Trying to ID a bass

[averykess]

I tried posting this in the G&L forum, but I thought I'd widen my audience a bit by posting here...

I am trying to identify the bass I have but haven't been able to do so yet. I know that it was bought through either Sears, Montgomery Ward, or JC Penney in the late 80s (I can't remember which). It is a double cutaway strat-style. It has both P and J style pickups, 2 volume knobs, 1 tone knob, and the jack is on the face. This is all covered by a plastic pick guard. The neck is a 4 bolt model with a micro-tilt. The truss rod is adjustable from the headstock end, there is no cover for the truss rod. The face of the headstock is painted the same black as the body and lacks any kind of logo. The headstock looks like an SB-1 (no pointy bit on the opposite side from the tuning knobs). I have taken the neck off and found no serial numbers anywhere on it. The body is plywood. It is probably nothing special, I'd just like to know.

What do you guys think?

 

[averykess]

no help?

 

[rustynuts]

Vinci, maybe? The headstock looks a little off for a Vinci though.

 

[excane]

I swear I have seen this bass before...let me do some research on the web and I'll get back to you. I'm curious myself now as to what this is.

 

[brothernewt]

I'm goin' Kramer Focus...

 

[martyman5000]

looks like someone stuck an old neck on a new bass.

 

[heavyhitter]

I'm goin' Kramer Focus...

+1 I think they are kinda rare too.

 

[iriegnome]

Looks like a Lotus headstock to me... Or even an Aria.

 

[averykess]

Heh, exactly the problem I've been having; everyone says it kinda looks like this or that...

 

[averykess]

looks like someone stuck an old neck on a new bass.

Hasn't been altered in any way from when I got it except for the yellow sticker.

I'd take that off, except I am worried the color would be much different underneath.

 

[etechstan]

Vinci, maybe? The headstock looks a little off for a Vinci though.

I'm the only Vinci owner here. (That's not pride speaking)

 

[stflbn]

Cort?

 

[averykess]

Cort?

I looked at the stuff on the Cort website. The headstock on the GB34A is the closest I've seen so far, but the tail is more assymetrical.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[albertofrog]

Looks like a Lotus headstock to me... Or even an Aria.

Dont think its an Aria. Headstock looks wrong, I've got a couple..

 

[cdef]

It looks very much like the Cort PJ bass Invalid Link Removed.

 

[JTE]

The actual "name" on the bass could be anything. It looks like a Cort, but that just means it was built in that particular factory. Does it really matter? It ain't a Kramer Focus, especially if you got it at Sears or JCP, nor an Aria, etc. But it could be identical in all respects except the headstock shape.

The lowest level for marketing from the orient at the time was a generic instrument with nothing on the headstock. Next level up was the same thing with different headstock shapes, perhaps paint, and decals. You order enough of them and you got yourself a bass line, exclusively yours- except the guy next door who ordered the same number has the exact same instrument with a different headstock and decal on it.

That's what it looks like to me.

jte

 

[averykess]

The actual "name" on the bass could be anything. It looks like a Cort, but that just means it was built in that particular factory. Does it really matter?

It does, in certain ways. I need to have the nut replaced, as the E has bottomed out. I thought if I could find who made it, I could find some technical info on it and get a better replacement.

 

[averykess]

It looks very much like the Cort PJ bass Invalid Link Removed.

Wow, that is pretty much it. The machines mounting plates are even the same shape. The only difference is mine has the micro-tilt adjuster.

Thanks!

 

[David Jayne]

It does, in certain ways. I need to have the nut replaced, as the E has bottomed out. I thought if I could find who made it, I could find some technical info on it and get a better replacement.

Any decent tech can make a new nut for it. I'd forget trying to find an authentic replacement part-they probably don't exist. It's really no big deal at all.

 

[Kemet09]

It does, in certain ways. I need to have the nut replaced, as the E has bottomed out. I thought if I could find who made it, I could find some technical info on it and get a better replacement.

Or you could just get the nut 'shimmed' & not worry about replacing it... ;-)