The Last Bass Outpost

We have two 86's. One (the Shadow) has a pencil neck, and the other (my son's 4003S) has a really thick neck, which I like a lot. It also sounds amazing.

IME, the thicker the neck, the thicker the sound. A very experienced violin maker I know confirmed this is true also for uprights.

It looks like a real v63 JG with a Hipshot bridge/tailpiece.

I bet what you get from aliexpress for $315 will be slightly different.

Happy Face, I don't own an SA17, but I hope to, one day... right after I get an SB-5A and an SB-30 in red.

Isn't that quite a bit more than other Senators have sold for?

It is, but none was nearly as nice.

Thanks for the detailed review.

I am beginning to suspect that f-holes, while often cosmetically appealing and lending basses a different tonality, might actually bleed off some of the omph of the pup and some lower bass frequencies

F-holes in the violin family instruments are there to make the area of the top around the bridge more flexible and consequently the sound has more high frequencies. But with a center block, I'm not sure if it matters that much. And the Guild obviously has a block.

IME, f-hole Höfner basses (like my Senator and 500/3) don't sound less fat and bassy compared to closed hollowbodies like the Beatle bass or 500/2 (the German-made ones without center blocks). If anything, they have more lows.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/wholesales-New-Arrival-4-String-Electric-Bass-Guitar-in-blue-R8-South-Korea-accessories-with/1383733760.html

BTW I can confirm the weight reading. These things weigh less than a violin bass. I don't know how this is possible but mine ('64) is the same weight as this one.