Got a Frankenbass?
I just got my first one.
The backstory:
My goal was to have a backup for my #1 Jazz bass.
I have other Jazz basses but they don't sound like my #1, which has the vintage Jazz tone locked.
My #1 has Rotosound tapes on it. I wanted the backup to have rounds.
I've had my eye out for 70's Japanese "lawsuit era" basses.
Since the word is out that those basses, often out of the Mastumoku or Fujigen plants, rivaled the quality of Fender, the prices have gone up.
Also, one of my first basses was a Japanese Matsumoku bass under the brand name Cortez.
It was the Cortez BOC-1, a sweet P-bass that came with DiMarzio Model P pickups.
I don't have it anymore, so I've had my eye out for another Cortez bass.
The cop:
Saw a listing on Reverb for a Cortez Jazz bass (model JB22?) in sunburst finish for a steal.
Cortez basses are not as plentiful as other lawsuit era brands like Tokai, Fernandes, and Greco, so you gotta act fast.
The listing said that the bass recently had a pro set up.
I made an offer and the offer was accepted.
The bass arrived.
I tuned it up and the action was sky high.
The strings were crap and improperly installed.
The nut was in bad shape.
Worst of all, the A string would not sit in the slot on the nut.
The surgery:
Made an appointment with my tech.
I quickly found out why it was priced to sell.
Long story short, a neck swap was necessary.
Luckily, it just so happened I had a spare J neck at home.
The original tuners on the Cortez were smaller than Fender tuners, but I didn't have spare tuners.
The result:
-Cortez body and electronics
-Fender Jazz neck
-Hipshot Ultralite tuners
-New bone nut
-New string tree
-Strung with GHS Bass Boomers
I'll post a photo soon.
This thing sounds great. Sounds like a 70's Jazz bass. Low action with no buzzing.
I'm very happy with the end result. It could have been much worse since the seller wasn't honest about the condition of the bass.
In total I spent a little over $500, which is about what I intended to spend on a "lawsuit era" Japanese bass.
I just got my first one.
The backstory:
My goal was to have a backup for my #1 Jazz bass.
I have other Jazz basses but they don't sound like my #1, which has the vintage Jazz tone locked.
My #1 has Rotosound tapes on it. I wanted the backup to have rounds.
I've had my eye out for 70's Japanese "lawsuit era" basses.
Since the word is out that those basses, often out of the Mastumoku or Fujigen plants, rivaled the quality of Fender, the prices have gone up.
Also, one of my first basses was a Japanese Matsumoku bass under the brand name Cortez.
It was the Cortez BOC-1, a sweet P-bass that came with DiMarzio Model P pickups.
I don't have it anymore, so I've had my eye out for another Cortez bass.
The cop:
Saw a listing on Reverb for a Cortez Jazz bass (model JB22?) in sunburst finish for a steal.
Cortez basses are not as plentiful as other lawsuit era brands like Tokai, Fernandes, and Greco, so you gotta act fast.
The listing said that the bass recently had a pro set up.
I made an offer and the offer was accepted.
The bass arrived.
I tuned it up and the action was sky high.
The strings were crap and improperly installed.
The nut was in bad shape.
Worst of all, the A string would not sit in the slot on the nut.
The surgery:
Made an appointment with my tech.
I quickly found out why it was priced to sell.
Long story short, a neck swap was necessary.
Luckily, it just so happened I had a spare J neck at home.
The original tuners on the Cortez were smaller than Fender tuners, but I didn't have spare tuners.
The result:
-Cortez body and electronics
-Fender Jazz neck
-Hipshot Ultralite tuners
-New bone nut
-New string tree
-Strung with GHS Bass Boomers
I'll post a photo soon.
This thing sounds great. Sounds like a 70's Jazz bass. Low action with no buzzing.
I'm very happy with the end result. It could have been much worse since the seller wasn't honest about the condition of the bass.
In total I spent a little over $500, which is about what I intended to spend on a "lawsuit era" Japanese bass.
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