I love the name because of what the model was trying to compete with: Accu-Bass (P-copy). There were two others marketed in the same years: Rock-Bass (J-copy) & Power-Bass (PJ-copy) I have a mongrel bass with the Rock-Bass body and a Jaguar H 32"-scale neck. It plays very well for no more than I have in it, including upgrade pickups.
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What did I buy at Goodwill?
- Thread starter GuitarBrian
- Start date
Basvarken
Commercial User
- Dec 3, 2010
- 1,743
- 10,606
- Disclosures
- Hobby Luthier / Gibson Bass Book
Yep it's an Epiphone Accu bass. (accu as in accuracy = precision).
Pretty rare and very sturdy. $20 is a steal.
Pretty rare and very sturdy. $20 is a steal.
My first bass was one that came out in the same batch. It had a pointy headstock and it was a jazz bass. Don’t know anymore what the specific name was but I bought it somewhere mid 90’s. Regret selling it though because it was the first instrument my mom bought me. We went together to the music shop and I will never forget that…
If it was me, I'd raise the bridge, file down the nut, and take the buzz out of the low "E."
Seriously tho - For $20 if the neck is straight and the truss rod works the rest can be fixed up a little at a time as you have time to do it.
1. Dis-en-gunk-ify it. It looks like some simple green all around would not hurt anything. After cleaning it up, get some oil on that fret board. I can't remember what I use. For me, it's one of those things you buy, and it lasts forever. - Whatever you get, get something for musical instruments, don't just grab olive oil out of the kitchen, or 10-W40 Out of the garage...
2. Inspect the hardware. If you have broken tuning keys, or find disfunction or missing parts replace or repair them.
3. Get some new strings. and do a setup. Good setup tutorials can be found on YT and here on TB. It's not hard really. I had to learn how during covid lock-down because I had string buzz and no shop was open...
If you watch a video on how to do it and is scares you, take your bass to a pro and they can do it.
4. Get some replacement pots that work and replace or repair any broken wiring. It's a passive P bass, so the wiring isn't going to be too complicated, even if all the wiring is toast, you could bring it back with knowledge available here and on YT. Just take one thing at a time. Same deal as the setup, if you watch a wiring tutorial and it scares you, take your bass to a pro and they can fix you up.
5. Play and enjoy your new bass.
Seriously tho - For $20 if the neck is straight and the truss rod works the rest can be fixed up a little at a time as you have time to do it.
1. Dis-en-gunk-ify it. It looks like some simple green all around would not hurt anything. After cleaning it up, get some oil on that fret board. I can't remember what I use. For me, it's one of those things you buy, and it lasts forever. - Whatever you get, get something for musical instruments, don't just grab olive oil out of the kitchen, or 10-W40 Out of the garage...
2. Inspect the hardware. If you have broken tuning keys, or find disfunction or missing parts replace or repair them.
3. Get some new strings. and do a setup. Good setup tutorials can be found on YT and here on TB. It's not hard really. I had to learn how during covid lock-down because I had string buzz and no shop was open...
If you watch a video on how to do it and is scares you, take your bass to a pro and they can do it.
4. Get some replacement pots that work and replace or repair any broken wiring. It's a passive P bass, so the wiring isn't going to be too complicated, even if all the wiring is toast, you could bring it back with knowledge available here and on YT. Just take one thing at a time. Same deal as the setup, if you watch a wiring tutorial and it scares you, take your bass to a pro and they can fix you up.
5. Play and enjoy your new bass.
The JJ-pickupped version was the Epiphone Rock Bass, as mentioned by iiipopes in post #21 above:
https://epiphone-wiki.org/EpiWiki2/index/Rock_Bass.html
The Explorer (rounded-point) headstock should mean it was made between 1986 and 1988 (if the info in the Epi Wiki is correct, the Rock Bass adopted the batwing headstock a decade earlier than the Accu).
because it's a precision bass, it is pretty much automatically a useful instrument. entry level or not, it can be turned into a very good precision bass without excessive work.... if you know how to setup the neck, nut slots, bridge, pickup height, and so forth, and if it all works ok, then you're set! Ideally put in a better pickup, but it might sound just great as it is. and for $20, spending money always seems kind of like a bad idea... you should be able to rock it as is, maybe with new strings?
At $20.00, if the neck is straight and the truss rod moves both directions it's an amazing deal !
And any guitar tech can tune it and turn it into a rock machine with a few upgrades that are not too expensive if wanted.
Good catch !
And any guitar tech can tune it and turn it into a rock machine with a few upgrades that are not too expensive if wanted.
Good catch !
Would you look at that…. There’s even a club for your $20 bass.
The Official Epiphone Accu-Bass Club
Thanks for all the support and responses.
It's the exception, not the norm to find a deal at my local Goodwill, everything these days seems to be priced to eBay.
I will track down a replacement pot and knob now that I know more what to search for. Strings look and feel brand new. The nut has a chip out of it on the G-string side, but the string doesn't pop out, even when I pushed/pulled on it.
I plugged it into my little Markbass amp and it sounds good. Can't complain!
I'd love for my wife to learn a few basic songs, I told her she could have this one... but lack of an instrument wasn't the reason she hasn't picked it up...
Anyway, thanks for all the help IDing it!
It's the exception, not the norm to find a deal at my local Goodwill, everything these days seems to be priced to eBay.
I will track down a replacement pot and knob now that I know more what to search for. Strings look and feel brand new. The nut has a chip out of it on the G-string side, but the string doesn't pop out, even when I pushed/pulled on it.
I plugged it into my little Markbass amp and it sounds good. Can't complain!
I'd love for my wife to learn a few basic songs, I told her she could have this one... but lack of an instrument wasn't the reason she hasn't picked it up...
Anyway, thanks for all the help IDing it!
I love how they changed Precision into Accu…
Their J copy was called the Rock Bass 
The Power Bass was a PJ.These were pretty common “starter” instruments in the 1980s.
Ayuh (as Mainers say, and coincidentally as do we around these parts).I love how they changed Precision into Accu…
These were pretty common “starter” instruments in the 1980s.
My first two demoes were recorded with an Epiphone Rock Bass
(not mine and not by me, I was the lead vocalist - by the way, I need to give the bassist a call one of these days).
Well all right all right all right all right all right all right all right.
It's a 90's Epiphone Accu Bass. It's a budget instrument, but for $25 it's a good score. You could easily clean it up and flip it for more.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
