I bought it as a backup/project bass to trade off playing my BTB. The selling point to me was the unique finish, EMG pickups, and the narrow neck - all of which turned out exactly the way I hoped they would. This is a nice midrange quality bass that anyone can pick up cheap (I've seen a few of them go for around what I paid.) It is a fantastic bass for a beginner, or anyone who wants to make the jump from a 4 string to a 5.
Price: $115.00
Where Obtained: Ebay
5 string Japanese made? basswood body, 24 fret maple neck w/ rosewood fretboard, medium frets, EMG jazz style active P/U's (not sure if stock), 2 volume 1 tone & P/U switch. Tortoiseshell finish, standard string through bridge, non-locking tuners (maybe schaller?)
Playing this bass is like driving a Ferrari compared to my Ibanez BTB monster :) The string spacing is a little small, but I have small hands and narrow fingers, so it works out just fine. It has a nice narrow neck and a very comfortable radius.
Tonally, this bass is quite different from what I'm used to. It has a very pronounced mid-growl very reminiscent of a Fender Jazz, but doesn't produce the fat low end that some others (like the Ibanez BTB) are capable of. To hear a sample of this bass, check out
Fonya - "Witness to Nothing" is a shining example of this bass. I am going to try modding the EMG circuit to 18 volts to see if it might give me different tonal characteristics, but otherwise, I'm content with the tone.
The only thing that seems to be weak about this bass is the finish - some chips here and there, but otherwise, it seems to be quite solid. It's in pretty good shape for a 15 year old bass.
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