Unbranded fretless Jazz made in Japan expertise request

[Millovanillo]

Hi everybody,

here is Marco, from Italy. I'm a bass rookie, still studying the instrument since a couple of years.

I just discovered this forum, that I like a lot, and would like to take the occasion asking for a sort of "expertise" from more experienced guys about a fretless jazz bass I would like to buy.

I contacted the vendor, that is actually the sister of the owner (passed away), in order to get some information about the instrument. No joy. She knows nothing about the story and the components of this bass.

 

Sole parts I can recognize are the writing "made in japan" on the metallic plate of the neck pocket and the Schaller tuners.

I did notice the rounded ends on the pickups but, as said, I'm a complete rookie (playing the bass as well as recognizing the models....) so, I don't know if they are good or not.

Got some pictures from the vendor, but I realized there aren't with the entire bass. Sorry for that.

 

May I ask you for some suggestions about this piece of instrument?

Could someone tell me if this bass really comes from Japan (maybe he knows the brand, also) or if it's an assembled one?

It could come away for 200€ or a bit less, as she told me there is a margin to deal. Do you think it could worth?

 

I really appreciate if you can provide me some help on this.

Thank you.

 

Ciao,

Marco

[Paolo85]

Ciao! I am not an expert but my guess would be that whatever this bass is, the neck is not the original neck.

In terms of being worth it, the only thing you can do is trying it. For what fretless basses cost, 200 euros is cheap. If it sounds and plays well, it is worth it. If it does not, it does not make any sense as you could buy a good new Harley Benton fretless for some 150 euros. I would definitely not buy a bitsa without trying unless all components are clearly identified. That's because if they are not, you would have no clue about resale price.

 

...speaking of gut feelings, I would guess it is worth way more than 200, but that's literally gut feelings.

Edited September 30, 2022 by Paolo85

[Rich]

You would definitely do well to establish the source of the woodwork. The last time I saw rounded-off J pickups like that, they were on the old Columbus J-copy I had back in the 80s. I paid 25 quid for it. The body was plywood.

Personally I would walk away from this. You'd be far better off with a Hardley Bent.

[Sibob]

Yeah I'd leave alone personally.

 

Si

[Sonic_Groove]

I agree with Rich & Paolo85 the body looks like a Columbus from the 70s (Plywood) with a replacement neck & tuners

[LeftyJ]

25 minutes ago, Rich said:

The body was plywood.

 

I think that's the case here too, the black tummycut and forearm contour are usually a dead giveaway for either a plywood body or a body made up of more than 3 narrow strips of wood with a veneer top and back to cover up the multipiece body. Which isn't necessarily bad, but can be. Maybe @Bassassin can be more specific about the origins of the body. I agree with @Paolo85 that the neck appears to be aftermarket. 

[Grahambythesea]

It also looks like a defretted neck to me, you can see fret lines but not like fret markers on a factory lined fretless.

Edited September 30, 2022 by Grahambythesea
Spelling correction

[Bassassin]

Can only echo what's already been said. The neck's not original and has been de-fretted. The body is from a generic midrange 70s MIJ bass, it's ply or butcher-block, as the black oversprays which cover the laminations indicate. It was very likely made by Chushin Gakki, who turned out thousands of these under hundreds of different names. Those round-end pickups appear in quite a few low to mid-level MIJ basses and in my experience are quite thin-sounding & low output. Best thing about it's the tuners.

 

€200 is too much for that - for a little bit more you could likely pick up a used Sire V7 fretless, (I have one, they're phenomenal basses), or for a few € less, Thomann will sell you a very nice Harley Benton Jaco clone.

[Millovanillo]

HI All,

and thanks for your very quick replies.

I was already in doubt regarding this bass, and your comments gave me the definitive push to look at other directions.

HB on Thomann has lot of positive reviews so, I guess I will place an order quite soon if my fretless fever remains hot.

 

Beside this, browsing this forum I gained more consciousness on the 70s and 80s MIJ basses. It will be useful to me in case I would buy one vintage piece.

 

Thanks again, guys.

Grazie mille 😁

 

Marco

[Grimalkin]

Search images: "Grant Jazz Bass."

 

It was the first bass I had but the plate stamp and the rounded pickups were the same.

[Grimalkin]

[BigRedX]

19 minutes ago, Grimalkin said:

Search images: "Grant Jazz Bass."

 

It was the first bass I had but the plate stamp and the rounded pickups were the same.

 

However "Grant" is just an importer brand. As Bassassin has already said these instruments were sold under 100s of different names depending on who they were being made for.

[Grimalkin]

8 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

 

However "Grant" is just an importer brand. As Bassassin has already said these instruments were sold under 100s of different names depending on who they were being made for.

 

Then who knows.