any info like brand, year of production or anything else on this bass would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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#5
You may not be comfortable doing it, but if you take the neck off there may be more clues in the neck pocket or on the neck heel.

I've been searching around and I've seen some Navigators and some Tokais that are set up with similar hardware and no pickguard, but none that have a fretboard that runs past the neck joint, also none guard-less in that color.
 
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#10
Maxdusty said:
I believe it's a 1980s-1990s Navigator/ESP bass - just like this one.
Only difference is this one's got a painted neck but they likely produced some without. Also the neck overhangs the cavity just like in your yellow one.
The serial number stamp is also in the same spot.

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It's very similar but the neck is shaped different at the heel, and the neck plate stamp is in a slightly different position, hardware is different but that could be due to previous owners of both basses, maybe the same brand but different years
 
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#13
I noticed the different stamp, knobs and bridge too.
But it is definately a Navigator.
Now I just need to date it. I wish I could read that stamp on the red one.
Does anybody know if it is possible to buy the Navigator logo so I can restore the headstock?
 
#17
Ugly? That thing is the boss.

I've an 80's ESP Jazz bass and, let me tell you, there aren't many better Jazzes out there regardless of the name on the headstock. The serial on mine is 5 digit starting with 1 in the same font in the same place on the neckplate, although mine has the ESP logo engraved in it too, though it was branded as ESP rather than Navigator on the headstock. You've done well. Keep that thing, those basses really are superbly good.
 
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