Hellzero

One of my favourite Fender design, but you'll have to wait another year as this Performer Bass with its TBX was supposed to have been officially released in 1986 and 1987 by FujiGen Gakki in Japan, 1985 being the year of its conception and presentation of the Katana Bass, not the Performer Bass, by John Page (THE Custom Shop guy of the early years, but not back then as it took place way later) at the Frankfurt Musik Messe, in February 1985. Too bad the American version called Elite with 3 pickups and an ebony fingerboard was only released as a prototype and never put into production... Price wise yours looks pristine and could sell between £2500 and £3500, which is quite extraordinary for a Japanese model. Congratulations @Stub Mandrel, it's a superbly rare bass made in around 100 copies and if yours is really from 1985 then you own some kind of a prototype. Here's almost the only written trace of it from The Fender Bass by Klaus Blasquiz. Here are the two American prototypes, note the different headstocks, the ebony fingerboard for the fourer and the 3 pickups configuration for the fiver.

I bought one a long time ago and they are available by batches, so check from time to time if you really want to buy one. That said, all the rest available is pure dire indeed if you want to keep the massive one, otherwise Guyker is making a very decent modern short one: https://www.guyker.com/products/bass-bridge-mmb4-4-string-bass-bridge-iron-material-chrome-black?_pos=61&_fid=9add13922&_ss=c&variant=44599616012466 You can find it on Amazon at even a lower price.

Check this: https://northwestguitars.co.uk/products/telecaster-compatible-pickup-ring-surround-single-coil-pickup-screws?srsltid=AfmBOorRJAhemGzCBOONk640a94dxbz-y3VwGzVnAJcWFhvaPKWx2vxi In black (nickel, chrome or gold available too):

American: Indonesian:

These are all the Ray4 excellent replacement bridges offered by Albridge: https://www.ampshopbassexchange.com/?s=Ray4

Go on. 😉

It's indeed the SBMM model @ezbass. Easy to spot as the bridge is the "massive" one, not the new official Ernie Ball short version. That said, Joe Dart also plays the all Jazz à Vienne (in France) concert with the SBMM and the tone is exactly the same as with his American signature...

You can trust it, it's fully working, no worries.

Your MacGyver tricks are excellent!

Lovely! 😍

Put some real double bass strings first as the ones factory fitted are more or less sounding like a fretless hence the upper mids peak. Try the Thomastik Spirocore 3/4, they are really good and sound like double bass strings should.

By the way, the first run of OLP's was just decent, the second was awful.

It's an excellent bass, absolutely nothing wrong with it and even at the price paid across the pond, it's still a fair one according to the overall quality and tone. Mine is astonishing every body trying it.

Don't forget to ground them otherwise what you did is useless. 😉

I've been through this a few times and if you can't sleep because of it like I did too, then you took the right decision Dave, but don't rush selling all your gear as you may find something more relaxed and pleasant to play without all the hassle. 😉

Here are the weights I measured for the 2 different types. Hipshot HB3 (direct replacement, elephant ears): 87 grams Gotoh Res-O-Lite GB-640 (direct replacement, elephant ears): 67 grams Hipshot HB6Y (3/8 post, Gotoh GB-7 type): 52 grams Gotoh Res-O-Lite GB-350 (3/8 post, Gotoh GB-7 type): 40 grams (all included with screw and washer as they are also lighter than the original parts) Hope this helps.

The Gotoh Res-O-Lite are lighter, I've done the weighting many moons ago.

Sassafras is just between ash and alder tone wise, but way lighter, for those knowing that wood is important, for the others it's just another wood with a fancy name. It's a wood used by Fender in the very early days and, for example, Eric Johnson's favourite Stratocaster, Virginia, from 1954, has a body made out of this excellent wood. https://www.fender.com/en-US/electric-guitars/stratocaster/stories-collection-eric-johnson-1954-virginia-stratocaster/0117442803.html I had a Jazz Bass made by luthier with this wood for the body and it sounded amazingly good, but I had too many Jazz Basses back then.

Nice way to thank people helping you!

Here are the knobs coming from some Sadowsky MetroExpress basses, and as you can see there are 2 grub screws (on all of them), just like on any American or Japanese Sadowsky. So maybe worth checking instead of being taken for an ... idiot. 😉

@LemonCello, there's an original one in excellent condition, with all the goodies, the invoice and the original case at a super price, in the ads. It's even a very light one. Worth checking this:

Aren't there 2 grub screws on the Sadowsky knobs?

It's still there, go to Account first. 😉