Mine isn't one of his early basses. That's the first thing that came to my mind too, but after corresponding with him I found out that this was built about ten years prior to his involvement with Ampeg. He mentioned something to the effect that he became aware of these during a trip to their corporate offices. They had a black one there similar to this that he ended up acquiring for his own collection.
The wood and finish work on it are very nice. The body actually has the chambering and detail inside the f-holes similar to the original. It has a lovely ebony board, and a fast, slender Jazz-like neck. The original electronics were a let down - cheesy components, wiring, pickup, and a lame, neutered sound. The bridge and tailpiece are nicely machined and in the spirit of the original, but a bit more angular. It's a good bass, and now casts an assertive throaty growl with its new innards, but it doesn't strike me as anywhere near as painstakingly crafted as one of his basses. I think this thing was built more for trade-show eye-candy.