New Bass Day - Totally Unexpected

[rcblair]

We had the family over on Christmas Eve. One of my sons told me that he was talking to a friend of his and the guy mentioned that he had an old bass that he was going to sell. He told my son that he would sell it to him for ~1/2 of what it might bring on ebay and let him try it out. After my son showed me the pics I had him pick up the bass and this is what he came back with. It is in a lot rougher shape than the pics show but I'm not letting it leave. It should officially be mine in a day or so.

Rick B.

[BRRanger]

Glad it went to an appreciative home!

[rcblair]

I've done a lot of cleanup on the bass in the last week. Here are some before and after pics of some of the pieces.

The previous owner is having some trouble finding the original tuners. Fingers crossed that they didn't get thrown out in the trash.

Rick B.

[Greg_L]

Wow! Very cool!

[dubtrub]

That's looking great!

[rcblair]

Some pics of the happy couple.

Rick B.

[101Volts]

It looks nice, What year is it? Care to tell the serial number? And how do these basses sound and play compared to a P Bass or a Bass VI?

Austin

[rcblair]

It looks nice, What year is it? Care to tell the serial number? And how do these basses sound and play compared to a P Bass or a Bass VI?

Austin

There wasn't any date information either in the neck pocket or the neck, but I'm guessing early 70's. This one is B0240 but serial number continuity is notoriously unreliable with Mosrites.

Mosrite basses don't really play or sound anything like a P-bass. I haven't heard enough Bass VI to have an opinion on those. The scale length on the Mosrites is 30" so it's more comparable to a Mustang bass. The neck is narrow and the strings are spaced closer together than Fender. Combine that with the low "speed frets" and the bass is very easy to play. The pickups sound different than Fender also. The bridge pickup is sort of like a Jazz bass pickup. The neck pickup is not dark and tubby sounding like you would expect from its placement. It has a rolled-off low end and a midrange hump so it is closer to a P-bass sound than say a Gibson EB. The pickups combined have strong mids and some high end bite - an unusual sound that I don't hear with any of my other basses. The pickups are single coil afaik but there isn't any noise. That may change when I get under some flourescent lights.

I'm trying it out with the big band tomorrow night to see how it sits in the mix. One of the sax players also plays bass so I'll see what his reaction is.

Rick B.

[Haole Jim]

Beautiful loving restoration. Good on you for the fortunate score.

Enjoy!

Complete agreement; the Mosrite Bass does not sound like a P at all. P is 34" scale and mid-position-pickup mount, whole nother game and set of rules. In this opinion, the P is the immortal grandchild of the legendary upright doghouse.

Re a Mo to a Fender VI, they are different animals. The VI is really in this opinion, an "octave guitar," not a "bass." Versatile, fun, impressive. Neither F or Mo is better or worse, just very different.

A Mo compared with a Gibson SG 2-pup bass is more 1 on one being high quality 30-inch scale 4-strings, but again, you are talking Camaro and Mustang, both in the same niche, different fan base and just about everything else (humbuckers on the Gibson).

Personally, 'think all 3 are super instruments and ideally, owing all 3...what a dream!

[101Volts]

Well I know the general size of speed frets. The Bass VI is close to the scale length if not the same as a Mustang Bass and the Mosrite Ventures one. Thanks.

- Austin