The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Other Bass Brands => Topic started by: Pilgrim on October 15, 2021, 11:39:24 AM
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The spirit of Damon Runyan is slightly with me this morning.....
So, I'm hanging out in a nice pawnshop in downtown Pagosa Springs, which is a nice little town if you're not too into urban settings. I'm helping my friend Gimpy Bob hunt for a stereo receiver to replace his kaput one, since of course this little town of 2,000 has no joint where a guy can buy a new stereo on a Saturday, or mostly any other day, for that matter.
Now, Gimpy Bob is a nice guy, and seein' as how I do the stereo stuff, we are very pleased when we find a not very old Sony receiver that will do just what he needs.
I am hanging out by the counter while Bob does the credit card tap dance with the shop owner, when my wife has a moment of insanity.
"Wow, that's a pretty bass" she sez.
And since I am always a thoughtful and supportive husband, I sez "What bass is that?".....................
My lovely wife points to a blue metallic object on the guitar rack. I am struck by the attractive appearance of this bass, but notice that it is not of the Fender persuasion even though it's jazz-shaped. But upon a bit of handling and plucking, I decide that this proposition is both more than somewhat good-looking, and nicely playable. More examination shows that it's a very recent G&L JB Tribute, with at least one Seymour Duncan pickup added, and a maple neck that's only 1.5 inches at the nut. This is indeed a very fast neck with satin finish, pleasant to the hand. The proprietor clues me in that there's a nice hard case with the original hex wrenches and, a new guitar cable, strap and basic clip-on tuner.
So at this point, I decide that if my wife finds this bass to be so attractive, it should come home with us. I find myself doing the credit card tap dance with the proprietor, and carry this new axe out to the car. Sometimes lack of planning does not prevent finding a new bass.
Labella low tension flats are ordered and should arrive this weekend.
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Those Tributes are fine basses , I have an older Korean L2500 . On the heavy side , but a great bass .
Did you get the burst/maple combination ?
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Those Tributes are fine basses , I have an older Korean L2500 . On the heavy side , but a great bass .
Did you get the burst/maple combination ?
Now that I've figured out how to attach photos, you can see the Lake Placid Blue result.....
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There’s a little screw on the side of the bridge that locks everything up . You have to loosen it to adjust the bridge . And the tributes are metric … it’s a tiny little hex thing .
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Nice find!
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Funny someone would replace the stock pickup .
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Funny someone would replace the stock pickup .
Seems odd to me too. It doesn't look like a screwdriver has ever touched the pickup mounting screws. And why would someone buy and install that pickup, then pawn it?
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Nice! I love the color on a J.
People who change the pickup on a relatively new bass and then get rid of it make me shake my head. If you make a commitment to improving it, at least stick with it for awhile. Three or four years ago there was an almost new (US) G&L SB-1 in a local shop. The guy had special ordered it, got it, changed that excellent G&L P pickup for an (ugh!) EMG Geezer Butler P. Then traded it back in. The shop was only asking $700 for a bass that must have gone for $13-1400 new, so the guy really took a beating on that one when he traded it in.
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Nice. Totally not my bag but that's a cool colour.
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My wife spilled the beans about the bass today. She says she pointed out the bass because she figured I'd spot it soon anyway. We needed to get back to our friends' house to watch the WSU game, and she figured she might as well move me along a bit faster than I'd move by myself. It did seem like she was remarkably quiet while I was checking out the bass and making the deal.
Oh man, you live with someone for a mere 37 years and they already know you that well......
At least I got the like-new bass with the "upgraded" pickup and hard case for under $400, about $125 off the new street price.
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Nice looking bass, and funny story! They even threw in an extra fret!
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Yeah, I've been playing mostly short scale, but the narrow neck makes it a bit easier to play this 34" neck.
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Oh man, you live with someone for a mere 37 years and they already know you that well......
:rimshot:
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I’ve been mostly playing short scale basses , bought some interesting long scales since , but continue to prefer short scales .
The exceptions were a Yamaha Flying Samurai and a Riverhead Unicorn . Interesting basses !
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Any photos? Not familiar with either one...
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I’ve been mostly playing short scale basses , bought some interesting long scales since , but continue to prefer short scales .
The exceptions were a Yamaha Flying Samurai and a Riverhead Unicorn . Interesting basses !
I thought the Samurai was short scale? Or do you mean the reissue?
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The original Flying Samurai was medium scale at 32 inches , mine is a 34 reissue . They didn’t make a big batch of reissues , they’ve become rare , like the originals . I would have preferred the 32 , but I’m ok with the 34 . I didn’t jump to short scale because of hand issues . I just came to prefer the short ones . And I love the shade of yellow . I occasionally get to play some surf , weird guitar instrumentals and movie themes with some old buddies in a favourite dive . The Sam is perfect . We have a killer take on Goldfinger .
The Unicorn is a pretty rare Japanese headless thing that is very comfortable to play . There is a tiny cult of aficionados . Apparently the factory burned down and was never rebuilt . I figure I can always run off and join some new wave circus if things don’t work out .
(https://i.postimg.cc/9FsxK57j/79629029-E983-4-D14-9662-5-E6152-BC12-DA.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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I’ve been mostly playing short scale basses , bought some interesting long scales since , but continue to prefer short scales .
The exceptions were a Yamaha Flying Samurai and a Riverhead Unicorn . Interesting basses !
Man, I have been dying to get me hands on a Yamaha Samurai ever since I got into the Polysics/saw them live. They got pricey though. Pauls Boutique gets them all the time (6 and 4 bangers; mostly 6). Also ridiculous number of pup config options.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II41AsM3K7Q
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I remember the bass player in the Guess Who using one on tv in the later 60’s . The shape always stuck with me . I’d look them up on the internet every once in a while , but I wasn’t up to an order from Japan . A friend in the States had one , and sold it . And said he regretted selling , described it as something like a Jazz bass on steroids .
And then one popped up on a forum in Toronto and I decided it was about that time .
It’s a mid weight , not heavy . Comfortable on a strap , well balanced . Nice neck , sounds good . I like it .
If it was 30 inches I’d be using it a lot more …